Hint of Danger, page 14
part #1 of Undercover Magic Series
A little shiver of apprehension worked its way down her body. “Got it.”
The trio fell silent, slipping into their roles of bored socialites seconds before reaching a roped off door beneath a green and silver striped awning. Lina could just make out the words “The District” painted in black.
A doorman moved into the center of the entry, his arms folded across his beefy chest as he inspected them with beady black eyes. He was on the shorter side, maybe only an inch taller than Lina at most, but it did nothing to diminish the aura of violence radiating from him. Next to Nord, whose height and bulk gave the impression of muscles created by a lifetime of hard labor, the doorman’s body appeared manufactured. Like he’d been injected with steroids and growth hormones until his skin could literally not contain anymore.
With his barrel chest, thick arms, and short stature, he reminded her of a gorilla. Since there wasn’t a name tag in sight, and he didn’t seem like the type to offer a name, Lina dubbed him King Kong, or Kiko for short.
“Invitation,” Kiko grunted.
Lina’s eyes darted to Finley, who was reaching into his jacket to produce the three bronze medallions that would enable them to join in tonight’s festivities.
As she watched, that odd wavering at the edge of her vision she’d experienced in the elevator returned. This time coming from where Kiko was standing on her left. She blinked, trying to clear the haziness, but it persisted until she finally snapped her eyes back to the doorway.
There was nothing there but Kiko, who met her stare head-on, his expression carved in the same stoic mask as before.
Lina’s lips dipped in a frown. The wavering was gone, but in its place a dull throb had taken up residence in her temples.
Stupid ward.
Finley flashed the medallions, but that wasn’t good enough for Kiko, who held out his hand and curled his fingers in a “hand ‘em over” motion. Fin complied but rolled his eyes and sighed loudly, as if he was thoroughly put out by the request.
Kiko held them up, one at a time, peering closely at the surface like he was checking for counterfeits. Lina was half-expecting him to put one in his mouth and bite down, but he didn’t. After examining each, he placed all three in his pocket and unhooked the velvet rope.
“Go on.” He gestured to the stairs behind him with his shaved head.
Finley took the lead, while Nord placed his hand on her back, wordlessly telling her to go next.
“Try not to get too bored out here, Kiko,” she murmured as she brushed passed.
The doorman’s eyebrows lifted in surprise.
Shit.
She’d gotten so comfortable with her little nickname that it slipped out.
“Uh, I mean, thanks,” she rushed, hustling up the stairs.
She was halfway when Nord leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You didn’t even make it two minutes without breaking the rules.”
If she’d had a mirror, she knew her cheeks would be crimson. “Surely social niceties don’t count as talking.”
“You gave him a pet name,” Nord pointed out. “I think that extends a bit beyond niceties. How did you come up with that, by the way?”
“He reminded me a bit of King Kong,” she muttered under her breath as they neared the top of the narrow staircase.
Nord’s bark of laughter created a cocoon around her. “Not too far off, actually,” he said in a low voice. “He’s half stone giant,” he continued, falling silent as they reached the landing.
“What’s the other half?” she asked, thinking it odd that anything part giant could be so short.
“Orc, I think.”
Lina hummed, her attention shifting as she reached the top of the stairs. A green and silver carpet runner led the way to a coat check, where a woman in a cigarette girl outfit stood to the side holding a tray of drinks.
“Champagne?” she offered.
“No thanks,” Finley answered smoothly, giving her his signature dimpled grin to take the sting out of his refusal.
The girl, who looked no older than eighteen, blushed and dipped her violet eyes. “If you don’t have anything you wish to check with us, you can head on in.”
Finley nodded and strode toward the door a little further down the corridor. It opened as he neared the threshold, although opened isn’t quite the right word. The door shimmered and then vanished entirely, revealing a room filled with smoke and debauchery in its place.
Every sense was assaulted at once, the purpose unmistakable. This was a den of sin, and all were expected to partake. Why would they be here otherwise?
The main room was a study in opulence. One large square room, it continued the green and silver décor from outside. Two of the walls were lined with hidden alcoves, shadowed silhouettes the only indication of someone’s presence within. Directly across from the entrance, spanning the entire length of the wall, was a bar mostly obscured by guests. Jade-colored lights illuminated the bottles lining the shelves behind the half-circle made of silvery granite snaking with shimmering obsidian and flecks of emerald. In place of any kind of dance floor was a sunken area in the center of the room. There was a massive chandelier hanging in the middle with a circle of black leather couches surrounding a half dozen cocktail tables below.
It was impossible to not become intoxicated by the sights and sounds, especially when Nord began ushering her further inside, and she started to take notice of the other details.
The music was something low and sultry, the beat heavy and slow, bringing to mind all sorts of bedroom games. The air was perfumed with a combination of vanilla and tobacco, the sweet and earthy combination of feminine and masculine scents twining together in perfect balance. Drinks were flowing both at a bar and on trays being discreetly offered by men and women in similar attire to the woman in the hall.
But the true focal points were the four aerial dancers spaced throughout the room, whose mostly naked bodies were swathed in green fabric as they spun and twirled in the air.
