Page 44 of Suspicions on the Stage
One the dragon we’re going after seems disinclined to make, even though he continues to stay with us.
The campus isdark as we leave it, and I note that the guards who should be present at the exit are asleep with their feet up in the booths. Even the sound of Iggy’s car passing by doesn’t wake the lazy ass canines, and I make a mental note to have Channing move my meeting with the IT and security department heads up. Things I need to review in order to fix this glaring oversight run through my head like wildfire and I have to pull up my phone to shoot off texts to my assistant so she’ll pull campus and city crime stats for the past five years, as well as performance reviews for every single guard and coder on site for the same.
If the physical security is this lax, odds are the technological security is worse, and I’m cleaning that up before something else terrible happens.
“You’re quiet, M,” Lucas says as he struggles to untwist his long limbs so he can lean between the front seats, “And this car is too fucking small. I’m having Nana send one of mine to campus; we don’t fit in the prof’s fancy pants sedan.”
Iggy grumbles something under his breath, and I give him a sweet smile. “Careful, professor. I’m as big as Lucas and Liam isn’t as small as you and Slade, either. You just didn’t plan totransport beings of our size in your expensive status symbol. Blame that on Kaspar taking the SUV, not our stature.”
“The Bentley is a fine machine, but alas, Morgana and Lucas are correct, Iggy.” Slade smiles from behind Lucas, sandwiched in between the two bigger supes without a complaint. “What kind of car do you have?”
Lucas settles back into his seat immediately, and I can hear the grin in his voice without looking. “Cars, Slade, cars. I have a fleet of vehicles because I’m a brat, obviously, and I’m happy to share them with our little polycule. I think having the service send one of the bigger SUVs should give us another ride big enough. In the spring, I might have one of the fun ones delivered and I’ll take you for a spin.”
“That… I would…” Slade clears his throat, and the stumble makes my lips curve up. “I’d really like that. I assume they’re… fast?”
Liam laughs first, then Lucas joins him as they frame the artsy siren. “Yeah, pretty boy. They’re fast. You’ll like it, I promise.”
“This car goes fast,” Iggy mutters, and I arch a brow at him.
“Life comes at you fast, to quote a famous lazybones,” I say under my breath as I look at the handsome mage. “Don’t let shit pass you by because you were too dumb to take a chance, Prof.”
His scowl is worth it and I sit back in my seat as the highway zings past outside my window. If nothing else, I made sure he realizes I know what he’s hiding. I don’t want to be in the middle because that’s their business, but as the de facto leader of this family, I will let no one hurt my men—even when it’s each other. Ignatius Briarton has to get his head out of his ass and be the man I think I saw earlier tonight.
“You would know, hmm?”
“Fucking duh, Iggy.” Turning to face him fully, I release a frustrated sigh. “I spent so many years letting life pass by in that half-assed cross-continent relationship with Magnus. People warned me about red flags I ignored, and the result of that was losing my freedom to mete out vengeance for his multitude of sins. My point is that I had chances to break it off long before it got terrible and I was afraid to spend my long ass life alone. Don’t fuck around; the finding out portion is a bitch.”
The car quiets for a moment, and I realize that we’ve pulled off the expressway onto the route that leads into the heart of the city. Iggy doesn’t respond as he navigates the evening traffic, but I know he’s musing over what I said. My eyes track the landmarks around us for a second, uncertain where we’re headed. I swivel around to look at my prince, noting the gentle expression he’s giving me. I appreciate his support, but I also hate seeing everyone feel bad for me when I talk about the dickface ex. It’s both sweet and salt in the wounds of my battered pride, so I can’t figure out how to handle it.
“Liam, where are we going? It’s probably time to give Iggy directions, right?”
His chuckle helps me move past the gross feeling from my discussion with the stubborn mage. “Yes, it is. I only instructed him to head downtown, and now that we’re here, I need to…” He wiggles his fingers with a grin. “…do my thing. Slade, if you’ll lean into the cub for a moment, so your aura isn’t quite so close?”
Lucas rolls his eyes, tugging Slade close to his side to give the prince space. “Fire away, Li.”
Iggy slows his speed as Liam fills the vehicle with a soft chant, and I watch in fascination as he glows with a brilliant rainbow of icy blue and deep black hues reminiscent of the sky during a storm. I get why it’s like that, but since I can’t do magic, I’m always a bit of a fangirl when I get to watch. “This is so damn cool.”
“It’s nothing,mascushla.” Liam’s reassurance doesn’t make it any less impressive to me, so I keep my eyes on the cloud of Fae magic as it swirls around him, then into his phone as if it intends to possess it. The screen brightens, and it sparkles, then the image of the downtown area we’re in appears with a bright yellow lighting bolt in a spot near to us. “Ahhh. Of course, that’s where he is.”
Squinting, I try to figure out where the stupid dragon is hidden by the streets, but I haven’t been in this town long enough to make heads or tails of it. “Where? Where the hell is the douchebag?”
Slade looks down and groans softly. “Nooooooo.”
“Damn, that’s gonna be a pain,” Lucas agrees. “Howlwill be packed by now. Those bouncers are no joke when you show up after the cocktail hour. And we’re definitelynotdressed for it, either.”
Iggy smacks his palm on the steering wheel with a grunt of irritation. “That son of a bitch.”
“Not to be a bitch, but if someone doesn’t tell me about this place in the next three seconds, I won’t be held responsible.” I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at the world as they scramble to figure out who is going to tell me. “Seriously. Is this dangerous? Why is everyone all freaked out?”
“It’s not dangerous, Morgana. However… It is a high-end, supe-only club where local and visiting supernaturals often perform shows for the fancy crowds. It’s owned by a well-to-do family from the area, and definitelynota place where fighting or violence will be tolerated.” Liam sighs, scratching his chin as he thinks. “I would venture to say Kaspar is there not for the atmosphere, but to meet a source.”
Well, that’s fucking fantastic—Super Dickhead went off on his own to meet some bigwig, and now we have to bust our way into the ritzy club to find out if he’s been compromised.I swear to all that’s holy, men exist to make my life complicated and you can’t tell me otherwise.
At least, most of them do.
get what i came for
KASPAR
