Desa Kincaid- Bounty Hunter Page 14

  She saw clusters of particles that represented men walking up the street outside the hotel. She could see every lamppost on the sidewalk. She could sense the young maid in the hallway outside her room. It didn't matter that there were walls between her and the things she wished to view.

  She could even sense the swirling galaxy of particles that made up her own body, sitting on the edge of her bed. She could sense it but nothing more. Something as simple as trying to lift her hand was nearly impossible in this state; to be one with the Ether was to surrender almost all control of your physical form. Almost as if she had separated her mind from her body.

  Carefully, she built a lattice between the particles that comprised her bracelet. Bit by bit and piece by piece, she Infused a connection that would allow it to drain even more kinetic energy. She was nearly finished when she sensed a new form in the hallway. With a little reluctance, Desa let her mind drift away from the Ether.

  The world snapped back into a realm of solid objects. She saw wood-paneled walls and a paraffin lamp on a small round table in the corner. The square window that looked out on the stableyard showed a sky that had darkened to a deep blue.

  With the calming presence of the Ether gone, her anger returned. Miri had told her about Sebastian's journey to the address Adele had scribbled onto that piece of paper. By the eyes of Vengeance, she should have been rid of that boy sooner. Or perhaps she should have killed him. It was not an option she would take lightly, but she would not discount it either.

  Desa closed her eyes, breathing deeply to relax her body. “You can come in, Miss Delarac,” she called out before the other woman knocked. “I've completed my work for the time being.”

  The door opened.

  When Desa twisted around on the mattress, she saw the other woman striding into the room in a dark red dress with sheer sleeves that revealed her arms to her shoulders. Once again, Adele's swooping neckline drew the eye. The woman had braided her hair and changed her earrings to thin silver hoops. All that since the last time Desa had seen her earlier this afternoon.

  “I came to tell you you're not safe here,” Adele said.

  Desa rose with a grunt, crossed her arms and rounded the foot of the bed. “So long as Bendarian lives, none of us are safe,” she said, approaching the other woman. “Though I suspect I don't have to tell you that.”

  Adele lowered her eyes, took a breath and then nodded. “You do not,” she agreed. “I came here to tell you that Bendarian has contacts within the City Watch. It will not be long before he discovers where you've gone.”

  “And how did you discover this?”

  “I told you; I'm a Sensitive.”

  “Indeed you did,” Desa said. “And you will forgive me, but I still have considerable difficulty believing it. When I connect with the Ether, I can sense everything within about half a mile, but perceiving the entire city? That is beyond me.”

  Adele's face hardened, but her gaze never wavered. Not for an instant. “It is a very rare talent,” she muttered. “Though I must inquire, Miss...Nin Leean? How do you think I found you?”

  Grinning sheepishly, Desa took a step back and shook her head. “It means 'daughter of Leean,'” she explained. “There is no 'Miss.' Aladri do not use such titles.”

  “Then what should I call you?”

  “'Desa' will suffice.”

  That produced an uncomfortable silence that seemed to last for an eternity. By the look on Adele's face, it was clear that the woman was straining for something to say, for words that would turn this conversation in her favour.

  “To your other question,” Desa said, “How could you have known how to find me if not through your connection to the Ether? It seems to me that the most logical answer is also the most obvious: Bendarian told you where to find me.”

  A wave of crimson flooded Adele's face, and her eyes cut like daggers. “What must I do to convince you?” she spat. “I've come here to help you!”

  “And how exactly do you plan to do that?” Desa was marching forward before she even realized it, each step forcing the other woman to retreat. “You must think me a fool if you believe that I will simply walk to the address you gave me and challenge Bendarian to a duel.”

  Adele bumped into the wall next to the door, and her lips quivered as she searched for words. Desa did not allow her the opportunity to speak. “You should know,” she went on, “that your gift provided one of my companions with the opportunity to betray me.”

  “I did not intend that!”

