“Then submit your vacation request to the department secretary when you get back. As for your verbal report, it seems neither Captain Reese nor myself will be back to the Cloisters anytime soon, so you might have to give it to one of the other shift captains.”
I frowned, which caught Considine’s attention so he smushed his head against mine, listening in on the conversation. “Why won’t you be back by then? Is there a problem? Does House Tellier not have the oracle after all?” I asked.
“We haven’t been able to confirm if they do or not, because the House won’t let us set foot on the lawn, much less inside,” Sarge sighed. “And the Telliers wised up from when we last arrested them and barricaded themselves inside the House. We’re basically in a standoff.”
“The House won’t let you in?” I repeated, bewildered.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
Jade
Houses were generally protective of their wizards, but over the past few months House Tellier had proven to be nearly apathetic to its wizards and was fine with intruders—provided you didn’t harm the property or House itself.
I’d set foot on its lawn to arrest and fight several wizards, and it hadn’t minded at the time.
Going even farther back, I’d once knocked on the House’s front door to ask some questions. The House had allowed it and hadn’t attacked me even when the Heir to the house—a gorilla-like wizard named Gideon—had ordered it to. And that was when Considine—moonlighting as Ruin—had even lounged around on the porch with me.
It seemed odd that the House had been fine with me and Considine, but was blocking the rest of the task force.
“Do you want me to swing by House Tellier?” I asked.
“Do you wantusto swing by?” Considine corrected.
I ignored his addition and continued. “Since I’ve been on the property multiple times, I might be able to notice if something is different about it.”
“Glad to hear you’re your usual snarky self, Considine,” Sarge said. “But, no, Blood. I’m not going to ask that of either of you. You’ve been through two major fights tonight, and Considine has been held for days.”
Sarge was right. After two fights—even if I wasn’t involved in combat for the second one—I was feeling some fatigue, and Considine wasn’t in condition to be dragged around on a mission. Unless maybe he needed it after being boxed up for so long.
I peered up at Considine, trying to judge his fatigue levels.
There still were dark circles under his red eyes, and he looked…worn.
“If you want to go, we should go,” Considine said, correctly interpreting my examination of him. “I am in fine enough fighting form, and it probably would be best for us to give our verbal reports to Reese and Sarge if they’re stuck waiting anyway.”
I glanced at Orrin, who shrugged.
“Whatever you two decide,” he said. “But someone better call the Cloisters if you think we’ll be out longer than after dawn. The department has been looking the other way and letting me go out with the task force despite Considine’s absence, but I still must mind my Cloisters curfew.”
“We’ll stop over, Sarge,” I said. “Just to get more eyes on House Tellier, and to give you our reports directly. Since we’re going to take the vacation you suggested, I’d like to tell you and Captain Reese.”
Sarge sighed. “I should make you stay away, or threaten to add more pages to your paper, but as we’ve broken so manytask force protocols tonight, I suppose I don’t have a leg to stand on. Fine, we’ll see you soon.”
I nodded, until I remembered Sarge couldn’t see me. “Understood,” I said.
I was about to hang up, when Sarge called out. “And Blood?”
I returned the phone to my ear. “Yes, Sir?”
“Well done in freeing Considine, and congratulations.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Sarge.”
Before Orrin,Considine, and I piled into an O’Neil van, Considine finally called Killian with my phone and let him know he was free.
The exchange lasted about ten sentences before he hung up on the other vampire.
