hand back. âWhat did you do to me?â She ran to the desk and patted the place where the creature sat. Nothing.
âI lifted the Veil so that, through me, you could see the Hidden. Itâs all here; you just canât see, as I explained.â He ran his hand down her arm, twining his fingers with hers, and stretched her hand toward the empty space. Except it wasnât empty, because she felt the skinny arm of the creature. Parchment skin, short, coarse hairs. âNow you can feel it.â
He released her, and she pulled her hand back. She stared at her tingling fingers as she rubbed them together, then at the desk. âItâs still there, right this second?â
âAllander, light the candleâ¦please. They donât speak, but they insist on respect. Itâs not always reciprocated, but Allander has been with me for many years. We have an understanding.â He nodded for her to look at the candle, because her attention was riveted on him. The flame came to life.
He leaned back against the edge of the desk. âHave you ever seen something in the corner of your eye, only to look and find nothing there? Or heard a sound somewhere in your home but couldnât find the source? How about the ubiquitous missing sock or keys that arenât where you left them?â
He tilted his head toward the invisible being. âElementals, usually. Theyâre in the non-physical plane all over the world, but we can see and touch them because of our own otherworldly essence. Some are mischievous, others a nuisance, and a few dangerous. A lot of whatâs considered poltergeist activity is either their doing, demons, or Deuces.â
Something in the corner of her eye? âSometimes I see shadows move among the parts in my resto yard, but I can never find what causes them.â No, no, no, this couldnât be real. She focused on his last word, remembering it from Monâs stories. âDeuces who make orbs?â
âMost can make orbs of some kind, some more deadly than others. I need to find out if thereâs a select group of Deuces who can make the kind of orb you saw. That will help us narrow down who could have sent it, at least a little.â
â Us ?â
âYou and I have a lot of work to do before someone comes after you again.â
âLike hell Iâm working, or doing anything else, with you. I need fresh air.â She grabbed at the candle, snuffing out the flame and sniffing the black wax. âYouâve got some kind of hallucinogenic substance in here. Or somewhere.â
âThose werenât hallucinations, Ruby.â
âStop saying my name likeâ¦that.â She reached for the door, amazed when she turned the knob and stepped into the hallway without his hand clamping onto her. She didnât dare look back. Everything heâd told her, everything sheâd seen, bounced around in her head like a hundred rubber balls.
Glesenda watched her stalk past with a puzzled expression. Outside, sunlight beckoned, and people walked past the studio, nice, normal people.
Donât turn around. Just keep going.
 Â
Cyn watched the girl walk so fast down the sidewalk that her ass swished provocatively back and forth. He had sensed Ruby, or at least sensed the presence of an unknown Crescent, in his studio. That sheâd ducked out of sight when he looked up fired his instincts. Heâd followed her scent to his office. Her accusation about Moncriefâs murder shocked the hell out of him. He pulled on the shirt heâd grabbed in his office and slid into his shoes.
Glesenda followed his gaze. âWho is she? There was something odd about her. I thought I saw a flicker in her eyes, and then it wasnât there. I was about to mention the Dragon training room but stopped myself.â The flame in her eyes danced. âIf sheâs a troublemaker, I can take care of her.â
He shot her a derisive look. âPull
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