Page 31 of City of the Lost
I cleared my throat, shoving the dream out of my mind. “Although having several lovers at the same time sounds utterly liberating, I’m not Draconi. And on this side of the border, men may be able to take a bunch of lovers, but for a woman to do the same would label her as a whore. Not to mention the fact that most nephs don’t like to share.”
Azren arched a brow. “Well, I suppose in that regard, the Westside is more advanced and the males more mature.” He ambled up the stairs, leaving me to ponder his words. Words which echoed what the voice had said.
But wishing things were different didn’t make them so. This was my world, and I’d have to live in it. Tay deserved to be loved the way he needed to. He needed a mate for life, and as much as I ached for him, and as much as he filled my heart, I knew he wouldn’t be enough for me. I was a cavern, an empty chasm always wanting more, needing more. Better not to claim anything. Better to remain apart, to play but never get involved. Best to keep things light.
Time to forget matters of the heart and get to work. People to see, places to go, and later, some Lost arse to kick. But first, I needed to see a man about some armor-piercing bolts that hadn’t worked worth a damn on a metal monster.
8
Barnaby stared at the bolt bag I’d flung onto the counter and then folded his arms across his chest. The usual good-natured twinkle in his eye was absent today.
I copied his stance. “I could have been killed.”
“You asked for a bolt that could pierce anything on this earth, and I gave you bolts that could pierce anything,” he replied.
“Obviously not, because they didn’t even make a dent on this thing.”
Barnaby slid a bolt from the bag and turned it over. “I don’t like your tone, Bastion.”
“And I don’t like getting my arse handed to me because a state-of-the-art weapon I paid through the nose for doesn’t do its job.” Fuck it, pissing him off wasn’t going to achieve anything aside from losing my special client privileges. I sighed. “Look, Barnaby, I’m not here to argue. I’m just trying to figure out what went wrong. I honestly could have been killed.” I clasped my hands together. “It shook me up, you know?”
He popped the bolt back in the bag, his expression softening. “Well, there can only be one explanation.”
“What?”
“This creature that attacked you is made of a metal not from this world.”
I blinked at him. “What?”
“An alien, Miss Bastion. It must be an alien creature.”
Okay, he had to be kidding. “There are no such things as aliens.”
“And until a century ago there were no Draconi or Shedim, there were no pockets, and the humans didn’t know there were such things as neph. Miss Bastion, there is more to our world than this rock we sit on. There are worlds upon worlds, there is a multiverse—galaxies and universes other than ours.”
Was it that much of a leap? Bearing in mind everything we knew now? No. “So, you think this creature is an alien, and the Arcana Institute have an elite team hunting it because they know what it is?”
I could hear the words coming out of my mouth and they sounded crazy, but when had life ever been sane? We have dragons and demons and Others, why not throw in some spider metal aliens?
“Yes.” He fingered the bolt back. “That’s exactly what I think. But I am intrigued to know what it is we’re dealing with. If you come across this creature again, if you happen to get a sample of the metal, I’d pay you well for it.”
“Ha. Not likely. I intend to steer clear of that thing.”
He leaned down and retrieved a rolled-up document.
My pulse leapt. “Is that what I think it is?”
He nodded. “Wasn’t easy to come by either.” He rolled open the map and spread it out on the counter, jabbing a finger at it. “See here, this used to be an active sewer system, but they shut it down fifty years ago. And here, under the turnaround forest, we have another network of tunnels vaguely marked.”
I’d filled him in on Azren and our mission. I’d had little choice but to confide in him after he’d helped me save Azren’s life when he’d been infected with Subzero. Just as well, because if anyone could help us out, it was Barnaby. I hadn’t been expecting him to have the goods today, but damn if it wasn’t convenient. He retrieved two vials. And I rolled up my sleeves while he drew the blood he needed in payment. The question hovered on my lips,what the heck did he do with my blood?But I bit it back. Questioning payment was a no-no.
“All done.” He popped the vials into his pocket.
Sweeping up my bolt bag, I headed toward the arch that would lead back into the main shop, the antique storefront that Barnaby Winkle operated under.
“Be careful tonight, Wila,” Barnaby called out.
Huh? How did he know about tonight? I glanced back at him with a frown.
