Captive Heart by Anna Windsor Page B

felt their tentative bond reestablishing itself. Andy nodded, agreeing with her, and Dio’s air energy settled into little breezes.
    Because of the air Sibyl–water Sibyl teaching connection, Andy shared living space with Dio upstairs in the brownstone. They had always managed to get along even though Dio was anything but the laid-back, supportive team member most air Sibyls strove to be. Like all of her fighting group, Dio was important to Andy, and Andy didn’t relish the thought of ongoing conflict with her sister Sibyl.
    What was it Andy had told Elana on the beach—that Jack Blackmore was a tension-creating machine?
    Yeah.
    That was accurate, wasn’t it?
    When they reached the curb in front of the warehouse, Andy finally got to bail out of the SUV. Thank God for the space, the warm summer air, the chaos of traffic and pedestrians. The normalcy of the New York City day, at least on the surface, did more to settle her nerves than anything in a long time, but her thoughts still spun like a big whirlpool, sloshing in her mind until she couldn’t focus on the walkway, the surrounding pavement, or even the warehouse door to see if there were subtle traces of debris or energy that might be important.
    I’m not attracted to Jack Blackmore. But if I am, it’s only physical and I will never take it past looking and admiring .
    She didn’t even admire him that much.
    Okay, he was handsome, but good looks didn’t wash away months of him shouting orders and ignoring the fact that nobody else thought he was God’s gift to anything.
    “You okay, honey?” A hand gripped Andy’s shoulder, and she jumped a foot before she realized it was Bela—and that she’d been standing, spaced out, her hand on the warehouse door handle.
    “Fine, fine. Sorry.” Andy let herself close her eyes for a second and imagine Bela, Dio, and Camille standing quietly behind her, waiting for her and counting on her to be at her best. The whole conversation from the SUV—it needed to be tabled now, especially in Andy’s own mind. If she didn’t settle down, she might wash the whole scene clean by accident, and she definitely wouldn’t be doing her best job as a Sibyl.
    She checked the Heckler and Koch P-11 underwater pistol she carried when she was suited up for Sibyl work. The weapon felt cool and solid in its holster. It wasn’t a SIG, but it handled moisture a lot better. She tried to breathe, tried to think about the ocean, the beach, or any of Elana’s dozens of wise statements and mantras.
    Not so easy.
    It took a few seconds, but she found the rhythm, and a few seconds later she settled into the focus she needed to be safe and walk into the crime scene fully aware. After a slow count to three, she pushed open the warehouse door.
    The OCU officer on guard stepped aside to let her and her fighting group pass, and as the door closed behind them, Andy heard another vehicle pulling up outside.
    Jack and the guys. Not waiting. They can catch up . Then, a few steps into the building, she had another irritating thought. I should have listened better when Elana tried to teach me to shut out distractions in the ocean .
    As she walked farther into the crime scene, older and more comfortable instincts took over. Reality edged across her worries and confusion like a bloody shadow, and the details of the warehouse got a lot more salient—especially the fact that the place was empty except for the pile of body parts in the center of the concrete floor.
    “I’ve seen gross before,” Andy muttered, “but that’s definitely a contender for Most Disgusting Ever.”
    Bela stopped short of the corpse pieces and glanced around the warehouse again. “This place could have housed an automotive showroom. It’s huge.”
    Andy estimated four stories and noted the reinforced ceiling—more floors on top. OCU would be determining ownership and working on access to those floors.
    “Offices to the left,” Camille said. “One door’s open and taped