The Curse (Belador #3)(47)

“Vlad,” Quinn interjected, which caused her to cock her head at him, but she let it go. He used his first name when he didn’t want his last name bandied about.

The kid mumbled a hello and turned his head halfway up for a second, but not enough to face Quinn.

“Let’s go, Lanna,” Quinn said.

“Game almost over.”

That drew a questioning look from the boy.

Subtle had never worked with the girl. Might as well be blunt. “You can’t stay in the States, Lanna.”

“I thought this was free country.” She looked at her opponent and asked him in her somewhat choppy English, “Is this not free country?”

The boy clearly didn’t want to get involved, but said, “Yes.”

She smiled at Quinn again and made another brilliant chess move—this time without paying attention to her hands or the game board. “I am adult. I choose where I go. I come to see you. Are you not glad to see me, Cousin?”

Hard to answer that honestly and spare her feelings. “It would have been helpful to have a bit of warning.”

“I have no phone.”

Out of patience, Quinn picked up her suitcase and said, “Tell your friend good-bye, Lanna. We need to talk.”

She gave Quinn a put-upon glare and had enough left over to share with the top of the boy’s head. Quinn stifled a chuckle at the boy’s lack of attention. Her opponent appeared immune to her charms. She’d enjoyed harmless flirting ever since the first time a boy had called her pretty.

It was undoubtedly a blow to her ego for this one to be more interested in the game than in her.

After a dramatic and exaggerated sigh, Lanna told the boy, “Thank you for games. I concede this one, but you would lose queen in three more moves.”

That brought his blond head up sharply. “Not a chance. I’d have put you in check in two.”

Not one to accept defeat easily, she leaned forward, eyes flashing ire. “How long you have suffered hallucinations?”

Quinn interrupted with a stern “Lanna.”

That silenced both of them. Quinn considered telling them both to show sportsmanship and end on a good note, but the young man spoke first.

“Thanks for playing. You’re … good.” He extended his hand, and after a slight hesitation Lanna took it, shaking.

“You are welcome. Thank you also.”

When Lanna stood again, Quinn walked her several long strides away to stand near the corner of Five Points, next to the bronze statue of a woman releasing a phoenix. He eyed the foot traffic and kept his voice soft.

“It is imperative that you leave this country right away, Lanna. I cannot play tour guide.” He’d had to explain his role as a Belador the last time he’d tracked her down in Canada and had been forced to tap local Belador resources to get her out of that country. “You know what I am and what I do.”

“Yes. You are snake.”

Quinn gritted his teeth, but kept his voice low. “No, I’m with a coalition called VIPER. You are not an ordinary human, Lanna, which means you cannot stay in this country unless you register with VIPER or have a sponsor.”

“I will consider this.”

“No.” He said that word a lot with Lanna and knew the minuscule degree of influence it was likely to have. “There is no way I can sponsor you. That would require me to be in one place for six months. An unrealistic expectation.”

“Tell them I am visitor. I will get visa.”

“Your idea of a visa is one with no credit limit. Visitors still have to be cleared through VIPER, and I haven’t the time for that now. I’m very busy. I have work to do.”

She brightened. “I will help you.”

“Yes, you can by going home immediately.”

“Not possible.”

“Why?”

“Because I am not well after flying. I have … what you call dizzy and sick? Closetphobia?”

“Claustrophobia? No, that’s fear of being closed in. Are you talking about vertigo?”

“Yes. Sick everywhere. Flight attendant … she hide after first two hours.”

“I’ll get you motion-sickness medicine.”

“A passenger give to me. Made me more sick. Medicine does not like my majik.”

“Fine. I can have you teleported.” But Sen would have to teleport her, and Quinn didn’t want him to know she existed.

She put her hands up. “No, no. That is terrible. I almost die when Bernie’s uncle teleport me. No, I am not leaving.”

Quinn refused to accept that with all of his resources, both human and supernatural, he could not find a way to get one teenage girl out of this country.

Even if he could get her cleared through VIPER, he’d end up stuck with her here. Forever.

Or worse. VIPER might actually consider her powers of some use and … he’d be stuck with her here. Forever.

He hated to use fear, but he couldn’t spend his time watching over her when Beladors needed help fighting Svart trolls. He’d have to be tough with her. “VIPER will find you any minute now. When they do, I’ll have no choice but to allow our liaison with the agency to teleport you home.”

Guilt plagued him when her cheeks lost their rosy hue and her eyes widened in trepidation, then lost focus, staring through him. She started trembling.