I have hardly felt more uncomfortable in all the years of my existence. Layla stared me down while I found myself looking forward to the partner switch.
"What is it you want to discuss?" I calmly asked in the end.
"Well, there's... I don't know, the fact that the man who shows up only in my nightmares came to my debut. It doesn't exactly feel like a good omen, Magnus."
I swirled her around and then returned her back to my arms, all in tune with the music.
"I must agree," I said "it is quite odd."
I couldn't tell if she was joking or being serious. Joshua had completely ruined my ability to judge sincerity.
"Plus the countdown," she pressed "we both see it."
I briefly turned to Joshua's target, if he hadn't mentioned it I wouldn't have noticed anything off about the man but he was correct. I could see the tell tale signs of anxiety. The constant twitching, the way he turned to look around and the glances he stole at Marticc.
"Yes,that is strange as well." I said absent mindedly.
"So why are you here." Layla asked, her voice breaking through my chain of thoughts. I had missed the que for her swirl and before I could protest I found myself being swirled instead. The indignity.
"You're not paying attention." She chided.
"Of course I am."
"Then tell me why you are here?"
"Why I'm here?" The question was incredulous. They had invited us, me and Joshua to their debut.
I find it very convenient," she whispered. "You show up at the club I've been hiding in every Wednesday for months, and then you end up at my debut. You know who I am. You've known from the start."
I shuffled uneasily. This girl was way smarter than I had anticipated. All the billionaire heiress I had run into have all been dense materialistic idiots.
"We've both had the same dreams, Layla. You're forgetting that."
"No," she corrected "I don't know what your dream is...you haven't told me."
And for some reason I could not bring myself to tell her, I didn't know why but I felt like by doing so I was protecting her. Maybe if I didn't say anything, I wouldn't have to watch the world end...just maybe.
Then there was also the lack of aura, I could detect nothing off of her. She felt like a mortal, but that was logically impossible, her brother and father were clearly divine, and she was the spark, whatever that was supposed to mean.
"It's complicated."
"Complicated?" She asked in surprise, her hand tightening around my coat, forcing mine to hold harder around her waist. "is it in someway more complicated than me seeing you white haired and frozen. Or more com..."
The fiddler's song flowed to a slow end and was followed by a burst of thunderous applause.
"Whooooooo!!" Joshua's voice cut through the loudest.
"I told you I was going to find out what was going on." I said while letting go of her.
She sneered, "Magnus sterling and Joshua sterling. You think you're so smart."
I turned to her. People had begun to mill around and Marticc made his way to the middle of the hall for his speech.
"My father had pictures of you in his office. Whatever it is you think you're doing, he's been expecting you."
I froze, my hand shook. Her words hit harder than a sledge hammer. Luis asking us who we were? He already knew? But that made no sense. Gods.
Marticc smiled as a staff handed him a microphone. "I believe everyone's worked up an appetite after all that dancing."
The crowd laughed the sophiscated laughter of the rich and wealthy.
"Thank you for your piece Enzo." He said to the fiddlist and offered a slight bow in respect.
"Now the tables..."
Magnus!! Joshua's voice broke into my head frantically. For the first time in years I was grateful for his mental intrusion.
Joshua it's all...
The man's trying to escape. Joshua continued frantically. I'm trailing him outside the building. Get here now.
Joshua that can wait....
Magnus there's no time to argue. He's getting into his car, get here now!
I groaned in frustration. Layla was staring straight ahead, her eyes on father. "So do you have anything to say?"
I nodded, "I am leaving."
****
Joshua was already seated in the driver's seat when I got down to the Fenris, it's engine already roaring impatiently.
"Took you long enough!" He yelled from behind the glass. "Get in, he's getting away."
I had hardly closed the door behind me when the car surged forward, speeding through the night.
In the back of my mind the countdown down was ticking away, ominous as ever. My heart still palpitating abnormally, the weight of the information I had gotten today were more than even I could handle.
A hundred questions barraged my head. If Marticc had expected us, did that mean he was the voice from the dreams, from my visions?
No it didn't make any sense. His daughter was doomed to die as well...why would he...
"That's why we follow him." Joshua calmly said. I turned to him, confused and then it hit me.
Shit, I had forgotten to put up a mental block.
"I can still hear you." He announced.
"Fine!" I snapped and then in a cooler voice "what do you think we should do?" I asked, staring at the fleeting trees outside the window. As usual the world just had to be beautiful when everything else was falling apart.
"For one, I don't know what this countdown is," Joshua said, his playfulness completely gone. "But you're upset over it, and Layla, and how it all ties to these dreams. I'll give you time to explain that when you're ready. But if there's a truth behind whatever is plaguing you, who do you think is a better source? Marticc Altican... or a poor mortal we can break?"