Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(98)

“Haven’t actually dated in a long time. I knew you were too tough to be afraid, so I was hoping you’d go along with Jones out of curiosity.”

His admission about no dating surprised her. She had to admit he’d pegged her right on being curious, but she had to find the Ngak Stone, and she might disappear any day if things didn’t go well with the Tribunal. “I’ll be honest with you, Isak. I’ve got a lot of things on my plate right now and some difficult people on my back. I may have to go away for a while, and I’m telling you this right up front so you don’t think I’m avoiding you if that happens.”

Worry stirred through his strong face. “I can help you with difficult people.”

“I doubt it.”

His lips curved in a smile that countered her words. “I don’t just hunt demons, sweetheart. I’m good at making people disappear. Someone bothers you, just let me know.”

She wasn’t sure if it was the endearment or the vow to protect her that ramped up his charm factor, but her heart tingled over his concern. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

And she would. But right now her best plan of action was to see if he’d share information on the Birrn and get out of here while she still had her glasses on and Isak thought she was just another anomaly of nature. “If we’re good, I’d love to know more about that Birrn you smoked the other night.”

“Maybe next time. Much as I’d like to keep you here longer, you need to get to your bike before daylight, and I’ve got to find a Nightstalker and get some answers.”

If Isak was human, then he couldn’t cut a deal with a Nightstalker for a handshake, which meant he shouldn’t be able to get any solid intel. She laughed to sell her next words. “You make it sound like Nightstalkers are informants.”

“They are if they shake hands with someone who has power.”

She reassessed Isak. “You said you were human.”

“I am, but I have resources.”

Ah, crap. “I’d be careful doing that if I were you. Most of the Nightstalkers are a half bubble off to begin with.”

“Not the one I’m looking for.”

“Who’s that?”

“He’s called Grady. I’m on my way to find him and get some answers.”

She fought to keep her shoulders relaxed. Grady wouldn’t tell Isak a thing about her, right? But then it hit her that Grady needed an hour of human form Wednesday night for something.

Would he trade her for that?





THIRTY-ONE




Evalle rode silently in the panel van with four Nyght Raiders and considered the clear skies growing lighter each minute as they reached downtown Atlanta. She had less than an hour until daylight only because she’d convinced Isak that Nightstalkers found her on occasion, not the other way around.

And he hadn’t wanted her exposed to the sun.

He’d been very accommodating after that kiss.

She couldn’t think about that right now, with a bigger worry looming. Grady. She had to find that old ghoul and make sure he didn’t talk to Isak.

How was she going to do that and not agree to give Grady the hour he wanted tomorrow night?

Just once she’d like a simple problem to solve.

The van parked next to where they’d picked her up. Wet heat slapped her skin with the unwelcome rise in temperature after her chilly air-conditioned ride.

“Need anything before we depart?” Laredo said.

“Sure. How about one of those demon blasters?” She gave her GSX-R a quick once-over just to appease him, but she’d have known immediately if anyone had touched her bike.

Isak’s man didn’t crack a smile.

Save her from men with no sense of humor. “You’re free to return to Yoda.”

He climbed into the van, which rolled away.

Isak hadn’t asked to see her eyes again, but he would eventually press that issue. If she ran out of time with the Tribunal, would he still offer to help her if he found out she was an Alterant? Or just rid the world of one more threat?

Lot of ifs and little time to spend on any of them.

Grady should have intel by now, but after an hour of stalking the old ghoul, she had a sick feeling something was very wrong. Where was he?

That hour he wanted on Wednesday night played loud in her mind. What was he willing to do to get that?

She’d have to head home soon or dig out her protective gear and ignore the heat already climbing into the nineties.

Nightstalkers normally gathered within minutes if someone with supernatural abilities stood in one spot and radiated a power field. She’d been doing that for the past hour. One wispy figure finally showed up, when Evalle would normally be engulfed in a crowd of them when Grady wasn’t around.

With no other offers, Evalle cut a quick deal and traded a handshake with a scraggly woman who had to be in her eighties. She got right to the point. “Where are the other Nightstalkers?”

The old woman lifted a hand with paper-thin skin that showed every vein and used her scrawny fingers to brush at the delicate white hair tufted over her head. “They took the others.”

“Who took the others and when?”

“Kujoo. They didn’t act normal. Offered Nightstalkers a trade to stay in this form for more than ten minutes.” She sniffed when a tear streaked along her wrinkled face.