Cooper led the way with his men flanking us as we entered a vivid carmine red door on a nearby building. We traversed a corridor that seemed too long for the building we entered. Was this like a Doctor Who situation? Was the inside of the building even bigger than the outside? Torches in silver sconces were set along the black-painted walls, and the shadows they cast looked like a mass of writhing bodies engaged in very orgy-like behavior. Eeep.
“Is that…?” Carver asked.
“Yep,” I responded. “I think it is.”
“How do they get the shadows to so accurately depict...” He pursed his lips and gave a quick head shake. “You know what, I don’t want to know.”
There was something shiny floating above another carmine door.
Ryker nudged me. “It’s a cupid’s bow and arrow,” she whispered.
I blinked as the floating object came into focus. Holy crap. It was a silver bow and arrow like the one that I’d seen in my last Zev dream. “What do you think it means?”
“No clue.” She handed me a strip she’d torn from her t-shirt. “For your hand.”
I took the damp fabric and wrapped my left hand until my palm was completely covered. “Thank you.” I’d been warned to hide my hand from Zev, Carver, and Ryker, and I would think, yeah, no brainer. Duh. Then something would happen, like being held at gunpoint, and I would forget. I couldn’t keep doing that. I reminded myself on repeat, hide the symbol like your life depends on it. Because I believed my life did depend on it. And maybe Zev’s did, too.
How long did it take to walk down one freaking hallway? “Are we almost there?” I asked Cooper.
“We’ll get there when we get there,” he said. “Sometimes it takes seconds, sometimes minutes.”
Baldy added, “I walked this hall for an hour the first time I was summoned.”
Cooper grunted. “The hunter likes to study his visitors before he admits them into his office.”
“Study?” I scanned the hall for a camera. It was too dark in the recesses of the hallway to see any, but the most disturbing thing I found was that the door we’d walked in minutes earlier was only about ten feet behind us. “What the hell is this place?” I reached back and grabbed Ryker’s hand. “I don’t feel good about this.”
“Is this the first time you’re not feeling good about this?” She squeezed my hand. “Because this has been pretty fucked since the beach.”
It seriously was. But I hadn’t felt the weight of our situation until now. I’d been so wrapped up in finding Zev that I hadn’t stopped to wonder why the hunter had hired the goons to bring Ryker in.
This probably should’ve been a question for earlier, but my brain didn’t always work linearly. I’d always been very good at compartmentalizing. This is why, up until now, I hadn’t been freaking out about the fact that a part of Zev was inside of me and not the fun part.
Or that I’d picked a fight with a seven-foot-tall blue guy who could use water to sink entire ships while we were surrounded by water. Not to mention that I hitched a ride on an uncharted plane to travel to a magical city to rescue an ifrit who may or may not even want my help.
On top of that, I’d coerced the sweetest, nicest eclectic witch person I’d ever met into joining me on this suicide mission.
Honestly, out of everything racing through my brain, the catastrophic spell that bound Zev’s soul to me, the spontaneous combustion, the emergency landing, getting chased by the cartel, and being captured by four storm kelpies, putting Carver in danger was the thing that made me feel the worst.
I reached for Carver. He took my bandaged hand in his. “I’m sorry,” I said. “You wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for me.”
“You knew I wasn’t going to let you do this on your own,” he said. “No need for sorrys. We’re in this together.”
“The three amigos,” Cooper snarked. “You do realize we can all hear your bleeding hearts.”
“Better than smelling your butt,” I retorted.
The blue guy laughed. “I don’t hate you, feeble woman. You have the fire of a kelpie, even if your fragile body would split apart at the first mating.”
“The feeling is not mutual,” I spat. “And I’d stomp your dick so hard it would be the only thing splitting. Misogynistic cryptozoid.”
All the stupid kelpies started laughing again.
“I’m glad I can amuse you.”
“As am I, Martina. As am I,” Cooper said.
“That’s Ryker to you,” I said, feeling salty.
Ugh. These blue men had pushed all the wrong buttons, and I was getting sick and tired of games. Suddenly, the shadow orgy turned into a murder spree, and every writhing figure on the walls was stabbing and punching each other.
“I’ve had enough of this.” I let go of Carver’s hand and started reaching for torches. I grabbed the first one and threw it down on the floor. Then the next and the next.
“What are you doing?” Baldy asked.
“I’m making my own path,” I told him.
Ryker let out a quiet, “hell yeah!” Then she started grabbing torches as well. The blue men tried to stop us, but my anger made me quick on my feet. Carver grabbed a torch as well, and the guy behind Baldy smacked him in the head, smashing his face into the wall. Carver’s nose began to bleed.
