He shifted his feet, almost as though his knees had buckled, just a little. His energy confirmed it by spiking wildly, but all he said was, “So you’re going after Galeran?”
I cursed. “That Satyr does not know how to keep his mouth shut.”
Haki grinned. “Want help?”
“What about Kala?”
His eyes flashed. “If she wasn’t pregnant, she would have come with me. Says you and I need to do this, together.”
“She does, does she.” I liked Kala. And Haki and I worked well together. “Galeran’s not someone to mess with.”
“She knows that. Rumors are he’s been responsible for some truly nasty crap. And he has your Bellati.”
I gritted my teeth. “He’s notmyBellati.”
“Jacques says—”
“Shards, I might just cut out that Satyr’s tongue,” I growled.
Haki motioned ahead. “Well, if we don’t get moving, you might not get your chance.”
I slid off the wall, and he strode beside me as we threaded our way through the alleys. Having him pace me through an underworld market—we’d done this so many times.
It was like coming home.
I wanted to ask him about the blacklisting. But I really didn’t want to know if I owed my life to Xumi. Even the possibility messed with my mind. We turned down a back alley, and a figure in a trench coat awaited us.
“Right on time,monsieurs,” the Satyr said approvingly.
“He’s going to cut out your tongue,” Haki warned.
Jacques took a step back. “Mon ami, whatever for?” He looked ready to bolt.
I cast a glare at Haki. “Never mind him.” I fished a page out from my pack. It listed a few dates and places, the results of my previous day’s pumping of informants. “Can you confirm these reports?”
Jacques glanced at them. “I’ll check my files, but these first three I can confirm right away. I was in that region of Karta realm yesterday. You think that’s Galeran? That area has been rife with civil conflict.”
I nodded. “Pretty sure. Fits his criteria.”
Jacques’s gaze sharpened. “Do you see a pattern? Because,mon ami, I have searched long and hard for such. He has eluded me every time.”
“I am confident there is a pattern. But I am still evaluating. He is highly intelligent. But I looked for anything odd a few days before the places were hit. They were in a virgin realm, as are these, so odd stood out.”
Jacques frowned. “Any particular kind of odd?”
“Strange happenings. Alien visits. Unexplained phenomena.”
The Satyr’s eyes widened at my list. “I will look into these for you. Same time, same place tomorrow?”
“No. I will be in Gartaka tomorrow. I need to check out some intel I just received. It might be his next hit.”
His bushy brows rose. “Yitar is a virgin realm, and Gartaka does not have a gate. Where do you next want to meet, and when?”
“Where is the closest gate?”
“Barabon, about four hours away by their vehicular transports. I can meet you there.”
“I can drive.” Haki offered.
