"I suppose I have to be," she says dryly, shooting Darius a side-eye full of venom.
"Well then," I say, pushing off the wall, "guess I'll dig out the tux. Nothing says 'come home, baby' like a fancy hostage trap and black-tie dress code."
I leave them to their scheming. Yet under all the scorched ash and painful memories, something small dares to flicker—hope.
Because she could've killed Asher, but she didn't. She's trying to break the bond because she still feels something.
And maybe that means she's still ours.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Darius
Organizing an event while concealing my true purpose is not new. The new part is doing it without a trusted second to execute the details. I'm not accustomed to making calls or sending emails myself, yet necessity leaves no room for pride.
Mayor Bright is overjoyed. Surprised, but eager. Any event that places his town at the center of attention becomes a triumph in his mind. He doesn't question my motives. He only hears what he wishes to hear—economic stimulus, public visibility, progress.
We have tied the announcement to several minor initiatives Ruaidhrí unearthed from the archives, so it will not appear too carefully arranged around the druid's project alone. The disguise is adequate.
Ru himself enters my office when summoned. I don't waste time.
"I need a complete personnel overhaul," I tell him. "The inner circle will be dismissed after this event. Bring in only those who will manage the Briar Hollow operation. No one with clearance."
He nods once. "Understood. Will be done. Are you leaving too?"
"Not yet." I close the matter with a glance. "That will be all."
But he doesn't leave.
"It's not my place," he says slowly, "but… Darlene is dead. Johnny is dead. And now we're walking away without the nymph? What's happening, Darius? Should I be packing for exile, or am I next in this purge?" His grin is the habitual one—a trickster's mask, equal parts charm and defiance.
"You're not," I answer. "You're leaving as well."
He lingers. Too curious for his own good.
"You need someone on your side," he says quietly. "And you can trust me, boss."
My smile is thin. "A trickster asking to be trusted?"
He shrugs, more earnest now. "You know as well as I do that the textbook descriptions don't fit us. I may spend my time spying and hacking for you, but I have other talents. I can help."
I study him in silence. Ruaidhrí has been reliable, at least by his nature's standards. I never saw him as more than a useful instrument. Yet he's offering to stand where Darlene once stood.
Trust is not something I give easily. But lately, I have had little luxury of choice.
"What's happening now is not by the book," I warn.
He smiles faintly. "When has it ever been?"
"This goes beyond that," I say. "Beyond human law. It crosses boundariesIam bound to respect. If you remain, you place yourself against forces greater than me. Are you certain you wish to stand in their path?"
He tilts his head. "When you put it that way, boss, how can I refuse?"
I nod once. "Very well."
I give him the necessary details. He listens, his usual glibness replaced by rare focus.
At least now, there will be someone of my own among the Darrows' circle, someone who can balance the scale.
