“It’s a conversation.He will make time.”
“By demanding and using my token.”
“I won’t allow that.”
Garion snorted.“Jared may not be an Heir, but he’s still one of the Aged.He’ll do what he wants.”
I shifted on the slightly damp bench.“He signed a magic-backed contract in exchange for my help with Arcuro.He’ll do what I say.He has to.”Although I didn’twantto give him orders.I didn’t like having that kind of power over someone.
Garion’s expression changed, his eyebrows rising as his face softened.“You have an ancient, Aged vampire at your disposal?”
“At my disposal makes him sound like an object, but yeah.I guess.”I shrugged.“If I need to invoke the contract, I will.”
“You have no contract with Nora,” he pointed out.“She won’t agree just because Jared must.”
“I think… I think I can trust her.”In her own way, she’d been trying to earn my trust for months now.No matter how much she pretended otherwise, being cut off from the pack wasn’t easy.She needed connection.She had Jared as her lover, Blake as her brother, but she needed someone as a friend.So did I.
“My employment period is ending soon.It’s—”
“You know I’m not enforcing that.”It wasn’t written into the treaty.Astrid and I had both researched that specific tradition.“Please, Garion.We’ll find a loophole either in my bargain or your magic.”
He turned his gaze back to my parents’ graves.
“We have to try at least,” I said.
Seconds ticked by.Why was it so hard for him to hope?He risked nothing by waiting.
He rubbed his hands over his face.“This is a bad idea.Just… be selective in who you tell.”
He was agreeing?“Thank you.I will.I promise.”
His tight smile said he was appeasing me.“I’ll give you until dawn on Saturday.No longer.And if the night king learns you have your memory and my token before then, this comes to an end.I won’t allow you to put your life and freedom at risk.Do you understand?”
I noted the tightness around his eyes, the hard set of his jaw, and the pinch to his mouth.
“I understand,” I said.Understanding wasn’t the same as complying.I was appeasing him too.
Quiet fell between us.He still looked so solemn.So defeated.I hated that darkness, so I bumped my shoulder into his.“I was almost certain you were a bunny shifter.”
Some of his melancholy faded.He chuckled.“Feel free to add that to my employment record.”
Chapter Six
Isatbehindthedesk in The Rain’s downstairs office and woke up my laptop.My parents’ computer was useless, not only slow, but I couldn’t access much more than Word because all the important programs were password protected.I’d considered hiring someone to hack into it somehow, but I couldn’t risk a human seeing references to paranorms, and I didn’t trust paranorms to keep their digital intrusions to a minimum.
A new computer was way toward the bottom of my fix-and-upgrade list.My current financial situation was unsustainable.I knew it.Lehr knew it.Arcuro had known it too, and Jared?Yeah.He definitely knew it as well, and as long as The Rain was in debt and barely making the bills month to month, I’d be at risk of having to ask Jared or Lehr for money.That money would come with strings.
That’s why I was sitting in the office.I was determined to make progress on my plan to make The Rain fully independent.It would be a sanctuary for all paranorms, even the ones who’d pissed off the powerful.
It took more time and energy than it should have to register a domain and set up the secure email address I’d promised Jared.It was just past two a.m.I’d slept normal hours before returning to The Rain.I’d tried to adjust, but my circadian rhythm was screwed up.My brain wasn’t functioning optimally, and I needed more sleep.I couldn’t crawl into bed now though.I couldn’t waste the small amount of time I had to circumvent my fey bargain.
Yawning, I picked up my phone and tapped on Jared’s name.It rang twelve times before it clicked but not because Jared answered.It went to voicemail with no hello or introduction.
I ended the call and tried again.When it clicked this time, I heard aclinkin the background.Glasses maybe?
“Jared?”
“Speak,” he ordered.
