Лорел Гамильтон - Dead Ice

Nicky, Nathaniel, and I walked three abreast with Dino bringing up the rear. He said in a voice that was a little winded, because cardio was never his strong suit, “What’s with these stairs?”

I glanced back at him, forcing Nathaniel to pause as we stepped down. Nicky and I weren’t holding hands on the stairs, because our height difference or maybe inseam difference made the stairs harder.

He took the opportunity to stop walking, which may have been why he said something at all. “I thought at first the steps were carved by someone who was taller, had a really long stride, you know.”

We all nodded at him.

“But it’s not that, is it?”

“No,” I said.

“It’s like the stairs weren’t made to fit anyone’s stride.”

“I think maybe that’s part of the point,” Nathaniel said.

“What do you mean?” Dino asked, leaning against the wall just a little.

“It’s more of a challenge to go up and down them, because there’s no natural rhythm to the steps.”

“So it’s even more of a deterrent to try to break into the underground,” I said.

He nodded.

“Have you tried coming down the steps in leopard form?” Nicky asked.

Nathaniel shook his head.

“I’ve done it in lion form and the steps work better.”

“What does that mean?” Dino asked.

“I think whoever made the steps didn’t make them for anything bipedal.”

“Bipedal,” Dino said. “Bipedal? Who uses that as a word?”

“It means exactly what I wanted to say,” Nicky said.

Dino was looking at him with a puzzled frown.

“Or did you just think I wasn’t smart enough to know the word?”

“No, that, no, I mean . . . it’s just a little, I don’t know, college professor for . . .”

“Me,” Nicky said.

“No, just no.” Dino was shaking his head as he pushed away from the wall.

“Does everyone think I’m not that bright?”

“I did not say that.” Dino was nervous.

“You worried that Nicky will hold a grudge next time on the practice mat?” I asked.

“Maybe.”

Nicky grinned and started walking again. “Let’s do double time down the rest of the steps.”

“Aww, don’t be like that,” Dino said.

Nathaniel and I grinned and followed Nicky down the steps like we were in the gym. There’d been a reason I kept my hiking shoes on and had the high heels in my bag along with the plastic-wrapped coveralls. There was always laundry to do after a zombie raising.

Dino called after us, “Come on, don’t do this.”

“Catch up, Dino,” Nicky called back.

He muttered something, but he started down the last long steps. The three of us were all waiting beside the last big door by the time he lumbered/ran down to us. “Hate you all,” he panted as he leaned against the wall.

“You really do need to hit the cardio harder, Dino,” Nicky said.

“I know.”

Nathaniel’s text tone went off and he checked it. “It’s Sin, he wants me to help him dress for the party tonight.”

I wondered if that was really what the message said, or if it was more like “Why is Anita looking at other tigers when I’m already here,” but I didn’t press. I’d have to deal with Cynric soon enough; I wasn’t jumping the gun early, and besides I had other things to worry about.

Watching one of our bodyguards pant that hard after coming down stairs that hadn’t winded the three of us, I decided that maybe I should talk to Claudia about Dino’s fitness level. He was great in a fight, but if he had to dash for cover or keep up with the other guards at a run, could he? Being in good shape wasn’t just for fitting into skinny jeans, if your job depended on you being in fighting shape. On a heavy bag Dino was one of the hardest-hitting we had, but I was going to need to have him sparring with the other guards, because speed counted when you were almost always fighting shapeshifters and vampires.

I looked at Nicky trying to decide if he’d teased Dino just to tease, or if he’d wanted me to see the problem. Dino was half bent over, still breathing hard. Was this a problem that affected Dino’s job? Nicky made eye contact with me and that was enough; he’d wanted me to see it, because a demonstration like this spoke louder than just bringing it up to me. I gave a small nod; Nicky gave one back and moved to the big dungeon-worthy door. He knocked hard twice. Short of serious explosives the door was proof against almost anything, so we’d taken to locking it and using it as the barrier it was supposed to be. But locked meant that there had to be guards always posted on the other side to let you in. We had the manpower for it, but I didn’t like the new security measure. It slowed things down, and that usually made me antsy.

There were already two guards at the head of the stairs, and more in a sort of hidden crow’s nest in the top of the warehouse building with a sniper rifle, and more up above circling through the permanent Circus tent, freak show, and carnival midway that was the public business of the Circus of the Damned. We had one or two bodyguards assigned to all our principals, and now we had two more guards tied up on the other side of the big door. Yes, we had the manpower, but when Fredo had come to me with the suggestion that we lock the door and put guards on it, I just hadn’t realized how much it would irritate me to be on the other side of the door so often.

There was an answering knock. Nicky stood closer to the door, putting his bare hand against the big lock with its huge keyhole, so the guard on the other side would catch his scent. It was clever as hell, but I was getting really tired of it, as the door finally pushed open, and Kelly Reeder held the door open for us. She was five-five to my five-three, but I’d seen what those extra inches of leg and arm could do on the practice mat when we all worked out. If everyone is equally trained, reach matters in hand-to-hand combat.

She’d put her long blond hair back in a high, tight braid, so that her face looked pale and unadorned, as if she were waiting to put on makeup. The black shoulder rig with its gun and extra ammo was almost invisible against the black-on-black T-shirt and jeans. She was wearing black boots like I wore to crime scenes. The unrelieved black that was the guards’ regular uniform was always severe against her pale yellow hair and paler blue eyes, but today her cheeks looked almost hollow; the muscles in her arms stood out, not like she’d done it on purpose, but as if she’d lost too much weight for her health.

Nathaniel gave me a quick kiss. “I’ll go help Sin get ready.”

I squeezed his hand and let him go, because there was something wrong with Kelly. I’d take care of the person in front of me, and save the rest for later.

“You okay, Kelly?” I asked, because somehow in the division of labor I’d ended up in charge of the emotional well-being of our guards. I wasn’t always good at it, but I was girl enough to ask if something was wrong, when most of the men wouldn’t ask unless invited. It was a girl/guy difference that had saddled me with the emotional caretaking, but I just couldn’t walk past Kelly looking like that and not ask. Maybe I was better socialized than I liked to admit.

“I’m fine,” she said, but it was automatic and totally not believable. She held the door for us, but when she’d shut and locked it behind us, she went down on one knee in front of us, head slightly down, but eyes rolled upward so she could still see us.

I started to say What are you doing? but she said, “I kneel before my king, my Rex, and offer all that I am for him to do with as he sees fit.”

I just stared at her and I knew my surprise showed on my face, but I couldn’t hide it in time. This was brand-new to me. What the hell was going on?