Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1)(128)
Author: Richelle Mead

“The file’s named after Virgil Donovan, the first prætorian to ever try to flee with an implant. He was caught, as were these other two. But the last two…” He scowled. “They fled to the provinces. If they’re ever found, they’ll be executed for treason and stealing military technology.”

“Have they been spotted in the provinces, sir?” She was surprised the RUNA wouldn’t have sent anyone to retrieve the traitor prætorians.

“No, but there’s really nowhere else they could be. If they were here, their identity chips would trigger a warrant.”

Mae stared at the ex-prætorians at large. One was a man, one was a woman. She recognized neither. “Counterfeit chips exist, sir.”

He nodded. “Yes, but they would only fool localized sensors. Any chip reader linked to the registry would immediately identify the fraudulent chip. And with the way the technology’s always updated, it would be nearly impossible to keep up maintenance on a counterfeit chip, even for localized readers. You’d need to either have a full-time technical genius on hand or become a recluse who never goes near a reader to avoid detection.”

“So they must be in the provinces,” she murmured in agreement. She glanced back at the pictures, focusing on the man, Alexander Srisai. He still didn’t look familiar.

Gan scrutinized her. “Are you sure you aren’t going to run out on me?”

She realized then what a suspicious question it was. “No, sir. Thank you for humoring me.”

It was noon when she was dismissed, later in the day than she’d intended. A look at train schedules told her she had time to make the trip she wanted, and after a quick call ahead, she soon found herself on a train to Portland. She reached Leo and Dominic’s house in the late afternoon. Leo opened the door, more comfortable around her than he’d initially been but still not looking entirely thrilled to see her.

“Is Dominic out?” she asked, glancing around as she entered.

“He’s at a wine-making seminar in California. It’s examining the way soil components interact with some of the newer Chardonnay hybrids.” There was a precision in the way he spoke that reminded her of the story he’d told her about how he’d met Dominic—the one Justin said was contrived.

“When’s he coming back?”

Leo looked wary. “Why?”

“Just curious. I just wanted to say hello.”

She made no mention of what had happened at the Morrigan’s temple, and after a few moments, Leo seemed to realize he was being hostile. He forcibly relaxed. “About a month. Be sure to tell Justin that. I’m sure he’ll have all sorts of witty commentary about how he hopes Dom’ll learn something.”

Mae smiled. “Maybe I should bring him back a bottle. It looks like we aren’t getting rid of each other any time soon.”

“Oh?” Leo gave her a searching look. “How do you feel about that?”

“That it’s my job.”

“Yeah, but it’s not exactly ideal for someone like you. I know how prætorians work.”

Yes, she thought. I’m sure you do.

“Prætorians do what they’re supposed to,” she said.

“They certainly do,” he said, a bit of bitterness in his voice.

After a little more small talk, Leo moved on to the reason she’d asked to come over today. If she’d learned anything about him, it was that his curiosity could trump a lot of his other more cautious feelings. Justin shared the same trait.

“So,” Leo said, ushering her into his lab. “I’m happy to run your blood. I just don’t get why you want me to do it.”

“Just a hunch,” she said.

The room looked completely chaotic, but Leo had no difficulty finding a box of new syringes among all the metal and glass. “It’s going to take a few hours to process,” he said once the blood was drawn. He suddenly looked very uncomfortable. “I’ll have to check on it occasionally…but if you want to, I don’t know…get something to eat…”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, saving him from entertaining her. “I have some work to do, and I wouldn’t mind taking a walk in your fields. I’ll check back later.”

In truth, Mae had no work to do. There was a call she wanted to make, but she couldn’t do it yet and wanted to be in her own home for it anyway. She’d been telling the truth about the fields and set off into them, admiring the neat rows of grapes that were starting to climb their posts. Wine making was a mystery to her, but Dominic had clearly put in a lot of work, and maintaining this land would certainly be a very good excuse not to get out much.

Justin thinks he’s just paranoid and antisocial, she thought. He thinks that’s why Leo wanted him left out of the official report. Maybe it really was that simple. After all, Justin was the allegedly brilliant master of deduction. Mae, though she believed herself intelligent, would never claim to have his powers of reading other people. She did, however, put a lot of faith in her instincts. Following them was how she’d survived, and they were now telling her something very different from what Justin believed about Dominic.

Thinking of Justin turned her mind toward other areas. She hadn’t had a chance to have much more than written contact with him, but he’d been in her thoughts a lot. Once again, he’d managed to confuse her perceptions of him. The man whose face had been filled with fierceness and affection as he risked his life with Emil bore little resemblance to the callous one who told her she was no longer interesting in bed. And always, always, the memory of the lover in Panama refused to leave her. All of those images had struck her deeply. She couldn’t forget any of them. And she couldn’t forgive one.

Her hardened heart’s resolve was made slightly more complicated by continued calls and messages from Lucian. His latest request had been that she and Justin come as “honored guests” to a fund-raiser. Lucian had written: We could have a dance or two, and no one would blink an eye. Mae had yet to respond.

She eventually pushed all these considerations aside and returned to the house as the sky was turning purple. When she saw Leo’s shocked face, her alarms went off. Maybe he’d guessed her conclusions about Dominic.

“What is it?” she asked.

He shook his head, amazement all over him. “Something you won’t believe.”

“You might be surprised at what I’d believe these days.”