The conference call lasted a few more minutes before everyone left the line except for Priya. Spencer stayed on the line with her, shifting on his feet.
“I know how master vampires are when it comes to their territory. If Takoma goes after the Cascade Coven, it won’t look good in the news, no matter that the coven struck first. Any chance you can convince him to let the SOA handle this?” Priya asked.
“Uh.” Spencer highly doubted even if he got on his knees again that Takoma would agree to something like that. “I’m going to have to say no.”
“Try anyway.”
“There’s a lot of history between the two groups. John Adler apparently has stuck around after his death to target Takomabecauseof that history. The Seattle Night Court isn’t going to just ignore that or let it slide, especially not after what happened this morning.”
“Takoma is one of the few master vampires in the country who holds territory as large as the Seattle Night Court. If the SOA removes him because of his actions against the Cascade Coven, that will result in a territory fight between supernatural groups that will leave too many people in the crossfire. We don’t want that.”
Spencer frowned, wondering if he was reading between the lines correctly. “And if Takoma demands a meeting and the Cascade Coven attacks first?”
“Then the SOA would take that into consideration.” Priya’s tone became more serious. “If this coven truly consists of a family of hunters, their actions at the graveyard and with our agent are too similar to actions taken by the Dominion Sect in the past. We will not stand for that again.”
“So you want the Night Court to draw them out?”
“Tell Takoma to stay within our laws if at all possible. Considering the poltergeist and the demonic threat currently active in Seattle, I’m having Legal clear you for use of your magic in any capacity under an emergency clause. I’ll send a memo to Porter today so he’s aware.”
Spencer licked his lips, shoulders slumping a little in relief at that clearance. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Let’s get this Ouroboros Mirror off the street.”
She ended the call, and Spencer shoved his phone into his back pocket. Wade slid a box of grocery store doughnuts to him over the island and flipped open the lid. “So what’s the plan?”
Spencer picked up a glazed doughnut and took a bite. “I find some shoes, take the mage to the hospital, and hope Takoma doesn’t go on a killing spree.”
Wade barked out a laugh. “Good luck with that last one.”
Spencer sighed, staring at the smear of blood on the kitchen floor. “Yeah.”
He didn’t need luck; he needed a miracle, and Spencer knew that was never going to happen.
* * *
Wade kept Spencer company for the hours it took to handle what needed to be taken care of for the SOA. Makai drove them back into Seattle proper—the mage bound in the back seat by way of magic and watched over by Wade—so Spencer could grab his car and have transportation.
He took the wounded mage to the University of Washington Medical Center for treatment and containment. Spencer escorted her into the emergency room while Wade went to park his car and hang out in a nearby coffee shop, still keeping off the SOA radar. Levi showed up with a couple of agents sometime after Spencer called to let him know which hospital they were at. The mage was going to live, but she wasn’t talking, not even to give her name.
“Well, her fingertips weren’t burned off, so we’ll identify her that way,” Levi had said when he’d arrived in the ER to take over custody of her. “Maricela said you’re working the Night Court angle still?”
“Something like that,” Spencer had replied. “I sent Kori and Hudson faces to ID. I’ll keep everyone updated with anything new.”
By the time he’d left the hospital, it was just after 12:30, and Wade had needed to be fed. They killed two birds with one stone by having lunch with Mallory and Anil to update them on the attack and the threat from the Cascade Coven. Whatever agreement Takoma had hashed out with them, the pair was still willing to keep an eye on the Night Court properties during the day. The mansion, as the heart of the Night Court, hadn’t been an agreed-to territory, with Takoma believing his wards would be enough. Clearly, they hadn’t been, if only because of a Trojan horse scenario.
“Who are you texting?” Wade asked after lunch once they were in the car.
“Nadine,” Spencer muttered. “Wondering if she’d be willing to create a barrier ward for Takoma.”
“Aren’t those heavily regulated?”
“Yes.”
“And isn’t she back in France?”
“Probably.”
“You think she’ll actually say yes just because you asked?”
