Frozen Desires (Asylums for Magical Threats) (7 page)

next step up. The guard slipped and fell back onto the muddy ground, and while he remained on his back,

he was squirming and clearly conscious. Marco needed to create a diversion so that Cam and Zalika could

get the hell out of there.

Jacek was standing guard behind the stone platforms that held up the observatory. Marco sent him a

text, and quickly checked his phone before brushing his drenched hair over his face, and grinding his knees into the mud.

He made his way to the stone platform, careful to keep to the trees until he was next to the bottom of the structure. He jumped, grabbed the edge, and pulled himself up. He staggered out into the guard’s line of

sight and sung one of the hit songs he’d heard in Merida, deliberately slurring his words. He stumbled

down the stairs, making sure to trip on the last one, and landed on his hands and knees in the mud next to the security guard. Marco swayed a little for extra effect.

The guard reached for something at his side, so Marco quickly said in Spanish, “Can you believe

Mexico lost to Brazil in the Confederation Cup?” Marco rolled none too gently until his ass plopped into the mud. “Don’t get me wrong, Mexico is strong this year and would kick Colombia’s ass in a rematch. But just

once, I’d like to see Brazil lose.”

The guard visibly relaxed. “The ruins closed hours ago and you shouldn’t be here.”

Marco gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I remember drinking at one of the eateries on the road into Chichen

Itza, stepping out for a smoke, and somehow ending up here.” He attempted to get up, but fell back onto his ass. “Are you going to call the cops on me?”

The guard sat up slowly, trying not to wince and show weakness. Marco finally stumbled to his feet and

put out a hand. The guard took it, and Marco stumbled backward enough to get the guard on his feet. “No,”

the guard said. “I probably would’ve tried to drink away the loss to Brazil too, if I hadn’t been on duty. I’ll escort you to the entrance and call you a taxi.”

“Thanks, friend.” Marco followed the guard, careful to wobble on his feet as if he were drunk, and

drew the guard into a Brazilian soccer trash talk competition all the way to the front entrance.

Cam held herself up on the window’s ledge with her arms and watched as Marco drew the guard away.

From the way he was stumbling and practically yelling at the guard, he played a convincing drunk.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the icicle in the doorway splash to the floor. That was their cue to leave.

Except there was a problem. Cam lowered herself from the window and went to where Zalika was

slumped against the wall, massaging her ankle. Cam whispered, “Can you walk?”

“I won’t be running any marathons, but I can limp pretty well.”

Cam nodded, helping Zalika to her feet. “Lean on me.”

Between the two of them, Zalika managed to hobble out of the door. She made it as far as the outer wall

surrounding the observatory building before she had to lean against it and take the weight off her ankle. “I won’t be able to climb down the rope like this.”

Cam had been afraid of that. “Then we’ll get Jacek to help.”

However, before she could take out her phone, she heard an owl hoot and Cam returned the call. Jacek

came over the wall, took one look at Zalika, and said, “Couldn’t contain your clumsy side, eh?”

Zalika stuck out her tongue. “At least I’m not afraid of moths.”

Cam shushed them. “Jacek, can you scale down the wall with Zalika on your back?”

Jacek nodded and moved so his back was toward Zalika. “Climb on.”

Zalika put her hands over his shoulders and jumped. Jacek grabbed her thighs and hefted her up.

“Squeeze with your thighs because I won’t be able to hold you as I climb down.”

Jacek took the rope, maneuvered over the wall, and slowly walked down the side of the first wall, and

then the other. Only once the pair had reached the bottom did Cam follow. When her feet touched the

ground, she swung the rope upwards a few times until the grapple came lose. She gathered it up and

disappeared into the jungle.

She ran and only caught up to Jacek’s long legged stride because of Zalika’s extra weight. As soon as

they were deep enough in the forest and far enough away from the site, Jacek broke the silence. “Not only

did Marco save your asses back there, but he also let me know that you two might need some help. I think

it’s safe to say he’s on our side, and we should start to trust him.”

