Playing With Fire - Katie MacAlister [104]
‘‘I’ll say he was. Do you know that he was blackmailing my twin?’’
‘‘No, but it wouldn’t surprise me,’’ Savian said. He rubbed his chin for a moment. ‘‘That might explain some things.’’
‘‘What things? Were you investigating Porter himself?’’
His smile was as cheeky as ever. ‘‘Let’s just say that I was following up a sense of Porter being involved in something he shouldn’t have been.’’
‘‘Would you happen to know whom he was working for?’’
‘‘Alas, I hadn’t uncovered that,’’ he answered, his smile fading. ‘‘To be perfectly honest—something I normally try to avoid, but I’ll make an exception since I like you—I hadn’t found out much about what Porter was up to. He had something going on, and it was something big, but that’s all I could tell. Perhaps you have more information?’’
‘‘Perhaps, but like you, I prefer to play things close to the vest.’’
‘‘Now, now, I showed you my hand—the least you can do is show me yours,’’ he said with a cock of his eyebrow.
‘‘There’s really not much to my hand—he blackmailed me into trying to get something for him, but he didn’t tell me why he wanted it, or if it was for himself, or the dreadlord he said he worked for.’’
‘‘Dreadlord, hmm?’’ Savian chewed that over for a few minutes. ‘‘Interesting. Could be a demon lord, could be someone else.’’
‘‘Exactly. And now he’s dead, which means there’s someone else involved. But why kill him?’’
Savian shrugged again. ‘‘It would be foolish to speculate until we had some answers to our questions. And now, if you would not mind, perhaps you’d care to clarify how it is I found you with the not-at-all-lamented Mr. Porter?’’
‘‘Porter kidnapped Cyrene in order to get me to do something.’’
‘‘Ah.’’ His glance slid down to the dead man.
‘‘He was dead when we got here, and no, I don’t think Cyrene killed him. She couldn’t have.’’
‘‘That’s right, your twin is a naiad,’’ he said, nodding. ‘‘Although it is within the realm of possibility, I agree that it would be unlikely an elemental being such as she would harm a mortal . . . even one as reprehensible as Porter. It certainly is a puzzle.’’
We stood in silence for a moment before I was driven to say, ‘‘Gabriel isn’t going to let you take me into custody, you know.’’
‘‘I’m aware of that, yes,’’ he answered amiably.
‘‘Then why are you just standing here chitchatting with me while he races to get here?’’ I asked. ‘‘Shouldn’t you at least be making an attempt to try to capture me? Not that I want you to, but it’s making me curious.’’
‘‘Well, it’s like this,’’ he said, scratching the whiskery stubble on his chin. ‘‘When I first saw you here, I thought my luck had turned and I’d be able to bring you in myself. Although I will say I had a moment’s qualm about how I was going to get you to go peacefully. You’re not a pushover.’’
‘‘Thank you,’’ I said politely. ‘‘I’m also not the sort of woman who has to wait for a man to help her, although I’m not one to turn down the offer of help if it’s made.’’
‘‘I completely understand. Just as I understood that when you mentioned the wyvern was present in spirit form, my chances of convincing you to come along peaceably were pretty much nil. As were any ideas of forcing you.’’
‘‘Smart man.’’
‘‘I try,’’ he said with a wry twist to his lips. ‘‘The answer to your question is simply that I am hoping your scaly boyfriend will make it worth my while to not make trouble.’’
‘‘He’s not scaly, and if I’d known you could have been bought with something other than my body,’’ I said, musing on the sense of humor fate seemed to have when it concerned my life, ‘‘I would have bribed you in a more traditional manner.’’
‘‘But your way promised so much more fun,’’ he said with yet another of his wickedly sinful grins. ‘‘Are you sure—’’
‘‘Quite sure. Gabriel is . . .’’ I stopped for a moment, not sure how to put my tangled feelings into words. ‘‘He’s warm. And strong. And concerned about people. He’s very grounded, if you know what I mean—very much of this earth. I’m not elemental like Cyrene, but I am created from her, and to me, Gabriel feels right. He’s also very