  Pressing her lips into a thin line, Desa looked up and held the other woman pinned by the force of her stare. “I am unconcerned with what you intended,” she grated. “Slink back to Bendarian and see if he will spare you for failing to lure me into his trap.”

  Of all things, Adele began to cry. Fat tears slid over her cheeks, and she sniffled as her body trembled. “I don't know why you won't believe me!” she whimpered. “It should not be this hard!”

  “To deceive me?”

  Adele opened her mouth but no sound came out. Her tears ruined the light coating of rouge she had used on her cheeks. Finally, the woman found enough courage to squeak out, “To earn the trust of your soulmate!”

  “I beg your pardon...”

  “I've watched you through the Ether,” Adele whispered. “I've known for some time that you would come to Ofalla, that our fates would be connected. I've dreamed of you. My father tried to arrange a match with the son of a man who owns a shipping company, but I put him off because I didn't want him. I didn't want any man! I wanted you!”

  This was beyond ludicrous. It was all Desa could do not to laugh. Still, there was a part of her that couldn't help but wonder...If this was some attempt to maneuver her into one of Bendarian's traps, it was a remarkably sloppy one. Which meant that either Adele was a master in the art of manipulation...or she really was what she claimed to be.

  Desa backed away with her arms folded, looked the other woman up and down and then snorted. “First, you try to gain my trust with a ludicrous story,” she said. “When that fails, you resort to tears. And now you attempt seduction? Miss Delarac, has anyone ever told you that you are exceedingly bad at-”

  Adele surged forward like a pouncing cat, took Desa's face in both hands and then kissed her on the mouth. Every nerve in Desa's body responded. Rational thought fled; it was all she could do to hold onto some scrap of suspicion. This is wrong, she told herself. You're letting yourself fall under her spell.

  It didn't matter.

  Perhaps this was a trap – perhaps she would regret it later – but it had been months since she had felt the comforting touch of another woman, and right now it just felt too damn good. She would deal with the consequences when they presented themselves.

  Desa drew one of her daggers, and with one quick slice, she cut a slit in the back of Adele's dress. The other woman squeaked, but Desa's practiced hand was skilled enough to cut fabric without marring the soft, supple skin beneath it.

  The garment fell away, and Desa pushed the other woman down onto the bed. After that, she stopped thinking and let instinct take over.

  As she caught her breath, Desa stared open-mouthed at the ceiling and felt sweat matting dark hair to her forehead. “Wow...” she said, her eyebrows rising. “That was...a unique experience.”

  Adele snuggled up with her head on Desa's chest, squeezing her tight. “It was,” she agreed. “Have you...Have you ever done that before? With a woman, I mean.”

  Desa kissed the other woman's forehead, then flopped back with her head on the pillow and smiled lazily at the ceiling. “Of course I have,” she murmured. “But I get the distinct impression that you can't say the same.”

  Adele giggled.

  By instinct, Desa ran her fingers through the other woman's hair. This felt strange to her; she was not inclined to trust easily, and there was still a chance that Adele was one of Bendarian's agents. But when she looked at Adele, she did not see a killer. The girl would probably faint
at the thought of holding a gun. And despite her twenty-three years, there were times when Adele seemed quite girlish.

  Now, for instance. She cuddled up to Desa like a moonstruck youth in her lover's embrace for the very first time. And why not? If what the woman said was to be believed, this was her very first time.

  “So,” Desa said. “How do you plan to help me?”

  Another fit of giggles bubbled from Adele's mouth as she sat up and watched Desa with lovely blue eyes. “I'd like to think I already have.” She leaned down and kissed Desa again. For a brief moment, Desa allowed it.

  Then she broke the kiss and turned her head to press her cheek into the pillow. Her brow furrowed. “I'm serious,” she said. “How do you plan to help me stop Bendarian?”

  “I've told you where to find him.”

  “Yes,” Desa agreed. “And even if your intentions were pure, Sebastian's betrayal has almost certainly made approaching the man's house a foolhardy plan.”

