Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(16)

Between the estate and everything within, these guys were loaded. Either that or some of them came from old money. Maybe I could work for them just long enough to get a substantial amount of cash and buy a place of my own.

Viktor returned with a man following behind him. He looked about six feet with an average build of lean muscle. Aside from his black hair, which was wispy and long, what stood out were his almond-shaped eyes. The blue was almost colorless—like crystal waters beneath sunlight. He appeared to be of mixed Asian descent with strikingly handsome features, chiseled cheekbones, and skin as pale brown as desert sand. By the looks of his tight biceps and broad shoulders, he was also a man who conditioned his body as though it were a weapon.

Without televisions or radios, I could understand why someone would spend hours down here.

He turned his head in my direction and suppressed a smile. “She’s a girl.”

“How you can tell that I’ll never understand,” Viktor said. “Raven, this is Niko. Niko, meet Raven Black. She’s half Mage, and that’s why I’ve called you down.”

His brows knitted. “Half?”

“The better half,” I said. “Are you a Mage?”

He gave a short grin and inclined his head.

Viktor gestured toward my bare feet and chuckled. “You came prepared. I like that.”

“What’s this all about?”

“I take it that since you’re living on the streets, you’ve never had your gifts measured by the Mageri. Am I right?”

Measuring was something the Mageri did to document the gifts of a Mage brought in the legal way, which I hadn’t been.

Viktor stroked his trimmed beard. “We’re going to test your skills—both strengths and weaknesses. We don’t keep secrets in this house, and it’s important we know what your limitations are. Everything within these walls is kept secret, and that includes what you learn about others. Those who break the rules will suffer the consequences. Since you’re a crossbreed, we’ll start with your Mage skills and go from there.”

I cupped my elbows, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “I’m not sure about this. How do I know you’re not setting me up?”

“You know where the door is if you have second thoughts, but I’ll need to scrub your memory of us before you go.” He shook his finger at me. “We are as trustworthy as the Mageri, if not more so. What talents and weakness you choose to reveal to the public is your business, but under no circumstance will my men speak of them to anyone. The same goes for you. Do you understand?”

I nodded. “I have your word?”

“Da,” he said, replying in Russian. Then he turned and placed his hand on Niko’s shoulder. “Come see me afterward, Niko. Spasibo.”

As he ascended the stairs, Niko moved like a panther, circling around me. The way he watched me was strange.

“Do you have a last name?” I asked.

“No,” he replied, still moving. “In my time, we didn’t have surnames. We were known by our clan.”

My God, that meant this guy was one of the ancients. It didn’t matter that he only looked to be in his twenties or thirties. In fact, I couldn’t even place his age since there was something timeless and mysterious about his appearance.

“Is Raven Black your given name?”

“If you mean given to me by my Creator, then yes. Black is, anyhow. He let me keep my first name.”

Learners traditionally take the surname of their Creator since that’s how the Mageri tracks lineage. Creators are rare, and most of them are assigned their progeny from what I’d heard. Learner was one of those titles I’d always hated and never went by on the account it applied to a newly made Mage still living with their Creator and going through training. My education came from the school of hard knocks.

“You didn’t have a good relationship with your Creator,” he remarked, moving out of sight.

I spun around. “How do you know that?”

He smiled knowingly. “Your energy. It tells me all I need to know.”

“I’m concealing.”

“True, I can see that. But you have emotional and spiritual energy that you cannot conceal or control. I can tell when you’re angry, when you are lying, when you’re nervous… as you are now.”

I backed up against the wall so he’d quit circling me like a predator. “How can you see that? I’ve never heard of a Mage being able to do that.”

His eyes remained on me in an absent way. “I’m blind, but I’m not so blind that I can’t see the truth.”

Chills danced up my spine. We didn’t retain injuries once immortal—not unless liquid fire was involved to seal the injury. Someone had chosen a blind human as their Learner. But why?

“This is a big house. How do you find the doors and get around?” I asked, noticing he didn’t have a cane.

Niko kept his hands at his sides, his tone clear and pleasant. “Most blind people count steps and keep things in the same place. There’s not much to trip on around here, and people don’t move furniture without letting me know. I do rely on that at times, but my unique gift allows me to live in your world. Almost everything gives off energy. Plants, animals, rocks, light, stars, even fire. Even things that you touch retain an imprint, like there,” he said, pointing to the floor. “I can still see your residual energy from where you’ve been. Enough about me. I want to learn more about you. Share your gifts with me.”