Lucifer's Keys

Introductions

The two of them stared from the keys to the burns, then to one another speechlessly for a moment before Mason mustered the courage to speak to her.

"Well this isn't how I imagined I'd meet you,"  he began awkwardly, "But I suppose we're in this together now.  I'm Mason Cole."  He said looking up from their hands and into her eyes.  Her eyes were breathtaking, they were a wonderful and stormy grey-blue.  Like the color, you would expect to see at the horizon where the sea and the sky met.  He had felt the sparks immediately when she had touched his hand and he could tell that she felt them too, looking into her eyes only intensified his desire to know her in every sense of the word, to keep her close, and to make damn sure he never let her go.  

Cyrus was in agreement immediately.  He was drawn toward her and her wolf even more than Mason if that was even possible, and he could not wait to meet them.  He was usually so calm and collected, but now Mason was feeling a different side of him altogether.  

As her eyes met his, the bond was amplified.  Both of them felt the surge of energy that seemed to spark and crackle in the air between them.

"I'm Ahnyah Gray," She told him. "Nyah for short.  And the guy that seemed to disappear into thin air was my lead on these keys and what they mean."

They both turned their attention to the keys that they held.  Mason held his up to the pale light above the door near them and inspected it.  The key looked like it had been forged by a blacksmith.  The intricate detail of the looping metal seemed to be laced together and reminded him of the adornments on many Celtic relics and in a lot of Celtic art.  As he inspected it, he noticed that it seemed to be missing a piece.  The metalwork in the handle of the key was hollow.  The head of the key itself seemed to only be one part of a whole.  He scowled in thought for a second.

"Hey, let me see that." He said, snatching the key from the palm of her hand without warning.

"Hey!" She protested.

"Just trust me on this."  He begged. 

Nyah looked annoyed but she didn't say anymore.  She watched as he held his key in one hand in front of the two of them and hers in the other.  Her key was much thinner than his, the handle resembling the hilt of an intricately carved, miniature sword, and was much more intricate at the head than his.  Mason gently turned his key over and slid hers inside the handle of his, head first.  The hilt-like handle of the key fit perfectly at the open end of his key and the head of it slid in place with a click, becoming one.   They each held their breath waiting for something to happen, neither of them knowing what.  

When nothing happened, Nyah reached over and took the now complete key from his hands.  He let it go willingly and she inspected the form it had taken.  It looked solid as if it had never been two separate keys at all.  She slightly turned the handle of her own and they heard a soft "CLICK" as it easily came apart.  She then slid her key out of his and examined them side by side.  

"What does any of this mean?" He asked her, hoping that her investigation prior to their meeting had given her more information than he had at the moment which was exactly none.

"I'm not sure." She replied simply.

"When did you find yours?"  He asked her. 

She considered what to tell him for a moment before she spoke.  She felt the mate bond as soon as she'd smelled him.  He smelled of fresh cedar and pine and her wolf Sage had been driving her crazy about her mate for the last two weeks.  She knew when they met that she couldn't reject him.  Even if she didn't want a mate and even if he had screwed up her lead and her plans.  He had done it because he thought she was in danger.  He had tried to protect her.  She didn't want to begin their relationship by telling him anything other than the complete truth.  She sighed.

"I found it a couple of weeks ago.  I was taking a walk one night and I saw this guy acting incredibly odd.  He was looking over his shoulder seeming really hyper-vigilant.  So, I followed him.  Partly because I was curious and partly because I could have sworn he had been watching me.  I just had that feeling, you know?  Anyway, I made sure he didn't see me but as I rounded the corner, I watched him pull something out of his pocket and easily slide it into a brick wall.  I heard a loud 'CLICK' and stone grinding, then I saw a strange light coming from under, what looked like a doorway.  Then he pushed on the wall, it swung open and he walked in and closed the door behind him.  I ran to the door as soon as it was closed but the light was already fading from beneath it.  When I reached it, there was no door and no man, just smooth brick as if it hadn't been moved and there had never been anyone there at all.  As I was trying to feel the brick wall for cracks or a knob or anything, looking and feeling like a crazy lady, I kicked something, just like you did tonight.  When I bent down I found the key and, just like you, picked it up and got instantly burned.  Tonight I felt like I was being watched again and my wolf Sage was on edge, warning me that something was wrong.  I spotted him and immediately moved toward him.  I wanted to talk to him about the key and the wall and why he was watching me.  Instead of trying to get away, he came for me.  He grabbed my arm and started to try to pull me to the alley.  I was firing off questions but he never said a single word.  I could have easily subdued him, but I was hoping I could get an answer, any answer.  He didn't even try to take the key back, he just kept pulling me down here.  I was waiting for him to do it again, to open another door before I pulled away but then you showed up and now, we know exactly the same amount of information."  She finished breathlessly.

"Thanks for trying to save me and all, but I can handle myself very well, as you have seen." She added with a smirk.

"Clearly." He said, smiling back at her.

"You know," he cleared his throat "I don't think we are going to find any more answers tonight.  But...would you like to take a walk with me?  I'd like to know you, to know about you...especially if you're not rejecting me.  And I suppose," he finished with a sly grin "Cyrus and Sage would like to meet each other too."

Nyah tilted her head to the side as if she had to look at him from a slightly different angle to get a good read on him.  She was guarded, he could tell.  Hell, so was he.  

"Okay," She agreed. "Just a walk.  If we are going to get to know one another, I have one condition that you must meet or none of this will ever work."  

Sage was raging at her in her mind.  

"What are you saying?!" Sage scolded loudly.  

"If he doesn't meet your conditions we'll reject him?! We can't!" She seemed to shout incredulously.

"Calm down, I'm doing this for both of us.  I'm sure you'll agree, just listen.  We will share I promise.  And you will meet Cyrus, I know you need him."  

Hearing that, Sage calmed down a bit and allowed Nyah to continue.  Nyah regarded Mason again.  

"We will never lie to each other.  Any question I ask, you will answer with the complete truth, whether you think it will hurt me or not.  I will do the same for you.  We will not spare each other's feelings.  If the truth is sh*t, then it's sh*t and if either of us are afraid of what that is, we will not ask questions that we don't want answers to.  Deal?"

Mason smiled.  She was upfront, in your face, and honest.  She was dangerous and sexy and mysterious.  She took no Sh*t and expected no coddling.  She was the complete opposite of everything he thought his mate would be and he loved it.

"I wouldn't want it any other way." He said happily.

Then, she surprised him again.  She made the first move, took his hand, and began to lead him out of the alley.

"Okay," She said. "The first question is all yours."