“Why’d they go with you, though?” Nessa scratched her chin. “Why would they risk their lives and livelihoods for you?”
“They’re low in the hierarchy.” Sebastian was standing behind Tilda now. “They already knew they didn’t have any protection, were probably treated badly on the regular, and that Momar wouldn’t want them. I’m sure they saw the writing on the wall. If Momar took over, they’d be expendable, and expendable in the Guild is not pleasant. A candied word or two from Tilda andvoila.Time for a prison break.”
“Also yes,” Broken Sue said after a beat.
Nessa nodded in thought. “And they didn’t turn her in and collect the rewards because they’d be killed for helping her escape. If she gets caught and they’re with her, they’ll be killed for the same reason. Any way you slice it, their lives are forfeit. Might as well live in this nowhere town with a bunch of animals than go back to the hell that was their life.”
Drex tensed. Broken Sue tightened his arms over his chest and Aurora caught my eye, nodding subtly. Nessa was right. These people had been walking all over Drex’s good intentions. Telling the truth, my ass.
“Well, here we are,” Nessa said cheerfully, smiling down at Tilda. “You’re just as rotten as the Guild. Thank you for reaffirming my world view.”
“The question is, what do we do with her?” Sebastian asked.
Drex’s whole body screameduncomfortable. He’d given his word, and even though Tilda had taken advantage of that, and honor meant nothing to her or her people, he’d built his pack based on his principles. To go back on that word, even when it was justified, would make him no better than the enemies he fought to protect his pack against. He was not equipped to handle the messy reality of dealing with the Guild.
“She doesn’t deserve our leniency,” I said, taking control, “but she can be useful. This is what I propose—Tilda, are you listening? You’d better be, because there are worse things than a broken body. I have the power to break your mind. I’d rather not, but you helped drag me into this war, and so I will battle you the way mages dictate I battle.” I paused to let that sink in. “I propose that Tilda answers every question Nessa, Sebastian, and Niamh can dream up. Easy way or hard way, there is a lot of knowledge in that noodle, Tilda, and we need it. We will take down the Guild and Momar with it, which will help you. It would behoove you to be open with them.”
“Behoove. Nice word choice.” Nessa gave me a thumbs up.
“Once they are satisfied,” I continued, “Elliot Graves and the Captain will stage a murder. They’ll send out footage of your extravagant death and taunt the Guild with it. Fred will then create a new alias for you, we’ll give you seed money and ship you to a place where you can disappear. You can get a job with Janes and live in peace. Or whatever you want to do. Your cohorts will be shipped to other locations. None of you will know where the other is, and if any of you find each other or try to go back to the Guild or evenfartin our direction, I will allowNiamh, Tristan, and Edgar to make a shrine out of you after your very real death. Does that sound good to everyone?”
Drex’s muscles slowly relaxed, and he gave me the briefest of nods.I can live with that.Then a wink.Thanks.
“I couldn’t think of a better plan meself,” Niamh said with a nod, and I knew that was only because she’d read the same thing in Drex that I did. Otherwise, she’d call me a bleeding heart or something and “accidentally” kill those mages before wasting money on setting them up elsewhere. I was not fooled.
Sebastian held up a finger. “I request that you keep her here for a bit so that I can ransack her house and take her potions notes.” He turned to her. “You did bring your journals with you, I assume? Very few mages leave without their best work.”
Tilda didn’t answer.
“Yes, she did,” Broken Sue replied on her behalf.
“Go ahead,” Drex said. “It sounds like that’s all stolen knowledge anyway. It doesn’t belong to her any more than it will belong to you. Might as well make use of it.” His gaze swung my way, and he inclined his head. “Thank you for honoring my position and creating a solution that will absolve me of my duty to protect her and her people.”
“Ye need to stomp on those rose-colored glasses, boyo,” Niamh murmured.
If he planned to join the fight and get his hands dirty, that would happen soon enough. We might as well let him have his hero-complex just a little longer.
“Right so.” Niamh pushed to standing. “That was fruitful. I’m hungry. Let’s go see what thatbollocksMr. Tom has made for a late lunch.”
15
Austin
Four fires glowed merrilywithin a large park just off the downtown strip. Smoke wafted from BBQs and people laughed and chatted. At every break in the cloud cover, a blanket of stars glimmered jovially.
This was their fifth evening in Drex’s pack and the fourth cook-out he’d organized for Austin and Jess’s people. Most of the pack was in attendance, providing food and smiles, drinks and a good time. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed in a way Austin could barely remember. Most of these people had a comfortable life without experiencing a hint of danger and it showed. Drex had provided exactly what he’d set out to, a safe haven where people could be free to live in peace.
Even as he was thinking it, Drex wandered over with a glass of something bubbly.
“Alpha,” Drex said by way of greeting.
Austin inclined his head in hello. Jess was across the way, chatting with Ulric and Jasper while Edgar stood to the side, wearing a strange smile while seemingly looking at nothing.Austin wasn’t sure if he was trying to fit into the merriment or if his brain had randomly stopped while he was laughing at a joke.
“How goes it with the mages?” Drex asked, managing to hide his wariness at the thought. Mostly.
Niamh, Sebastian and Nessa had been working with the mages around the clock to gather information about the Guild and Momar. Brochan and Aurora and Tristan all took turns helping out, the first two reading body language when the mages tried to hide information, and Tristan lending his nightmare magic to loosen lips when the mages got stubborn. For the most part, though, the mages answered the questions willingly, knowing their only hope was in helping the convocation take down the Guild. Their fates were less than certain. Had been, since before they’d walked out of the Guild’s doors.
“They’re staging the murders now,” Austin said, his hands in his pockets. “They’ll film it and post it to message boards and what not. It’s all politics at this point. They got the information they were after.”
