I perked up. A present?
He nodded, an annoyed look on his face. Pulling out a cloth-wrapped bundle, he revealed a slender dagger with a bright pink, pearlescent handle. No way! I yelled, taking it from him.
I cant believe I made a pink knife.
Its so cute! I love it. Finally, a companion worthy of Tasey. I gave him a quick hug. Hugs always freaked poor Bud out, but he was relieved Id finally agreed to take a knife. Oh, gosh, what should
I name her?
Whatever it is, please dont tell me. Just keep it sheathed and on your belt.
I took the sheathwhich was black. Can you make me one in brown, too? And pink? Youd think
Bud was a werewolf by the way he growled as he shooed me out of the training room.
The rest of my afternoon free, I banked on the hope that Raquel would be in meetings. She was pretty high up in IPCA. I used to think she was only assigned to me, but it turned out she ran the entire Center and was in charge of all bag-and-tag missions. I guess I was just her favorite. That, or the most useful.
I had been thinking about Lend on and off all day. He was the most interesting person/thing in here right now, so I went to Containment. I stopped in front of Lends cell, then did a double take. He wasnt there. And not in an almost-invisible way, in an actually-not-in-the-cell-anymore way. Not cool.
Jacques was at the very end of the long corridor. Jacques!
He walked down. You are not supposed to be here, Evie.
Yeah, yeah. Wheres Lend? What if they had let him go? Not likely, once I thought about it. Hed broken into the Center. I couldnt remember that happeningever. But what if he was in more trouble than I thought, and they were hurting him? That idea bothered me. Then the rational part of me wondered if maybe he was dangerous and theyd taken him to a higher-risk placement area.
Jacques shrugged. Raquel wanted him moved.
Why?
We are not equipped for long-term holding here. No beds, no bathrooms.
Oh. Made sense. Where is he?
The werewolf shook his head. Sorry. You are not cleared to know. Today his normally cute
French accent was seriously bugging me.
Not cleared?
No. Raquel told me not to tell you.
My face melted into a pout. This was so not fair. I turned on my heel and stalked to Raquels office.
I had just put my palm up to enter when the door opened.
Oh, good, Raquel said.
Whats the deal with
Ive got a job for you. You need to leave right now. A transports waiting.
I frowned. What is it?
Vampire activity in Istanbul. Weve got a location, but you have to hurry.
IOkay. We ran to my room and I grabbed my bag with the ankle trackers. I always had Tasey on me, and now she was joined by my dagger. Im not really dressed for vamping. I was wearing skinny jeans and a long-sleeved V-necked tee, my hair back in a ponytail.
You look fine, she said dismissively. Your neck is showingthats all that matters.
We were almost to Transport when I remembered. Hey, why cant I know where Lend is?
Raquel rolled her eyes and heaved an is this really the time sigh. You dont need to know. The
Transport room door opened in front of us to reveal the waiting faerie. I hadnt seen her in years, and my stomach immediately clenched with guilt and nerves. All the human employees were required to memorize two faerie names, the faeries assigned at random so no faerie had too many people attached. This faerie was one of mine, and I couldnt remember her name for the life of me.
Hers had been the first one theyd told me; I was ten. They also told me to never, ever use it unless I absolutely had to, then explained all the ways in which I could be killed if I screwed up. It was a little traumatic; can you blame me for forgetting? I knew I should ask again but was too embarrassed that Id forgotten in the first place. Raquel would flip.
The faerie didnt even look at me. Do you have the location? Raquel asked her. She nodded. Her skin was creamy white and her ruby hair contrasted sharply with it. Like all faeries, she was beautiful in a way no person could ever be. She held out her hand and blurred as her glamour went into place. The faeries were all required to tone down their looks during transports in case someone caught a glimpse of them. You dont forget a faerie face. The faeries hair softened to auburn and her face took on more normal proportions, the eyes shrinking and moving closer together. She was still beautiful, but normal now. Unless you were me and could see right through it.
I walked forward and took her outstretched hand. It was warm, but not in the same way Reths was.
The usual outline of brilliant light formed on the blank wall in front of us and we walked together into the black. I put all my attention on the feeling of her hand in mine and just moved forward. It surprised me when she spokefaeries dont usually deign to speak to mortals. Unless theyre trying to kidnap you, of course.
Oh, you are Reths, she said in recognition, her voice discordant but oddly lovely, like glass raining onto concrete.
I missed a step, almost tripping. Her grasp never wavered. No, Im not. As if the Faerie Paths werent creepy enough already. Where did that come from?