Division Zero: Thrall (40 page)

“I’ll send a car for you.”

Kirsten’s face slackened into a zombie’s glassy stare. “Okay.”

The limousine came to a halt at the end of a pier, aglow in the castoff light from a large corporate yacht. Kirsten stepped out as the automatic door swung open. Two silver disks on each shoulder held a drape of black cloth across her chest, an extra mantle over a high-necked black gown that hung to her ankles. Of all the dresses Konstantin had bought her, this one, by far, covered the most skin. He waited at the dockside end of the boarding ramp, holding his arm out to her as she approached and took it.

“You look radiant, my darling.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Quite fetching with your hair wild; it suits you.”

She flushed and smiled at the ground. He started up the ramp, pausing as she took a step after him.

“Flats?” He grinned.

She blew air out of the side of her mouth. “Every time I wear heels, I wind up barefoot and getting shot at. I’m hoping to skip that part tonight.”

He made an appraising face. “Fair enough.”

At the top of the ramp, Kirsten froze, gripping Konstantin’s hand hard enough for him to glance at her. Yevgeniy was standing at the rear of the open deck, flanked by three young women and two men of similar age. She looked away before he noticed her staring, tucking into Konstantin’s side.

“What is wrong? You seem suddenly afraid.”

Tell him. Wait, no… Yevgeniy might hear me. If he is the one, there could be things lurking. I still feel that presence right behind me. Too many innocent people here.
“Oh, I’m just not good on boats. I never learned how to swim.”

Konstantin glanced at Yevgeniy, winked at her, and led her to a table in the shade of an overhanging upper tier where soft music drifted above the sound of the ocean. She picked a seat with her back facing the wall, giving her a view of the entire main deck save for one row of tables behind her. He sat, waving at a steward who poured champagne.

“We seem to continue to have these strange, difficult situations. I did not realize you had a fear of water travel.” He smiled at her lack of reaction to the boat getting underway. “Or, perhaps there is some company here you are not fond of?”

Kirsten found no answers at the bottom of her champagne glass.
Yeah, you’re still a rotten liar, K.
“I’m a mess about the case. I’ve found some evidence that has me worried about you. The bodies we keep finding had the same kind of writing on them as the circle I asked you about.”

He narrowed his eyes at the distance. “Really? They found writing on them? How… curious. You think there is a connection to Charazu? I thought you banished it?”

“There has to be something else involved. There is a living person responsible for summoning things. Every time they kill someone, they’re sacrificing them to something bigger than Charazu. I don’t want to say anything here. Too many ears.”

“Charazu was a true demon; it never lived a mortal life. However, it wasn’t what I would consider very powerful.” He offered a pleasant nod. “I shall trouble you no more about it tonight. At least, not while we are here.” He winked.

“So, what are they celebrating?”

“My company apparently just purchased some shipping outfit. These decisions are made by people a few levels down.”

Kirsten stared at him. “Aren’t you the CEO? Didn’t you have to approve it?”

“Such innocence in your eyes.” He chuckled. “Your naivety is beautiful, Kirsten. I have a majordomo who handles most of the day-to-day things. My role is more one of appearing at droll functions like this and smiling for the NewsNet. Without you here, I could not tolerate it.”

An hour of random conversation about vacations at a mountain chalet and other fanciful things he planned once she could take vacation passed in a blur. She held his hand across the table for most of it, forgetting about the case, Commissioner Vernon, and all the work she still had to do. Did it really matter? She could quit; Konstantin had so much money she would never have to work again. Her mind drifted through a daydream of her, Konstantin, a fireplace, bear-fur rug, and no clothes.

He excused himself to make some brief remarks at a podium about the acquisition of RedEx, assuring everyone there no significant adjustments were planned for anyone in upper management. As far as the company was concerned, the only thing to change would be a name somewhere in a records system no one but lawyers ever look at.

Kirsten spent the time of his speech watching Yevgeniy. His surface thoughts went by in Russian; all emotions and images she could make sense of focused on the breasts to his left and right. She scowled at him.
Pig.
Her angry glare lingered until Konstantin walked in front of her. No longer able to see Yevgeniy, she smiled.

“Well, now that the unpleasantness is over with, we have the rest of the night.” Rather than sit, he extended a hand.

The boat had returned to port, timing its arrival for the end of his remarks. She took his hand; finding herself clinging to his side as if he would protect her from Yevgeniy―despite the man not removing his eyes from his two female companions once to gaze at either of them, save for a brief handshake when Konstantin had taken the podium.

He walked her to the limo, holding her hand as she got in. After easing her door closed, he joined her via the other side and resumed holding her hand. “See now, Kirsten. No one is shooting at you, and you still have your shoes.” Konstantin stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. “Are you sure you would rather be alone tonight? Perhaps we can seek the sanctuary of my estate and discuss the particulars of your investigation. I might be able to make sense of the inscriptions you found on the dead, if you have images.”

Talking about dead people was not the most prominent thought in her head at the mention of going to his mansion. A brief daydream took her back to that night on the curb when he kissed at her neck.

“I’d love to.” She could not look at him without turning scarlet.

He smiled the grin of a man about to get something he had waited long for. The black dress grew warm as her body reacted to his proximity. Kirsten’s mind raced. Would he try to get her in bed tonight? Would she say yes? Her breathing sped up in time with her heart. She fidgeted, finding it strange how worked up she got at the mere thought of it. Without a distraction, she would be there and back again before they ever got to the manor house.

