The Black Masquerade Page 11

“Now, if possible. Do you have his number?”

  I nodded, pulling my phone from my purse and calling him. He picked up after the first ring, and I told him about Eleanora wanting to meet him. He was willing, and I texted him the address as soon as we ended the call.

  Eleanora leaned back in her chair, glanced at my plate, then got up to get me more cookies. I hadn’t realized I’d eaten everything already. Once she’d set the fresh ones in front of me, she returned to her seat. “This whole situation makes me uncomfortable,” she said. “I don’t like the thought of you fighting these things and not knowing anything about the amulet or what it can do for you.”

  “But I do know what it does.”

  She shook her head. “No, you don’t. There’s more to this amulet than what you understand.”

  Eleanora leaned forward, clasping her gnarled hands together on the table, her gaze intense. “I need to talk to you about the masquerade happening in two days.”

  “What have you heard?”

  I knew Eleanora had her own sources. I hoped they’d given her more information. The only thing Chief knew was that something might happen. I would feel much more comfortable going in if I had as much info as possible.

  Eleanora’s sources went way beyond law enforcement. It occurred to me that I’d never actually talked to her about them. I hadn’t needed special sources. Mainly because the sorts of things I dealt with were regular citizens’ problems. She knew people in the magical realm that most people did not, including Nicole. Don’t get me wrong—Nicole’s friends were very powerful. Our former teacher, Professor Coolidge, had been involved with a lot of people in high-up places, and he, Austin, and Nicole were close.

  But Eleanora had seen a very different side of life—a side government officials and other “higher-ups” had ignored or simply couldn’t reach. She’d been practicing magic on a day-to-day, rubber-meets-road basis for at least sixty years, and had gained the trust of all sorts of people. From the rumors I’d heard, she could get anyone in any far corner to talk. So when she said she had information about the masquerade, I perked up.

  “There’s rumors of a planned attack. I don’t know what type, but I would assume it’ll be against the governor, since he’s the one hosting the ball. Either way, I’ve heard it’ll be big.”

  “Does it involve the hounds?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so, but I can’t know for sure since the identities of the hounds is difficult to pinpoint. You need to be very careful there. It might be a Tarian group or similar. Just because Nicole took them down doesn’t mean they’re completely gone.”

  I nodded. The Tarians were a group of anti-Arete, anti-magic people. They believed that Aretes hadn’t earned the right to be magical and should be destroyed. Obviously, seeing as how I was a magical person, I hadn’t subscribed to their beliefs. Luckily for me, the vast majority of the world agreed with my position.

  Eleanora looked at me. “How many times have you been targeted by these hounds?”

  I shrugged. “A few times. I got asked on a date by one of them without knowing who he was—that was a great surprise, let me tell you. But I’ve also had two attacks on my neighbors.”

  “Your neighbors?”

  I nodded. “Yes. A sweet couple just to the north of me. They’re wonderful people. We help each other with odds and ends in our houses and yards.”

  “How do they handle these attacks?”

  “About as well as anyone. Lots of screaming, pulling out hidden weapons, not sure what to do.”

  “And they’re not able to help defend you?”

  I shook my head. “No. They’re elderly. That’s where Abel has come in. Both attacks, he was there and helped me diffuse the situation.” Speaking of Abel, he should be arriving anytime now.

  Eleanora and I continued discussing my neighbors and the various places I’d encountered hounds. I wasn’t sure where she was going with these questions, but assumed it was so she could be fully informed. I was grateful to have her on my side.

  A car pulled up outside, and a door shut. Eleanora made to stand from the table, but I told her to sit down.

  “I’ll get it. Don’t worry.”

  I held the door wide for Abel and motioned for him to come inside when he bounded up the steps. Just seeing him again, even though it hadn’t been more than a few hours since the last time, made my insides turn mushy. Stupid physical reactions.

  We walked to the kitchen, where I introduced him to Eleanora.

