The fae pinned his vibrant teal gaze on me, and my skin crawled. What, exactly, was it going to cost?
Kael spoke before I could think to open my mouth. “No. No, absolutely not. No deal.”
Ren sent him a slight grin before raising an eyebrow at me. “Is that a no, Olivia?”
I didn’t like the amusement coating his tone. Irritated, I frowned at Kael. “You don’t speak for me.”
Twisting so he was facing me, Kael grabbed my arm. He pulled me so close to him our faces were nearly touching, stealing my breath and making my heart skip a beat; I hadn’t anticipated how being so close to him would make me feel warm all over.
“You can’t make a deal with him,” Kael pleaded. “Making a deal with a fae is dangerous. There is always something slithering behind their words. Whatever he wants, I guarantee there will be something else he is truly after.”
I would be a fool to ignore Kael’s warning. He knew about fae much better than I did.
Still, what about the key? If this guy couldn’t help us, who could?
I had to take a chance.
I pulled my arm out from Kael’s grip. Though the jaguar shifter had been whispering, Ren was smirking at me as if he had heard every word.
“What sort of cost are we talking about?” I ignored Kael’s irritated growl and crossed my arms.
Ren stood and walked over to a wet bar I hadn’t noticed against the right wall. He busied himself making drinks while he answered. “I want two things from you, Olivia.”
I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t do so until he was walking back toward his desk with two glasses of something sparkling gold in his hands. He set one of the drinks on the desk in front of me. I caught the slight shake of Kael’s head. Whatever was in it, I decided it would be best to leave it untouched.
The fae smirked at me. “It’s just champagne.” His narrowed gaze flicked toward Kael. “Shifters are such suspicious creatures.” Ren eased back into his office chair and pinned me with an amused smile as he took a sip of the golden liquid. “I do hope you will not be this averse to drinks on our date.”
My eyebrows shot up, and a surprised laugh flitted up my throat. “Excuse me? Our date?”
“Yes.” Ren set his drink on the desk. “Price number one for the information you’re trying to get from me.” Ren’s grin was charming. How many women had he managed to turn into a puddle of mush with that smile and those unusual eyes? Judging by his confidence, I’d say many.
I shook my head. “You’re not really my type, Ren.”
“Oh?” Ren leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. “And what exactly is your type?”
I shrugged a shoulder. Dating was something I didn’t have time for these days. Not many guys wanted to go out with a woman who had a tendency to get called away frequently across the world. When I did go out on the occasional date, it most certainly wasn’t with guys like Ren.
“I like my guys a little rough around the edges. Strong, not afraid to get their hands dirty. Sorry, but you’re a little too pretty for me.”
I gave Ren a smile to take the sting out of my words. He was gorgeous, but I would have a hard time being with a man who seemed to spend a great deal more time on his physical appearance than I did. Perhaps all fae just woke up the embodiment of perfection, though.
Ren tilted his head back and laughed. “Seems to me Kael may have more of a chance, then.”
My eyes widened before I could rein in the reaction. No, no, no. That was definitely not what I meant. I risked a glance at Kael, but he was staring daggers at Ren.
“No matter.” Ren shook off the rest of his mirth and cleared his throat. Back to business, then. “One date, or no deal.” He laid a hand on his chest. “I promise I will be the perfect gentleman.”
I thought about what Kael had said about fae always having something hidden behind their words. “Just dinner?”
“Dinner and dessert.” Ren almost purred out the word dessert, and the way he was looking at me definitely didn’t have a hidden meaning behind it.
That part was going to be a big nope from me. “I’m not much of a dessert person. Dinner only.”
Ren studied me, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “Fine. Dinner only, but I get to pick the place.”
“Fine. One date, dinner only, at the place of your choosing,” I clarified. Beside me, Kael grunted and muttered something that sounded like “idiot.” I ignored him and kept my attention on Ren. “Now, what about the second thing?”
The smile on Ren’s face grew downright wicked. “I want something of yours that you would never dream of parting with.”
I swallowed. My mind instantly rocketed toward something like my hand, or even a finger. Wasn’t that the kind of thing you heard about in stories? People needing a sacrifice of blood or something to seal a bargain?
Ren laughed, teal eyes dancing. “Not something so macabre, Olivia.”
How had he known what I was thinking? Perhaps his tapered ears were able to pick up my racing heartbeats.
I scooted my chair back and stood. “Give me a minute.”
It would have to be something good or Ren would never go for it. I paced across the room, ignoring the pair of male eyes following my steps.
What was something I would never want to part with, but also something that Ren would want to have? My house had quite a bit of valuable possessions from digs over the years, both from me and my father. I had a feeling Ren would not be interested in some vase pried from the sands of Egypt or a carved, ivory-handled knife from China.
My gaze swept across the office, searching for a clue.
I didn’t like what I found.
Cars. He had all of those vintage cars in frames and models of cars on shelves and his desk. Ren appeared to like vintage cars…and I had one sitting at home in my garage.
My gut twisted in a knot. My dad’s car was all I had left of him. I never drove it, but I still sat in it sometimes just to keep the connection with him. That Bristol had meant so much to my dad that I had put the urn of his ashes inside.
The logical part of me knew it was just a car, that I still had my memories of him. The sentimental part of me wanted to cling to the vehicle, to keep it shining and in perfection the way he had done throughout his life.
Ren would agree to it, I knew, solely because of how much the car really meant to me. I turned to him, a scowl already building on my face. This was his fault, and I was hating him for requiring me to make such a decision.
