Billow (10 page)

I tried to deflect some of the intense uber-charm Aubrey was directing on to him. "Where's everyone?"

She shrugged. "Chloe was with Cam. Maybe they're coming with Alex."

"Nope."

An orange tray landed next to mine and Alex folded his athletic body into a chair. Without missing a beat, he began shoveling large amounts of food into his mouth.

Ian stared. Maybe because Alex was actually eating the hamburger without fear of food poisoning. Or it might've been a reaction to the neon purple sweatshirt with "Yeah, I'm That Awesome" printed on the front.

"Ian, this is Alex," I said dryly. "He's an elite, too."

Alex wiped a hand on his pants and extended it. "Hey."

Ian shook it, blinking a few times.

Yep. Definitely the sweatshirt.

"Do you know where they went?" Cam and Chloe never skipped lunch.

"Saw them walking off to the woods on my way here." Alex's sharp eyes flickered over my arm. "What happened to your wrist?"

The edge of the nasty bruise left by the windowsill peeked out of my long-sleeved top.

I hastily tugged the sleeve down. "Banged it against the bathroom door."

He sipped his soda. "Training's going to hurt."

"Didn't have time to go to the clinic this morning."

Jeeves' call added to my lateness and I'd barely managed to get to class in time. The pain was now a consistent throb, but visiting a Healer would have to wait until later in the day.

Besides, training with pain would be good for me.

I remembered a windowless hospital cell and my stomach lurched.

Endurance was important. It built strength.

"Do you know how much longer you'll stay in Haverleau?" Aubrey asked Ian.

Sounded like she didn't want him to leave any time soon.

"I spoke with the Governor and Prince Belicoux yesterday. They're interested in working with the nixes in my group. If that happens, I'll stay here as liaison."

Her eyes widened. "That's great."

Frustration crossed his face. "You'd think so. But it's not happening until we find some way to convince elementals nixes aren't a threat."

"Shutting down the auction would convince a lot of people." That would at least win over the chevaliers. Maybe even some members of the Governing Council.

Ian nodded. "Prince Belicoux said something similar."

My chest warmed and I decided the only possible explanation for it was heartburn.

Alex put down his burger. His eyes were unusually serious. "Yeah, but shutting down an auction we know nothing about is hard."

That was the problem in a nutshell and I had no idea how to tackle it.

"I did a little research." Aubrey's eyes grew slightly unfocused. "Two official reports in the paper about missing people. One was that boy from the Trident. But I checked the Lyondale police database. Three others were reported missing over the past two weeks."

Missing people…

"The hospital," I murmured. "When I met the doctor on Saturday, he said one of his nurses went missing."

Aubrey nodded. "She's the latest victim. Someone filed a report for her yesterday."

"But Aquidae also like to target those who slip under the radar." Ian's eyes turned grave. "The ones no one would miss."

"Like the homeless." I remembered the grad student asking about Tom at the reception desk.

"And Rogues," he added. "Elementals command a higher price and Rogues are easier to grab."

Which meant it would be near impossible to get an accurate count on how many were kidnapped.

Hesitation flickered over Ian's face and he glanced at the Royal Gardinels. The selkies chatted with three school chevaliers. I doubted they'd catch our conversation over the cafeteria din.

"What is it?" I asked.

Ian leaned forward. "There's another nix in Lyondale."

I frowned. He'd said there weren't any others. "Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"

"Because the gardinels would look for him and this guy would hole up and disappear. I didn't want him to find out we knew about him."

"Is he like you?" Alex asked.

"I hope not," Ian said in disgust. "His name's Gilroy. A real piece of work. Presents himself as a respectable businessman, but his money comes from selling information. He's a known Aquidae accomplice. One of his businesses is an antique store in the Trident called The Seahorse."

Aubrey's brows furrowed. "You think this Gilroy knows something about the kidnappings and auction?"

"If there's anyone in Lyondale who might know about Aquidae activity, it'd be him."

Things clicked into place.

"That was the lead you were following up on in the Trident."

