CHAPTER 13 

 Carter picked up a book and leafed through it lazily. His stringy blond hair had been stuffed under a backward baseball cap, and his flannel shirt appeared to have seen better days.

 "Looking for altar supplies?" he asked me without glancing up. "Or maybe here to brush up on your astrology?"

 "It's none of your business why I'm here," I snapped back, too flustered at the sight of him to think of anything funny or even plausible.

 The gray eyes looked up. "Does Jerome know you're here?"

 "It's not his business either. Why? Are you going to tattle on me?"

 My words came out boldly, though part of me kept thinking if Carter really was the one behind the attacks, I'd have a lot more to worry about than Jerome's wrath.

 "Maybe." He closed the book, holding it between his palms. "Of course, I suspect the long-term entertainment value will be greater for me if I just keep quiet and let your schemes proceed uninterrupted."

 "I don't know what 'schemes' you're talking about. Can't a girl go shopping without getting the third degree? You don't hear me grilling you about why you're here."

 The truth was, I burned to know what he was doing. It didn't surprise me that he knew Erik—we all did—but finding him here in light of everything that had happened lately only furthered my suspicions.

 "Me?" He held up the book he'd been glancing through. Teach Yourself Witchcraft in 30 Days or Less. "I need to make up for lost time."

 "Cute," I acknowledged.

 "Commendation from a master. I'm honored. Have I given you sufficient time to come up with an equally cute alibi?" He set the book down.

 "Miss Kincaid." Erik shuffled into the room before I could answer. "I'm so pleased to see you. My friend just dropped off the earrings you asked for."

 I stared, momentarily puzzled, and then I remembered the pearl necklace, as well as the earrings I'd offhandedly requested.

 "I'm glad he was able to do it so quickly."

 "Nice recovery," conceded Carter in an undertone.

 I ignored him.

 Erik opened a small box for me, and I peered inside. Three tiny strands of freshwater pearls, just like the ones from the necklace, dangled from the delicate copper wires of each earring.

 "They're beautiful," I told him. I meant it. "Thank your friend. I have a dress these will look great with."

 "That must be a relief," noted Carter, watching Erik ring the earrings up at the counter. "Proper accessories, I mean. Cody tells me you're doing a lot of dating these days. I don't suppose you read the book I sent you."

 I slid my credit card over to Erik. Cody had seen my male entourage at the dance lesson, but I'd only told him about my subsequent date with Roman yesterday.

 "When did you talk to Cody?"

 "Last night."

 "Funny, so did I. And here you are today. Are you following me around?"

 Carter's eyes danced merrily. "I was here first. Maybe you're following me around. Maybe you're starting to get into this dating thing and want to find a cunning way to come on to me."

 I signed the credit card slip and handed it back to a quiet, listening Erik. "Sorry. I like my men to have a bit more life in them."

 Carter chuckled quietly at my joke. Sex with other immortals gave me no energy payoff. "Georgina, sometimes I think you might be worth following around, just to hear what you'll say next."

 Erik looked up. If he felt discomfort at being in the crossfire of two immortals, he did not show it. "Then perhaps you'd like to join us for tea, Mr. Carter? You were going to stay, weren't you, Miss Kincaid?"

 I gave Erik one of my better smiles. "Yes, of course."

 "Mr. Carter?"

 "Thank you, but no. I've got things to do, and from the way I understand it, Georgina operates best one man at a time. It was nice seeing you as always, Erik. Thanks for chatting. As for you, Georgina... well, I'm sure I'll be seeing you very soon."

 Something in those words chilled me. It took every ounce of my resolve to sound calm as I called out to him. "Carter?"

 His hands touched the door. Pausing, he glanced back at me and arched an eyebrow in acknowledgment.

 "Does Jerome know you're here?"

 A slow, sly smile spread across the angel's face.

 "Are you going to tattle on me now, Georgina? And here I thought we were making such progress. Perhaps we should have drawn out the small talk a bit more. You could have asked me if the weather would change soon, I might have commented how pretty you looked today, etc., etc. You know how it goes."

 I blinked. His words this time invoked the note on my door.

 You are a beautiful woman, Georgina. Beautiful enough, I think, to even tempt angels into falling...

 Was he leaving me more clues? Toying with me in the way Cody had suggested? Or was I reading too much into this? Was he still just annoying Carter, bane of my existence, tormenting me like always? I honestly didn't know, but I still believed of all angels to be taking down evil immortals in the city, Carter had the most opportunity.

 "How pretty am I then?" My voice caught slightly. "Pretty enough to fall for?"

 The angel's lips twitched. "I knew you were coming on to me. See you later, Georgina, Erik." He opened the door and left.

 I stood there, watching his retreating figure. "What was he doing here?"

 Erik set a tray with two cups down on the small table. "Come now, Miss Kincaid. I keep your secrets. You can't expect me to do any less for him."

 "No, I suppose not."

 Nor, I thought as the old man went to get the teapot, did I want to risk endangering him by getting him caught up in immortal affairs. Well, at least caught up more than he already was.

 He returned shortly and poured for us. "I had just put this on before you came in. I'm glad you're here to share it."

 I tasted it. Another herbal blend. "What's this one called?"

 "Desire."

 "Fitting," I observed. Angels and conspiracies aside, I still hungered for Roman. "Did you find out anything?"

 "I'm afraid not. I asked around but learned nothing more about vampire hunters, nor did I get any indication of one in the area."

 "That doesn't surprise me." I sipped the tea. "I think something else is going on."

 He said nothing, prudent as ever.

 "I know you won't tell me why he was here, and I understand that..." I trailed off, determining how best to phrase my words. "But what do you... what do you think of him? Carter, that is. Has he done anything weird or seemed, I don't know, suspicious? Secretive?"

 Erik gave me a droll look. "Begging your pardon, but I have a number of customers—yourself inclusive—who fit that description."

 No doubt that was an understatement. "Well, then, I don't know. Do you trust him?"

 "Mr. Carter?" Surprise registered across his features. "I've known him longer than I have you. If any of those 'suspicious and secretive' customers can be trusted, he is certainly first among them. I'd place my life in his hands."

 No surprise there. If Carter could fool Jerome, he could surely fool a mortal as well.

 Shifting gears, I asked: "Do you know anything about fallen angels?"

 "I would think you are already familiar with that topic, Miss Kincaid."

 I wondered if he referred to the company I kept or the old myth that succubi were demons. For the record, we aren't.

 "Never ask a practitioner if you want to learn about a religion's history. Save those questions for outside scholars."

 "Very true." He smiled, thinking as he brought the cup to his lips. "Well. Surely you know that demons are angels who turned away from the divine will. They rebelled, or as it is commonly referred to, 'fell.' Lucifer is generally accredited as being the first, and others left with him."