Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(25)

Nadina studied on that for a moment. “What of the armband? It is now on her arm, yes?”

“Ye-sss,” Imogenia stressed impatiently. Nadina must normally deal with morons to keep asking me stupid questions. “I told you I was successful.”

Waving a hand tipped with long red nails, Nadina said, “Then the strand of hair is of no importance.”

Would have been nice to have had all the information before walking into that Beast Club. Imogenia should never have dealt with this unknown witch, but she needed more power than she held. She’d suspected a traitor in her coven for a while. Nadina had shown up with Volonte bones Imogenia would never have located. Even for one who practiced dark majik, Nadina had some serious connections. The Noirre spell Nadina agreed to give her in exchange for getting the armband locked on Evalle had seemed like a small favor until the woman’s jaguar almost killed Bernie. “Back to Daniella.”

“You should be thankful. Now you know about Daniella. Consider it a bonus.”

“How did you find out?”

“I have my ways, just as you do. Had I not gotten that information to Evalle, she would have had no reason to come looking for you. Comprendo????”

Imogenia had enough survival sense to be careful around an unknown dark witch, but no witch played her and got away with it. “Who else knows about Daniella?”

“A ghoul in Atlanta.”

“Nightstalkers? They’ll talk to anyone with power who shakes their hand.”

Nadina had that cat-sly look on her face. “No, they won’t. I’ve taken care of that.”

“How?”

“Come to me, my Langau,” Nadina said in response.

Imogenia started to ask what this certifiable witch was talking about when a dark figure moved into the clearing. The figure coalesced from a smoky image to a solid person, an attractive twenty-ish woman with brown hair cut in a chic style that fluffed around her face and disarming hazel eyes. She wore navy slacks and a mauve sweater with a plaid scarf of both colors.

And smelled graveyard dead.

Necromancy.

That was award-worthy conjuring, but on the intimidation scale this spirit ranked below zero. Imogenia asked, “And you think she’s going to keep Nightstalkers from running off at the mouth?”

Nadina was amused. “Not impressed with my Langau?”

Imogenia sensed she was heading into dangerous water by amusing the witch doctor, so she shrugged. “First impressions and all that.”

“Do you think a Nightstalker would hesitate to shake with this one?”

This one never showed any hint of acknowledging the conversation. Her eyes had a blank expression. Should have a Vacancy sign painted on her forehead. Imogenia replied, “No. I think any ghoul would shake hands with her.”

“That is exactly why I have five of these in Atlanta right now, searching for Nightstalkers and shaking hands, which infects the ghoul with a highly contagious virus. The infection is then passed by handshake to preternaturals, where it attacks their abilities. Kinetics become faulty and weak. The virus passes through telepathy, too, then attacks the host. Word is already getting around to avoid shaking with a Nightstalker.”

Imogenia nodded with admiration. “That is impressive.”

“But she”—Nadina waved a hand at her Langau—“is not?”

“For a preternatural viral carrier, she’s scary, but beyond that not so much.” Imogenia barely got the words out when the Langau’s vision sharpened and her gaze snapped to Imogenia.

Hazel eyes turned into two pools of fire.

The Langau opened her mouth to reveal needlelike teeth.

Fingers shifted into long digits that curved with razor claws. A muscle twitched above the Langau’s left eye. She twisted her neck and opened her mouth, her forked tongue slipping out on a hiss.

Imogenia sucked in a breath.

Nadina chuckled. “Did I fail to mention her bite and claws can also infect? More impressive now, yes?”

Bernie started panting and backed up until the leash went tight.

Imogenia yanked on it, but the chain slipped in her damp palms. She hurried to agree with Nadina. “Yes, very much so.”

Nadina lifted a hand and the Langau began vanishing. She told Imogenia, “As you see, there are no worries about Nightstalkers talking. Besides, you plan to go home and deal with Daniella, yes?”

“Bet on it.” But Imogenia couldn’t get to Daniella for another two days, not until after the championship fights. “And my Noirre spell?”

“What of it?”

“Are we still in agreement on the terms?” Since you clearly change the rules as you see fit.

“Sí. You will receive the spell the minute the Achilles Beast Championship is over. Thanks to me, you will have a chance to gain two Noirre spells that night.” Her gaze swept over to Bernie, who stood half behind Imogenia. “That is, if your Alterant does not die by the final round.”

Bernie whined softly.

The mirth clinging to Nadina’s comment had Imogenia grinding her back teeth. “Bernie might be a sniveling human, but he’s an impressive Alterant. At least, he was until I had to put him against that jaguar.”

“Better to know his ability now than tomorrow. You got what you wanted. I got what I wanted.”

“Not exactly. I don’t want my Alterant to face that jaguar again.”