Fate Forsaken by Chauntelle Baughman Page B

with you.”
    “Where you going?” Preshea asked.
    “To see my friend here in Paris. The one who may be able to help with Rho’s mark.”
    Rho shook her head. “I told him I’ll be fine.”
    Eldon arched a dark brow. “Consider this preventative maintenance.”
    “We don’t need to drag more people into this.” Rho hated the idea of exposing anyone to the death mark. Eldon told her it wasn’t communicable, but still. She felt guilty subjecting anyone more than absolutely necessary.
    “She’s the best chance we’ve got.” Eldon lifted his mug from the table and brought it to his lips. “You have to try.”
    Rho heaved a sigh and gave up. “Fine. Whatever.”
    “Oh, before I forget.” Tim reached into both of his pockets before dropping four cell phones on the table. “Lukas hooked us up. No roaming charges on these bad boys.”
    “I really owe that guy,” Eldon said as he eyed the merchandise.
    Tim nodded. “Yeah, you do.”
    Rho plucked a phone off the table and slipped it into her pocket. “Sun’s down. Time to go.”
    They’d waited for the darkness on purpose. The team knew Eldon’s spell had been successful, but no one outside of this flat needed to know about it. They couldn’t afford to run down Eldon’s energy, either. At the rate things had been going, they never knew when they were going to need it.
    Rho meandered into the kitchen and dropped her mug in the sink then strolled over to the couch and pulled on her wool trench coat, the warmest thing she owned. With a quick twist, she drew on her scarf and pushed the loose knot beneath her chin.
    “We’ll meet you at the Sacré Coeur once we’re done. It shouldn’t take all night.” Rho gave Eldon a questioning glance, and he nodded.
    Preshea joined her near the couch and snagged her jacket from beneath the pile. “Call us if you change plans.”
    “Will do,” Rho said.
    After a few more minutes of bundling and gearing up, all four of them headed out of the flat and down the five flights of stairs. The streets were still bustling with people, the antique street lamps illuminating the cobblestone paths. Tim and Preshea waved as they took off in the opposite direction, heading up the sloping street and toward a massive hill.
    Rho glanced around and tried to remember where she’d seen the sign for the metro.
    “This way,” Eldon said, tugging gently on her elbow to steer her away.
    She followed him but didn’t say anything. This district was old and farther from the center of town but had its own special quality. She smiled and breathed in the city air then jammed her hands into the pockets of her trench.
    Time to see a lady about a death mark.

Chapter Nine

    T hey emerged from the metro and into the cool night air, but the temperature barely registered with Eldon. He felt like a boulder had been dropped in his gut. The train ride to Trinador’s town had been a long one, and the trek to her house would be even longer.
    Trinador lived in a quaint stone cottage outside of the big city. They stepped off the sidewalk and onto the grass, and Rho arched a brow at him.
    “She lives off the beaten path.” He clenched her hand in his and paced through the grass, fighting the urge to release his hold. It wasn’t that he was ashamed to be with Rho. Not at all. He could give a shit less about what people thought.
    But he hadn’t seen Trinador in years. And he hadn’t exactly told her he was coming.
    He wasn’t proud of himself for dropping in on her like this. Things hadn’t ended well between them. Yet he knew instinctively this was the only way she’d ever see him. No way could he just arrange a simple meeting.
    They trudged down the pitch-black, grassy path to Trinador’s house in silence. For no reason in particular, he hadn’t told Rho about his relationship with the emulator, but the tension emanating from her now made him wonder if she didn’t already know.
    Or maybe she was nervous because she’d been saddled with his death