  She extended a hand, asking, “You feel like you can defend her?”

  Abel shook it. “Yes. I do.”

  Eleanora surprised me by grinning at him, a slightly flirtatious expression on her face. “You’re a handsome one.” She folded her arms. “What sort of things do you specialize in, Abel? Maybe I’ll have a job for you someday.”

  Abel tucked his hands in his pockets. “This and that. Mostly dealing with pests and handling jobs other people can’t do.”

  Eleanora chuckled. “Pretty nondescript. Do you have a business card? I’d like to keep something on hand if I end up having . . . problems with pests.” She winked. “You’re not talking about bugs, right?”

  He shook his head. “No, ma’am. The pests I’m referring to are demons—the big, ugly guys who don’t leave you alone until they’re dealt with.”

  Abel pulled his wallet out of a back pocket and handed her a faded and worn business card. “That’s my last one. Haven’t had to give out a business card in a long time.” He smiled at her. “Most people don’t use them these days.”

  I could tell he was teasing Eleanora about her age, but I knew her well enough to recognize that it wouldn’t even faze her.

  Eleanora invited him to take a seat, then she turned the third degree on him.

  Chapter 25

  “How many people have you killed?”

  “Are we talking about demons? The hounds that Lizzie’s hunting?”

  The fact that he needed her to specify made my insides twist a little.

  “Let’s start with hounds.”

  “I’ve offed a few of them. But not permanently. Only Lizzie kills them permanently.”

  “Good point. What about other demons?”

  Abel leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. “Well, that requires a bit of history.” He glanced at me, and I could tell he wasn’t sure how much he wanted me to know.

  I held my breath. I’d been wanting to learn Abel’s history for years.

  “I was raised on earth, but around the time I turned sixteen, my magical print caught the attention of an ancient race as they passed by. Apparently, my pulse was impossible to ignore. Well, they kidnapped me and sold me into slavery in a different dimension. Made them quite the profit, from what I heard.

  “It was in that dimension where Lizzie and Nicole found me. In the beginning, I was stronger than most, and pretty healthy. My sole purpose was to protect my owners’ compound and their rare, powerful items. And I got very good at it. Seems I had a knack for killing, as it came naturally and easily. It didn’t bother me—my experiences had jaded me.”

  “Slavery does that,” Eleanora said. “I can’t imagine the horrors you experienced.”

  Abel shook his head, and his eyes got an angry, faraway expression in them. I could tell he didn’t enjoy reliving what he’d been through.

  “Unfortunately, my owners expected my magic to develop while under their control, giving them access to it. When my eighteenth birthday came and went without a Restart, they practically went crazy trying to trigger it. Ultimately, they decided to starve me—either to death or to Restarting.

  “By the time Lizzie and Nicole found me, I was nearly dead. I was twenty-six or twenty-seven, and my owners had long since given up on me. If I’d Restarted before I’d been found, they would’ve fought harder to get me back.” He glanced at me. “They didn’t know it, but if it had happened while I was under their control, it would have killed me. Lizzie saved me. She’
s saved me more than once now.”

  His eyes were warm as he looked at me, giving me goose bumps. My insides turned to mush, and I seriously struggled not to close the distance between us. Instead, I put my hand on his.

  “You’ve returned the favor several times.”

  Eleanora watched us, her eyebrow raised. “And what happened after they rescued you?”

  “I didn’t know how much longer I had to live—I knew my Restart would eventually kill me. Instead of focusing on a regular career, I used skills I’d already developed.”

  “Assassination?”

  Abel’s eyes and face hardened, and I felt a familiar spark of the fear I hadn’t felt around him in a while.

  “Yes. And of more than just demons.”

  My heart dropped. I tried to hide my disappointment when Abel glanced at me. The regret in his eyes was strong. I wasn’t sure what to do with this bit of information—him assassinating people. Murder was huge. He should be in jail, not hanging around me.

  “I didn’t know what else to do. And I only killed when I absolutely had to.”

