Return of the Fae (5 page)

“Where are we? Twilight Zone Hotel? Or Magic R Us?” Parris put her arm on the counter and turned to face Ty.

The girl at the computer giggled.

“I’m glad you both find this amusing.” Parris frowned, watching the girl pass a metal key over what appeared to be a card keyer machine. Instead of being handed plastic credit card type keys, the woman gave them each a metal key on a round gold chain. Ty lifted the chain over his head and around his neck. The key and chain disappeared.

“Wait, what happened to your key?” Parris demanded.

Ty looked at the desk clerk. “It’s her first time in a big city. She’s never been exposed to the world.”

The girl nodded, her blonde hair bouncing like she starred in one of those shampoo commercials during the eighties. “My gran was country. She never believed man landed on the moon. Even though she could weave a spell turning grown men into frogs, walking on the moon seemed too much like a fantasy. Some people are scared of technology, no matter how natural it is.”

“I’m not scared of technology,” Parris protested. “I asked a simple question.”

“Have a great stay in Cincinnati, Mr. Wallace. Will some of The Council be joining you this trip?” The young girl’s face shone expectant, hopeful even. Ty’s next words deflated the girl’s smile.

“Just the two of us, I’m afraid. Although I’m sure The Council members know what a lovely place you have here.” Ty swept his arm around the lobby. “So many factions getting along without a guardian to challenge them.”

The girl’s face brightened again. “We are the friendliest city east of the Mississippi.”

Ty took Parris’s arm and walked her toward the glass elevator in the middle of the lobby.

“Do I want to know?” Parris asked, the smile not leaving her face.

“The Riverglen is a specialty hotel. You have to be invited to stay, or have the code, otherwise, they have no vacancies.” Ty nodded down at the lobby where men in suits and women in professional garb mingled. “They only allow our types. It makes it easier to relax. The place is warded, so unless you’re on staff, magic doesn’t work here.”

“So no drunken warlock brawls in the bar over a cute witch?” Parris grinned.

“Mostly factions argue over elections to The Council. Getting a relative or friend on The Council assures you all kinds of advantages.” Ty shook his head. “The politicking is getting worse. You’d think we were humans.”

“Everyone likes a bit of pork barrel for their area.” Parris watched witches mill below them as the elevator crept upward, floor by floor. “So Coven X? They don’t know about this place?”

Ty shook his head and led her out of the elevator car onto the top floor–decorated in old Hollywood glam. Not what she’d expected in a hotel in the middle of the heartland. As they passed a portrait of Marilyn Monroe, someone behind them whispered, “I love her.”

Parris and Ty turned quickly to see Toki staring up at the life size portrait. Parris released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“Toki–you can’t sneak up on me.” Parris looked at Ty. “Can you see her?”

Ty smiled as Toki answered for him. “Duh, he’s a warlock. Of course he can see fairies.” Toki cocked her head around Ty, looking puzzled. “But I don’t see your companion. You alone?”

“I haven’t had a companion for several years.”

Parris thought Ty would keep talking, but she watched a look pass between the man and the fairy. All of a sudden, the moment was gone. Like a conversation happened and she hadn’t been part of it. Toki turned her gaze to Parris.

“You told him about the watcher.” It wasn’t a question.

Parris nodded, wondering if she’d broken some sort of fairy-witch rule. Toki’s next words reassured her.

“Good. Keep her safe, warlock. I’ve got business to attend to.” With that, the smiling child took one last look around the hallway, waved, and disappeared.

Parris sighed. “That is going to take some getting used to.”

Ty laughed. “She’s cute. You should be thankful. Some witches are saddled with fairies who don’t love their jobs.” Ty opened the door, motioning for her to enter.

Their bags had been delivered to their room. On the bed. The one bed. Parris raised her eyebrows.

Ty fingered the key around her neck. “I didn’t say it would be a total business trip. We can have a little fun.” Ty’s gaze radiated pure mischief. Parris longed to tear his jacket off and test out the bed. They’d never made love in a bed.

“Order some room service, watch some television, finish your homework. I’ll be back in an hour.” Ty pulled her close and, to Parris’ surprise, kissed her, long, slow, and promising.

His lips brushed her cheek as they left her lips and a sigh escaped before she knew she’d even reacted.

“What makes you sure I’ll stay in the room?” She pushed his hair back in place which seemed only fair since she’d been the one to muss it up during their kiss.

“You don’t have to. There are lots of nearby tourist spots to visit. Stay close until I make contact with Robert. After that, we can make plans.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “I’d like you to meet him.”

Parris patted his chest with her hand. “I wanted to know what you’d say. I’m starving and craving a little food network television action.”

He lifted her chin up, kissing her again. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

* * * *

Ty wanted to stay. Wanted to throw her down on the king size bed and take her. Slowly this time. One kiss, leading to another. She wanted him, too, he could tell from the response his kisses received today. Hell, they were a perfect match.

But he had work. The Council didn’t take to being told no. Especially when they’d been clear Parris held the key to finding a secret coven they’d been hunting for centuries. Ty wasn’t convinced they weren’t jousting at shadows again. Even with the fairy’s insistence Parris was being watched. It could be a faction of The Council. The existence of a Coven X seemed myth-like, mere fairy tale fiction. And, Ty thought ruefully, probably true.