“I have a 1951 Bristol 401 in pristine condition. It’s the only thing I have left of my late father’s that holds any importance to me. You can have it in exchange for the information we need.”
I had to force the words from my mouth. Pulling in a deep breath, I tampered down the burning in my throat. It was ridiculous, I told myself as I made my way back to the desk. It was just a car.
Ren smiled. “Very well. One date and your father’s Bristol, correct?”
I gave him a short nod. I wanted to slap the triumphant grin from his pretty face.
“Describe this man that took the key.”
I’d glossed over the description of him when I first told Ren about the incident, concentrating more on the key itself. This time, I laid out every detail that I could recall. A shiver tapped down between my shoulder blades as I thought of those ancient eyes pinning on me and the feel of his power. It was crazy that I had agreed to go on this manhunt with Kael. I could go the rest of my life without seeing that man again.
I finished my description and looked back up at Ren. I was surprised to find his delicate brow pinched with concern.
“Do you know him?” I asked.
“I know of him.” He fell silent, as if lost in his own thoughts.
Wow. He really was worried.
“Well, who is he?” I pressed.
Kael had his hands on the ends of his armrests, leaning forward.
As Ren spoke, his voice was quiet, as if the words he were speaking shouldn’t be heard by anyone else. “He is a mage. Not just any mage, but a dark mage. Powerful, and as ancient as the bones of the earth.” His gaze flicked to me, a spark of curiosity in his eyes. “The elders have told stories of such a being. He thirsts for power. Nothing else matters to him except dominion over every other being in existence.”
Ren stood once more and turned to peer out the window behind the desk. His hands were folded behind his back, and I couldn’t help but notice the white-knuckled grip with which he held them together.
Was this mage really that bad?
“Why would he want the key?” I asked.
“If this mage grows stronger, he will be able to overpower all manner of people and creatures on this earth. We fae will not be able to control the weather, the witches will be unable to cast and heal.” Ren pivoted to pin a stare onto Kael. “Shifters will be unable to transform.”
I could have sworn a slight shiver rippled through Kael.
He clenched the armrests harder. “And the key will help him be able to do this?”
Ren’s shoulders rose and fell. “I would assume so. Why else would he want it?”
I bit my lip and scrunched my brow. He was guessing about the key, but his logic probably wasn’t that far off. The mage had wanted it for a reason, and whatever the reason, it likely wasn’t good.
“Where would he take it?” Kael asked. His teeth were bared. Was it the news about the dark mage or the fact that Ren didn’t seem to know much about the key that made him upset?
Ren’s fingers tapped on the wooden surface of his desk. “There is someone who may be able to help you.” He reached for a pen and a piece of paper. “Her name is Cordelia, a witch. She has a little shop down by the waterfront.” He pulled back his sleeve and studied his watch. “She usually stays open until ten or so. If you hurry, you may be able to make it in time.”
Witches, fae, shifters, dark mages. I was a naturally logical person, and learning about all of these beings in the time span of twenty-four hours was making my head spin.
Kael took the paper from Ren with a reluctant nod and stood. I followed.
“I do need to warn you,” Ren continued. “Cordelia is not as forthcoming with information as I am. She will likely require a gift.”
Ren, forthcoming? That had to be a joke. I couldn’t imagine someone worse than Ren.
But the expression on his face told me he was being serious, and my heart sank. What else was I going to have to give away?
“Olivia.”
I looked up to find Ren studying my face. He stepped around the desk.
“Here.” He grabbed my hand and turned it palm up. “A little something to show good faith in our bargain.”
The fae cupped his hand over mine, and I felt something cold against my skin. My eyes widened when he removed his hand.
There, in my palm, was a tiny fox that seemed to be chiseled from ice and kissed with starlight. I snapped my mouth shut and looked up at Ren. He was grinning again.
“You can try to bribe Cordelia with this. It will never melt.” I must have still looked stupefied, because Ren smiled and said, “Fae can control the weather, remember?”
Ren shook his hand as if he were flinging away the cold. A handful of snow whirled from his fingers. Kael waved his hand in front of his face with a look of disgust, trying to keep the flakes from falling on him.
The scene reminded me that I had my own magic. “I have one more question.”
Ren arched an eyebrow, and I hoped he wouldn’t ask for anything else.
“The, uh, magic inside of me. It came from the key, right? Like a…like a curse or something?”
The possibility of living with a curse made my insides clench.
Ren tilted his head and squinted. “I don’t believe it’s a curse. What you have inside of you is more like an awakening, or a homecoming. The key may have helped fan it to life, but that magic is all yours.”
A breath whispered past my lips. My magic? Why on earth would I have magic?
“Another mystery for you to solve on your travels, it seems.”
Behind me, Kael grumbled. No doubt my mysterious powers were just another bother to add to his list.
Ren continued, “Take a care with Cordelia. Witches can be blessedly helpful but wildly unpredictable. Even dangerous.”
Great. A potentially dangerous witch. A perfect way to end the night.
“Thank you for your help,” Kael said, his voice strained as if he had to pry the words from his tongue.
“My pleasure.”
Kael walked off. I started to follow, but Ren caught up to me. I stopped as he put a hand on my shoulder while Kael hesitated in the doorway.
“Here.” Ren handed me a business card. “Call me when you return from wherever it is our shifter here is dragging you. I look forward to our date.”
He winked. The man was persistent.
I clenched the tiny frozen fox in my hand and nodded. I hadn’t missed something, had I? There wasn’t some trick to that date agreement I’d overlooked?
The look on Kael’s face had me doubting myself.
I really hoped I wouldn’t come to regret making that deal.