“Alone?” Daniel said, one hand in his pocket, the other absently patting his lab coat to find his glasses in a front breast pocket. “You really expect me to believe that?”
Trisk’s eyes were averted from Daniel. She hadn’t seen Kal yet, either, his steps soft on the marble floor. He felt as if he were dancing. How dare she try to con me. He would hurt her, and hurt her bad. “I don’t care if you believe it or not,” she said. “Daniel, I have to go.”
“I’m not blind, or a fool,” Daniel said, his voice hushed but intent as he pointed his glasses at her. “If you leave with Kal, he will use you!”
She took another step back, her eyes pinched with heartache. “I have to go. Daniel, I’m sorry.” But she froze when her attention flicked past Daniel and found Kal. Slowly she lost her hunch, shoulders dropping as the mask fell back into place.
Excitement spilled through him at the lost look she hid. She was his. “Daniel!” he called out, pretending ignorance. “Congratulations! Rick asked me to come up and help you calculate a drop. How exciting for you.”
Trisk’s brow smoothed as she made room for him before the elevator, her smile looking real as she adjusted Kal’s tie. How far, little whore, will you go in your lies? “Morning, Trisk,” he said, breathing deep to look for the scent of Quen on her. There was nothing but the tang of cinnamon and wine, another tell that she’d been spelling. “Have a nice night?”
“A little stressful, but okay,” she said softly. “I have to talk to you. Do you have a sec?”
“Rick asked me to come up, but sure.” She had a demon mark on her somewhere. He could sense a shadow of smut in her aura. My little demon summoner. What did Daniel see?
Daniel jabbed the call button again, his jaw clenched and his neck red.
“Mmmm. I wanted to ask you if you liked that wine we had at lunch yesterday,” Kal said, smoothly taking the orchid from his lapel and handing it to her. “Bergen says he can get us a case for half price if we want it.”
“Ooooh, that would be nice,” she said as the elevator opened and Daniel took two steps into it, extending a long arm to hold the door for them. “But do you think we can get through an entire case before we leave?” she asked, waiting until Kal rocked forward and they entered the elevator together. “The last thing I need is more stuff to move.”
Her hand was cold, and he brought her fingers to his lips and gave them a kiss, thrilling when, for the first time, she didn’t pull away. “Maybe I can convince him to sell us half a crate,” he said as the doors shut. “I told Rick I’d help Daniel prep his drop. It might take two weeks.” He turned to Daniel. “How much mother virus do you think you’ll need to expend?”
“Enough,” Daniel said, and Trisk’s head dropped, a slim finger tracing the outlines of the orchid he’d given her. “It grows fast in the lab. Unless they want to infect the entire city, we can have whatever we need by Friday.”
“Half a case it is.” Kal beamed, confidence buoying him up.
The doors opened, and Daniel held them, waiting for Trisk to get out first.
“I’m on my way down to talk to Angie, actually,” Trisk said as she hit a lower button. “I only rode up to talk to Kal.”
“I have to go down to the labs to get something for the meeting,” Kal said, hitting a second button. Orchid was hungry. She came first. “Tell Rick I’ll be right there.”
Daniel stepped out, motions stiff. “Will do. I’ll see you in a few, then.”
Kal watched the pain cross Trisk’s face as Daniel turned and paced quickly down the white and glass hall. She liked him, liked him enough to sell a part of her soul to keep him alive when he saw something he shouldn’t, and now she was forced to leave lest she trigger it back into his memory. What did he see, Trisk? Did you do something you shouldn’t have?
As if pulled by his thoughts, she turned to him, the pain hidden. “Thanks for the flower,” she said, eyes fixed on it. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re welcome.” The lift slowly descended, and his thoughts spun. She was hurting and vulnerable, unable to stay and forced to make good on her promise to go to Kennedy with her research. He’d make sure she got there with no credibility. All that funding would go to him and his safer, more viable research.
It’s going to be an interesting end to the week, he thought, glancing at the numbers counting down. “Trisk,” he said suddenly, taking her cold hands in his, “I can tell you’re unhappy.” He shook his head for her to be quiet when she took a breath to protest. “It must be hard to leave,” he insisted, giving her fingers a squeeze. “You’ve made a place for yourself. You’re respected. Your voice is heard. But I’m giving you the chance to push your research into the fast track. You can make a real difference. I promise,” he said, almost believing the lie himself. “Just give it a chance, okay?”