Ty made it to the University in less than ten minutes. After having stopped wandering students on the campus twice to ask for directions to the history building, Ty finally climbed the steps of the old building. Gargoyles graced the outside of the roof of the gray stone building. “Typical,” Ty said going through a revolving door. The inside the building revealed a plain, drab college hallway, not matching the grandeur of the outside. He checked the building directory then headed to the top floor to the offices of the ancient world’s professors.

Walking through the hallway, he didn’t see Robert Nelson on any of the door placards. A woman sat behind a desk in one room so he knocked on the open door before entering.

“Office hours don’t start until three,” the woman snapped.

“Sorry, I’m looking for Professor Nelson?” Ty didn’t move from his spot at the door.

At the name, the woman looked at Ty and pushed back from her desk. “I’m sorry, Robert, I mean, Professor Nelson doesn’t work here anymore. Are you a former student?”

“Yes. I studied with him during my undergraduate time at the University of New Orleans. I thought he’d landed here. Do you know where he is?” Ty didn’t like this at all. The University of Cincinnati had been listed as Robert’s place of employment on The Council’s records. He’d verified it that morning. The man had to be here.

Unless he’s hiding from The Council.
The notion chilled Ty and he held back a shiver.

The woman motioned for him to sit. Ty took one of the two plastic chairs in front of her desk.

“He left two weeks into the semester. Didn’t tell anyone where he went, leaving a note on his office door saying classes had been cancelled. I’ve never seen the Dean so mad. I tried calling. Robert’s cell was disconnected. When I stopped by his apartment, he’d sub-let it to some graduate students. The kids were directed to send payments to a post office box.” The woman seemed troubled. She paused, her glance dropping to her desk. “He didn’t even say goodbye.”

“You were friends?” Ty kept his voice, low, soft. Trying to limit the comfort spell until he got the information he needed.

“I thought so. I mean, I thought we were close.” The woman blushed. “But I guess I was a stupid old woman, reading too much into a colleague’s conversation.”

“I’ve known Robert along time. He wouldn’t have led you on, if you thought he was interested, he was.” Ty tried reassuring before he asked the next question. “Am I the first person to come looking for him?”

At that, a frown creased the woman’s face. “Former students come all the time.”

“Besides students, someone who might have asked a lot of questions.” Ty flashed the jury smile. “Someone nosy like me?”

“A young man visited several times. Late twenties, I’d say. He last visited a month ago. I’d seen him a couple times when I worked late prepping for the new semester. I’m teaching a new class this semester, it takes so long to get everything in place. Students don’t realize the amount of work we put into each course.”

“Did he speak with Professor Nelson?”

“Who?”

“The student you saw before classes?”

The woman cocked her head. “It was the strangest thing. Every time he showed up, I would have sworn Robert had just been in his office. Once, I even took him coffee, minutes before the man showed up. Yet, he’d vanished. I told the man to wait, but he seemed agitated, jumpy, you know?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I suspected drug use.”

“Did you talk to him after Professor Nelson left?”

“Once. He stood reading the note posted on the office door when I came in one morning. I didn’t even know Robert had left at that point. The man shoved the note in my face, asking if I knew where Robert had gone.” The woman shook her head. “He didn’t even say goodbye.”

Ty stood, handing her a business card. There wasn’t anything more this woman could tell him. The university had been a dead end. The drive worthless.

“If you hear from him, or remember anything else, please let me know. I’m concerned about Professor Nelson.”

As he walked out of the office, he heard her response. “So am I, dear, so am I.”

* * * *

Parris couldn’t make up her mind on the menu and ordered a selection of appetizers to sample. Maybe Ty would be hungry when he got back. When the food had been delivered, Parris spread out on the bed, turned on the television to watch Guy Fiero drive through upstate New York looking for the best diner on the planet. She glanced at her phone. She’d give April a quick call at the bar to make sure everything was going alright.

Idiot. You just left this morning, what could happen in seven hours?
She tossed the phone back on the bed and started eating the chicken fingers. Dipping the meat into a honey mustard sauce, she took a bite, then groaned. The hotel should be called fried food heaven. She hadn’t even tried the onion rings yet.

She tucked a couple pillows behind her, pulled the room service tray closer, relaxed on the bed and watched Guy stuff his mouth with a to-die-for pastrami sandwich.

“He should come here,” Parris said to what appeared to be an empty room. Biting into her spring roll, she reacted, matching the television host’s reaction. Thank the gods Ty left her here with food. She hoped his visit with his old professor was going as well as her rest stop.

Chapter 5

Having a secret life sometimes means you lie to those your care about. Just because you’re hiding something, doesn’t mean they aren’t hiding something from you as well. No guilt. This is your destiny. – The Academy of Witchcraft, Volume 3, page 467.

Alex hung up the cell. The call to Sally had revealed nothing. Either the bitch didn’t know where Ty and Parris went, or she didn’t think the firm’s intern needed the information. Either way, he’d have to wipe their conversation first thing Monday morning. He couldn’t take a chance she’d alert Ty about Alex’s unusual questions.

He peeled the label off the longneck in front of him. Always a problem with living in St. Louis, too much humidity. Even in fall, the days could be hot and muggy. Not like Boston. He’d loved attending school there. Drinking in the history. Knowing the Coven studied right under The Council’s noses in the very place the division occurred. Salem was close enough he could still keep his apartment in Boston, driving to the conservatory for daily lessons. Their magic was art. Not some parlor trick The Council liked to promote. Art.