Lina watched in rapt fascination as one of the male performers completed a series of spins that brought him within an inch of the floor. He must have heard her breathless gasp as he came to a perfect stop because he looked up and caught her eye, winking before grasping two fistfuls of silk and climbing back up.
“Faerie,” Nord whispered, his voice sending electric tingles coursing through her.
“I thought faeries had wings?” she asked.
“They do.”
Lina’s eyes roved the performer who was currently balancing between the two pieces of fabric by his ankles, his legs stretched out in a split that made her wince. “I don’t see any.”
“Glamour. Everyone here is using it to some degree. It’s part of what makes them so dangerous. Most won’t know what kind of threat they’re dealing with until it’s too late.”
Lina pressed her lips together and gave a little nod to indicate she’d received his warning.
Finley was a few steps ahead, chatting with one of the servers. The woman hurried away as Nord and Lina reached him.
“Hope you don’t mind. I took the liberty of ordering us all drinks.”
“Do you really think it safe to accept anything they offer here?” Nord asked.
“Who said anything about drinking them? Appearances, remember?”
While they waited for their drinks, Lina let her eyes travel across the room, trying to guess what kind of supernatural each guest was based on their outfits alone.
The woman closest to her was wearing a glittering red and gold number that immediately brought the flicker of flames to mind. Some kind of elemental, perhaps? The man she was speaking to was harder to pinpoint. He was slender where many others bulged with muscle, his hair a deep auburn, his eyes copper. Fox shifter, maybe? There was something about the alert intensity of his expression that gave her a sense of cunning.
The waitress’ return interrupted her game. Lina accepted her cocktail with a soft, “Thanks.”
Lifting the drink up to her lips, using the move to disguise her question, she asked, “Where’s our host?”
Nord wasn’t looking at her as he replied, “I was wondering the same.”
“Most likely back there,” Finley murmured, tipping his head to the far corner where two of Kiko’s siblings stood.
“So, we just stand here and wait, hoping he decides to mingle? That’s stupid.”
Nord’s brows flew up. “You have a better suggestion?”
Lina bit down on her lip as an idea began to take shape in her mind. “Why yes, I believe I do,” she said, slamming her drink back.
“Lina,” Nord hissed. “What did we just say?”
She placed a hand on his chest. “Look, you gave me a weapon. Let me use it. You two are right here, if anything makes your super senses tingle, you’ll be able to intervene before anything gets out of hand.”
Finley snorted. “It took her, what, less than five minutes to completely disregard the plan?” he muttered. “Is that a new record?”
“I knew bringing her was a bad idea,” Nord groaned, a deep line forming between his brows.
Lina knew she had them between a rock and a hard place. They couldn’t afford to cause a scene here. Not without raising all the wrong kind of attention. Sure, Nord could haul her ass out to keep her from doing anything, but he wouldn’t risk leaving Fin alone.
“I’m just going to go to the bar and get another drink. Nothing crazy, all right?”
A muscle pulsed in Nord’s jaw. “Not alone.”
“Listen, I can’t have you scaring everyone away. If the whole point is to get information, we’re going to have to talk to somebody.”
“Me, not you,” he insisted, his face carved from stone.
“Don’t you trust me?” she asked.
It was one of those questions that only had one answer, and they both knew it. He couldn’t admit he didn’t trust her without causing irreparable damage.
“You’re not really giving me reason to right now,” he finally said.
“Then why give me this dress if you didn’t want me to use it. I’m the bait, right? So, let me go catch our fish.”
Nord’s nostrils flared, the flecks of azure ringing his pupil starting to glow. “You were the lure, not the bait.”
“Same difference in the end.”
As their hushed conversation went on, the room continued to fill, making it impossible to continue the argument without risk of being overheard.
It was Finley who made the decision for them. Since he was technically the leader of their op, Nord’s protests fell on deaf ears.
“I don’t like it any more than you do,” he started, “but no one currently at the bar poses significant risk. If that changes, one of us will go and get her. She’ll be in sight the entire time.”
Nord glowered and the high-ball glass in his hand started to crack under the pressure of his grip.
“I’ll touch my hair if someone makes me uncomfortable, okay?” Lina offered.
“Go before I change my mind,” he growled.
Even though she was getting her way, Lina was smart enough to know this wasn’t a victory. Nord was pissed, and she’d pay for it later. If she was being honest, she was looking forward to it, especially with how things ended the last time they fought. And, if she was being really honest, the reminder of that night may have been part of what prompted her to go against their plan in the first place. Not that she’d ever admit it.
She’d deal with the consequences—pleasant or otherwise—when she had to. For now, it was time to put her spy skills to the test.
Assuming, of course, that she had any to begin with.
Giving the men one final look, Lina made her way to the bar, making a point to make her movements unhurried. She let her eyes wander, offering small, close-lipped smiles she hoped passed for mysterious to anyone that made eye contact. So far there were no aghast looks of recognition, although there were more than a few leers.
