“Maybe another day. But today we have other plans if you’re up to it.”
“I’m up. Or I will be momentarily.”
She finally let go of him. The near-romance of earlier had momentarily passed. Nothing like wrenching pain and a near death experience to help spoil the mood.
For now, anyway.
“What was the guy’s name again?” Darrak asked.
“Good question. Lucas gave me a card that has info on it, but since the guy is magically cloaked from him the card was blank. I’ll check it in a minute.”
When he didn’t reply, she glanced over her shoulder at him. He was pushing himself up to a standing position, and in three seconds flat had conjured clothing to cover his body. He gave her a quizzical look.
“What?” she asked.
“You don’t like calling him by his real name, do you?”
She swallowed. “I don’t know.”
“Makes you feel like he’s not as dangerous, maybe?”
“What’s the difference?”
Darrak shrugged. “Nothing, I guess. Call him Gertrude if you like.”
“He might not answer to that.”
“Where’s the famous summoning crystal?”
“Why?”
“Maybe I should hang on to it for you so there are no more unplanned trips.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Her eyes narrowed at his pinched look. “Lucas isn’t interested in me. I mean, come on. I’m a nobody in the grand scheme of things.”
“Right. Nobody. You really think that, don’t you? Just Caroline Riley’s daughter, the slightly psychic loner who doesn’t let anyone get close to her.”
Eden cringed. “I wasn’t asking for a psychological evaluation. Besides, today’s not about me. Or you. We gave it a shot just now, and it didn’t work. Now we need to find this blank card guy, and then we have to focus on Andy. Our problems will wait for another day.”
Darrak nodded. “You’re right. You’re always right.”
He left for the kitchen. He didn’t sound completely sincere, and Eden tried not to think about that.
They had to get along. Fighting or major disagreements wouldn’t serve them at all. Besides, she’d just proven to herself that the two of them were stuck together. And she had no idea how long she had to find another solution for them.
* * *
The moment Eden pulled the previously blank card out of her coat pocket, she realized it wasn’t blank anymore. After all, Lucas wasn’t near it anymore.
BRENDANFRANKS
55 BL _ _ RST _ _ E _ W _ _ _
She could read the name, but whatever it said beneath it wasn’t very helpful. Letters were missing, smeared or blurry, or just totally unreadable.
Well, the name was a good start.
“Okay, Brendan Franks,” she mumbled to herself. “Little do you know, but you have a conversation with Lucas coming up very soon.”
Just a conversation. He’d promised her that.
And she trusted him, right?
Yeah, right.
They left for Triple-A. If anyone could help them locate Mr. Franks, it would be Andy.
“Well, let’s have a look-see,” he murmured as he ran the name through the special government database he had access to on his office computer. Eden didn’t think the access came courtesy of the government itself, but through some talent Andy had for hacking into places he shouldn’t be. Eden didn’t ask for details. She really didn’t want to know. “All right, I’ve found one hit on that name here in the GTA.”
“But what about what it says underneath?” Darrak asked. “I’m no Magnum, P.I., but I’m thinking that’s a clue.”
“You’re right. My guess is it says 55 Bloor Street West, which is the Manulife Centre, but no Brendan Franks came up there. But maybe it’s where he works.”
Eden blinked. “You
“I’m killer at Hangman. You have no idea.”
“I’m impressed.” She nervously played with the silver bracelet in her pocket. It remained cold as ice, not warming to her body temperature — one of the signs of its supernatural qualities.
Lucas wanted her to put this bracelet on Brendan Franks so they could have a conversation. Sounded so easy.
She knew that likely meant it wouldn’t be.
And Darrak was right, she did prefer to call him Lucas even knowing exactly who he really was. What did that say about her? Was she ignoring reality?
As much as humanly possible, thank you very much. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t still painfully aware of it.
“How are you feeling today, Andy?” she asked, exchanging a glance with Darrak.
“I’m just fine and dandy. Never better. Why do you ask?” At her pointed look, he held up his hand. “Don’t you start with the werewolf thing again.”
“Andy—”
“No, Eden, I’m serious. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
Frustration welled within her. “Denying it isn’t going to change anything. You’re the one who’s going to change.
Andy pointed at the door. “You’re fired!”
Eden almost laughed, but managed to repress it. “You’re not my boss. We’re partners.”
He slumped forward on his desk. “Why must you torment me about this? I’m not a damned werewolf.”
“So prove it,” Darrak said.
Andy tensed. “What?”
“Prove it. Tonight at dusk.”
“And how am I going to do that?”
“Let us lock you up right here,” Eden said, glancing around at their one-room office. “If you don’t change into a wolf, then you’re right and I’ll eat my words and apologize profusely every day for the rest of my life. But if I’m right, then you’ll be safely contained in here and you won’t hurt anyone.”
He made a face. “Contained? I could easily bust down that door with a well-placed kick.”
Darrak shook his head. “Normally I’d agree with you, Chuck Norris, but we happen to have a spell that will, allegedly”—he glanced at Eden and she saw the doubt about Maksim in his eyes. After what happened this morning she couldn’t really blame him there—“seal this place up nice and tight. Also, no one walking by will be able to see anything hairy going on in here. Literally.”
“
“Yup.”
He sighed, and it sounded shaky. “How long do I need to be locked up before you two realize this lycanthropy thing doesn’t apply to me?”
“An hour,” Eden said.
“An hour. That’s it?”
“Yes.” She held her breath, hoping he wasn’t going to keep arguing with them. She had enough on her plate today already without this discussion going around in endless circles.
Andy reached into his desk drawer and pulled out his silver flask, unscrewed the cap, and took a long drink from it before putting it back. “Fine.”