Cam probably could’ve come up with an alternative escape plan, but with Zalika twisting her ankle on

the spiral staircase inside the observatory, Marco’s solution had simplified things. “Finding one of the

Talents is too important to risk on ‘maybe’ trusting someone. We have no idea what waits for us at the end of all this clue chasing, and I don’t want Marco to fail us at the last minute. He’s young, with little

experience. Do you remember how long it took me to trust the two of you?”

Jacek frowned. “Yes, but you said Jaxton Ward sent him here. That counts for something.”

“Do you want to know my true reason for an additional test?” They nodded. “I need to figure out his

strengths and weaknesses so I can use him in the most effective way. If I ask Marco directly, he’ll probably say he’s good at everything, so I need a way to find out the truth.”

Zalika spoke up from Jacek’s back. “Well, that kind of makes sense.”

“Of course it does. I’ve been known to be clever on occasion.”

She slowed her pace as they approached the area where they’d stashed their packs up in the trees. As

Jacek knelt on the ground to let Zalika down, Cam decided to get them focused again. “Besides, Zalika and

I found something inside the observatory, and we need to focus on that.”

Jacek stood up and said, “Please tell me it was an address and phone number, complete with the first

and last name of the person who left it there.”

Zalika shot him a look. “That sounds like something from a B movie, right before the star walks into a

trap.”

Jacek shrugged. “Hey, not everyone is a creative mastermind.”

“Enough,” Cam said, aware from experience that their banter could go on for hours. “There was a

message, but I need help translating it, so we’re heading back to Merida.”

Zalika raised an eyebrow. “Was it in Spanish?”

“No, in the old language.”

Jacek blinked. “As in the old, punishable by life imprisonment if you’re heard speaking it
Feiru

language?” Cam nodded, and Jacek continued. “And you just happen to know someone willing to admit

they can read it?”

Cam tapped her temple. “Well, I have an idea of where to start.” She slung on her pack and said,

“Zalika, if you lean against Jacek, can you walk?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“Okay, then let’s go. But make sure to tell me when you need a rest, because I don’t want you to hurt

yourself any more than you already are.”

As Jacek and Zalika managed to put on their packs and started walking, Cam brought up the rear.

Merida was the last place she wanted to be, but hopefully her good luck would continue, and she’d avoid

running into
him
. Neither Zalika nor Jacek knew the full extent of her past, and Cam wanted to keep it that way.

She sent Marco a clue via text message. It was time to see if he was as good of a tracker as he was an

actor.

Chapter Eight

Marco walked with purpose down the crowded streets of Merida. Cam had sent him a text asking him to

find her, and thanks to his affinity for technology and his web of contacts, he knew her location. And not only that, he’d lucked out—she should be alone, which meant that he could finally talk with her one-on-one.

She’d claimed to have found something inside the observatory, and he wanted to know what.

He entered the main plaza. Music was coming from near the town hall on the west edge of the square.

The glow of twilight gave the maze of food stalls and handicraft vendors in the square an almost magical

quality. But he didn’t give the scenery more than a cursory glance so that he could keep an eye out for

anything suspicious—shadow-shifter or otherwise. While there’d been one fire here already, this city had

one of the largest F
eiru
populations in the area, and if he were the one wanting to make a statement, then Merida would be the perfect place to do it.

While he didn’t know exactly where in the plaza Cam might be, he headed toward the salmon-colored

town hall. There was a big crowd in front of a group of musicians. That was as good as any place to start

looking.

Zalika had been the last person he’d talked to, and she was the one who’d told him about Cam going

out to listen to some live music. While he was grateful that Cam’s team was starting to trust him, he

wondered yet again about Zalika’s odd request.
Show Cam a good time. She deserves it.
Sure, Marco had a reputation for doing just that, but after what had happened between him and Cam in the jungle the day

before yesterday, Zalika had to know what Cam thought of him. He wasn’t exactly high on her list of people she admired.