Not growing old alone had been one of Kirsten’s primary goals for the better part of the last three years. Each time she got close to finding someone, the P word (psionic, that is) brought things to a flaming halt. Now she was with a man who didn’t care about her gift. The prospect of being
with
a man grew closer. Wonder at how different it would be than her first time made her tremble. This would not be an act of desperation; this would be pure bliss.

Her hands flew to her stomach as though a force punched her. The heat in her face and chest went ice cold as her arousal crashed to dread. Her thoughts shifted to Evan, an out-of-nowhere sense of horrible trepidation that something bad had happened to him. Konstantin’s hand on her back snapped her out of the daze, but made the queasiness worse.

“Are you feeling well, Kirsten? Please don’t tell me the fish was bad.”

“You’re going to be mad at me. I have the worst feeling about Evan. It’s too strong to be nerves. I… he’s clairvoyant; he could be calling me for help. Something’s wrong.”

Konstantin’s eyes narrowed into slits. He spent a moment staring out the window to his left.

The gurgle from her stomach occurred loud enough to make the driver glance back. Konstantin brushed the hair off her face, his own expression softening. “You are a devoted mother. I would very much like you to have some of your own one day.” He nodded. “Very well.”

She grabbed his arm. “I’m really sorry, Konstantin. I don’t know why this keeps happening. Maybe he’s just having separation anxiety. Maybe I could just call him and we could still”―she doubled over from pain― “no, please, I have to make sure he’s okay.”

“I understand, Lyubimaya.” He patted the hand resting on her thigh. “I shall make arrangements for a private night, just the two of us. Tell me when you are ready.”

Kirsten blinked. “Of course. I want to be with you so much.” She fell against him again.

He held her until the limo stopped outside Nila’s building, and escorted her into the lobby.

“Perhaps I can wait here?” He winked. “Go, check on him. If all is well and you are feeling better, we could yet continue our special night.”

Kirsten stared into his eyes, feeling the strength leak from her legs. “Okay, that―”

“Mom!” yelled Evan.

The boy squeezed himself through the elevator doors before they opened all the way, running to within ten paces of the couple, bare feet smacking loud over the lobby tiles. Powder-blue pajamas hung loose around him as he came to a halt and stared death at Konstantin.

“Mom, I need you.” He shivered, balling his hands into fists.

The sight of him twisted the knot tighter in her gut. His calm, almost threatening tone, scared her and washed any thought of a romantic evening out of her mind. She ran to him, scooping him up and holding him tight.

“You shouldn’t be out here with no shoes, the floor is ice cold. You’re shivering.”

He held on to her shoulders, never once taking his eyes off Konstantin. Kirsten gave Evan a kiss on the side of the head, stroking his hair and offering an apologetic look to the man she adored.

“Do not worry.” Konstantin smiled. “He is at that age. He does not like having competition for such a remarkable woman. Soon, he will understand it is not competition. Do let me know what he is fond of so I can treat him on his birthday. Shall I drop the two of you off at your apartment?”

Evan let his head rest on Kirsten’s shoulder, whispering, “Can we take a Pubcar?”

Kirsten winced; her helpless expression asked a question her lips could not.

After a bow, Konstantin walked out. Kirsten carried Evan into the elevator.

“Let’s grab your things from Nila’s place, and we’ll go home. Did something happen? Did you have a bad dream?”

“No.”

“You don’t like him.” Kirsten exhaled.

Evan shrugged. “He’s old. You’re too pretty for him.”

She laughed, making a goofy face as she tweaked his nose. “He’s not that old.”

He clung as the elevator doors pinged and closed. “Sorry for bein’ squeezy.”

Kirsten sprawled on the floor at Evan’s side after tucking him into his sleeping bag, stealing a few minutes of time with him before he passed out. She thought about Doctor Loring’s nod of approval, and about getting him a real bed. The sound of him breathing in his dreams made her feel tired. With heavy limbs, she forced herself up, staggered to her cabinet, and peeled the dress off. She squinted at herself in the small mirror, taking note of the dark smears under her eyes. After checking to make sure Evan was still out, she slipped out of her undies and into her pajamas. The bracelet snagged on the sleeve, causing her to hold her arm up and stare at the carved serpent eating its own tail.

Konstantin told her it symbolized life, the endless cycle of death and rebirth. She tugged at it, twisted it, and found herself unable to remove it. She squeezed the head, looking for a mechanism to unclasp the fangs from the tail. After losing ten minutes, and realizing she came close to falling asleep on her feet, she gave up.

Screw it, I haven’t taken it off since he gave it to me… Sleeping in it one more night won’t kill me.

She looked at her home terminal, thinking about the reports she needed to type up. “To hell with reports, they can wait. I’ll be no help to anyone as a zombie.”

Kirsten tiptoed to bed and felt her body all but melt into the Comforgel pad. For once, the damn thing lived up to its name. When sleepy Evan peeked over the side, she gave him an approving wink, and he climbed up and cuddled against her. He had not said much about that night, only told her he had another bad dream about twin gold metallic dragons devouring her. There, in the warm semiliquid mass of comforgel, with a contented Evan tucked under her right arm, Kirsten almost felt blessed.