“Yes, very good news.”
Her smile was thin. “You haven’t heard it all yet.”
They told him the story, this time Rosemarie’s way—from the beginning, starting with the somewhat fabricated version of their romance rather than the very real photograph. Beatrix got through it without giving herself away.
By the end, Gray’s eyes were practically popping out of his head. He took a deep breath. Beatrix braced herself.
“TheStaris really going to write about it?” he said.
“Yes,” Lydia said.
He looked at Peter. “And you really told them you were helping the League?”
“I did.”
Gray started to chuckle. He saw their startled looks and said, “Good soul, a Romeo-and-Juliet romance, a wizard helping fight for typic rights—mark my words, Washington miscalculated. I can’t tell you what your members will do, Miss Harper,” he added, giving Lydia a level glance, “but this will begreatpublicity for my bill.”
“Speaking of which,” Beatrix said, “I’d like to get your approval for a, ah, strategic action immediately after the press conference.”
“Oh?”
“The groups that are coming to support you could buttonhole all the committee members, urging them to green-light your bill for a full Senate vote. I think I can make sure there’s at least one constituent for each of them. And we can bring the petitions the League has been working on.”
He smiled. He approved. For once, it felt as if they were all truly working on the same side.
She decided to go one more time to the well.
“Senator—until Peter’s recovered sufficiently to safely cast spells, he shouldn’t be alone in his house. Could you put him up for a little while? You have a spare bedroom, don’t you?”
Gray’s smile slipped. “How the heck amIsupposed to protect you from wizards, Omnimancer?”
“You don’t have to protect me,” Peter said, as smoothly as if she’d warned him about what she was going to do. “You’re just giving me a place to sleep where I’m temporarily out of sight.”
“I’m bugged!”
“You don’t have any tele-vision cameras. I’ll keep my mouth shut indoors.”
Gray scowled. “You could be puttingmein danger, you know.”
“If the wizards do find out and want to use the opportunity to make Peter disappear, which, I should add, they have never tried before,” Beatrix said, “don’t you think they would teleport in while you’re sleeping, grab him and teleport out, leaving you blissfully unaware in your bed?”
“You’re not in danger, Senator,” Lydia said in soothing tones. “We had confirmation recently that the wizards never intended to kill me. It was a ploy to get me to quit.”
“Oh,” he said, gazing at her. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Beatrix cleared her throat. “So you’ll do it?”
Gray threw up his hands. “Fine, fine. Starting tonight, I presume?”
They nodded.
“Every time you show up,” he grumbled to Beatrix, “my life gets crazier.” Without waiting for a response, he turned to Lydia and said, “I have a request about the statement you’ll give on Thursday …”
Peter took Beatrix’s arm, making her pulse jump, and led her a few paces away.
“Did he hire you?” he asked. “Is this the job you landed?”
She nodded. “I’m filling in for the legislative aide the wizards seem to have incentivized to quit. Not officially, though—officially, I’m a secretary. Not that he wants people to know I’m working for him in any capacity …”