  “How many have you assassinated so far?”

  Abel hesitated, watching Eleanora closely. “Five.”

  She grunted. “Well, that’s good to know.”

  He’d killed five people? Was that five in total, or five since Nicole and I rescued him? It must have been since I’d met him, given his story. He’d gotten good at it, after all.

  Either way, if he really was an assassin, five just wasn’t that impressive of a number. It’d been at least seven years since I’d last seen him. Unless these jobs paid really well, which I supposed they had to, given how well he dressed, five in seven wasn’t impressive. I’d always assumed that successful assassins were out offing people every month.

  I perked up when Eleanora asked the biggest question I’d had in the past few days where Abel was concerned.

  “And how have your powers been doing since Restarting?”

  “Not well.”

  “Explain.”

  Abel shook his head impatiently. “Any time I try to do anything, I pass out. In fact, just sensing the pulses coming from you and Lizzie makes me struggle.”

  “Everything you’ve tried is big scale, right?”

  Abel snorted. “If you consider creating a raindrop big scale, then yes.”

  Eleanora rubbed her chin. “Be careful. Don’t use your magic unless you absolutely have to.” She looked at me, then back at Abel. “If you’re here to help and protect her, you can’t let anything get in the way of doing your job.”

  Abel was serious when he responded. “I know. I haven’t forgotten.”

  I tapped his hand as something occurred to me. “Restarting gave you access to every element, but you haven’t worked through the process regular Aretes have to work through.”

  Abel looked at me. “Go on.”

  “The rest of us have to practice, even where our natural element is concerned. We have to start slow, figure out what that natural ability is, and then move on from there. It’s hard, exhausting work. The brain, especially in the beginning, is weak and unable to focus for very long. And even small tasks are enough to render our brains useless. Trust me, I know. It’s why I became a Fire Impeder. I never was able to branch into other subsets of magic. Instead, I focused inwardly.”

  Eleanora nodded. “It’s not uncommon for Fire Impeders.”

  I got the impression that she wasn’t including herself in that group. It made me curious about her. Eleanora’s hair wasn’t gray, but that didn’t mean she didn’t dye it. I just always assumed she was an Arete who only did Fire.

  “And Lizzie has a point,” Eleanora said. “You must start small. Grow and develop, line upon line. Until you are able to grasp it all.”

  Abel thanked the woman, then glanced over at me. “We have a party to get ready for, don’t we?”

  I nodded. The masquerade was tomorrow, and if what Eleanora said was true, I needed to get some practicing in.

  I got to my feet and gave her a hug. “If anything else comes up, let me know.”

  “I will.”

  She made sure Abel and I had enough cookies, then we thanked her and left.

  On the way to our cars, Abel said, “After you grab what you’ll be wearing this weekend, meet me at my place. I’ll text you the address.”

  I hopped in my car, swung by my house for my clothes, and input the address he sent me into the map application on my phone. While driving, I tried to clear my thoughts, but was unsuccessful. I’d learned so many things that day. The man I’d gone on a date with was Conor, Nicole’s ex-boyfriend. Holy Hannah.

  What freaked me out the most, though, were those games of laser tag. He could have killed me at any point during the date—while bowling or eating pizza—but laser tag would’ve been the perfect setting. Dark and smoky, with weird sound effects and people sneaking around, generally avoiding each other. Why hadn’t he? And what did he hope to gain from trying to start a relationship with me?

  Most importantly, though . . . how was I to proceed with this information?

  Chapter 26

  I couldn’t help but wonder if I should act as if I didn’t know what and who he was. He knew I had the shade amulet. He’d noticed it, had commented on how pretty it was. Was he testing me to see if I knew he was a hound? And how much did he know about the amulet, anyway?

  My thoughts went to the next bit of important information I’d received that day. Abel was an assassin. I shuddered, thinking about him killing people. He’d done it so easily in front of me, and that had freaked me out. Well, I had reason to be scared. Obviously, he didn’t plan on killing me. Otherwise, he would have done it already, but it still made me nervous.

