Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(24)

She laughed. “Let’s hope I have more control around those two than I seem to have around you.”

He’d like to be near when she saw those two. “Where’re you meeting Macha?”

“Upstairs here in the building, on the roof.”

Evalle would be in her apartment until dark, which would give him time he needed. “Come to my place before you go to VIPER.”

“I don’t want you signing on with VIPER again. Not for this Alterant issue.”

“I’ll be looking for you.”

She rolled her eyes and grumbled something acerbic under her breath. “This is my fight. Even if you sign on with VIPER again, only two people can get into the beast championship with this armband. I’ll probably have to argue hard to get on that VIPER team, but Macha’s opinion should sway Sen. I’m telling you right now that I’m not going to vote for you to go, so you have no reason to come back to VIPER.”

“With my background, I’m the best piece of intel on these beast fights, and I plan to dig up more on the ABC.” That made Storm the prime candidate to be entered as a fighter. Something Tzader would agree with. The only other choice would be entering Evalle, but she couldn’t shift into her Alterant beast state, so she couldn’t possibly fight another Alterant and win.

Didn’t matter. Storm was going with her regardless.

She said, “Then share what you find out with me and I’ll give the information to VIPER.”

“We’ll talk.”

“It’s a good thing I’ve got my inner beast under control, because I have the urge to beat some sense into you.”

He gave her a quick kiss. “You’re out of time. Get inside and don’t forget to stop by after you talk to Macha.”

Shaking her head, she lifted her hand, fingers pointed toward the metal door that covered her elevator. The door slid open and an oversized elevator appeared. All directed by her kinetic power. When she stepped inside, she turned around. “Where’re you going?”

“Home.” He hadn’t lied. He was going to his house first to grab a shower before he headed back to the area where the Beast Club had been held in the mountains.

Then he’d shift into his jaguar so he could track the slightest scent.

He’d find Imogenia and persuade her to tell him everything about that bone that she hadn’t shared the first time.





SEVEN





Imogenia dragged Bernie along on his spelled chain leash that clanked every time he caught up to her. She should make him shift and carry her, but he’d whine about that.

Worthless excuse for an Alterant.

Couldn’t even kill a jaguar.

Thorns on a bush caught her dress and snagged a hole.

Next time I make a deal, it won’t include traipsing all over a mountain in the middle of the night.

With the sun finally ready to appear, Imogenia picked her way along the base of Oakey Mountain, relieved this miserable morning would come to an end. How was she going to gain Noirre majik with this wretched beast?

Why couldn’t she have captured an Alterant with some backbone?

A man like that jaguar shifter who’d kicked Bernie’s butt.

She passed through a copse of trees that shivered in the wind and entered a clearing she’d visited before midnight on her way to the Beast Club.

Rattling erupted all around her, as if hundreds of rattlesnakes circled where she stood.

Bernie whimpered.

Sorry excuse for a man. She yanked the leash. “Shut up.”

A woman emerged from the shadows cast by a stand of trees clustered on the shadow side of the mountain. When she came into focus, Imogenia could see that she wore an ankle-length hooded cape the color of a violent sea. Two red boot tips peeked out. She lifted her head enough for the light to catch her face, and thick lashes outlined exotic brown eyes.

Everything about that face was too perfect.

Imogenia never trusted perfection in anything. “Nadina.”

“You left plenty of trail, yes?”

“I zigzagged all over the place for the past four hours.” Imogenia had no idea why that had been part of the negotiation. She shouldn’t have been so anxious to deal, but the chance to get Noirre majik didn’t come along often.

Like never.

“When you leave, walk back the way you came until you can circle around this clearing, then go to your car.”

“I will do that.” Imogenia didn’t know why she had to make a wide arc around this clearing, but in the interest of getting along, she would.

“You were successful at the Beast Club?”

“Of course.” Imogenia flipped her chin up. “Not like I would have missed finding the target. Talk about diva attitude. She was the only woman wearing sunglasses at night. It turned out better than I expected.”

“Bueno.”

“Except for one thing.”

“What?”

One word shouldn’t raise the hairs along Imogenia’s arms, but Nadina had loaded that one with plenty of threat. “Did you know Daniella was a traitor in my coven?”

“Of course. Do not look so put-upon. Evalle needed something to trade with you.”

You better hope I never see a chance for payback. So Evalle was the name of that mouthy bitch with the jaguar. “Well, I have no strand of hair from her because she had Daniella to bargain with.”