“From this point,” he said quietly, “you’re an observer from the magical community. I want a witness they’ll believe. Don’t interfere.”
Then he stood up, squared his shoulders, and stalked forward to intercept the group of men.
Whether or not I interfered would depend a great deal on what happened, but what the hell. The kid wanted to solve the problem on his own—which was a right instinct. It would work better if it was an internal thing within the Brotherhood, and since he was their head guy, it was his job to clean house. I’d let Daniel take the lead, see where it went. If things got physical and went bad for him, well. Physically, at least, I was in pretty good shape.
I went after Michael’s son, a step behind and to one side, where I could watch his back for him.
Daniel walked straight up to Carl. I couldn’t see the kid’s face, but when Carl turned from saying something to one of his cronies to see Daniel walking toward him, there was a certain amount of alarm that flashed over his features. He came to an uncertain halt, his four companions almost piling up behind him.
“Carl,” Daniel said calmly. “I’d like to speak to you.”
“About what?” Carl demanded.
Daniel extended his hand toward the sidewalk past them, an invitation. “We can discuss that privately.”
“What’s the wizard doing here?” Carl spat.
“He’s a witness,” Daniel said quietly.
“Then these are my witnesses,” Carl said, gesturing back at the men with him.
Daniel’s head tilted and he shrugged one shoulder. “Very well. I have reports that you and the men with you have laid hands on your fellow citizens on patrols you have led. Is that true?”
“They aren’t like us,” Carl said. “They’re with that occult crap, is what they are. You saw what came of having them among us. City’s been wrecked, hasn’t it. Things eating people. Eatingpeople. And here they are, bold as brass, selling their occult crap in broad daylight, maybe getting ready to do it to us again. They been striking at us all week, you included. What’s gonna stop them?”
“I am,” I said.
“Oh, yeah, you,” Carl scoffed. He turned back to Daniel. “These attacks can’t go unanswered. You know that.”
The attackswereanswers, from where I was standing. But I didn’t know everything that had happened. Mileage could vary.
And from the perspective of someone whose belief in the supernatural had suddenly been abruptly reversed in the most traumatic way possible by the Battle of Chicago, yeah. It might be difficult to tell the difference between one terrifying supernatural thing like Ethniu and the city-destroying Eye of Balor, and a curse that would merely torture one to death over days.
Daniel took a slow breath. There was nothing at all yielding in his stance. “Our mandate,” he said quietly, “is to protect our families and neighbors from supernatural threats in extraordinary times. It is not to beat and frighten those very same people.”
“See?” Carl said, partly over his shoulder. “What they say about his family is right. Maybe they’ve become a little too friendly with the unnatural.”
Daniel went still.
Carl met his eyes and lifted a defiant chin.
“Very well,” Daniel said quietly. “I accept your challenge.”
Carl blinked. “What?”
“You’ve defied my authority, Carl,” Daniel said. “You’ve leveled an accusation that could only result in my removal as brother captain as well as blacken my family’s name. I accept your challenge to my authority and choose trial by combat, as is my right beneath the Brotherhood’s charter.” He nodded and started shrugging out of his jackets. “We’re going bare-knuckle. I’d strip down a bit if I were you.”
“Wait, what?” Carl demanded.
“Would you prefer swords? I don’t recommend that. I’ve studied with my father.”
“Jesus,” Carl blurted.
“His name is Michael,” I pointed out matter-of-factly.
“See,” Daniel said, “the way I see it, Carl, you’ve gotten to thinking that if you’re strong enough to do it, you have the right to,” he said. “And your actions are a direct challenge to my authority.” He got down to a hoodie and pushed up the sleeves. “I’ll come toward you. We’ll settle this your way.” He squared up, fists held loose and lower than I would have. “How about you come tangle with someone your own size?”
“There’s one of you,” Carl said. “There’s five of—”