  I laughed at myself—assassins didn’t kill everyone they came across. They “offed,” as Abel had said, only those they were hired to kill. And anyone who tried to stop them, if Hollywood was correct.

  What was I to do with this revelation, though? What did he expect?

  By the time I got to his place—an old, falling-apart warehouse that was very fitting, given his personality—I still hadn’t decided how to act. Him being an assassin changed everything. I couldn’t fall in love with him. I just couldn’t.

  I did find some comfort in the fact that he’d only killed five people in the last few years, though. I snorted to myself. Only five. Ha.

  Abel greeted me at the door. I was surprised to find that the interior was well lit and comfortable. It wasn’t as industrial-looking as I’d expected, and it mirrored his personality. Rugged, crisp, clean-cut. Unlike his personality, though, it was wide open, without anything hiding. Even the bathroom in the corner didn’t have walls around it.

  I glanced at him, my eyebrow quirked. “Your toilet is out in the open?”

  “It doesn’t work. The one I use is downstairs.”

  “Why keep it, then?”

  He shrugged. “I just haven’t had time to remove it.” He led the way to a corner of the warehouse that had heavy-duty rubber matting as the flooring. Free-style weights and weight machines lined one of the walls, and a treadmill and stationary bike were up against the other.

  We started picking the weapons I would wear with my ball gown. Luckily, I’d been to several black-tie affairs since becoming a Fire Impeder, and had several dresses to choose from. I’d brought all of them, and with Abel’s help, I picked the one that hid the most weapons. While we worked, I decided to tell Abel about Conor and my date with him.

  “You know how I had a date last night?”

  He froze, not looking away from the short swords he was arranging on the mat. “Yeah?”

  “He was attractive, charming, hot, and I totally wanted to go out with him again. Until . . .”

  “Until what?”

  “I found out he’s a hound.”

  Abel turned and looked at me. “First, why didn’t you already know he was a hound? Second, why didn’t you call me? And third, why didn’t he kill you?”
<
br />   I shook my head. “All good questions. I think the amulet is wearing out and needs recharging. I don’t know how to charge it, though. I didn’t find out he was a hound until this morning, when I returned to the unit to stop the bomb from going off.” I glanced at him. “They called me in—it’s part of my job.”

  He nodded. “But why didn’t he kill you? Do you know for sure he’s aware of who you are?”

  I nodded. “He must have planned it all. My question is, why? Why didn’t he kill me? He had plenty of opportunities.”

  “Some beasts like to play with their food first.” He glanced at me. “No offense, but that’s what these hounds are. They devour things.”

  “It had occurred to me.”

  “How are you at subterfuge? Playing double agent? Would you be able to act like you don’t know who he is?”

  I slowly shook my head. “Possibly for a little while. I’ve had a tiny bit of acting experience. But I wouldn’t be able to hold to it for very long.” Regardless of how much I wanted to keep a secret, my mouth and brain weren’t always connected. I’d gotten much better at it in the last few years, but I didn’t want to stake my life on my underdeveloped skills.

  “Let’s get started,” Abel said. “I think best when I’m active.”

  He helped me to my feet, then showed me how to hold the first set of knives I’d be carrying. We practiced with them for a while before switching to shorter knives, throwing knives, and long ones. Eventually, we tried working with unloaded guns—him pretending he was going to shoot me, and me trying to stop him first with a knife.

  After only forty-five minutes of practicing, Abel dropped his weapons. “That’s it,” he said. “It’s obvious this amulet isn’t going to be giving you fighting abilities.”

  “To be fair, most people can’t stop a gun with a knife,” I said, slumping to the floor, completely exhausted and feeling bruises starting everywhere. “How bad am I?” I hated to ask, but I needed to know how much more work I’d have to do.

  Abel slumped to the ground next to me. “I hate to say it, but you’re horrible.”