My squadmates stood, migrating toward their assigned teammates for the night.
Considine shifted his arm from my chair to my shoulders. “Ready to impart wisdom? I promise I’ll listen to everything you say.”
I stood up. “Stay here. Right here.”
Considine shrugged. “As you wish.”
I watched him for a moment, but he seemed content to sit at the table, so I scrambled across the room. “Sarge?” I hurried after my boss, anxious to catch him before he left.
Sarge paused by the meeting room door. “Blood,” he acknowledged. “You have questions?”
“Yessir.” I automatically locked my arms behind my back, standing at attention. “Are you sure—I mean, I’m not questioning your judgment or decision—but is this really…That is to say…” I floundered, unable to find a respectful way to ask my burning question.
I took a deep breath, then looked back over my shoulder.
Considine had his arms folded behind his head, ignoring my teammates who whispered together as they watched him. He yawned in boredom, flashing his pronounced fang teeth.
I need to ask.
I sucked in a breath of air, then blurted out, “Is this really a good idea?”
“A fair question,” Sarge acknowledged. “Particularly since it was only weeks ago that Captain Reese and I despaired over the attention Considine paid you as Ruin.”
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and kept silent.
“It is true this decision came from higher up,” Sarge started. “In particular, Considine joining the team was an idea championed by Queen Leila—the fae representative on the Midwest Committee of Magic. Queen Leila wouldn’t have made the recommendation if she thought Considine was a threat. Granted, she married an assassin, so her definition of a threat is…interesting. But I would have fought the decision if I didn’t agree with her.”
“You don’t think Considine is a risk?” I asked.
“To you? No. To the team…that is undetermined.” Sarge frowned—if water had been around, it likely would have rippledfrom the churn of his emotions. “He has been transparent that his reason to join the task force is to protect you. I don’t think he’s lying about that—there’s no reason for him to.” Sarge studied me. “Do you trust him?”
“It wouldn’t be wise to trust him given what he’s done here—”
“I asked ifyoutrust him,” Sarge said, cutting me off.
I hesitated, unable to answer.
When I’d first realized that Connor and Considine were the same person, I’d felt a burst of hurt and betrayal. Minutes after the realization Considine protected me from Gisila.
“Trust isn’t really a concern, as much as the knowledge that we’re dealing withConsidine Maledictus,” I said.
“Whom we already knew we were dealing with thanks to your slayer resources,” Sarge pointed out.
He was right. I’d known Considine was ruling downtown with his night persona of Ruin for around a month. While I was wary of him, I hadn’t been alarmed enough to notify my slayer family—which, in hindsight, was stupid of me.
Sarge watched me with an uncomfortable amount of scrutiny. “Having Considine on the team might be a risk. However. Knowing what he did to keep you alive, I trust him to have your back,” he said. “He blew his cover and practically announced to the city when he issued commands on a good third of the vampires in Magiford that you were important to him. Killian Drake has been frightfully cheerful ever since Considine revealed himself.”
Sarge sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “And, frankly, we have no other options to be your partner. There’s no one powerful enough to keep up with you who is interested in joining the squad. If he hadn’t shown up, Captain Reese discussed the possibility of putting you on paid leave until we closed Gisila’s case.”
My jaw dropped. “What? But you let me go back out on patrol last night!”
“That was before the day shift learned Gisila still had ties here in Magiford. But even if they hadn’t, something like this was inevitable.” Sarge rubbed his eyes. “You need a partner, Blood. Considine Maledictus is the best partner we can give you. Despite his spotty history, he’s proven to be vested in keeping you alive.”
I stared at Sarge, still so shocked by the revelation I couldn’t speak.
My boss was unbothered. “I’ve left the employee handbook on your desk. Show Maledictus around the department, then review the handbook with him. That should keep you busy tonight. We’ll see what we find at the hotel. Good luck, Blood.” Sarge nodded to me in dismissal, then slipped out the door.
What…what?
