I walked over and peered at the board. It apparently was also suffering from his drinking, seeing as half the streets were blank. The ones that were there had names like “Castile Causeway” and “Jailbait Avenue.” “The board’s a little incomplete,” I said diplomatically.
Adrian didn’t seem concerned. “Well, then, I guess that improves your odds.”
I couldn’t resist that and took a gamble on sitting in one of the chairs. I smiled at him and then began counting money, happy that all was (relatively) right in the world with us again.
CHAPTER 19
SOMEHOW, I STILL LOST.
If Adrian were capable of on-the-fly calculations, I’d swear he was using his powers to affect the way the dice rolled. Most likely, he either had some innate and inexplicable Monopoly skills I just couldn’t understand—or he was very, very lucky. But through it all, I had fun, and losing to him was a lot better than having Veronica haunt me in my sleep. He continued the dream visits for the next few days, and although I never felt completely safe from her, I at least didn’t have her occupying the forefront of my mind at all times. That honor was saved for my weekend trip to St. Louis, which came around more quickly than I expected.
Once I was on the plane, the reality of what I was about to attempt hit me. This was it, the point of no return. In the safety of Palm Springs, I’d been able to maintain a somewhat cool and collected attitude. St. Louis had seemed far away back then. Now the tasks ahead of me seemed daunting and kind of crazy. And
And really, who was I to think I would have any ability to lure secrets from him? I wasn’t like Rose or Julia. They had men fawning all over them. But me? I was socially awkward and pretty inept when it came to romance. Maybe Ian liked me, but that didn’t mean I’d have some magical power over him. Of course, if that part of the plan with him failed, then I’d be free of my other tasks.
Every single part of this was overwhelming, and as I stared out the plane’s window, watching St. Louis grow closer and closer, my feelings of dread grew. My palms were too sweaty to hold a book, and when I refused food, it was because of the queasiness in my stomach, not some obsession with calories.
I’d gone back and forth on whether to get a hotel room or stay at the facility itself, which provided guest housing for visiting Alchemists like me. In the end, I opted for the former. The less time I spent under the watchful eyes of my masters, the better.
It also meant I didn’t have to worry about my outfit attracting attention. I hadn’t exactly followed all of Adrian’s suggestions, but the dress I’d purchased for this trip was a bit racier than my normal business casual wardrobe. Okay, a lot racier. It would have been completely out of place among the modest and neutral-colored attire Alchemists usually wore. But when Ian met me in the hotel’s lobby for dinner, I knew I’d made the right choice.
“Wow,” he said, eyes widening. “You look amazing.”
Apparently, his Alchemists sensibilities weren’t offended by my outfit. It was a form-fitting minidress that went about to my mid-thigh, with an open back and a disconcertingly low V-neck that gave me cleavage I hadn’t even known was possible. Any demureness the dress’s long sleeves might have offered was undone by the fabric combination: a beige underdress covered in black and maroon lace. It gave the illusion that I was wearing lace with nothing underneath. The saleswoman had assured me that every part of the dress was supposed to fit that snugly (for once in my life, I’d actually suggested a larger size) and that I needed at least four-inch black heels to make it all work. With the help of a lot of hairpins, I’d even managed to pull my hair up into a bun, which wasn’t easy with my layered haircut.
I felt conspicuous walking through the lobby, but no one gave me any shocked looks. The few I did get were admiring ones. The hotel was pretty posh, and I was just one of a number of women dressed in holiday cocktail dresses. Nothing scandalous or out of the ordinary.
Right?
I smiled as I approached Ian and gave him a quick hug, which was weird both because it was with Ian and because I felt naked in the dress. This femme fatale thing was harder than I’d thought it’d be.
“I’m glad I got to see you again,” I said. “I know what an inconvenience this must be, with no notice.”
Ian shook his head so adamantly that I almost expected to hear rattling. “N-no. No trouble at all.”
Satisfied he’d gotten a look, I slipped on my coat, a mid-length black trench, and gestured toward the exit. “Time to brave the elements?”
He hurried ahead of me to open the door. A scattering of snowflakes drifted down, resting on my coat and hair. My breath made a frosty cloud in the air, and I had a momentary flashback to traipsing across that field with Adrian. Little had I known that search for Marcus would lead to me running errands for him in a tight dress.
Ian had parked in the hotel’s front circle drive. He drove a Toyota Corolla, which was made even more boring by the fact that he’d chosen it in white. A little air freshener shaped like a tree hung from the rearview mirror, but rather than the usual pine scent, a small label declared it to be “New Car Scent.” Mostly it smelled like plastic. I put on a brave face. Marcus really owed me one.
“I made us a reservation at this really great seafood place,” he told me. “It’s close to the facility, so we can head on over to the service right away.”
“Sounds great,” I said. I never ate seafood in any landlocked state.
The restaurant was called Fresh Cache, which didn’t improve my opinion of it. Still, I had to give it credit for attempts at a romantic atmosphere. Most of the lighting came from candles, and a pianist in the corner played covers of easy-listening songs. More well-dressed people filled the tables, laughing and chatting over wine and shrimp cocktails. The host showed us to a corner table, covered with burgundy linen and decorated with a scattering of green orchids. I’d never seen any up close and was actually quite taken with how exotic and sensual they were. If only I was here with anyone but Ian.
I was hesitant to take my coat off. It made me feel exposed, and I had to remind myself of the consequences of Alchemists and Warriors working together. As soon as the dress was unleashed again, I had the satisfaction of seeing Ian melt once more. I remembered Adrian’s advice about confidence and put on a smug smile, hoping I gave the impression that I was doing Ian a great favor by allowing him to be in my presence. And, to my complete and utter amazement, it seemed to work. I even allowed myself to indulge in a dangerous thought: maybe it wasn’t the dress wielding such power here.
Maybe it was
Opening the menu, I began skimming for a beef or poultry option. “What do you recommend?”
“The mahi mahi is great here,” he said. “So is the swordfish.”
The waiter stopped by, and I ordered a chicken Caesar salad. I figured they couldn’t really mess up the anchovies in the dressing.
We were left alone to wait, with nothing to do now but move on to small talk. Ian picked up the ball. “I suppose you still can’t tell me much about where you’re at, huh?”
“Afraid not. You know how it is.” I buttered a sourdough roll with what I was pretty sure was exactly half a tablespoon. I didn’t want to go too crazy, but I could allow myself a little indulgence since I ordered a salad. “I can tell you I’m in the field. I just can’t say much else.”
Ian’s attention shifted off my neckline as he stared into the candle’s flame. “I miss that, you know. Being in the field.”
“You used to be, right? What happened?” I hadn’t thought much about it lately, but when Ian had accompanied Stanton and me to the Moroi court, he had been pulled from his post to make the trip. He’d been assigned somewhere in the south, Florida or Georgia, I thought.
“Those Moroi holding us prisoner is what happened.” He shifted his gaze back to me, and I was startled at the fierceness I saw. “I didn’t handle it very well.”
“Well, none of us did.”
He shook his head. “No, no. I really didn’t handle it well. I kind of freaked out. They sent me to anger
