Simply Irresistible Part 23

Vivian headed for the back of the restaurant, avoiding the crowd that had gathered at the elderly woman's table, and pushed her way into the kitchen.

Steam rose from several pots on the stove. A young man in a chef's uniform made salads, and a woman in white was rolling pastry dough on the table's steel surface. Ariel was loading full lunch plates on another tray.

Dex was nowhere to be seen. But Blackstone looked like he was ready to rip someone's head off.

"What the h.e.l.l was that?" he asked Vivian.

"How'm I supposed to know?"

"No wonder the Fates gave him a warning. I would have--"

"Excuse me." Dex stood in the hallway, his face bright red. "I think you meant that question for me."

Vivian's heart leapt. She was relieved to see him, although she wasn't sure why. She hadn't thought he was in danger, but she had been worried about him--and slightly worried that he wouldn't return or, at least, return to her.

Everyone in the kitchen looked at him in surprise. A few patrons poked their heads through the swinging door, apparently thinking that Vivian's entrance gave them permission to come in too.

Dex's sheepish gaze met Vivian's, and she felt his embarra.s.sment as if it were her own. He hadn't checked his location, apparently, before doing the spell. Not that she understood what that meant But he was letting her know this as an explanation, a way of telling her why he had screwed up.

'It's okay', she sent him, and he gave her a smile so small she wondered if anyone else could see it.

"Into my office, now," Blackstone said, pointing down the hallway where Dex was standing. "You too, Ariel. Marcel, tell Nora to join us when she gets off the phone."

"'Oui'," said the chef, who had been watching everything from a place near the ovens.

Blackstone put a hand against Vivian's back and actually shoved her forward. She hurried ahead of him to move away from his touch. Dex walked in front of her, then pulled open the last door on the right.

Andrew Van was inside, going through receipts, adding them up on an old-fashioned adding machine. Without looking up, he said, "Buckingham Palace?"

"Everyone worries about the non sequitur and then forgets the details about the guy who vanished," Dex said, stepping inside.

"If you say so." Van moved a pile of receipts into a basket and then stood.

The office was small and narrow. Two large desks were crammed into it, b.u.mping up against each other to form an 'L'. On one desk, a computer hummed. A screen saver spelled the word 'Quixotic' one gothic letter at a time.

A single chair on casters swung between both desks. Above them were flyers and notices, some from the government and the state about inspections and employee notices. A single poster, announcing Quixotic's opening, was framed on the only remaining wall s.p.a.ce, and beside it, was a tiny article from the 'New York Times', calling Quixotic the Best of the West.

Vari went all the way to the filing cabinets in the back. Dex followed him, and Vivian remained by his side. Blackstone held the door for Ariel, who mentioned that someone had to take her tables. He told her not to worry. Then he pulled the door closed.

"I don't appreciate careless magic in my restaurant," Blackstone said to Dex.

"I covered," Dex said.

"And repeated the sin," Blackstone said. "The least you could have done was walk into the back."

"And have everyone know where I was?" Dex asked. "Did you see all the reporters out there?"

"I warned you that would happen," Vari said.

"You said all the publicity would be good," Blackstone snapped.

"It probably will be," Ariel said. "Fortunately this happened at the same time as the building fiasco. Everyone'll think this is all related."

"And being caused by me," Blackstone said.

The door opened, and Nora stepped inside. She grinned at Dex. "Quite an entrance."

"Your husband doesn't think so," Dex said.

"Do you know the kind of problems he just caused?" Blackstone asked.

"None," Nora said. "I was talking on my cell when it happened, and people got all excited--"

"We noticed," Ariel said dryly.

"--and by the time I'd hung up, I heard that a man tried to take some lady's purse, that her lunch companion made a pa.s.s and she tossed him out of his chair, and that some local actor was taking advantage of the morning's strange events to build himself a career. Nice going. You really confused them with that Buckingham Palace comment--"

"Enough," Blackstone said.

But Vivian felt Dex tense beside her. "No," he said to Blackstone. "Not enough. I told you that ploy worked."

"You only know it because you're careless with your magic in public," Blackstone said.

"At least I don't use mine to improve people's meals or to change the decor. Yes, I've heard all the strange stories about Quixotic. Who hasn't, over the years?"

"Boys," Nora said. "No need to fight."

But Dex wasn't going to stop, even if Vivian asked him to. And she wasn't sure she wanted to.

"Why shouldn't we fight?" Dex asked Nora. "It's clear your husband doesn't like or trust me."

Blackstone made a sputtering sound, but Dex wasn't through. He glared at Blackstone. "You must be happy I have the Fates. That way if something happens to them--and you're not sure that would be a bad thing--then you won't get blamed for it."

Blackstone straightened, as if making himself taller also made him seem more powerful. "I've been trying to help them."

"By talking, dithering, and running your restaurant," Dex said. "Only Vivian and I have taken the risks here."

"That's not fair," Ariel said.

"Fair doesn't matter," Dex said. "Truth does. You people aren't sure how you feel about the Fates, so you haven't been working hard to save them. Well, I bought us a month. And I'm going to do what I can, with or without you."

Vivian had the odd feeling that he was including her in that challenge. She touched his arm. 'I'm going to help'.

'I know, babe.'