Lina ignored them, spying a free spot at the bar. When she was only a few steps away, that odd blurring just outside the farthest edges of her vision started up again, this time coming from both sides. The sensation was disorientating, and she faltered, wobbling slightly on her heels and drawing the attention of a woman around her age who was leaning against the bar sipping a crimson-colored cocktail.
Lina blinked rapidly, trying to repel the fog, and between one rapid eyelid flutter and the next, the woman’s face appeared to transform. It happened far too quickly for Lina to absorb any details, and by the time her eyes were open and focused once more, the effect was gone. She stared at the stranger for a couple seconds longer, just in case it happened again, which was probably what prompted the woman to speak to her.
“I have that effect on people.” She smirked, lifting her glass in a mock toast.
Lina laughed, the unexpected joke alleviating any unease as she closed the distance between them. “I can see why,” she said with a genuine smile. And she could. The woman was gorgeous. Even in a sea full of beautiful and glamorous people, she stood out.
Pale, ivory skin contrasted sharply with jet black hair that fell well past her waist, even though she wore it up in a sleek ponytail. Her wide, almond-shaped eyes were lined with kohl, their unique color mesmerizing. Not quite purple, not quite red, it was a color which oscillated in-between and seemed to ripple like an endless pool as she studied Lina.
Her dress was a deep scarlet—a perfect match to the lipstick painting her lips—with a plunging neckline, and a slit that went all the way up to the top of her thigh, revealing a shapely leg encased in black fishnets. To complete her ensemble, she wore a frontlet that draped across her forehead, its clusters of rubies and onyx glittering against her skin.
Clearly, this was a woman who also recognized her clothing was a weapon.
“I’m Lina.”
The woman’s smile stretched. “Quinn. Looks like you need a drink, Lina.” Without waiting for an answer, she flagged the nearest bartender down. “We’ll take two more of these,” she said, waving her glass at him. As he turned away to prep their drinks, Quinn glanced back at Lina. “So, what brings you here?”
“The auction,” Lina replied.
Quinn laughed. “Well, obviously. But is there something in particular you’re hoping to take home with you?”
Seeing her opening, Lina leaned forward and dropped her voice like she was about to reveal a secret. “Well, actually . . .” she trailed off, her eyes drifting to where Nord and Finley were standing, pretending not to be looking their way.
“Oh, I see,” Quinn murmured, both eyebrows raised as she took stock of Lina’s companions. “It’s a different kind of hunt altogether.”
“Those two?” Lina laughed. “No, I have my eye on a different prize entirely.”
“Really? So, they’re fair game?” Quinn asked, her eyes taking on a calculating gleam.
Something hot and uncomfortable slithered around in Lina’s stomach. Resting her hand lightly on Quinn’s arm, she gave the other woman a sympathetic pout. “Unfortunately, those two only have eyes for each other. Bummer, right? Why do you think I’m on the prowl?” She forced a laugh, hoping Quinn would accept her assessment and find a new target of her own.
“Oh, that is too bad,” she said, giving a sultry pout of her own.
When those wine-colored eyes shifted back to Lina, she couldn’t help but notice the twinkle of amusement shining in them. If she was onto her, Quinn was too polite to call her out on it.
The bartender returned, setting the two drinks down and moving away.
“Not very chatty, is he?” Lina commented, watching him retreat while taking an idle sip. The cinnamon and cherry flavor exploded on her tongue, and her eyes widened in delight. “This is delicious.”
Quinn gave her a mysterious smile. “I had a feeling you’d like it.”
“What’s it called?”
“Blood fever.”
Lina nervously set the drink down.
“Named for the drink’s color and sweet heat, not a hidden ingredient,” Quinn assured her, correctly guessing the reason for her sudden change of heart.
“Am I that transparent?” Lina asked, feeling the heat creep into her face.
“Delightfully so. It’s refreshing. I think you and I are going to be great friends.”
For a second, Lina forgot that she was on a mission. That she was either supposed to be gathering information about their mark, or with a few not-so-subtly dropped hints, she piqued his curiosity enough that he’d come out to her. In that suspended moment, she was just a twenty-something-year-old woman grabbing drinks with her friend. It was so wholly unexpected that Lina’s answering smile was radiant.
“I think I’m looking forward to it.”
Quinn winked at her. “So, if not those two, who are you hunting?” Her eyes swept the room as if trying to scope out Lina’s prey.
This was the opening she’d been waiting for, but now that it was here, she wasn’t sure how to approach it. Should she be blunt? Coy? This was the part of the whole social skills thing she’d yet to master. Usually, she didn’t mind blundering her way through, but if she made a misstep now, she risked ruining the entire mission.
Needing to buy some more time, Lina opted for a one-shouldered shrug and took another sip of her drink. Warmth spread out through her limbs, warning her it was far stronger than she’d realized. Wanting to keep a steady head, she set her drink back down.
Fuck it. She’d come this far on instinct and sheer nerve alone. It seemed to serve her well, up to this point. Why stop now?
“Well, actually. I’m quite intrigued by our host.”
Quinn’s eyes flared with interest. “My, that would be a delicious scandal. He’s notoriously hard to catch. You think you’re up for the task?”
