Page 11 of Burn of Obsidian
Harper nodded, eyes not so guarded when they met Jax’s for the briefest second. “I really appreciate this, Carter,” she said, returning her attention to him. “I know it was difficult to manage at such short notice.”
“Anything for you,” Carter said before clearing his throat. “So, one of the document’s currently being restored at a separate institute, and cannot be recalled for viewings. But I’ve managed to get the other flown over.”
“Only one?” Jax asked, Carter seeming to recoil at his voice. It was important that he figured out quickly what the chalice actually did before Gideon.
He was already at a disadvantage.
“It was all I could manage with such little warning,” Carter replied, eyes narrowing as he pulled out a key card. Pressing it toward the reader, they waited, the door popping open with a gentle hiss. Carter gestured them inside, Jax having to duck or risk hitting his head on the door jamb.
“You’re lucky I was even able to get this piece. There were a few complaints about official ownership, and even a bidding war that was unsuccessful.”
Shelves framed the small room, each one filled with books that were wrapped in plastic and tagged. A single table was placed in the centre, and on top sat a box.
“All the documents are truly fascinating,” Carter continued, opening a drawer to pick up velvet gloves. “It’s a shame only a celestrial-born can read and translate. We’ve still not managed to convince someone to work with us to decipher the meaning behind them.”
“Actually, that’s why we’re here,” Harper said, moving to stand at the opposite side of the table. Jax followed, waiting for Carter to stop fucking around with his gloves.
Carter openly gaped. “You? But you don’t look like a celestrial.”
Jax made sure his expression remained cold. “I left my wings at home.”
“Well, obviously you must be one of the Fallen.” Carter wrinkled his nose, as if disgusted at the idea.
Jax didn’t reply. He wasn’t a Fallen, a celestrial who lost their wings as punishment. He wasn’t a celestrial, either. Druids were the one Breed who only birthed males, which made him a druid. Just with a few unique abilities inherited from his mother.
His lack of wings had been a disappointment she’d never let him forget.
Carter paused with his hands on the lid of the box, smiling at Harper as he waited for her to meet his gaze.
WE EAT HIM? Beast asked, and Jax couldn’t help the amusement that followed.
Later.
“This piece is in much better condition, you can really see the…” Carter lifted the lid, pausing with a gasp.
Harper stepped forward. “Is everything okay?”
Carter quickly replaced the lid, a blush darkening his cheeks. “I apologise, but we’re going to have to reschedule.”
“Reschedule? Carter, it’s taken weeks for us to organise this,” Harper said. “It’s important. We just need – ”
“No, I’m sorry, but it seems the document’s been… misplaced.”
“What do you mean it’s been misplaced?” Jax needed access to the original. Otherwise, he couldn’t decipher the layers. “How the fuck could you have lost it?”
The colour spread down Carter’s neck, and before he could give them an excuse, Jax reached across and lifted the lid.
Fuck.
It was empty. Which either meant Gideon had beaten him to it, or there was someone else looking for the pages.
Chapter 6
Jax
Jax watched the crowd dance on the floor below, content to just observe the patrons of the Drunken Beast silently. Unfortunately, he didn’t have that luxury, not with Lucifer sitting beside him.
“You’re in a mood,” he commented, his red eyes glowing slightly beneath the dimmed lights. “Like, more so than usual.”