She started to walk away, but I muscled my way through the door after her.Literally, because the blond vamp moved to stop me, and widened his eyes slightly when that didn’t work.But then the redhead was standing in my way, too, although he’d been across the room a second ago.
“You’re a mageanda Were?”he said.“That’s a fun combo, and not one I’ve met before.Or fought,” he added, still smiling.And giving the impression that I wouldn’t like it much when he stopped.
“You don’t want to fight me,” I said shortly.
“Ooh, tough girl.”
“Something like that.And all I want—”
“Honey.”Red put up a hand.“I could give a shit what you want.And that badge doesn’t cut a lot of ice up here.Jonas Marsden—maybe you’ve heard of him?”he said, talking about the Lord Protector who commanded the entire Corps.“When he wants to see the Pythia,hemakes an appointment!”
I thought about it.Hargroves had to have filed his report by now; the bastard was never late.So Marsden, whom I hadn’t had the privilege of meeting, had nonetheless heard of me.And my current assignment.
“Call him,” I said.
“What?”
“If you need someone to vouch for me,” I added.“Or the Corps’ local head honcho is Richard Hargroves, if you want to save a long-distance call.I’m here on business that could win us the war—or lose it.And, for the record, I don’t give a shit whatyouwant.I am seeing the Pythia.”
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Blondie said.
But it wasn’t fun, because someone interrupted.
“What’s going on out here?”A familiar voice asked, and I looked up to meet the eyes of the big, handsome vamp from the other day.
He was wearing a mint green polo this time, paired with swim trunks in a tropical print featuring pink hibiscus flowers on a dark blue background, with leaves the same shade as the shirt.Leather sandals completed the look, showing off shapely legs covered with enough hair for a Were and the same pastel toenails as the other day.How he made all that look manly, I didn’t know, but damn if he didn’t pull it off.
I guessed a couple thousand years provided some swagger.
“Mr.Carales,” I said, remembering that he was supposed to be head of security.“There seems to be a problem—”
“War mage trying to skip the line,” Red said, hiking a thumb at me.“I was about to toss her out on her skinny ass.”
“Yes, do try,” I told him, before I could stop myself.“Please.”
Carales raised a thick, black eyebrow.“You’re feisty today,” he told me.
“I don’t have a lot of time, and I’m here on Corps business.I need to see the Pythia, and it’s extremely—”
“Okay.”
I stopped, my mouth still open.“What?”
“She sent me for you.Said to bring you back before, and I quote, ‘she Hulks out and destroys my foyer’.”
Everyone looked at me.
“I wasn’t planning to...Hulk out,” I said awkwardly.
“Good thing.We just had this place remodeled after the last disaster.Come on.”
He turned around and walked away, without waiting to see if I was following.
Swagger, I thought, and hurried to keep up.
I expected to be led to the throne room I’d seen in a magazine spread, an expansive room with floor-to-ceiling windows letting in a cascade of light, a great gilt throne up a dais of steps at one end, and rows of delicate chairs around the walls.The latter were where prelates and potentates, billionaires and, today at least, a princess, kicked their heels until her Pythianess deigned to notice them.But we didn’t go there.
We also didn’t go to the large balcony, where a bunch of little girls were splashing around in a pool a lot nicer than mine, which explained the swimwear on Carales, I assumed.Or the living room, where an Edwardian-looking chick in a long, white lace gown was pouring tea for a couple of posh-looking ladies in high heels and pearls—and enough magic crackling around them to make me blink.Coven witches, I thought, as one of them, a stout old matriarch who looked like trouble even in a flowered silk gown, glanced briefly at me, and it was all I could do not to raise a shield.
