looked at him; the anger in her eyes had been replaced by a look of pain.
“No. I really didn’t tell anyone.”
Starling nodded.
“I’m glad you weren’t really into Devon,” Jasper said, trying to find anything to say that could keep her talking to him. “Tell me the truth. Did you go out with him just to piss me off?”
She looked away, but not before he noticed a smile flicker over her lips.
A wave of excitement shot through him, making him smile. “So you did?”
“I did no such thing.” Starling’s voice was flecked with laughter. “I told you, I went out with him because I made a deal. I’m nothing if not good to my word.”
She couldn’t have been more wrong. She had so much to give. Starling was smart, stubborn, headstrong, and unarguably one of the sexiest women he had ever had the chance to work with. Yet, he couldn’t tell her what he really thought. They were already crossing the line between a professional relationship and something more; he didn’t need to push things any further.
“You never told me what you found in the vault.”
“The books weren’t there,” Starling said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
“But?”
“But what?” she asked, clearly avoiding his question.
“There was something else in the box, wasn’t there?”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a black feather. “There was only this. I think it was a threat. I think the Catharterians may have taken the books and left me this.” She spun the feather around. “They know my weakness. They know that if they pull one of my hairs, or take a feather when I shape-shift, I can be killed.”
“Son of a bitch.” Jasper took the feather and turned it in his fingers. The feather was so black and rich that it reminded him of Starling’s long hair. He ran his finger down the barbs, letting them come apart under his touch. “When you were inside I got a call. The Sisterhood. Apparently, they think we’re in a Catharterian hot bed.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Ariadne said they have reason to believe that Savannah is the headquarters of their leadership. Before they get to you again, we need to get these books and get out.”
“If we leave, would we go back to Vegas?”
“Trina and Kaden have gone into hiding. I think that would be a good idea for you, too.”
“You really want me to go into hiding?” Starling sat up straighter, readying herself for a fight.
“I just want to keep you safe. You know that. If that means that you have to go to Vegas, or Crete, or wherever, so be it. I just can’t have you getting hurt.”
Her shoulder drooped and she slumped in the seat. “Let’s just worry about getting the books. Once we do, I promise I’ll do whatever or go wherever you want.”
Her reaction surprised him. She’d fought him every step of the way, and now she was resigning herself to the fact that she would be tucked away from the world until the Sisterhood’s enemies were under control. It seemed so unlike her.
The car pulled to a stop at the north end of a large tree-filled park, and Starling hopped out onto the curb.
“Wait here,” Jasper said to the cabby.
He followed Starling as she strode down the sidewalk toward a fenced large, white, Parisian-style fountain that sat at the center of the north end. A statue of a classic woman was perched at the top. She held her dress at her knee, but the iron skirt flowed as if a light breeze could flex the metal in which she was cast. The woman held a staff in her hand, in a way reminding him of the frescoes he had seen of Epione when he’d been in Crete with Ariadne.
Starling walked around the fountain, running her fingers over the black fence that surrounded it. After making a full circle, she sat down on a waiting bench. She dropped her head into her hands.
“What’s wrong?”
“The books aren’t here.” Her shoulders trembled. “I’m never going to find them. I’m never going to be able to stop the voices or protect
“No. I really didn’t tell anyone.”
Starling nodded.
“I’m glad you weren’t really into Devon,” Jasper said, trying to find anything to say that could keep her talking to him. “Tell me the truth. Did you go out with him just to piss me off?”
She looked away, but not before he noticed a smile flicker over her lips.
A wave of excitement shot through him, making him smile. “So you did?”
“I did no such thing.” Starling’s voice was flecked with laughter. “I told you, I went out with him because I made a deal. I’m nothing if not good to my word.”
She couldn’t have been more wrong. She had so much to give. Starling was smart, stubborn, headstrong, and unarguably one of the sexiest women he had ever had the chance to work with. Yet, he couldn’t tell her what he really thought. They were already crossing the line between a professional relationship and something more; he didn’t need to push things any further.
“You never told me what you found in the vault.”
“The books weren’t there,” Starling said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
“But?”
“But what?” she asked, clearly avoiding his question.
“There was something else in the box, wasn’t there?”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a black feather. “There was only this. I think it was a threat. I think the Catharterians may have taken the books and left me this.” She spun the feather around. “They know my weakness. They know that if they pull one of my hairs, or take a feather when I shape-shift, I can be killed.”
“Son of a bitch.” Jasper took the feather and turned it in his fingers. The feather was so black and rich that it reminded him of Starling’s long hair. He ran his finger down the barbs, letting them come apart under his touch. “When you were inside I got a call. The Sisterhood. Apparently, they think we’re in a Catharterian hot bed.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Ariadne said they have reason to believe that Savannah is the headquarters of their leadership. Before they get to you again, we need to get these books and get out.”
“If we leave, would we go back to Vegas?”
“Trina and Kaden have gone into hiding. I think that would be a good idea for you, too.”
“You really want me to go into hiding?” Starling sat up straighter, readying herself for a fight.
“I just want to keep you safe. You know that. If that means that you have to go to Vegas, or Crete, or wherever, so be it. I just can’t have you getting hurt.”
Her shoulder drooped and she slumped in the seat. “Let’s just worry about getting the books. Once we do, I promise I’ll do whatever or go wherever you want.”
Her reaction surprised him. She’d fought him every step of the way, and now she was resigning herself to the fact that she would be tucked away from the world until the Sisterhood’s enemies were under control. It seemed so unlike her.
The car pulled to a stop at the north end of a large tree-filled park, and Starling hopped out onto the curb.
“Wait here,” Jasper said to the cabby.
He followed Starling as she strode down the sidewalk toward a fenced large, white, Parisian-style fountain that sat at the center of the north end. A statue of a classic woman was perched at the top. She held her dress at her knee, but the iron skirt flowed as if a light breeze could flex the metal in which she was cast. The woman held a staff in her hand, in a way reminding him of the frescoes he had seen of Epione when he’d been in Crete with Ariadne.
Starling walked around the fountain, running her fingers over the black fence that surrounded it. After making a full circle, she sat down on a waiting bench. She dropped her head into her hands.
“What’s wrong?”
“The books aren’t here.” Her shoulders trembled. “I’m never going to find them. I’m never going to be able to stop the voices or protect
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