The easy communication between them, the telepathic communication, startled her. Especially since she knew she wasn't getting all his thoughts, just most of his emotions and the occasional idea that he sent her way.

"We're going to help you," Blackstone said.

Dex turned toward him as if he'd forgotten Black-stone was there. "By doing what? Feeding every reporter in the Northwest? That's helpful."

"There's no need to be snide," Blackstone said.

"Nor is there a need to be overbearing. If you want to help, fine. Figure out who's after the Fates and let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to take care of this, with Vivian's help."

Vivian nodded so that the others knew she agreed.

"Look," Blackstone said, "we didn't mean to--"

"Let him be, Aethelstan," Nora said. "He's right. We haven't done much. He and Vivian have done it all."

Blackstone looked down at his wife, then his shoulders slumped as he seemed to realize she was right.

"If you're going to take Vivian far away from here," Vari said from his perch beside Dex, "and, I might add, I think that's a good idea, you probably should know she was targeted."

Vivian's hand went involuntarily to her neck. The singed hairs were brittle, and a few of them broke as she touched them.

"Targeted?" Dex asked her softly.

"That's what"--she wasn't sure what to call Vari, since he had so many names--"he said. He did something, and my neck felt better afterward."

"I shorted out the spell," Vari said. "Someone used her signature from the gla.s.s jar, traced her, and used her to keep an eye on the Fates."

That wasn't exactly what he said before. Vivian felt her stomach twist. "I was bugged?"

"Essentially, kiddo. But you're all right now."

"You're sure?" Dex sounded breathless, and Vivian could feel his concern for her. "You're sure she's not hurt?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Vari gave him a patient smile. "And no, I couldn't figure out who left the trace. That's one powerful mage we're up against."

Dex's gaze met Vari's. Vivian could feel Dex measuring the other man. "And that's why you think we should continue to work together."

"Didn't say that." Vari leaned against the filing cabinets.

"You didn't have to," Dex said.

Vari shrugged. "We're stronger together."

"If we all have the same goals." Dex gave Black-stone a look.

Blackstone raised his hands, palms extended to Dex as if he were giving up. "I don't understand why I'm the villain here."

"I think Dex is as used to running the show as you are." Ariel had scooted herself on top of one of the desks. She was sitting cross-legged.

Her remark struck something. Vivian felt Dex's irritation rise before he buried it.

"I'm used to working alone," Dex said. "I think it's better if I go back to that. If you find something, great. If you don't, that's all right too. But I'm going to make sure those women are all right."

"Always the hero," Blackstone muttered, and Nora slapped his arm with the back of her hand. He caught her fingers in his. "Well, I'm just calling what I see. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's hard to shed."

"Remember Robin Hood?" Vari asked.

"Who could forget?" Blackstone said. "And you had the same trouble with Arthur, right?"

Dex was getting angry. Or maybe Vivian was. She suddenly couldn't separate their emotions at all.

"I may be younger than you are," Dex said, "but I'm old enough to handle this. And I don't appreciate being made fun of."

"We're not making fun of you," Vari said. "It's more like a warning. You can't always ride to the rescue, Kimosabe. Sometimes the forces of evil are more powerful than the forces of good."

Dex stared at all of them, then reached out to Vivian. She took the hand he offered, and that spark rose between them again.

"If I had a team I trusted," Dex said to the others, "then I would work with them. But it's becoming very clear that this group doesn't work well together. Do what you want to. If you want to help the Fates, you'll have to come through me, because I'm not telling any of you where they are."

"This just caught us by surprise," Nora said. "We're not that bad a group--"

"You're probably not," Dex said. "But stuff like this always catches people by surprise, and their initial actions are usually the truest ones. I don't blame any of you for having mixed emotions about the Fates. h.e.l.l, I do, and they never punished me. They only threatened to. So I do understand. But because you are uncertain how you feel about them, I'm uncertain about you. I've made my decision. So has Viv, who has no experience with the Fates at all, and who has gotten roped into this whole thing against her will. Right now, she's the only other person I trust."

Blackstone studied both of them. Vivian could feel his emotions suddenly, as if they had grown stronger. He was embarra.s.sed and slightly angry, as if Dex had struck a chord.

"You have a point," Blackstone said.

"We'll do what we can," Vari said, his tone soft.

He seemed contrite and understanding. Vivian was really beginning to like him.

"If you come up with anything," Dex said, "leave a message at my store. Ariel knows where it is."

"I do?" Ariel asked.

"The ba.s.set hound puppy, remember?" Dex asked. "How's he working out for your friend?"

"I'm the friend," Vari said. "He's my familiar. And he's great."

Dex nodded, and Vivian suppressed a smile. He had known the answer before he asked the question. He was just using the information to establish his own credentials with the group. He could be as subtle as Blackstone was when he wanted to be.

"Then you know how to find me," Dex said. "And as fun as this has been, it's time for me to leave. You want to come?"

He turned toward Vivian as he asked this last.

She nodded. She wanted to stay with Dex and figure out how to help the Fates. Even if the Fates were all right, Vivian would have wanted to go with Dex.

She was having trouble imagining herself without him in her life.

"I'm ready," she said, and took his hand.

He glared at the group as he swung his arm. Together, he and Vivian disappeared.