She put her drink down, grabbed her laptop, and did a search. Then she turned the screen around to reveal a good dozen pics of René, his arm around a different woman in each one. “Is this your René?”
“That’s René, but I’d hardly call him mine.” I grinned. “If those photos are anything to go by, no one can call him ‘theirs.’”
“That is definitely true, because he’s stated in hundreds of interviews he is not the marrying kind. Of course, his father wasn’t either, so maybe it’s a family trait.”
“What do we know about the father?”
She shrugged. “Unlike René, Howard tended to keep out of the limelight. He died when René was thirty, from memory.”
“From memory?” I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve been cyber stalking the man?”
She grinned. “You know I love a juicy bit of society goss, and René’s been a staple of trash mags for ages now.”
“What else do you know about him, then? Has he siblings? Is his mom still alive?”
“No and no, as far as anyone knows. He’s very closemouthed when it comes to that sort of stuff.” She picked up her drink. “When do I get to meet him?”
“Tonight wasnota date,” I repeated for the umpteenth time.
“You and I both knowthatis a falsehood.”
Thankfully, I was saved the effort of replying by Atticus stalking into the room.What shadows do you hide in the bathroom? Its magic feels foul.
“You hid the shard in the bathroom?” Ginny said, meaning Atticus was projecting wide. “No wonder they tore your room apart looking for it.”
And here I was thinking it was normal when it comes to you wenches and your bedrooms.
Ginny picked up the magazine next to her computer and tossed it at him, saving me the effort. He sniffed haughtily and neatly sidestepped it.You throw like a girl.
“You can be an ass sometimes, Atticus.”
It is one of my more endearing points. He glanced at me, silver eyes gleaming.You have not answered.
“You are not my boss; you’re not even my familiar. I don’thaveto answer to you.”
Likewise, I don’t have to avoid clawing that comfy leather chair you seem so fond of.
“Was that a threat?” Ginny asked. “It sounded like a threat.”
I don’t make threats. I simply do.
I rolled my eyes and gave in to the inevitable. “It’s a shard I found at a crime scene. We’re hoping to use it to track the mage who it belonged to.”
Only a dark mage can trace the magic of another dark mage.
“Yes, and we’re hoping to see one tomorrow.” It was said before I actually thought about it, and I cursed silently.
“We are?” Ginny said, surprised.
“Iam,” I amended. “You’re going to be at the hospital talking to Mark.”
“Well, that’s damnably inconvenient timing on my part. I’ve never met a dark practitioner before.”
“And probably wouldn’t have this time, because Michael said it’s best I go alone. Something about dark mages getting twitchy when faced by the law in any great numbers.”
You liecame Atticus’s thought.Why?
I’m following orders, I snapped back silently.Something you seem to know nothing about.
