Dragon Blood

Chapter 26

Rhia followed Cameron to his office. It was a large corner space with large, tinted windows and a stunning view of the Rocky Mountains west of the city. Two people were already waiting for them. The male stood up from his seat to reach out and shake her hand. "Rhia, this is Tom Ballard," Cameron introduced the male. "Tom, this is Rhia Kincaid."

"Nice to meet you." Rhia reciprocated his smile.

"And you," he nodded. "This is my partner, Rowan Chambers."

He indicated to the female staring out the window. She was a small, mousy woman, and Rhia had to blink a few times. The woman's outline seemed to flicker, like it was glitching out. When she turned, her movements were twitchy and hesitant. Her eyes immediately narrowed when they landed on Rhia. She scanned Rhia's face before slowly lowering to her extended hand. "Sorry," she said in a strained voice. "I don't shake."

"Rowan is kind of a psychic." Cameron's eyes sparkled with clear affection for the pair. "Physical contact triggers her... episodes."

"Psychic?" a thrill of excitement rushed through her. She'd never met a psychic. They were heavily guarded in the Ancient communities.

"No," Tom said quickly. "Psychic really is the wrong word, as Cameron well knows. It's closer to the opposite. Rowan can't see the future, but she can see the past in specific situations."

"Oh," Rhia perched on the edge of the second chair. "So that's how you're able to find people?"

"Exactly." Tom's smile returned. "So, let's talk about you. Who are you looking for?"

"My birth parents," Rhia looked hesitantly at Cameron, who had pretty much removed himself from the conversation by sitting back behind his desk. "Didn't Cameron tell you anything?"

"We prefer to hear it directly from the client. A middleman never really tells the story right. So, your birth parents," Tom pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. "Do you know anything about them? Any memories?"

"I was abandoned when I was five, but I don't remember anything about them."

"Were you adopted?"

"Yeah, Richard and Madeline Kincaid, and my adopted brother Maddox. There was a police investigation and I tried hiring a human P.I. a few years ago."

She pulled out an old file of papers and handed them to Tom. He considered it for a minute before placing it on the coffee table without looking at the contents. "What are you hoping to get out of this?" he asked carefully. "We will probably be able to find them through your past, but it's been twenty or so years at this point. We might not be able to find them in the present."

Rhia shifted uncomfortably again. "I just want to know who they were. If I could just get a name or a face... I can figure out what I want to do with that information then."

Tom nodded and made another note. "That brings us to the matter of price."

She stiffened, and he did not miss it. "Tom," Cameron said with a slight warning to his tone. "I thought you said you would do this as a favour."

"We have to put food on the table, Cam." Tom raised an eyebrow. "We can offer a discount, but our services aren't-"

He suddenly stopped as Rowan took a step forward. She carefully maneuvered around the coffee table and reached out and touched the bare skin of Rhia's arm. Her eyes glazed over. Power crackled at her fingertips and she jerked back. Once again, she searched Rhia's eyes silently without blinking, and successfully making her feel generally uncomfortable. Finally, she went back to her spot and looked at Tom. "We'll do it." Her voice was softer than it had been. "Don't worry about the cost."