"Thought I could track him from his store. Eventually make contact and get something." Ian gave a tight smile. "Didn't quite work out that way."

Because he'd run into me.

Another lead we'd missed. If Ewan hadn't been so caught up in going after a nix…

"It wouldn't have mattered, anyway," Ian reassured me. "My friends sent an email update yesterday. According to them, Gilroy rarely spends time in that store. But I think I've found another way to get him."

There was still a chance to fix this. "Let's hear it."

"Gilroy owns a bunch of dummy corporations and other not-so-legal businesses throughout the country," Ian stated. "He's good at covering his tracks. But I managed to access some of his finances."

Which meant Gilroy was good, but Ian was better. I felt a surge of pride in his abilities.

"I uncovered a pattern. Every Friday night, he spends money at the same bar in Lyondale. Goes there like clockwork. A place called Silk."

Aubrey startled. "My friend works there. Todd. He's the bartender."

Alex stopped chewing. "A Rogue?"

She shook her head. "Human, but we've been online buddies for a while. 20-planet forum," she added, as if that explained everything.

Ian was the only one who knew what she was talking about. "Good people there. You think he can help?"

She considered. "He's cool and won't ask too many questions. I'll check in with him and see if he knows this guy and what he does there every week."

Alex gestured toward the Royal Gardinels. "So what's the problem? You know where the guy is. Tell the gardinels what you know and they can bring him back for interrogation."

"Think of Gilroy as someone who works for a criminal organization," Ian explained. "If he thinks anyone is after him, he'll go deep underground. If he does get arrested, he'll keep his mouth shut because the threat of the organization coming after him is scarier than what you do to him. If you want him to spill what he knows, you've got to cut a deal. He won't do it with gardinels or chevaliers."

Alex frowned. "But if he works with Aquidae, why would he sell info to elementals?"

"Because that's not the way a nix like Gilroy thinks." An edge of bitterness entered Ian's voice. "He'll sell anybody out for the right price. Just because he works with Aquidae doesn't mean he feels any allegiance toward them. It's only business."

And Ian, the person best suited for dealing with him, was currently stuck in Haverleau.

So who could cut a deal? It had to be someone Gilroy thought he could take advantage of. Someone he'd underestimate.

"He wouldn't suspect an ondine," I said, almost to myself.

Aubrey swore in a very unladylike manner. "Kendra, you can't possibly think—"

"Maybe." Ian's eyes locked on me. "He'll be a good bluffer."

"So am I."

"He's a real sleazebag."

"I can handle it."

Aubrey glared. "You're the
sondaleur
. You can't do stuff like this."

I took a sip of water and eyed her. "It's because I'm the
sondaleur
that I should do this."

Sitting in Haverleau was no longer an option. I wasn't going to let an Aquidae auction take place in Lyondale. Shutting it down would bring me one step closer to finding the Shadow.

It was time for me to start moving.

A plan took shape in my mind. "Can your friend Todd get me in the bar?"

We knew when and where Gilroy would be. It was the perfect opportunity to make contact.

Her eyes flashed. "This is ridicu —"

"Look, Aub. It has to be me," I said impatiently. "Ian can't leave Haverleau without the gardinels finding out what's going on. You know I'm the only ondine who has the skill set to do this."

"Then you shouldn't go alone," she said with a stubborn look.

"You heard Ian. Gilroy will bolt at any sign of a gardinel."

I was tired of losing so many leads and I wasn't going to screw another one up.

Three years ago, Ian friended me because of who I was. He now came to us with vital information on the Aquidae and asked for help.

This was my responsibility and I was going to take care of it.

"She has a point, Kendra." Ian now looked like he regretted telling me.

Great. Aubrey's charms had already clouded over his brain.

"Gilroy's not violent, but his character is dangerous. He'll have no problem double-crossing you. Since he works with Aquidae, the appearance of the
sondaleur
might be too risky."

"Do we or do we not need information to shut down the auction?" I pointed out.

His mouth tightened.

"There has to be another way," Aubrey insisted. "You could talk to Prince Beli—"

"No." That was the one thing I was
not
going to do.

