would not go down without a
fight.
Chapter
7
Bogota welcomed me with cold, gray arms. Dark
clouds scudded overhead, drowning the sunlight. The Obsidian Arch
at La Casona sat in the middle of a sprawling plaza in the center
of the city, seemingly in plain sight. At the back of the square
stood an ordinary wooden door, which—according to Bella—led into
the pocket dimension housing La Casona. Since Colombia was her
turf, she gave me a quick history lesson as we hustled from the
large circle of polished stone beneath the arch.
"Illusion hides this place from the noms, and
wards keep them from wandering too close," she said as we crossed
the plaza toward a group of waiting Templars.
"We're going into La Casona," Adam said,
taking Meghan's hand in his.
"I need some supplies," the Arcane healer
added. "We'll meet you at the compound in a couple of hours."
I noticed the way her face hardened every
time she looked at Shelton. I also noticed how Shelton kept a
healthy distance from Meghan. She'd told me Shelton's hands were
dirty when it came to the death of her father. That he'd had
dealings with Vadaemos Slade or someone close to him. Even though
Meghan had never made any outright threats, I had the feeling it
might be best to clear the air between the two just in case. Adam
tugged on Meghan's hand and they headed toward the entrance.
Shelton approached the minute Meghan and Adam
went through the door to La Casona. He regarded the area with wary
eyes. "I've got some contacts in the area. It's possible they'll be
able to help.
"Why do you look so uneasy?" I asked.
"Let's just say I haven't made many friends
in this part of the world."
Bella raised an eyebrow. "Really, Harry, you
didn't tell me that story."
He snorted. "It's a lot more than just one
story, darlin'."
"You'll meet us at the compound later?" she
asked. "I brought some board games along."
"No more board games," Shelton said, rolling
his eyes. "I have something more interesting in mind."
Bella pursed her lips. "Oh, really?" Her
voice took on an uncharacteristic sultry flavor. "Do tell."
"Poker."
"Unless it's strip poker, I'm not
interested," Bella said, crossing her arms.
Shelton's eyelids went wide, and his face
turned a shade of pink.
Elyssa snorted, and I gave Bella a
questioning look. Sometimes I had trouble figuring out if she was
being serious or not.
"What's wrong with strip poker between
consenting adults?" Bella said with a smirk. She tapped Shelton on
the nose. "Run along to your contacts, Harry. I'll see you back at the compound."
Shelton dug a finger under his collar and
tugged on it, as though it felt a bit tight. "Maybe I'll find
another place to stay."
Bella laughed. "Don't forget to layer your
clothes. I wouldn't want you to lose too quickly."
"Keep in touch," I told Shelton as he hurried
to leave. "And be careful."
He tipped his fedora at us and gave us a
lopsided grin, his eyes straying to Bella. "I'm always
careful."
As he headed for the entrance to La Casona, I
noticed Templar guards patrolling the perimeter, and turned to
Elyssa. "Didn't Felicia say Maximus used this arch to travel
recently?"
She nodded.
"How is that possible with all the
security?"
"I don't know." Her eyes latched onto
something to our left.
Following her gaze, I saw Commander Christian
Salazar, the Templar commander for Colombia, standing at ease, arms
folded behind his back, legs shoulder-width apart. Thomas Borathen
approached the other man and saluted then took Christian by the
elbow and guided him toward the exit while they conversed. I tried
to listen in with my super hearing, but the background thrum of the
arch as it wound down obliterated their words before they reached
my ears.
Salazar glanced back at me with narrowed eyes
and shook his head at Thomas. The other man crossed his arms and
gave him a withering gaze, but it didn't faze the Colombian. I
followed Bella through a long brick archway, and emerged inside a
fenced-in lot
fight.
Chapter
7
Bogota welcomed me with cold, gray arms. Dark
clouds scudded overhead, drowning the sunlight. The Obsidian Arch
at La Casona sat in the middle of a sprawling plaza in the center
of the city, seemingly in plain sight. At the back of the square
stood an ordinary wooden door, which—according to Bella—led into
the pocket dimension housing La Casona. Since Colombia was her
turf, she gave me a quick history lesson as we hustled from the
large circle of polished stone beneath the arch.
"Illusion hides this place from the noms, and
wards keep them from wandering too close," she said as we crossed
the plaza toward a group of waiting Templars.
"We're going into La Casona," Adam said,
taking Meghan's hand in his.
"I need some supplies," the Arcane healer
added. "We'll meet you at the compound in a couple of hours."
I noticed the way her face hardened every
time she looked at Shelton. I also noticed how Shelton kept a
healthy distance from Meghan. She'd told me Shelton's hands were
dirty when it came to the death of her father. That he'd had
dealings with Vadaemos Slade or someone close to him. Even though
Meghan had never made any outright threats, I had the feeling it
might be best to clear the air between the two just in case. Adam
tugged on Meghan's hand and they headed toward the entrance.
Shelton approached the minute Meghan and Adam
went through the door to La Casona. He regarded the area with wary
eyes. "I've got some contacts in the area. It's possible they'll be
able to help.
"Why do you look so uneasy?" I asked.
"Let's just say I haven't made many friends
in this part of the world."
Bella raised an eyebrow. "Really, Harry, you
didn't tell me that story."
He snorted. "It's a lot more than just one
story, darlin'."
"You'll meet us at the compound later?" she
asked. "I brought some board games along."
"No more board games," Shelton said, rolling
his eyes. "I have something more interesting in mind."
Bella pursed her lips. "Oh, really?" Her
voice took on an uncharacteristic sultry flavor. "Do tell."
"Poker."
"Unless it's strip poker, I'm not
interested," Bella said, crossing her arms.
Shelton's eyelids went wide, and his face
turned a shade of pink.
Elyssa snorted, and I gave Bella a
questioning look. Sometimes I had trouble figuring out if she was
being serious or not.
"What's wrong with strip poker between
consenting adults?" Bella said with a smirk. She tapped Shelton on
the nose. "Run along to your contacts, Harry. I'll see you back at the compound."
Shelton dug a finger under his collar and
tugged on it, as though it felt a bit tight. "Maybe I'll find
another place to stay."
Bella laughed. "Don't forget to layer your
clothes. I wouldn't want you to lose too quickly."
"Keep in touch," I told Shelton as he hurried
to leave. "And be careful."
He tipped his fedora at us and gave us a
lopsided grin, his eyes straying to Bella. "I'm always
careful."
As he headed for the entrance to La Casona, I
noticed Templar guards patrolling the perimeter, and turned to
Elyssa. "Didn't Felicia say Maximus used this arch to travel
recently?"
She nodded.
"How is that possible with all the
security?"
"I don't know." Her eyes latched onto
something to our left.
Following her gaze, I saw Commander Christian
Salazar, the Templar commander for Colombia, standing at ease, arms
folded behind his back, legs shoulder-width apart. Thomas Borathen
approached the other man and saluted then took Christian by the
elbow and guided him toward the exit while they conversed. I tried
to listen in with my super hearing, but the background thrum of the
arch as it wound down obliterated their words before they reached
my ears.
Salazar glanced back at me with narrowed eyes
and shook his head at Thomas. The other man crossed his arms and
gave him a withering gaze, but it didn't faze the Colombian. I
followed Bella through a long brick archway, and emerged inside a
fenced-in lot
Similar Books
