Page 3 of Secret Origins
“General.” My greeting lifted the corners of his thin lips a fraction, which wouldn’t have been noticeable if you didn’t know the guy.
“Myst,” he answered with a barely-there nod of his head. “I should say it’s nice to see you, but I’m sure this meeting has nothing to do with exchanging pleasantries.”
“I need information.” Cutting through the bullshit, I squared my shoulders. That earned me a chuckle.
“And what could I possibly know that you don’t?” It unnerved me that he wasn’t like any other human. He didn’t fidget, shuffle his feet, or even breathe faster in my presence. “It’s usually the other way around, our arrangement.”
“The information I need is inside my head.” Forcing my voice to stay even, I did my best to ignore the slight widening of his eyes. “I need to get it out and it has to be on my terms.”
“You need my mage.” Not a question but a statement. I said nothing. The mage was not his, but he was the one hiding him from everyone.
Instead of killing the mage I was sent to get out of Alexius’s way, I handed him over to the general. The human and I met in a very awkward situation, his life hanging on the line while he faced off with a feral vampire who was running from the hunters. Someone tried to set the general up, but unfortunately for them, my path crossed his just at the right time. The feeling that my boss was up to something was the reason I saved the human’s life and gave the mage to him for safekeeping. I needed allies that no one knew about, and there couldn’t be a better friend for someone like me than a five-star general in the human military. He had access to most things, all the things I might need one day. Like now.
“Just me and the mage.” This made the human shift slightly on his feet. “You can have him back the minute I’m done.”
“Alive?” And this was why I liked the general. He knew the right questions to ask, and he knew better than to screw around with me.
“Why would I kill him now after going through the hassle of giving him to you?”
“It depends what he knows after you are done getting your information.”
I kept eye contact with him, and he didn’t look away. The raindrops were gliding over the deeper wrinkles on his face and dripping from his square chin. With the rain darkening his gray hair and the night somewhat blurring his aged skin, I could see that he’d been a handsome and a formidable man in his youth.
“I have ways to make him forget whatever he heard, General. I won’t take away your toy.” A smile tilted my lips at his frankness.
“He is a living being, not a toy,” he reprimanded me in a clipped tone.
“I’ll agree when you tell me you don’t use him to benefit you.” Cocking my head to the side, I blinked away the rain. “You should be retired by now, yet you are at the top of things. I wonder why the humans still keep you around.” A muscle was jumping on one side of his jaw as I spoke, which made me snort. “I will use the mage.”
“He lives.” There was no mistaking the stubborn set of his jaw and shoulders.
“He lives,” I answered after a long moment. “I’ll let you know the time and the place soon.”
With a tight nod, he swiveled on his heel and walked away. My mind was running through possibilities as I stood in the rain as long as it took for me to no longer feel his energy. I saved his life for more than one reason that night. I needed allies, yes, but there was something about the general I hadn’t deciphered yet. He was human, but he also wasn’t. Not if I could feel his presence the way I always did. That enigma would have to wait for now. I had a ton more pressing matters to deal with.
My leather pants squelched as I jumped back in the car and took off out of the deserted parking lot like the hounds of hell were on my tail. The bracelet vibrated under my skin as if mimicking a chuckle.
2
The next day, perched on top of the high wall surrounding an inconspicuous building in the industrial part of the city, I squinted at the thick gray clouds gathering above me. It looked like another day of rain and I couldn’t say I was thrilled about it. To add to everything I had on my plate, I was also following the bread crumbs Alexius left behind, so I can find out what exactly he’d done before Francesca killed him. Not because I cared much one way or another, it was more for self-preservation. If he got me mixed up in it, I’d rather know what I was up against.
Shifting on my haunches, I inched further down the wall, silently berating myself for not waiting until the daylight was almost gone. The weather was gloomy and dark but not enough to hide me if anyone was smart enough to look up. Luckily, for now, the open space around the building was empty, only a handful of cars sprinkled around it. Even they were far enough away from one another that I wasn’t worried at all. I could handle a handful of people.
The bracelet vibrated on my wrist, as if I needed a reminder that it was there.
I couldn’t take the damn thing off. I tried. Cutting it was a whole new nightmare that I didn’t want repeated. The phantom pain in my chest almost took my breath away as I swayed on the wall wobbling to the side from that memory. Taking a deep breath, I released it slowly, prying my stiff fingers from the edge of the wall where I was gripping it for dear life.Snap out of it, fool.A side door squeaked open in the building, stopping the internal lashing I was about to give myself. Kicking my legs back, I plastered myself on the wall, dragging my body to peek over it. I held my breath as two hunters exited, locking the door behind them before b-lining for one of the larger cars in the lot. They didn’t talk, nor did they look at each other as the two unnatural beings disappeared through the metal gates in no time. Clouds of dust billowed from the gravel for a few minutes even after they left. At least I was sure I’d come to the right place.
When no one else came out or made noise, I flipped my legs over the edge and dropped silently on the other side. Keeping my breath even, I sprinted across the open space using the balls of my feet and praying that I wouldn’t twist an ankle because of my high-heeled boots. They weren’t a fashion statement. No, they were another weapon. My back hit the wall of the building as I reached it, and I waited to see if anyone noticed my presence. From my perch on the wall, I didn’t see any surveillance cameras, but I could’ve missed them if whoever was guarding the place was smart with their placement. When only silence met me for too long, it just proved that arrogance would be the downfall of the supernatural race.
I should know since I had it in spades, too.
This wasn’t some mission I was taking. I was only educating myself on which threats were coming for me so I didn’t have to constantly look over my shoulder. At least that was what I told myself. With that in mind, I glided closer to the closed door on the side of the building and gripped the metal handle. It started moving down on its own and my heart stopped. Not even the “Oh, shit!” I screamed in my head could help me now. There was nowhere to hide and it was too late to run back where I’d come from.
The door swung open.
“Hello boys.” Cocking my hip to the side, I gave the two hunters a once over from head to toes, smirking at their startled looks even while my heart was trying to punch a hole through my chest.You are so stupid. Boys? Really Myst?I had to agree with the internal asshole that was also me. I totally could’ve come up with something better than “boys.” I was just startled. Yeah, that had to be it.
“I’m expected.” Lifting my chin, I looked down—well, since my head only reached their shoulders, it was more up than down—my nose at their silent staring.Act like you know what you are doing,I told myself, waiting.