  The other woman sat up with the sheets held to her chest, then grimaced and shook her head. “I don't know what else I can do,” she said. “I'm not a Field Binder like you.”

  “Have you ever tried?”

  “What? Of course not!”

  “Why not?”

  Adele's scowl deepened, and she turned her face away as if the question brought her shame. “Everything I've read on the subject suggests that it's extremely dangerous,” she muttered. “I was afraid.”

  Interesting; so the woman had read something on the subject. Books on the theory of Field Binding were rare outside of Aladar, but it was not impossible that someone in a city as large as this might have had one. Especially a member of the mayor's family.

  Chuckling softly, Desa shook her head. “Those are lies told by powerful men who would prevent you from discovering your full potential,” she said. “Field Binding can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, but those dangers are minimized in the presence of a good teacher.”

  “Are you offering to teach me?”

  “Are you willing to learn?”

  Instead of answering, Adele just kissed Desa again. Sweet Mercy, the woman was eager! One taste of passion, and now she couldn't get enough. Perhaps this really was her first time.

  Adele pulled back, blinking, and strands of golden hair fell over her face. “From you,” she said, “I'd be willing to learn anything.”

  When Desa looked out the window, she saw only a black sky. Full night had fallen. She pulled Adele close and smiled when the woman snuggled up with her head on Desa's chest. “For now,” Desa said, “the only thing you need to learn is sleep. It's late.”

  She held Adele close and waited for her to fall asleep. Then she gently slipped away, pulled the covers up to Adele's shoulders and got dressed.

  Desa emerged from her room in tan pants, a blue shirt and her long, brown duster, the wide-brimmed hat sitting firmly on her head. The familiar weight of her revolver and her daggers on her belt was a comfort to her. She had Infused all of her weapons with a new connection to the Ether.

  She was ready.

  The wood-paneled hallway was dark, lit only by wall-mounted candles under glass covers, but that was enough for her. It did not surprise her in the slightest to find Marcus leaning against the wall.

  The man turned his head to direct a tight-lipped frown her way. “I take it that you enjoyed your dalliance with that fool woman?” he asked. His disdainful tone made Desa want to punch him.

  She closed her eyes, stuffed the anger down into the pit of her stomach and then shook her head forcefully. “Tell me,” she said, stepping forward. “Are you incapable of expressing any emotion besides scorn?”

  Of course, he didn't answer.

  Desa strode past him without a second thought, making her way to the stairs at the end of the corridor. She paused on the top step, looked back over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

  Marcus stood in the middle of the corridor with his fists clenched, his lips parting in a contemptuous sneer. “And where are we going now?” he asked. “To find the girls father and beg her hand in marriage.”

  “We're going to kill Bendarian,” Desa said. “Are you coming?”

  Chapter 15

  Desa landed on a slanted rooftop, then crouched on the edge, leaning forward and squinting into the distance. The cool, damp wind assaulted her face. “This is it,” she said. “Now, we decide what to do next.”

  She ordered her belt-buckle to stop draining gravitational energy and just like that, her arms and legs felt oddly heavy. You could get used to the feeling of weightlessness. It only took a few minutes of being free to make the Earth's natural pull feel wrong.

  On the other side of the street, she saw a line of townhouses with dim lights in their windows. The one belonging to Bendarian was dark except for one round window on the third floor that watched her like the eye of a cyclops.

  Marcus landed beside her and dropped to one knee, shaking his head with a grunt. “Killing Bendarian is one thing,” he said. “But if we have to fight that beast again, there is little chance we will survive.”

  Desa winced at the thought of another confrontation with Morley, then scraped the knuckle of a fist across her forehead. “You are correct,” she admitted with a great deal of reluctance. “One of us will have to keep him distracted.”

  “One of us,” Marcus scoffed. “You mean me.”

  Perched upon the ledge with her arms crossed, Desa sniffed in disdain. “You seem to pride yourself on your ability to intimidate people,” she said. “Do you mean to tell me that you're afraid of Morley?”

