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“You are beyond a doubt the best sect leader the shifters have ever had.” Julian’s proclamation shocked both of us so much that our chins dropped.
“I don’t know what to say.” Sam shook his head like he was trying to clear it. “That’s quite the compliment coming from you, Lieutenant.”
“It isn’t as though you’ve had much competition,” Julian said, and I sank back down in my seat. “But from what I’ve witnessed, your heart is in the right place, and that is a characteristic sadly lacking in most politicians.”
“Now I’m not sure if that was a compliment, an insult, or something else entirely.” Sam grimaced. “But I’ll choose to say thank you and give you the benefit of the doubt that you did your best since compliments are so foreign to you bloodsuckers.”
Julian pulled into his usual spot on the tarmac and cut his engine, drowning the usually bright building in darkness.
“If you two are done acting like grade schoolers, we should go over the plan,” I said, popping open my door.
Julian zipped around to my side of the vehicle, leaving Sam to contort his way out from the backseat. “I will use my access to get us inside. The elevator may not be amenable to sending us to the place we seek, but we should attempt that first as all other avenues are far more difficult.”
The single base elevator worked on a combination of magic and science, using the passengers’ intent as well as predicting where they needed most to go to shuttle them from place to place within the building. On my first day at the job, Julian informed me it was a good way to keep people without proper clearance from going where they shouldn’t. But now I wondered if that meant bad news for us.
“I’ve been texting Daphne,” I admitted. “This building is on her turf, so she may have work arounds or at least be able to help us out.”
“I doubt the vamp and I need backup, even if the nymph does teach combat training. We should keep this visit more on the down-low.” Sam said, coming around my other side.
“I trust her,” I said.
“Look.” Julian pointed up toward the building where a dim light bloomed on the interior, wobbled, then disappeared. “It would seem we aren’t the only ones here.”
Growling rumbled from Sam’s chest as we moved forward, up the steps to the glass doors where Julian used the black pad on the right to gain entry. With a swish, they slid open to admit us, and we crept inside the darkened building. I paused, using Julian’s shoulder for balance as I removed my heels to prevent them from clicking against the tile floor, not wanting to alert whoever might be around in case they were in on holding children captive.
“I know you guys have super night vision,” I whispered, “but I can’t see a damn thing.”
Julian slipped his hand in mine and squeezed, leading the way, and I knew I wouldn’t trip.
When we arrived at the elevator, it slid open, revealing the soft blue glow of floor lights. Instead of helping, that made the whole thing feel creepier. The second Sam stepped inside with us, the doors shut, and we were off. I was sure both men could hear my heartbeat quicken as we flew upward and then back. When the lift slowed to a stop, both wolf and vamp angled themselves in front of me, blocking my view.
Swinging my hip into Julian, I got him to move enough for me to see where we’d landed. My brows furrowed. Why would the elevator take us to Dr. Orpheus’s lab? I wasn’t due here for another thirty-six hours or so, and it wasn’t as though I liked visiting. But I recalled another time the elevator had taken my friends and I to my own office instead of where I’d wanted to go. But that was because there had been information I’d needed to find.
“Come on,” I whispered, heading into the lab.
I glanced at the bed where I’d sat through EEGs and other various tests, and where he intended to continue doing so. Not happening. I made my way through the bulk of the equipment to the flat glass terminal where Orpheus took notes as he worked.
“There’s nothing behind that door but an office,” Sam said, shutting the door on the left.
“We’re here for a reason,” I said, already attempting to figure out his password.
“See if you can get a vision of it,” Julian suggested from over my shoulder.
“Good idea.” I pressed my eyes closed and focused on the keyboard beneath my fingers. Within moments, I had it. I started typing again. Cocky son of a witch used N0bEl. As if they gave those out to supes.
Once I was in, I noted a folder with no label among the multitude of those with patient names. I didn’t see my own name on there, but I had no time to investigate, so I double-clicked on the nameless one.
This time, it was Julian who growled low against my back, and I knew why. Five files stared back at us.
MorningStar
Pendulum
Subject Pool Generation
Genetic mutation trials
Charlotte Devaux
