My smile widened. “Dear wild rose, you know you’re the first person I’ll call if I am in need of my own mind.” After a brief conversation with Raine, he confirmed my suspicions. Igor simply stopped attending. He had no idea what happened to him. He didn’t even know that the daffodil or her partner were in Russia. He would have loved to show them around.
He wanted to talk more about what teaching at the school would require, but I couldn’t chat.
“Compliments,” she sang. “Not your forte.”
“It’s only a compliment in your eyes.”
She released a breath. “Why have you called, dear chess player?”
I leaned onto my cane, back on the balcony overlooking the room. The dear little sinner was still following Thomas, the congregation of Leaders and their sons now reintegrating back into the room.
Thomas was trying to find one of his friends, it seemed. Did he know what his father had just announced? Because I saw many hungry sharks in the water now, searching for the blood I would soon spill. “The mountains have been planning a school for the less desirables for quite some time now. How has it progressed since I was last there?”
“He’s figured out some courses,” she answered easily. “We’ll be able to train some powerful people when this thing opens. Especially with those six families teaching and attending.”
“Good. I have something else that may help his little cause.”
There was a shuffle. “I’m listening.”
“Jacky boy and his little daffodil were recently in Russia, killing a man who went by the name Igor.”
She was quiet a moment. “Two weeks ago, I believe,” she confirmed.
So recent, yet enough time for an alert to be given. The heir should have known about it by now. “That man was a fox, wild rose.”
The tension grew. “How…” She rethought her questions. “You said you vetted Raine.”
“Raine is fine, but the Russians? Someone is there,” I sang. Opening a program in Russia had always been against my best interest. Malachi expanded in the wrong way. Nikita and his four sons were promising but not promising enough to open an entire program there. It should have been kept in the US for now. Going to other countries just led to problems.
“I’ll let Everett know,” she told me. “If there was a fox there, should we assume there will be more here?”
“Questions in need of answers,” I purred, watching as whispers were spread and eyes began shifting to the unknowing sinner. “Remind him of the Fall deadline, hmm?” I pushed again.
“I’ll let him know.”
Giving them a morsel to push them towards the right path was always fun. Especially with new and eager blood like the rose’s. “Good, have fun, wild rose, I may call upon you yet.”
“Tick tock,” she hummed and hung up.
I couldn’t help but smile. A prodigy, she was, a perfect little mixture of the mountains and I, but the little sinner? She wasready to be used by someone who could force her to use that little brain of hers.
I searched the waves of people below until I found the good Pastor. He was, of course, surrounded by men of all ages making their case to get their hands on the Blessed One.
I pulled out my other phone and sent him a text.
Azrael
2m for her. I want to be
the only one.
I waited, watching carefully.
He pulled out his phone a moment later, reading it over, his motions slowing, his eyes focusing.
For 3m more, I’ll give you her hand
in marriage.