"He's not my…a gardinel anymore. And he's busy with royal stuff," I said. She gave me a funny look but I ignored it. "Besides, it's not like the selkies are big fans of nixes. That whole good shape-shifter, bad shape-shifter thing."

A tiny pang of guilt shot through me at the lie. Ewan and a few others weren't entirely comfortable with Ian, but Tristan believed him. Supported him.

Because I believe you.

The guilt heightened when I saw the pained look on Ian's face.

Aubrey turned to Alex. "Help me out here."

He opened a bag of chips and started munching. "I'll go with her."

"That's not what I —"

"You're not coming with me, Girard," I said fiercely.

He swallowed before answering. "What if you need backup? What if Aquidae decide to pay you a visit while you're out there?"

That was precisely why I needed to go alone.

A crushed falling body. The fury and helplessness of that moment. The last words he'd said.

All of it boiled into a sudden wave of remembrance that smashed through me.

A vicious darkness swiftly rose, its venom burning through my veins.

Let them come
.

I wanted the Aquidae to find me. I wanted to do my job as
sondaleur
.

"I'll handle them." The words came out so low and harsh, I almost didn't recognize my voice.

Ian's shoulders wilted and he stared at his tray. A complex combination of emotions flickered through Aubrey's eyes.

For a moment, I thought Alex glanced at my injured wrist.

But he just bit into another chip with a relaxed expression. "All right. We'll do it your way."

"This Friday." My voice was controlled. I turned to Aubrey. "Can you arrange things with Todd by then?"

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Yeah."

Ian let out a small sigh and picked at the food on his plate.

"This stays between us." My eyes shot daggers at them. "No one else can know about this. Not Cam. Chloe. No one."

Alex shrugged like it didn't matter. Worry and disapproval stiffened Aubrey's face, but she gave a grudging nod.

"Good." I leaned forward. "Let's talk details."

NINE

"You broke up with him?"

"Shhh!" Chloe hissed. "I don't need to give people more gossip."

We occupied a lab table at the back of Weather Alchemy. Aubrey had already produced snow and rain in her terrarium. Chloe was having difficulty controlling the hailstorm in hers. If she didn't temper it soon, the glass would break.

Because I had a Virtue, I didn't possess elemental magic. But demillirs and ondines with Virtues were supposed to observe our lab partners and understand the principles behind it.

At the moment, I was more interested in getting the scoop on Chloe's love life.

A quick glance told me no one else heard my question. Ms. Brun was busy explaining something to a bored looking Dylan at the front of class.

I frowned. "How'd Cam take it?"

She gave a small sigh and dropped her hands. The hail abruptly crashed to the bottom of the glass box. Brun shot us a reproving look, but didn't come over.

"Badly. You know how he is."

Yeah, I did. He probably stormed off looking for something, or someone, to run into his fist.

"But why?" Confusion flickered over Aubrey's face. "Did you have a fight or —"

"It was me."

That didn't make sense. Cam and Chloe were good together. They supported each other through the dark days after her mother's execution and his best friend's death. In my mind, they'd somehow become inseparable.

"What do you mean it was you?" I pressed. "What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on," she said in that hard tone so unlike her. "I don't want to talk about it."

I opened my mouth, but a look from Aubrey stopped me. Maybe now wasn't the right time to push.

Chloe changed the subject. "What did I miss at lunch? Everyone's talking about the Governor's guest. Did things work out with Ian?"

This time I shot a warning look at Aubrey.

"It was fine." Her voice came out a bit thin. "No one suspected anything. Ian's nice."

I wasn't sure if she was uncomfortable about lying to Chloe or about our plans in general. Either way, she had an expression like someone was strangling her.

Chloe gave an absentminded nod. Her hands shook slightly and she reworked her magic.

She's been through a lot
.

Gabe's words echoed as I hurried over to the Training Center. I wanted to find out what was behind the sudden breakup. She may not be ready to talk about it, but there was someone who might be pissed off enough to share.