Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(71)

“Not so good. I told Arys I need some time apart. Things have been kind of strained between us lately. I don’t know where I end and he begins; it’s driving me crazy.”

I dug through my shoulder bag, seeking normalcy in going through the motions of using lip balm and checking my cell phone. I almost didn’t notice the weird look Willow gave me.

“It will drive you crazy,” he said. “Being apart. You’re not meant to be apart, not now that you’ve found each other.”

I groaned and sat heavily next to him on the bench. “Don’t tell me that.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but you can’t exist without him. You’re not meant to.”

“Maybe Lilah’s right. It does sound like a curse.”

Willow harrumphed and flicked my arm hard. “Don’t make me slap that attitude out of you. Do you have any idea how many lonely people would give anything to be bound to another? To share something so sacred despite the hardship that accompanies it. I’ve seen the depths of sorrow-filled loneliness. If anything is a curse, it’s that.”

I rubbed my arm, feeling deservedly rebuked. “I know. I sound like a spoiled ass**le. I wish I hadn’t said that. I’m just confused. I don’t know what purpose Arys and I share, and I’m afraid we’ll destroy each other before we figure it out.”

We sat there in quiet contemplation, watching the downtown traffic whiz by. In the distance, I heard sirens. A drunken whoop echoed from outside the club we’d just left. Typical sounds of the city engulfed us.

“Have a little faith, Alexa. These things tend to reveal themselves when the time is right. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.” I nodded, thinking about Arys. I hated myself for telling him I couldn’t handle it. He had waited so long for me. Bailing out when things got tough was cowardice. I was stronger than that.

Noticing the shift in my mood, Willow nudged me playfully. “Ready to get back in there and drink ourselves into total stupidity? I might even get on the dance floor.”

No sooner had the words left him than two black Escalades screeched to a stop at the curb in front of us. Several FPA agents spilled out like clowns tumbling from a polka-dotted coupe. Many of them pointed what appeared to be tranquilizer guns at me. Agent Thomas Briggs stepped out looking like a man with an agenda. I wasn’t going to like whatever happened next.

Briggs sauntered up flashing the gun at his hip. He held his badge ready like some TV cop. A tensor bandage was visible beneath his jacket sleeve. It wasn’t a cast though, so I must not have hurt his arm as badly as I’d hoped.

I stood up to face him, and all of the agents braced to fire their weapons. I held my hands up in a show of peace yet tapped my power. Being human, they couldn’t see the crackle and color of the energy. Only a human with a strong sixth sense would even feel it.

“Briggs,” I nodded curtly. “Are you tailing me?”

“I’m government, O’Brien. I tracked the GPS in your phone.” His steely gaze was unwavering, his stride purposeful. “We need to talk.”

“What do you want, Agent? Cut to the chase.” I crossed my arms, doing my best to appear unaffected with so many guns trained on me. It would take only seconds for a tranquilizer to take me down.

Willow rose slowly, standing ready beside me. If Briggs didn’t somehow know what he was, I’d like to ensure that it stayed that way. A few of the guns switched from me to him. I wondered briefly if a tranquilizer would have any effect on an immortal.

“I have a few questions for you. Bit of a delicate nature. I’m sure you understand.” Briggs studied Willow closely, sizing him up. We all knew how deceiving looks could be.

“And, if I refuse?” I challenged. I needed to know how far Briggs planned to take this.

“You’re the madam of a vampire whorehouse. That alone is reason enough for me to bring you in. You have ties to the headless body we found. You came uninvited into my facility. Your boyfriend roughed up one of my agents. Not to mention, you’re already on our watch list. Do I need to go on?”

So, Arys had followed through with his intent to beat some info out of Bianca. Couldn’t say I was sorry I missed it, though I was curious what, if anything, he’d gotten out of her.

Briggs had too much on me; I didn’t see a way to get out of this chat.

“I’m not going back to that building,” I said, visions of the FPA basement danced in my head. I hated that place. “We can talk in public. Right here.”

“Let’s take a drive.” Briggs nodded toward the trucks. “Alone.”

“By that, I assume you mean me alone and you surrounded by gun-toting morons.” I glanced around at the agents flanking Briggs. They were mostly men, just a few women. Juliet was not among them.

“You assume correctly, though, I promise you, I don’t work with morons.” Briggs was patient, awaiting my decision.

I looked to Willow, finding him characteristically calm and cool. I focused on opening my thoughts to him. It was best for him to leave me with Briggs. I could handle it. Willow shouldn’t be subjected to the FPA simply because he liked to get loaded in my company.

‘Just go, but walk away. Don’t let them see you poof. Check on Jez, if you don’t mind. Make sure she’s safe.’ I pushed the thought to him, hoping it worked. Aloud I said, “I’m going to take a ride with Briggs. If you don’t hear from me within an hour, tell Arys where I went.”