“Shepard,” Shepard interrupts.
Lamb pauses to smile at him, like he’s making a note to eat him later. “Shepardwas correct: The Next Blood aren’t fighters. They’re scientists and software engineers. Chaos may very well work in our favour.”
Well, there’s Simon accounted for.
Merciful Morgana—Lamb’s facewhen my spell finally wears off, and Simon appears out of thin air. Lamb is done talking, and he and his minions are leaving to get their own team in order, whenpop,there’s Simon, glowering, between them and the door.
Lamb takes in Simon’s wings and tail, then turns to Baz and shakes his head. “Not just a magician, Baz, but adisfiguredmagician.”
As soon as they’re out the door, Simon throws a lamp at it. “Fuck this!”
Baz sets a pile of clothes on the bed and starts folding a dress shirt.
Simon puts his hands on his hips. “Well, we’re not going with him.”
“Of course we’re going with him,” Baz says.
“We are not getting intoa carwitha vampireso he can lead us into a vampirenest!” Simon shouts.
Baz throws the shirt onto the bed and shouts back: “Isn’t that why we came here?! Isn’t that precisely what we asked him to do?!”
“We came here to find Agatha!”
“He’s taking us to Agatha!”
“Is he?” Simon’s standing directly across the bed fromBaz. “Or is he going to dump us in the desert wearing cement shoes?”
“That doesn’t even make sense. Why would they put cement on our feet in the desert?”
“You know what I mean!”
“Lamb isn’t going to hurt us!”
“How do youknow?!”
“Because I trust him!”
Simon looks like he was ready to shout some more, but now he doesn’t know what to say. He takes a step back. “You trust him.”
Baz nods. “I do. I don’t—I don’t think Lamb would lie to me.”
Simon clenches his jaw. If he still had magic, I’d be sheltering in place. “Oh, really. Well, it’s a good thing he doesn’t know what—”
“I wouldn’t assume we have privacy,” Shepard cuts in. “Under this roof.”
He’s right. This is Lamb’s hotel. Lamb’s city. I’ve scanned the room for bugs, but not recently.
Simon is boiling with rage.
Baz is simmering. He deliberately picks up his shirt again. “Fine. We don’t have to accept his help. We can head off on our own, without any clues or direction. I’m sure Agatha can wait.”
“No,” I say. “Baz is right, this is our only lead. If Lamb wanted us dead, he’d just kill us here. Or try.” I raise my voice for the benefit of anyone who might be listening: “We can hold our own in a fight.”
Baz looks at the Normal. “You should leave now, Shepard. There’s no reason for you to endanger yourself further.”
“I can think of plenty,” Shepard says. “You’re not getting rid of me yet.”
Baz turns to Simon. “Well, Snow?”
