Wingless (The Lia Hunter Chronicles #1)

Smooth jazz music wound its way through the room. A sultry beat, which caressed the senses. Despite being a Tuesday night, Black Ice was still pulsing with nightlife, albeit a tamer version than their usual Friday night crowd. Patrons huddled together around the club, lounging around the bar, ensconced in shadowy leather booths. Liquor flowed freely, perfume and sweet cigar smoke hazed the air. Over it all settled the rich dulcet tones of the alluring singer, her voice creating a blanket of slumberous intoxication.

Settled on a stool by the bar, I slowly warmed a glass of water between my hands. As much as I wanted – needed – to make liberal use of the bar, I didn’t drink on the job. The last thing I needed was dulled senses even though I could swear a bottle of whiskey was calling my name. My eyes flowed over the other club-goers, searching for any signs of unrest but they were all wrapped up in their own little worlds.

I checked the time once more and forced my annoyance to settle into a slow simmer. Five minutes till midnight and still no sign of Levi. In fact, we hadn’t spoken since his abrupt departure outside of Madame B’s. I’d spent the rest of the afternoon going through the case files and searching the phone’s contents before surrendering it to the station’s tech department. I eventually worked up the nerve to go through the phone’s photo gallery and was treated to horrific shots of all five victims. Their terrified faces flashed through my mind once more and I once again glanced at the bottle of whiskey with longing.

“What’s a fine thing like you doing here on a night like this?” A nasal voice intruded on my thoughts.

Glancing towards the owner I mentally rolled my eyes. The guy was in his late thirties, his expensive suit, titanium watch and arrogant look proclaiming his wealth to the world. He placed the fat stub of a cigar between pursed lips, the burning embers illuminating the lust in his beady eyes. I immediately regretted my wardrobe choice for the evening. Not wanting to tip Quinn off to my presence before I even got through the door I’d hunted through my closet for my best semi-formal dress, a slinky black number that reached mid-thigh, managed to cover the scars on my back and due to the way the skirt flowed allowed me to conceal a thigh harness for my gun. Now as Romeo’s gaze lodged firmly on my chest I wished I’d worn a garbage bag. Body shivering in repulsion I forced a polite smile onto my lips.

“Just having a drink,” I said shaking my now tepid glass of water.

Raising an imperious eyebrow at my pathetic excuse for a beverage, he plucked the cigar from his lips, blowing out a plume of smoke he signaled for the bartender.

“Let me buy you a proper drink.” Leaning further into my space he grinned, no doubt waiting for me to swoon in grateful piety.

Rejection poised on my lips, I opened my mouth ready to assure him I would most definitely not be warming his bed tonight when a dark voice cut me off.

“She’s not interested, move along.” Starting in surprise I glanced over Romeo’s shoulder to see a scowling Levi looming.

Like me he’d opted out of his usual clothes, swapping the jeans and shirt for black tailored slacks and a freshly pressed black dress shirt. His black hair was combed back from his face, somehow giving him an even more dangerous appearance. He looked amazing but I’d never voice the thought aloud. That way danger lied. Romeo stiffened from his sprawl across the bar top, an indignant frown scrunching his features. Turning on the heel of a perfectly shined dress shoe, he glanced up at Levi. His whole body jolted at the sight of Levi’s towering frame. I could practically hear him weighing the pros and cons of sticking his ground before he quailed beneath the deadly intent in Levi’s eyes.

Muttering an annoyed “Yeah, whatever.” He pushed away from the bar searching the club for his next target.

Turning my attention back to Levi, who leisurely settled into Romeo’s abandoned spot, I raised an eyebrow.

“Thanks, but I can handle myself.”

“I know,” came his low reply, “but now you don’t have to.”

Well, I couldn’t argue with that logic. My eyes wandered over his figure once more before I realized something was missing.

“Your wings!” I gasped, eyes wide as I searched the empty plains of his back.

Where this afternoon large snowy white feathers hung now there was only empty air. Raising a hand I reached towards the space on his back, only to have him grasp my hand in a gentle but firm grip. Electricity shot through my veins at the touch and I sucked in a sharp breath. The spark in his eyes let me know I wasn’t the only one feeling the connection.

“They’re still there,” he said quietly, moving my hand slowly to the empty space behind him.

My fingers brushed against feathers so soft I wanted to rub my face against them. It was disconcerting feeling something that wasn’t there but I almost helplessly continued to stroke the invisible wings. Levi’s body tensed, the hand wrapped around my wrist squeezing tighter. I glanced up and gasped as I met scorching green eyes. With a shock, I realized I’d been stroking a person, not an inanimate object. Blush coating my cheeks I pulled my hand back, grateful when he easily released it and I quickly tucked it back in my lap. The last thing I should be doing was petting a Seraphim lord. No matter how nice he looked in a pair of carefully tailored trousers.

“I told you I didn’t bite.” He rumbled in my ear and I turned away grasping at my glass of tepid water, desperate for a distraction.

I gulped down the water like I was dying of dehydration, firmly ignoring the amused Jaxai next to me. Out of water, I carefully placed the glass back on the bar and summoned my composure.

“How?” I asked gesturing to his back.

“They’re just hidden by a charm,” he tapped at his wrist where a complicated knot work design surrounded by glyphs had been tattooed on his skin, “makes it a lot easier to blend in.”