“Hey!” I flung the torch I held at him, and the arrow prongs at the top lodged into his chest. My eyes flew wide as he yanked it out and scowled as if he was going to murder me. “Uhm. My bad.”
Baldy put out an arm to stop his buddy from charging me. “We will kill them when they no longer serve a purpose for the hunter.”
The bloody-chested blue man barked like a seal.
“Yes,” Baldy told him. “We can eat her first.” He grinned at me when he said it, the sadistic jerk.
The hunter’s door rapidly appeared just a few feet away. “Hah,” I said triumphantly. “Got your attention, didn’t I?”
Cooper, seriously annoyed with me now—mission accomplished—flung the door open and shoved me inside an empty white room. Carver and Ryker were tossed in as well, and when they hit my back, we crumpled to the ground in a dog pile.
“Cretins,” a young man cried out. “We don’t treat guests like rubbish in my establishment.” He had long, curly brown hair that brushed his hips, sharp facial features like they drew in Manga comics, and a lot of freckles across his pert nose. He didn’t look any older than Michael, so his white button-down shirt open to his naval made me uncomfortable. He popped a fan and waved it at the storm kelpies. “Shoo flies,” he ordered. “Don’t bother me.”
The fact that all the blue men quickly backed away without hesitation told me this young man was more substantial and powerful than he looked. His tight leather hipster jeans flared at the bottom, and he wore black patent leather platform boots that caught odd winks of light as he paced the floor.
“I’m so sorry, my friends,” he said. His voice was smooth, not high-pitched, but still had the resonance of youth. “This isn’t how I wanted to meet you.”
“Why did you want to meet us?” I asked as we all scrambled to our feet.
“Not us,” he stated. “The infamous Ryker. Always in the shadows. Always gets his—” he looked at Carver “—or her—” he moved his gaze to Ryker than me, “—man.” He casually waved his fingers in a flourish. “Or creature or whatever. I am a talented procurer, but I think you could give me a run for my money. When I found out you had searched for me on the subworld message boards, I couldn’t let the opportunity to meet you pass me by.”
Was this about a business rivalry? Had the hunter brought us here to size up the competition? I didn’t think so. Someone in this guy’s position wouldn’t be frivolous with his actions—not unless they suited some higher purpose.
“Eanie meanie miney moe, which one of you is Ryker?”
“Can’t you tell?” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice. I blamed wet panties and low blood sugar. “You are the hunter, after all.”
He pinned me with a curious stare. “I am at that.” He walked a circle around me. “You are a curious one,” he said. “What are you?” Tapping his chin, he studied me much in the same way Ryker had when we first met. “Giant, yes. Some learned witchcraft. But there is something else...”
I clenched my bandaged fist. “Nope, that’s it. Human, giant, witch. You nailed me.”
“Oh, not yet, I haven’t, but I’d be delighted.”
“Yuck. You’re young enough to be my nephew.”
“My dear child.” He put a finger under my chin and tilted my head back. “I am as old as time itself.”
A bark of amusement escaped me. “Then you should be a lot better at this.” Holy crap, Marigold. Shut the hell up!
The hunter looked shocked for a moment, but he began to laugh instead of lashing out at me. “You are quite abrasive. I find it charming.”
It seemed the more you hated a man, the more he wanted you. Ugh. “Get some self-esteem. It would serve you well.”
Carver’s eyes bugged. I didn’t know whether he was upset with me or trying not to laugh. Ryker, however, looked nervous and scared. Uh oh. She was the one who could read auras. Maybe caution was warranted.
Thankfully, the hunter wasn’t fazed by my witty rapport. “Tell me, Ryker,” he addressed the three of us. “Why were you searching for me?”
“We’re looking for someone who might’ve been a client of yours. Someone important to me.” I met the hunter’s gaze. “An ifrit named Za’fir.”
A slow smile spread across the hunter’s face, and his eyes alighted with humor. “You know Zev?” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “We are old friends, he and I. Why didn’t you say so sooner?” He wiped the air with his hands as if swiping right on a dating app, and the entire room instantly transformed. The air was heavy with the aroma of crisp exotic spices like cardamom, anise, and cinnamon. A pattern of mosaic tiles lined the walls, depicting scenes better left to the imagination. This guy might be old as dirt, but he had the taste of a pubescent teenager.
A wall fountain trickled gently, adding to the ambiance. Plush cushions with gold brocaded seams were on the floor in front of a round, ornately carved tea table, complete with a teapot and cups in the center. “Please, come sit. We’ll have tea, and you can tell me what kind of trouble my dear Za’fir has gotten himself into.”
I glanced at my companions. Neither of them gave me the signal to run.
“Okay,” I agreed. “Let’s have some tea and chat.”