"It was not easy to track down," he says. "When the Collector went missing, he left a certain gap in the underground industry. I, in my benevolence, have volunteered to fill that gap by acquiring that which is hard to find for people with the right resources."
My face hardens. "I hope you haven't picked up all his criminal behavior," I say, thinking of the girls he trafficked in.
Cole frowns. "No. Never. You know me better than that. I would never trade in lives. Not for any amount of money. Only hard to come by goods."
I nod, believing him this time. I know his past, know what he's been through, and I know he wouldn't put someone else through that.
He cocks his head, studying me. "You wouldn't happen to know what became of the Collector, would you?" he asks.
I shrug. "Why would I know anything about that?" I say. I mean, it's not exactly a lie. Just a question.
He chuckles. "Of course. How silly of me."
"So you were hired to find this dagger," I say, bringing us back to the point of the conversation.
"Yes," he says. "But I'm under strict orders of confidentiality."
I cock my hip and stare him down. "Cole."
He glances down at my hands again, at the rings lining them. "Merdre," he says, cursing under his breath. "I literally can't tell you. I'm bound. But there's nothing saying I can't show you. Come with me to my meeting."
"Yes. I will. But how is that better for you than telling me?"
He shrugs. "It's a loophole. And I get to spend more time with you this way. That constitutes a win-win in my mind."
"Fine. Take me to your meeting." I studiously ignore the flare of joy I feel at knowing we will have more time together. "But before you do, you should put a tracker on that dagger so we can see what happens to it."
"I could," he says. "But it would be better if you did it yourself. I can teach you how."
What is it with everyone wanting to teach me new tricks like I'm a dog to be trained? I sigh, but at the same time, this knowledge will come in handy. My powers are growing with each passing day, and though I keep waiting to hit the limits of what I can do, it hasn't happened yet.
"Fine," I say, begrudgingly.
Cole smiles and approaches me. He pulls out the dagger and places it in my hand, then stands behind me, his arms circling my shoulders.
I suck in a breath at his closeness, as I feel the dark tendrils of his magic interlace with mine so naturally, so organically, in such a way that I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to.
And I don't want to.
I want to stay here forever. I want to bring him home with me. I want him to be a part of my family.
But I can't always have what I want.
So instead I focus on the magic.
He recites ancient words in my ear, his breath sending shivers up my spine, and I repeat the spell and channel the darkness inside of me, as I feel him do.
The power is excited to be let out as Cole shifts closer to me. "Your darkness is tired of being stifled, mon couer. You must let it out lest it eat you from the inside."
"That's a charming imagery," I say. "Thanks."
The dagger in my hand becomes shrouded in dark mist, then settles into its normal self once more. "Did it work?"
Cole nods. "When you want to know where it is, repeat the words I taught you."
I hand it to him and do as instructed, and when I close my eyes, I see the dagger in his hand, clear as day. Then the vision pans out so I see both of us, where we are, what we are doing. It's a bit disconcerting seeing myself as a third person in my mind's eye, but it's a useful trick.
I open my eyes again and nod. "It worked."
He grins. "You're a natural."
He holds out his hand then, and I reluctantly take it, relishing the cool comfort he offers. "Ready for our meeting?" he asks.
I nod.
"Do you trust me?"
I don't know how to answer that, so I say nothing.
He sighs. "Just hold onto me once we enter the portal. It's going to be a wild ride."
Merdre. It's my turn to swear under my breath. Because in this, Cole Night is not lying.
The Dagger
Perhaps if Death is kind, and there can be returning,
We will come back to earth some fragrant night,
~Sara Teasdale, If Death is Kind
It is indeed a wild ride, one that, had I anything left in my stomach, would have resulted in said content being spewed all over Cole's sexy black cloak. But, as it is, that gift was already betowed somewhere in the forests of the new world.
Entering the portal is easy enough—it's like sliding through warm butter. It's when he dematerializes us into black mist that things go from manageable to what the actual hell.
I feel as if I'm being turned inside out and shredded into tiny pieces, then blown apart like some kind of macabre wishing flower.
I exist in nothingness. It's not black, or dark, it's just nothing. Cole's voice reverberates around me, coming from all directions and no direction at all at the same time. "Embrace your darkness, Eve."
I swear to all the gods if I get one more bumper sticker motivational talk from him, Callia, or any of the other Night brothers I might scream.
Hell, I might be screaming at this very moment. Since I feel as if I've ceased to exist, it's hard to tell.
When we finally materialize, I hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of my lungs, despite my budding mastery of my air magic.
"Was that absolutely necessary?" I ask Cole once I can speak again.
He is standing over me looking as if he just had a leisurely stroll through the Garden of Eden and not a hellscape ride through the Underworld.
"How else would you propose we get here?" he asks, gesturing around us.
For the first time, I take note of where we are. And how freaking cold it is. I tap into my fire magic to warm myself up, now that physical sensations are returning, and I turned slowly to look around. To the west of us is a vast expanse of pristine topiary gardens, featuring mythical creatures of all kinds carved from bushes the color of eggplants, dotted with pure white flowers that form their own designs. Everything is covered in a thin layer of fluffy white snow, though the sky is clear and sunny at present. To the east of us is nothing but sky. We landed dangerously close to the edge of the world, or so it would seem. We are surrounded by clouds, and it's impossible to tell how far up we are.
In the distance is a castle that looks made of crystal, glistening in the sun.
The sun! I look up and see it peeking through the clouds and close my eyes, enjoying the warmth against my face for a brief moment before I remember why we are here.
"We are back on earth?" I ask.
"We are, though you will not find this place on any maps. It exists in a hidden realm—a floating island that belongs to my client."
"The client you still can't tell me the name of," I say.
"Correct."
He holds his arm out to me in a gentlemanly fashion. "Shall we, mon coeur?"
Every time he calls me one of his terms of endearment, I melt a little inside, but I must be careful with him. So I ignore his offer of an escort and begin walking to the castle on my own. He dashes to catch up with me, the cheeky grin he wears never slipping from his face.