CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
Considine
When Jade and her team sprinted up the road, I followed. I had to go a round-about way to stay downwind of the mutty wolves.
I shouldn’t have moved at all—it was an unnecessary risk. But the scent of Jade’s blood—which was so well masqueraded by her abilities that it was almost bland—had me on edge. Whether it be morbid curiosity or something walking the uncomfortable tightrope between entertainment and…caring—how foolish—I was spurred on to follow.
I settled into place in the long shadow of an industrial building just in time to see Jade disappear up an alleyway, while the thuggish mercenaries lumbered into the alleyway her team had taken.
I sensed Gisila’s presence before she emerged—dragon blood has an unusual sulfur scent that’s hard to miss.
She didn’t notice me. She strolled up the sidewalk, stopping in front of me so her back faced me—something she’d never risk knowingly.
Her hands were pressed into the pockets of her jacket, and she stayed in the shadows as she watched her mercenaries.
If I revealed myself… I could stop this.
My presence alone—or rather, the presence of Considine Maledictus—would be enough to make the dragon shifter back down. I had far more connections than the paltry task force; the dragon shifter couldn’t risk stirring things up with me.
Jade likely wouldn’t be able to pin the attack on her—Gisila would play dumb and probably had an employee serve as a go-between so it couldn’t be proved that she’d hired the mercenaries.
But there was an unpleasant feeling in the pit of my gut that said Jade—for all her skills, weapons, and superior battle strength—was reaching her limit.
I didn’t like that unpleasant feeling—I didn’t likefeelingsat all. Perhaps it wouldn’t be that big a deal to reveal to Gisila that I skulked around town at night.
Yes, there would be plenty of annoyances to it as I’d pondered earlier, but for the sake of preserving my entertainment…
I’m grappling for an excuse, I thought—disgusted with myself.
Unfortunately, that disgust couldn’t overwhelm my annoying sense of urgency, and I stepped forward taking care to make my footsteps on the pavement audible.
Gisila swung around, her nostrils flaring as she licked her lips.
A moment passed, then two. “Considine Maledictus,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
That confirms her senses are good enough to pick me out.But it’s just as well, as that will make this stop that much faster.
“Curiosity,” I said. “Your little teamthere has raised quite the racket—and made a mess.”
Gisila blinked with falsified innocence. “My team? Not hardly. I don’t retain any werewolf Packs on my payroll.”
“I’m so sure,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my words. “Just like that little fae minion of yours was going around unleashing fae horrors on Magiford without your leave.”
Gisila smiled and ducked her head. “Perhaps I do share a little responsibility there in that I should have been more informed on what my employees choose to do with their down time.” She flicked her eyes up at me, the pupils sharpening. “It seems that I have you tothankfor correcting his actions. Based on your appearance, you must be the vampire mentioned in whispers that haunts downtown and helped the slayer kill the snake.” She smiled, flashing her teeth like a predator.
Now that was a very feeble attempt to intimidate me.
“You’re welcome,” I generously said as I tilted my head listening for any signs that the mercenaries had caught Jade or her teammates.
“I didn’t take you to be the good citizen type,” Gisila said.
“I’m not,” I said. “I just dislike things getting in my way.”
Gisila narrowed her eyes. “Your way? What did Orrin do that could have been construed as being in your way?”
Ahh yes, she was trying to sniff out my weakness—in the most obvious and inefficient way possible. She was seriously giving the Curia Cloisters this much trouble? She had the subtlety of Vìgì!
