He lay there for several minutes, blocking the door with his body. Illusions like Changing were one of the most intense and laborious of the Deuce magick abilities. For Dragons, it was natural to Catalyze, or so he’d been told. Not so, Deuces.
He watched the minute hand of the clock tick away, until five minutes had passed. His head throbbed with each tick of the second hand, no doubt the effects of being knocked in the head. It was two fifteen. Ferro should be gone now. Kade had to use the desk to help him to his feet. Once more he’d have to conjure the illusion.
He pulled Dune in again, repulsed at the reflection in the mirror—vain bastard—hanging on the wall. It flickered.
Hold on. Your life depends on it.
He walked out and headed to Ferro’s door. In the event that Ferro had changed his plans, Kade came up with some other tidbit to give him about the assignment. He knocked. No answer. He opened the door and walked in, closing it behind him.
Seeing no one inside, he released the illusion, this time pushing past the exhaustion. No time for that. He started looking through the desk drawers. He found the map, with a yellow dot in August territory, next to the red one. Written beside it was the name Kaitlyn. Beneath that was a calendar with names written in each box of the last three months. The same time frame as his daily two o’clock sojourns. Sometimes it wasn’t a name but a note like Unk dragon in Opa Locka and a number. Most of the numbers ranged from three to the thirties. And on the next day’s square, the letters SS were written in thick black marker and circled several times. Solar storm, had to be. That was the only thing that made sense.
He called Violet, feeling something surge inside him at the sound of her voice. She had every reason to hate him, and she probably did. But she was going to cooperate because she was level-headed. “Are you where you can write down some names?”
“Hold on.” He heard a scuffling noise. “How’s it going?”
“I’m in Ferro’s office. So far so good.”
“I’m ready.”
He listed off several of the names on the calendar. “Dragons, I think. See what you can find out. The solar storm plays into whatever they’re up to. And there’s a target—in August territory. Kaitlyn.”
“Kaitlyn! She’s a child! Nine, maybe ten.”
“Then do what you can to protect her. As long as Ferro thinks Dune has done his job, you’re safe. I’m going to stake out his home. Dune will go missing, but that shouldn’t be connected to his previous assignment since I’m dead.”
“Don’t say that,” she said in a rush of words.
He wanted to say more, but it wasn’t the time. Especially when he heard the doorknob turn. In those seconds, he pressed the phone power button at the same time as he conjured the illusion. He didn’t have time to put the map and calendar away before Ferro walked into his office. Kade dropped the phone into the trash as he pushed the chair in.
“He was right,” Ferro said, closing the door. His gaze shifted to what Kade had been looking at.
“Who was right?” Kade stepped away from the desk.
“That doesn’t matter. He told me someone was in my office. You know, something didn’t feel right about Dune’s report. He takes too much enjoyment from his kills. This time he was in a hurry. You can drop the illusion, Kavanaugh.”
He did, feeling the drain on his already taxed body. “Tell me what’s going on. That’s all I wanted.”
“I think you know enough.”
Kade’s dagger slid automatically into his hand. He would have to kill Ferro if he had any chance to get out of this alive. Ferro wouldn’t be able to maneuver as Dragon in the small space, but as a First Gen, he didn’t have to Catalyze to use some of his powers. Ferro’s face shimmered, both man and Dragon.
Kade ducked the dark rope of smoke that whipped out like a snake, the signature of an Obsidian Dragon. He sent an arc of magick slicing across Ferro’s shoulder that cut through shirt and skin. Blood bloomed through the torn material. Why hadn’t he tried to avoid it? The man hadn’t even moved.
Ferro spun toward the door and opened it. “Code red!”
Come immediately, be ready to fight.
And they did, Arguses and Vegas rushing toward the door to find Kade with his dagger at the ready, Ferro’s shoulder bleeding. Ah, that’s why he hadn’t evaded the swipe.
“Get him!” Ferro shouted, pointing to Kade. “He’s gone Red!”
Not the same as a Dragon going Red Lust, but it meant the same thing—magick psychosis.
Kade brought his dagger in, raising his arms. “Ferro’s having innocent people killed. He’s?—”
A flash of magick hit him, knocking him against the desk. He gained his footing just as four of his fellow Vegas tackled him. A cuff snapped over his wrist before he could use his magick to throw them back, these containing a larger dose of Lucifer’s Gold. His magick died. The Vegas shoved him against the wall and jerked his hands behind his back before snapping on the other cuff, these meant to restrain physically as well.
“Sorry, buddy,” one of them said in a low voice.
