“Why is it that you’re calling?” he asked.
My hand tightened on the phone until it creaked ominously. I relaxed my grip. “You know why I’m calling. I need to know what you know about the demon taint and where he might be keeping her.”
“You want my help saving her.”
Give the man a prize. He’d guessed the obvious.
“Yes.”
He gave a long sigh. “Why should I help you? You’ve spurned every offer to join us.”
“This whole thing started with you. If she hadn’t been working on your project, she would be safe.”
“I never told you to involve her. In fact, I think it was just the opposite. The fault lies more on you than it does me.”
My grip tightened again, but this time I didn’t gentle it when the phone creaked in warning. “You asked for something that even with all your resources you couldn’t find given unlimited time. Then you gave me a ridiculous timeline that would be impossible to meet. Of course I went to an expert for help. Even if none of what I just said was true, you should still help me because my fault or not this mess is still your responsibility. I can promise you if you let her die when you could have done something, I will make it my mission to destroy your buddy Thomas and bring you down in the process.”
I waited, hoping something I said had gotten through to him. I meant every word.
“You have the worst timing,” he said. “I don’t have any information on where they might be holding her. You’ll have to figure that out yourself. The selection takes place tomorrow so there are things happening that need to be handled.”
That sounded like he was going to refuse to help.
“Do you think she figured out where his descendants are?”
“Yes.”
I was only half sure, but if it would get him to help me, I’d say anything.
“You’ll need to get her location yourself, but I’ll do what I can from my end once you do.”
A whoosh of air left me. Relief filled me. I couldn’t do this alone. Not against an unknown number of assailants. Liam’s backup might mean we had a fighting chance.
“Aileen,” he said softly. “You’ll owe me after this.”
The way he said that made it seem like it was a big deal to owe him. That it might have repercussions I was not aware of.
“Understood.”
Some debts were worth the risk.
“Keep me updated.”
“Will do.”
He hung up.
I turned back to the sorcerer. “The vampires couldn’t tell me where she was, but they should be able to help us when we go in to rescue her.”
Peter’s young face wore an expression often seen on someone his apparent age. It was full of skeptical disbelief. The teenage nonverbal way of saying I’ll believe it only when it hits me upside the head.
“Any luck on figuring out a way to find her?”
“There is one way,” he said, looking away from me.
“And that is?”
“You’re not going to like it.”
