"Luis Altican?" I asked, my voice breaking slightly.I cleared my throat and forced my inner baritone to the surface.
"AHH Luis Altican." I shook his hand, and just like Magnus had said, a wave of heat surged through me, plus worse, I didn't even have gloves on like he did.
Magnus's voice slipped into my head.
Why is your voice deeper?.
Because, I can't have him remembering my voice from the debut. I replied, all the while still shaking Luis's hand awkwardly.
"You're Joshua right? I remember you from my sister's debut." Luis calmly said, forcing his hand out of mine.
Ok, this was a problem.
Magnus…I need help. But my voice floated into static. My brother has abandoned me. Curses.
I realized I had kept my mouth open and face in an awkward twist of confusion and I immediately forced an awkward smile.
"Your sister's debut?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Uhm yeah." Luis replied. "You were there with someone else, your brother, or business partner."
Play along. Magnus calmly said. I almost screamed at him out loud.
What do you mean play along? He's literally the person we came here to spy on.
No. We came here for information on the thaw. He's going to give it to us.
You must have forgetten…
"Don't you remember?" Luis asked, forcing back into our conversation. I chuckled and nervously sipped my Champaign.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Wait!" Clara said, rushing forward. "You were the guy in that crystal mask."
"No, that was his brother." Luis corrected.
"Ohh, I remember them as well." Elena chirped in. My eyes were moving back and forth like a pong ball, looking from one person to the other recounting more and more evidence that was getting increasingly harder to deny.
And worse of all, Magnus chose this exact moment to not offer help.
I immediately looked down at my watch, and feigned surprise."Oh my god. Would you look at that!" I showed them the face "It is so late, I really must get going."
"But the second session is just beginning."Elena protested.
"Yes but we have other things to attend to. Ta-ta." I gave an awkward bow, regretted it, and immediately retreated.
What are you doing? Magnus asked, his voice filled with anger. Go back.
Look who decided to help now. Well it was too late. If Magnus wanted information he was going to have to play the detective himself.
You do know I can hear you.
As can I. A completely different voice chirped in, forcing my retreat to a halt.
I could see Magnus a few feet ahead, flanked by several conversing people, but his face was deadly still.
A mirror to mine.
I slowly turned around, dreading what I would see, hoping that I had heard wrongly. Alas, it was the truth, because when I turned around I found Luis Altican's eyes on mine, a knowing smile on lips.
Hello Sterlings.
Shit. I turned to my brother and then back to the fire god. How long have you been listening?
Luis took a sip of his drink and shrugged, Since you both came in. And we could also hear you at the debut.
I raised my hand to my hair and looked down at my shoes. Everything we had done from the start, every move we had seemingly made had been known by them from the start. A chuckle escaped my lips, and it soon turned into full fledged laughter, one so intense I had to support my hands on my knees.
We must talk Frost gods.
***
Thirty minutes later we were seated in Jersey's finest restaurant. Soft red lights casted long shadows across the table, waiters dressed in expensive suits moved to and fro, checking on patrons and offering bills. A few feet away, a young man was playing a beautiful piece on the piano, serenading the hall with an elegant calm.
I was busy on the starter, a meal that looked like a brush of dog excrement on a plate. Magnus just stared at his, while Luis stared at the both of us.
"This tastes better than it looks." I remarked, bringing my towel to my lips.
"Joshua." Magnus said, his voice accusing.
"What? If we're here we might as well eat. I haven't had a meal in days."
Magnus ignored me and turned his attention to Luis who also seemed to not fancy his meal. Well more for me I guess.
"So?" Magnus asked, his voice hard.
Luis chuckled and pushed his plate away. I grabbed it. "Do you know how long we've known about you? How long we've been trying to get you and my sister together?"
I looked up, mid tasting and turned to my brother whose face was steely. "You feed my father the info. The club address."
Luis shook his head. "That was Catherine, although she did that at my father's request."
The table cloth immediately frosted, the material turning hard everywhere except where Luis had his hand.
He looked down at Magnus's glowing hands and smiled. "Easy Elsa."
"You tried to kill us." I said, dropping my spoon.ice didn't necessarily have a good reputation against fire, but there were two of us, and only one of him.
Luis shook his head. "No, my father and I planned a union. One your father agreed to."
Magnus shot another accusing stare my way and I raised my hand in mock surrender. "Don't look at me, I'm as ignorant as you are."
"Your…god sister tried to kill us." Magnus said.
Luis nodded, "We are aware. That is why I am here. We were sent a letter yesterday. Someone wants us to think you kidnapped Catherine."
"Bullshit." I said.
"No, not bullshit." Luis replied calmly. "Askarion…"
"But Catherine's the one hosting the thaw summit." Magnus pointed out.
"Another mystery we are yet to solve, but one question in particular gnaws at me." Luis leaned forward in his chair. "If she had spent so long preparing, why not just kill you at the club, or in your car."
"It all seems convenient, her capture."
Luis smiled and turned to me. A flash of clarity suddenly hit me. Catherine had tried to kill me and Magnus, stating it was for an upgrade. She had orchestrated actions from the start, playing games behind the sterling and Altican backs.
Then the capture, after she had told us her boss wanted us dead, she had left it to her minion to do it.
The Catherine that had played us from the start wouldn't have. Unless, she wanted us to escape. Unless she had wanted to get caught.
Unless this was all still part of her plan.