“Yes, I imagine big white wings are quite the giveaway,” I smirked.

He grinned with a flash of white. “Indeed.”

We continued to stare at each other, our eyes clashing, sparking. Snapping myself out of it I straightened in my chair eagerly dredging up my earlier ire.

“Listen, Levi, if we’re going to be partners on this case you can’t just randomly take off whenever you feel like it. I can’t be sitting around waiting to tell you new info or for you to show up.” I snapped at him, a little harshly. He straightened as well, his grin slipping into a serious expression.

“My apologies for earlier today, however, I ask that you consider as the captain of the Seraphim royal guard I have many responsibilities that require my attention.” I deflated a little at his words, guilt creeping in but there was a killer on the loose goddammit! Surely that ranked high enough in his priorities.

“I will try to avoid this happening in the future.” He continued solemnly.

“Good, thank you,” I said primly, embarrassment heating my cheeks.

Pushing it aside I quickly filled him in on Rodrigo’s visit. He quietly listened even though his eyes darkened intensely at the mention of the photos. Anger pulsed off him in waves by the time I told him about the text.

“He’s taunting us.” He growled quietly and I wondered when the last time was that someone had taunted Levi and walked away unscathed. I’d put all my money on never.

“He is, but hopefully that phone will be his downfall. He has to slip up sometime and that’s when we catch him.”

Turning furious eyes on me Levi asked, “But can we afford to wait for him to slip up?”

I understood his worry, it could take countless more victims for him to make a mistake.

“That’s why we’re here. We try every other angle in the hope we can catch him before he kills again.”

Movement on the other side of the room caught my attention. Leaning around Levi I caught a glimpse of Quinn through the swarm of bodies on the dance floor. Excitement heating flooding my veins I jumped off the stool, before snatching Levi’s hand, dragging him with me to the dancefloor.

“Come on, I can see Quinn.”

Slowly moving through the mass of swaying bodies we eventually worked ourselves to the other side of the dance floor. Not wanting to stick out I dragged Levi’s body against mine, placing one hand on his shoulder, the other clasping his, thankfully the man quickly caught on and his other hand landed on my hip. We began to steadily sway to the beat of the music blending seamlessly with the crowd. From our position on the dance floor, we had a clear view as Quinn and another man settled across from each other in one of the booths. Unfortunately, even with my enhanced hearing, I couldn’t hear them over the loud music.

Glancing up at Levi, I lifted my arm from his shoulder to tap my ear in a questioning gesture. He quickly shook his head and with a frown, I replaced my hand. Glancing back towards Quinn and his friend I tried to make out the other man’s features but the shadows of the booth concealed everything but his folded hands. Quinn, however, was fully visible and I intensely scrutinized his every feature. From his rakishly crooked nose to the golden buttons haphazardly secured on his waistcoat. Beads of sweat gathered at the edges of his short blonde hair. His blue eyes, which usually shined with haughtiness on the front cover of gossip magazines were filled with a wild desperation. Seemed like Quinn’s friend made him nervous. Someone that could make a Hydro lord this worried certainly wasn’t good news.

Quinn talked desperately, his hands making wild gestures, eyes pleading but the other man sat quietly, his hands folded stiffly on the table. Quinn continued to ramble, his voice rising enough that I managed to catch a few words over the music.

“Please! - you don’t – what more- can’t do this-”

Still, the man remained unmoved until finally, he raised a single hand and Quinn immediately quietened. After a few more moments Quinn’s shoulders slumped, and when the stranger retrieved a thin package from his coat pocket and slid it across the table, Quinn stared hopelessly at it before picking it up. They exchanged a few more words before finally, the stranger slid from the booth. Straightening, he brushed down his own immaculate coat, tossing Quinn a few parting words before turning. At my first glance of his face shivers ran down my spine.

He was an average looking man, probably in his late forties, neither handsome nor ugly. His salt and pepper hair was receding, an equally colored beard covered his jaw, in fact, the only thing about him that was out of the ordinary was the thin scar bisecting his left eyebrow. However, the feature that struck me the most were his eyes. The dull brown misleading to the raw coldness I saw emanating from them. His soulless gaze traversed the dance floor before landing on mine and I sucked in a breath from the emptiness within them. Not wanting to gain his notice I forced my eyes to drift away as if I’d been lost in thought.

Levi’s hand squeezed my own and I gratefully looked up at him. My side burned as the man’s gaze dissected me, trying to uncover my secrets. A tight smile creased my lips, matching the tension I saw bracketing Levi’s eyes. We continued to sway to the music, waiting for the man to lose interest. The singer’s formerly soothing voice began to scrape against my nerves. A beat passed and another, until finally, the man turned away, striding towards the entrance of the club. I refused to let my relief show until the door swung shut behind him. Tension left me in a wave, the claw gripping my heart loosening.

Levi’s head bent down, his hair tickling the side of my face.

“We need to find out what’s in that package.” He whispered in my ear.

Repressing another shiver I watched as Quinn slipped out of the booth and quickly disappeared behind a door marked ‘Employees Only’. Mind whirring, I flicked my attention back to Levi.

“How are your B&E skills?”

A grin curved his lips. “I’m not really sure I should be confessing something like that to an officer of the law.”

“Yeah, well if it helps catch the killer I promise not to arrest you.”