“You probably didn’t get any of that, did you?” I asked her. “Matilda, your Aunt Diana is the Head of your House, just like Augustine is also the Head of his House. The two Houses are allied through a friendship pact. They are probably doing some kind of House business together.”
“I’m worried,” Matilda said.
“I’m sorry. I will text Augustine after dinner. He won’t tell us what he is doing, but maybe he can get your aunt to text you back. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Would you like some ice cream? They have really yummy ice cream here.”
Matilda opened her mouth.
My phone chimed. Augustine. I put my finger to my lips and answered, putting the call on speaker.
“Yes?”
“I’m sending you coordinates. If I don’t text or call you in two hours, I will need an extraction.”
I almost did a double take at the phone.
“I need plausible deniability. Don’t use MII resources.”
OMG.Here was my chance. “Understood.”
Augustine hung up.
I plugged in the coordinates and switched to satellite view. A giant ugly house by Canyon Lake.
I pulled my tablet out of my purse, logged into our database, and typed the address. Tia got up and came to look over my shoulder.
“Adrian Woodward, Prime Animator.”
Matilda bared her teeth like an angry kitten. “He tried to buy Zeus.”
“He did?”
“Who is Zeus?” Tia asked.
I showed her a picture of Zeus.
“Holy shit.”
“Matilda, why did Woodward want Zeus?”
“He wanted Father to keep Zeus still while he cut him apart to study his body.”
“Oh, hell no,” I told her.
“Yes.” Matilda’s voice carried a trace of a snarl. “Hell no.”
Augustine wouldn’t have called unless he expected an extraction. There was a slim chance that he would text me again, but the fact that he involved me meant his back was against the wall. And Diana was likely with him. They were going to attack Woodward.
I got up. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.”
“Hey,” Tia said. “Do you want some backup?”
“Yes, but this is likely to get violent and messy.”
Tia grinned. “My two favorite words.”
