here, is a couple of blocks over there.” She stuck a thumb out behind her. Seeing the confused look on Mackenzie’s face she added, “The whole area around Pioneer Square is joined using the tunnels our builders constructed many years ago in Underground Seattle. Only a small portion of the Underground is open to the public and our tunnels make use of some of the vast unused space which sits below the city. It’s pretty handy actually. And thank God. Otherwise, when we’re on rotation, we’d be forced to live together in one facility like they do in most of the other field offices, with bunkrooms and shit.”
“What’s so bad about that?” Jackson said. “Talk about convenient.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “A couple of the changelings live on the other side of Lake Washington since the sun doesn’t affect their energy levels as much. Our Region Commander has an apartment over there that he uses when he’s in town. And Jackson, well, he’s sort of homeless right now. Aren’t you, love?”
It was clear that Lily liked to talk, but oddly enough Mackenzie wasn’t put off by her as she thought she’d be.
Jackson scowled at Lily and rubbed his apple on his sweatpants.
“He’s been sleeping in the media room the last few nights,” Lily explained.
“What happened?” Dom asked. “I thought you were serious with someone.”
Jackson opened his mouth to answer, but Lily interrupted him. “He was dating her for a couple of months before he screwed up. That’s about as serious as it gets in his world.”
“Very funny,” Jackson said. “It wasn’t working anymore, that’s all. She doesn’t understand me.”
Lily barked out a laugh. “Yeah, it was working until she caught him banging some redheaded human chick he met at The Pink Salon.”
“I hadn’t fed in weeks and my willpower was shot. Got a little carried away with this really gorgeous woman I met at the club. One thing then led to another and well—” He glanced up, looking for sympathy or something. “Aw, fuck,” he said and sunk his teeth into the apple.
“Yeah, that’s what it’s called, eh?” Lily said. “I kinda liked Sandra, too. We used to swap books. I’m going to miss her.”
Mackenzie pressed herself a little more closely to Dom. “What happened to her? The woman from the club? Did you…did she die?”
“Hell, no. It was the next night, when we hooked up again at The Pink Salon, that I got busted.”
Mackenzie relaxed.
“Poor Sandra,” Lily said. “She thought you guys had something special, but obviously not.”
Jackson wiped the apple juice off his chin with the back of his hand. “I don’t need this shit from you. Gonna do some serious grubbing in the kitchen. I’m starving. Nice meeting you, Mackenzie.” He lobbed the core into a garbage can with a fancy flick of his wrist. When it swished inside, he slapped his butt and mumbled something she couldn’t quite make out. Lily evidently heard him because she snickered and rolled her eyes. “What time are we meeting, Dom?” Jackson asked as he pushed through the double doors.
“At two. In Classroom B to discuss logistics. Need to be ready to go at sunset.”
Mackenzie turned back to Lily. “Dom tells me you have a daughter, Zoe?”
Lily’s eyes brightened. “Yes. Seven years old and the light of my life. She stays up in Horseshoe Bay with my parents when I’m on rotation. With things as crazy as they’ve been lately, I haven’t been able to get away much. But I’m hoping to fly up there a few nights from now. I’ve got some time off coming up. Right, Dom?”
“Tentatively. Depends on whether or not we get a line on where the Darkblood testing lab is located.”
“That’s fair. I wouldn’t want to leave if we did. Mackenzie, let me show you around. I’ve got a picture of Zoe in my gym locker.” Lily offered her elbow and Mackenzie reluctantly hooked her arm through.
“Dom’s probably dying to take you into the women’s locker room just as an excuse to see it,” Lily called over her shoulder to make sure he was listening, then she turned back to Mackenzie. “But we females won’t allow the boys in, no matter how much they want to or how they try to tempt us. They can eff up their own locker room all they want with their wet towels and half-eaten food. They don’t need to do that to ours. Besides, we’ve got private lounges set up out here for any fu—for any horsing around. Come on.”