to the Golden Taurus. I trust Archer has been taking care of you?”
Uncertainty flashed for just a moment behind Phaedra’s eyes. She recovered quickly. Brushing past me, she extended a hand to shake J.C.’s.
No! I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from growling. The thought of letting him touch her made my fangs drop again. J.C. gave me a subtle look of warning.
“Come in,” he said. “I’d like to hear more about what you’re looking for Miss…”
“Phaedra,” she said. “It’s just Phaedra.”
J.C. smiled even wider. “Of course. Very few of us around here on this side of the Neutral Zone have much need for last names. Isn’t that right, Archer?”
“Right, boss,” I said quickly. Then just as quickly, I fell in step behind Phaedra. J.C. was going to have to throw me out to get me away from her. Part of me wanted him to fucking try already. I’d been wanting to rip his damn head off for months.
“Jameson Cruz at your disposal,” he said. He put a hand on Phaedra’s bare back and led her to the red leather seating he had in front of the two-way glass. He’d muted the sound from the dancefloor, but we had a clear view of the Taurus patrons below. Pink lightning swirled around one of the dancers in the cage. Her name was Starr. A runaway from southern Cali. Rye had been the first to turn her. She was so hopped up on earth magic I feared her days here were numbered. When she couldn’t dance, J.C. would have her quietly removed. If she was lucky, she’d end up in the Neutral Zone in an alley somewhere. If she wasn’t...no one would ever hear from her again.
“Thanks for seeing me,” she said. “It’s an honor.” She was good. Was it instinct? Or had someone clued her in on how to work J.C.?
“So, what brings you to the Taurus?” he asked. “Are you here for a party, or were you hoping for a more permanent residency?”
The question caught her off guard, I think. Phaedra’s eyelids flickered.
“I was just...I needed something. And I heard there was no better place in Cali to get it. In the country, even.”
She had a little silver purse in her lap. She opened the clasp and took out two gold coins.
Shit.
J.C. sat on a couch opposite her, crossed his legs and draped an arm over the back. “Is that all you have?”
“I can get more,” she said. “Maybe. My family had some...artifacts. I was able to liquidate them recently.”
“And this is how you choose to spend your newfound wealth?”
Phaedra smiled. Her fingers shook as she put the coins on the table in front of them.
“Is there anything better?” she asked.
J.C. laughed. “No, honey. Of course there isn’t. So tell me. What kind of experience are you looking to have?”
“Wind,” she said abruptly. Then, she cleared her throat and leaned back. “I’ve heard wind magic is something special.”
“Whisper of the gods,” J.C. answered. “For some it can make you fly. Isn’t that right, Archer?”
“So they say,” I answered.
“You’ve never tried it?” Phaedra asked me. She was teasing. Even a human would know that witch and wolf magic don’t mix. Or shouldn’t. The thought of it sent a wave of rage through me. My mother’s thin face wavered in my imagination. The years made it hard to remember what she looked like. I’d lost the sound of her voice ages ago.
Her tears had given me power. Her own deep magic turning them to tiny crystals that rolled over me as I held her as she died against my chest.
“Or maybe water,” Phaedra said, turning to J.C. “I’ve heard it’s more powerful than people think.”
“She’s not ready for water,” I snapped as if my mother spoke through me. God. Did Phaedra sense it? Why had she said that just now? Dammit. I was going to have to do a better job of keeping myself in check. J.C. just sat there, looking amused.
“Maybe fire is more your speed,” I said, challenging her. Sure enough, fear flashed behind her eyes. She was lying. I knew it. Trying to pretend like she’d never sampled stolen magic before. Why?
“Wind it is, then,” J.C. said. He slapped a knee and waved his hand over the table in front of them. A hidden panel opened up, raising a compartment out of the center of the table. It contained four vials. One blue. One red. One black. One silver. In each, glittering gold swirled around.