his voice mail but needing to make the, attempt regardless. On a whim, she texted a message to Evangeline.
How would the Mark handle the news of Cain’s infidelity? And how far would Cain go to keep the knowledge from her?
A seraph. She hid an inner smile. That limited the scope of her search considerably. Whomever it was, he’d paid a visit to Cain recently enough to spark the ludicrous plan he’d presented to Izzie. Perhaps the meeting had taken place in the tower. While the divine radiance of the seraphim was undetectable to mortal technology such as the video cameras used in Gadara Tower, perhaps Cain had spoken the seraph’s name in the course of their discussion. It was a lead, however faint.
“What do you want me to do now?” Izzie asked.
“Mariel will not assign you once Cain speaks with her, so enjoy some time to yourself.”
“I’m here if you need me.”
Sara brushed the back of her fingers across Izzie’s pale cheek. “You will go far, Iselda.”
The Mark curled deeper into the couch with a weary sigh. “As long as I go to Heaven. Having seen the alternative, I will do whatever it takes to go the other way.”
“Anyone up for tacos?” Eve entered the living room and noted the setting sun just beyond her balcony window. The sky was multihued, telling her that she’d spent hours in bed with Reed. Long enough for Sydney to give up on the Wii and switch to her laptop. Montevista was nowhere to be seen.
“I am.” Sydney snapped her computer closed and stood, stretching. “Montevista went to check on the perimeter guards again.”
“Great. We can catch him downstairs and save him the trip back up.”
Sydney rounded the coffee table. Eve once again marveled at how different the Mark looked in street clothes versus her work attire. Dressed in a dark pink Juicy Couture jogging suit, she didn’t look anywhere near her centuries-old age.
“Are you okay?” Sydney looked her over. “You look sad.”
Eve was taken aback a moment, then realized that while she might not consciously acknowledge her feelings of loss over Alec, that didn’t mean they weren’t visible. “I’m fine.”
And she would be. Eventually. She didn’t regret her afternoon with Reed, even though she’d further complicated her already messy love life.
After grabbing some cash from her purse, Eve followed Sydney out the door and locked the many dead bolts she’d had installed for protection back when she was Unmarked. Then they set off, passing the door to Alec’s condo. He’d made it clear on more than one occasion that he would prefer to be living with Eve and not beside her, but the Hollises were Southern Baptists and shacking up before marriage was a serious no-no in her family. Even the next- door neighbor thing was a little too close for comfort .
The ride down to the lobby level was quick and they moved onto the marble-lined entryway with light steps.
“I’d kill for a place like this,” Sydney said.
“Don’t you?” Eve quipped, glancing at her. “You should check with someone about moving, if you’re not happy where you live.”
“I’m okay. But I could be happier in a place like this,” Sydney smiled. “Not worth it for me to hit up Ishamel about it, though. He freaks me out.”
Frowning, Eve asked, “Who’s Ishamel?” They crossed through the parking garage and exited out a self-locking iron gate. Eve glanced to her left, searching out the corner where Evil Santa missionary usually hung out. He was there and talking to Montevista. Luckily, the nut job was facing away from her, while the Mark looked directly at her.
“Heading to El Gordito,” she said, in her normal conversational tone, knowing his mark-enhanced ears would easily allow him to hear. He gave a surreptitious thumbs-up.
“Ishamel is Gadara’s factotum.”
“The secretary?” The man who kept Gadara’s office running like clockwork was white-haired and slightly stooped at the shoulders, with a penchant for sleeveless sweater vests and bow ties. Whenever Eve crossed his path, she wondered what he could have done to get marked. Since the mark arrested aging, he’d been old from the get-go.
“No, that’s Spencer. He handles everything inside Gadara Tower.” Pushing sunglasses onto her face, Sydney turned toward the beach. “Ishamel is the off- site guy. I’m sure you’ve seen him around. He dresses in gray from head to toe. Rides around in a limousine.
Eve’s stride faltered. Gray Man. She’d met him back when she was a brand-spanking-new Mark. He’d picked her up in a limo and driven her