Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(51)

Evalle realized where he was going with this. “That scent means something to you. What?”

His jaw flexed while he decided his next words. “Remember the witch doctor I told you about?”

She rolled her eyes and answered with self-recrimination. “You mean the one you came here to find that I promised to help hunt for when we got back from South America, and haven’t yet?” She shook her head at herself. Total loser not to do that for him.

“I don’t need you to hunt her right now.”

Of course not, because Storm always put what Evalle needed first. That was changing after this if she came back from the ABC alive. “We will get on it as soon as we get a break, okay?”

He lifted his hand. “That’s not why I mentioned her. Her majik has that same licorice scent.”

Evalle thought back. “So you think she was at the Beast Club last night?”

“No. Maybe.” He stared off for a moment. “I’m not sure. I should have sensed her being close, or I could at one time. I didn’t. But that smell bothers me.”

“Wouldn’t she have shown her face at some point? Like when we were alone walking back through the woods?”

“I don’t know.” He blew out a breath and raked his fingers over his hair, disturbing the straight black locks only for a moment before they fell back in place. “I want you to tell me if you smell that again, no matter where you are.”

“I will.” Why did she have the feeling that Storm wasn’t telling her something? “What else happened in the woods today?”

He studied her, taking his time to answer. “I ran into the witch doctor.”

Evalle had a moment of worry until she realized Storm stood in front of her, safe and alive. “Is she still alive?”

“Very much so, unfortunately. She disappeared before I could get my hands on her. That’s why I want you on your guard and to watch for that scent. Now tell me why you didn’t talk to Tzader.”

Evalle nodded, still feeling there was more but letting it go for the moment. “Sen and Tzader held a big meeting at VIPER about a couple things. Everyone’s forbidden from using telepathy, which means all the Beladors, because there’s an infection being transmitted through touch and telepathy. They think some powerful being is moving around the city shaking hands with Nightstalkers to intentionally release the infection, but no one knows who or what.”

His cheek muscles flexed with angry pulses. “Those are Langaus.”

“Plural?”

“Yes, but I don’t know how many.”

“But you do know about this infection. How?”

Storm hesitated, but he would have a tough time getting around a question that direct. “I ran into one up around Oakey Mountain when I met up with the witch doctor. She created the Langaus.”

Evalle swiped a fast look over his face and eyes. “Did you get infected?”

“Yes.”

“You have to go to the healers.”

“I’m good. Now.”

“How?”

“That’s why I didn’t answer your call. I can draw on my jaguar’s ability to heal, but to get an infection or poison out of my system I have to completely shut down into a deep sleep. My guardian spirit woke me when the fever broke, or I’d still be sleeping.”

When Evalle felt her skin getting toasty, she forced herself to ratchet down the urge to dismember the witch doctor. No time right now, but soon. “Why did she do this?”

“Don’t know.”

“Is there anything you can tell the healers that will help the Beladors and other agents?”

He nodded. “They have to treat this like a poison instead of an infection, because of the way it was created. I’ll talk to Tzader and the healers, but they need a live Langau to make an antidote.”

Evalle reached up to feel his forehead. “At least you’re not hot now.”

“Not there.” His lips twitched.

Now she was hot again and doubted the Volonte was solely to blame. “Thought you weren’t going to encourage me.” She gave him a wry smile.

He gave her a smoldering look. “Doing the best I can, considering, but it’s a struggle.”

She had a feeling if she looked down she’d know just how much he was struggling. Stop thinking about touching him.

But how was she supposed to do that?

By talking about something that didn’t make her want to reach under his shirt and run her hands over his body.

Nothing came to mind.

Touching him would send her up in flames again.

A dark look passed through Storm’s gaze, then he shook his head at some inner thought and helped her out by talking business. “How many VIPER agents are infected?”

The infection. She could work with that. “I don’t know. There were a handful of cases by the time I left headquarters, but we’ve got agents who are MIA that might be infected and unable to call for help. Speaking of help, they need your ability to track.”

“I can do that.”

“That’s great, but I have a message for you from Sen.”

“Oh?”

Lots of disdain in that one word. Evalle laid it all out for him. “He said you have until Monday to come back to VIPER, or he’s marking you as an enemy of the coalition. I don’t want you going back, but neither do I want to see the coalition turned against you.” Because if that happened, she’d be expected to hunt Storm and bring him in.