Uriel

Power poured into Uriel.

He had to grit his teeth against the sudden rush and the beast howled in triumph. It lunged at her only to snarl when it crashed into his skin and Uriel forced himself to let go before it could try another escape. Pain split across his back and stabbed up into his brain where the beast tore at him desperate to get out.

To get to her.

He didn't know who this girl was, but she was a mess. Her mind was split wide open, the barriers that should have protected it leaked power all over the place. And the beast wanted to lap up that power, to consume her and claim the soul inside her fragile body.

It was a miracle no one had found her yet. With the amount of excess energy filling the room any mage in a hundred miles would have sensed her If it hadn't been for the necklace she wore. There was a strength inside her, but it was unpracticed, untrained, and he cursed the master that had made her only to leave her alone like this.

She didn't even have a glamour.

And those eyes.

Dark lashes framed a blue so familiar it made him want to claw them out.

Did she know?

Did she know what children had been sacrificed for the power she wasted like food thrown to the wolves?

Did she care?

"Um, no. Thanks" she blinked and looked away as if remembering she was in hiding. "I'm almost done."

Copper tinged the air making him inhale, drawing it deeper into his lungs. A quick scan didn't show him any visible injuries, but the blood was most definitely hers. He could almost taste it and the scent threw the beast into another fit.

It wanted out.

It wanted more.

"S-sorry I-" She swallowed her unease and rushed to get out the rest "I have to get the other table, they were here first, but I'll be with you soon."

"that's fine, I was going to wait for someone else anyway," he said, with just a bit more edge than he meant to. She flinched and flicked a glance at his face but didn't hold it, her eyes jumping away like a scared rabbit.

Interesting.

Not just a girl.

And not just mage, either.

He could have mistaken her meekness for innocence or even ignorance, but time clung to her like an old friend, and the power that dripped from her fingertips had been around far longer than any of the old Mage he knew. It was even older than the ancient mother Legba.

This one belonged to an Ancient.

Yet she was scared and not just of him.

letting her escape onto the back he claimed a booth in the corner where he could keep an eye on both doors and opened his sense to keep track of her movements. It wasn't hard. She might be scared but her mind was open to anyone who might stumble across it. Who was she? He wondered. And how had she gone this long without learning to protect her mind?

Or had something happened?

Was that why she reeked of fear and knowledge?

Maybe Dimitri would know. If not, at least he should be able to tell him why mage were scrambling over themselves to get their hands on her. He didn't have to wait long before the old man shoved his way into the dinner and, spotting Uriel, stomped over to slap him roughly on the back.

"Uri, my boy! How are you?." he asked in greeting, dropping into the seat across from him.

"Still alive," Uriel assured. "What about you, old man? How is business?"

"Old man? You no spring chicken either." Dimitri pointed out and scoffed "ha, old man my ass." then in Russian "You going to tell me why we're meeting in this shit hole?"

A smile tugged at Uriel's mouth. The place was actually quite nice compared to some, but he too switched to their native tongue. "So says the one raised in a dump."

"That's how I know it's a shit hole," Dimitri said.

"That or you're getting soft up in that tower of yours."

"don't be mad at me for appreciating nice things. You could to if you gave up this running around like an errand boy."

"I thought you liked it when I run errands for you?"

"No, but your too lucrative for me to complain. Except when you're wasting my time. Tell me. Why do you drag me all the way out here for... what is this?" he picked up the menu and gave it the once over "Breakfast?"

Uriel was careful not to show his amusement. Dimitri had always been more suited for the finer things in life and wasn't one to get his hands dirty, that was what he paid Uriel to do. But beneath his bolstering was the same man who had raised a boy for the sake of his dying mother and that was a kindness Uriel would never forget.

"Breakfast and information." Uriel corrected.

"Both which could be had in my office."

"I needed to show you something," he explained just as the waitress finally approached them.

"What can I get for you?" She didn't look at them as took their orders and her hands shook ever so slightly.

Uriel saw Dimitris's interest and knew he saw the saw thing he did. The waitress's mutation was dim but bright enough to cast shadows on her youthful face and Uriel wondered how long she had worn this age on her skin. the beast didn't care. If things were up to it, she wouldn't wear it much longer.

"Who is she?" Dimitri asked when she left them to get their drinks.

"That's what I was hoping you could tell me." Dimitri raised a brow at that, prompting Uriel to continue. "Two months ago, I was approached by a client who paid me for the charm she's wearing now. Since then, three other people have tried hiring me to find her and one of them is convinced her gift is of a prophetic nature. I need to know what's being said about her."

A second brow joined the first.

"Prophecy?" Dimitri's features turned thoughtful as he studied the waitress returning with their caffeine and told them their food would be out in a few minutes. "I have heard about her.

"It's an old contract. No specifications just that they wanted the gift of a seer. No one knows who put it out first, but everyone thought it was just a hoax until a few years ago. Two bodies showed up, one of them believed to be the target but when it got out that someone got away the holder added a favor to the contract and that got people's attention. Some of the lords decided they didn't want others getting their hands on the mage and several have put out their own contracts, but no one's been able to fulfill any of them.

Uriel's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you offer them to me?"

Dimitri shrugged.

"Like I said it was a hoax and even if it wasn't you wouldn't have taken it, so why waste the time."

He was right.

"Which lords?"

"Malenov and Kateri were first but Jespio, Krane, and Gomez have offered their own bounties."

"What about the Serpents?"

"I haven't heard anything from them. If they're looking for her, they're using their own resources."

Uriel frowned at that.

"Could they be the one who put out the original contract?"

"it's possible, but I doubt it. The contract was made before Cobra came to power."

If he wasn't the contract holder, there was only one reason Cobra wouldn't use a contract. And that was because he knew something he didn't want the others to. Was that why python was sent to look for Uriel? He wouldn't be surprised if Cobra sent one of his pretty snakes to hire Uriel, not when "the broken lord" had made such a mess of his last public appearance.

Did they really think this scared rabbit had a seer's gift?

He supposed, that after enough time everything became predictable. But a good guess wasn't the same as seeing what would come. There were many things the mage could do that bent the laws of nature but meddling with time was not one of them.