  Marcus showed his teeth in a vicious snarl, then turned his head to glare at her. She could feel his eyes trying to drill holes in her skull. “I would be a fool if I did not fear that man!” he spat. “And you are doubly so if you do not!”

  Desa nodded.

  She stood up on the ledge, and the wind made her duster flare out behind her. “Go in first,” she said with a curt nod. “You can get through the window on the second floor. I wager Morley is in that house.”

  “And what would you have me do?”

  “Lead him away from here.”

  With a sigh of frustration, Marcus stood up, and then his body grew tense. “By the eyes of Vengeance,” he cursed. “From our first meeting, you have caused me nothing but trouble, Desa Nin Leean. We should fight this Morley together.”

  “One of us has to stay to kill Bendarian.”

  “And you reserve that pleasure for yourself?”

  Glancing over her shoulder, Desa felt her eyebrows try to climb up her forehead. “I don't consider it to be a pleasure, Marcus,” she said. “That is why it should be me.”

  He made no further protest; he just leaped from the rooftop, and whatever he used as a Gravity-Sink carried him across the street. Watching him go twisted Desa's stomach in knots. Marcus was right about one thing; condemning him to face Morley alone after what they had seen this morning was reprehensible. But Morley wasn't the biggest threat. Without his master, the man could be contained.

  But Bendarian...

  Left to his own devices, Bendarian would destroy this world and every living soul in it. If he could transform Morley into a monster, there was no telling how powerful he had become. Much as she hated doing it, Desa would send Marcus to deal with Morley because she would be the one to face the greater threat.

  Marcus crashed through the window in a shower of glass, landing in a room that was pitch black to his eyes. He didn't bother using his ring for light; having been outside with only moonlight and the odd lamp, his eyes would adjust faster than those of anyone who had been upstairs. The very instant his feet touched the floor, he heard the distinct thumping sound of people rushing to meet him.

  Marcus huffed air through his open mouth, then shut his eyes and tried to ignore the beads of sweat on his brow. “Come on then,” he mumbled. “Let's be done with it.”

  He drew his pistol and held it up beside his head with the barrel p
ointed up at the ceiling. Then he took two steps forward. A gasp escaped him when two glass plates on the walls began to glow with intense light. No doubt Bendarian had Infused them.

  This was a simple room with burgundy carpets, dark-red walls and two chairs that faced the window. A small bookshelf in the corner was filled with leather-bound texts on the theory of Field Binding; each one had Aladri script on the spine.

  Baring his teeth, Marcus sucked air into his lungs and then shook his head. “Well, at least we know this is the right address.” He itched to put a bullet through Bendarian's skull. The bastard had earned a death sentence from the Synod.

  A man burst into the room.

  No...Not a man but a beast in a brown coat and a wide-brimmed hat. His grizzled face was marked by a small scar on the cheek and thick gray mustache. “You!” Morley spat. “I would have thought you would have more sense than to come here.”

  In less than a second, the man was striding across the room and kicking one of the chairs, sending it flying toward Marcus. A thought was all it took to trigger the Force-Sink that he had infused into the pendant beneath his shirt.

  The chair came to a halt in mid-flight.

  Then it fell to the floor.

  Without waiting, Marcus thrust his arm out, cocked the hammer on his pistol and fired several times. Gray bullets that Desa had stolen from that farmhouse pierced Morley's flesh and made him stumble backward.

  Marcus turned with a flourish of his coat, then leaped through the open window. A fraction of a second to let gravity pull him downward, and then he triggered the Sinks he had Infused into metal studs in his shoes.

  Marcus landed on the sidewalk, then dropped to one knee, grunting in displeasure. He looked back, then quickly got to his feet and ran. There were lights in some windows and people poking their heads out to see the commotion.

  Marcus kept running.

  His lips writhed as he panted, and thick droplets of sweat slid down his forehead. “Come on,” he choked out. “Follow me you bastard!”