But whatever she thought of him with her mind, Cam’s body had reacted to his touch at the observatory

when he’d climbed over the wall and ended up hauling her against his side. She’d leaned into him at first, before pulling away. When she’d tickled him and escaped his grip, he’d wanted to haul her back and tickle

her in return. But his chances with Camilla Melini were about as good as him learning Chinese in the span

of a week. In other words, it wasn’t going to happen.

He’d tease and challenge her as long as they were working together, but then he’d just have to forget her

and move on. He couldn’t afford to allow anyone to get close to him. Too many other people’s lives

depended on his ability to keep mum about the Elemental Masters, and he couldn’t risk a relationship, no

matter how much he might want one.

As he got closer to the crowd, he spotted an open section in front of the building set aside for dancing,

with the musicians set up under the ground-floor veranda. People packed the outer edges of the dancing

space. Some bobbed their heads while others swayed in place. If Cam had told her team members the truth,

and she’d gone out to enjoy some music, this would be the place to go.

He scanned the crowds, looking for Cam’s braid and lighter skin tone. Since she had her fair share of

experience with blending in—a necessary trait when it came to working for DEFEND—she wouldn’t stand

at the front of the crowd. He moved to get a better look at the people standing in the middle or toward the back. He’d nearly reached the veranda before he spotted her.

She was wearing a tight black tank top and a flowing dark blue skirt that swayed as she moved her

body to the music. Her braid swung back and forth across her breasts in time with her hips. The harsh look she always had on her face, daring people to cross her, was gone. It had been replaced with a dimple-filled smile and crinkles near the corner of her eyes.

This version of Cam was softer, younger, and almost vulnerable. This was the woman who would tickle

people to try to escape their hold.

A man approached her and motioned toward the dancing square, but Cam shook her head as she said

something to him. The man nodded and left her, probably to find another woman willing to dance with him.

She resumed swaying to the music. Marco watched her another minute, mesmerized by her movements.

He suspected she had a weapon or two strapped to her thigh, but he’d bet his own life that Cam rarely let

herself smile, let alone sway and just enjoy herself. This was a rare glimpse of the woman hidden beneath.

No doubt, there was a reason for her defensive walls, and he wondered what had caused them.

The music ended and the crowd clapped, Cam included. He drew in a breath as she clapped and let out

a whistle before grinning with unadulterated joy on her face. If he didn’t have a million other

responsibilities resting on his shoulders, he would be tempted to see how long it would take before he

could make her grin that way while in his company.

Of course, until he found out what she’d discovered inside the observatory, Cam was one of the reasons

he was here. And there was no reason he couldn’t try to have a little fun with her before he went back to

hiding behind a fake face and an even faker smile.

The music started up again and he made his way toward Cam, careful to stay far enough back in the

crowd to blend in and not draw attention to himself. When she was a few feet in front of him, he pushed up behind her and placed his hands on her waist. She froze and quickly placed her hand on his arm, her nails

close to his skin, ready to slice him.

He caressed one of his fingers against her side and leaned close to her ear, catching the wild scent of the jungle. He smiled and whispered, “Gotcha.”

Cam had a weakness for live music.

After her sister had been carted off to the Asylum for Magical Threats’ prison system, or even when her

parents had died in a staged car accident, music had been her sole source of healing. Lyrics in particular had often shown her that she wasn’t the only one with painful memories or a difficult life history.

Things were not as dark for her as they’d been five or ten years ago, but music still played a pivotal role in helping her calm down and focus. When she’d heard the music drifting through the window of the bed

and breakfast, it had called to her, inviting her to relax for a few minutes and recharge her batteries. Zalika and Jacek had assured her they’d be fine, so after a quick change of clothes, she’d gone to the main plaza where the band was performing in front of the town hall.