Ilona Andrews - Magic Bleeds

I felt an urge to hit my head against a wall. “You were there when I told him that Erra loves to panic crowds, right?”

“I was there,” Andrea confirmed. “I refreshed his memory. He told me to shove it.”

“And that’s the person for whom you will put yourself in harm’s way.” Raphael shook his head. “But you won’t do the same for our people.”

“He’s one of many knights,” Andrea said. “He’s not the Order. His views are outdated and don’t reflect the attitudes of the majority of the Order’s members. I didn’t swear allegiance to him. I gave my loyalty to the mission.”

“And that mission is to clean you and me off the face of this planet!” Raphael growled.

“The mission is to ensure the survival of humankind.”

“Yes, and Moynohan doesn’t think we fit the description.”

“I don’t care what he thinks,” Andrea snarled. “I’m there because I dedicated my life to it. It gives me a purpose. Something to believe in. Unlike you, I actually did something with my life instead of wasting my time rutting with anything I could hold still for thirty seconds.”

“A lot of good it did you—you sit on your ass in the Order all day long, polishing your weapons, and the one time you could have made a difference, you chose to do nothing.”

Andrea slammed her hands on the table. “I chose to obey an order from my commanding officer. Discipline, look it up.”

“They were dying! They called you for help and you did nothing!”

“Yes, because Kate went there.”

Derision twisted Raphael’s face. “So you let her take the fall for you?”

“I’m not her!” Andrea pointed at me. “I can’t just dramatically rip my ID off and walk away.”

I glanced at Curran in case he decided to wade in. He sat next to me, his jaw resting on his fist, watching them the way one would watch a fascinating play.

Andrea kept going. “The Order was there for me when nothing else was. Where was your precious Pack and these fabled shapeshifters when I was sixteen with a sick mother on my hands and no way to feed myself? Where were you? I won’t be a flaky slut bouda. When I give my loyalty, I mean it.”

“You’re giving it to the wrong people, can’t you see that?”

Andrea’s eyes blazed. “If I leave, Ted wins. I won’t let that fucker force me out, do you hear me?”

“Do what you want.” Raphael shook his head. “I’m done.”

Oh, boy.

“There are only two streets leading from the Mole Hole, so if Erra panics the crowd, she’ll run them either toward the Casino or toward the Water and Sewer Authority,” I said. “Erra gets off on watching people run. The street leading to Water and Sewer is dark, but the street to the Casino is well lit.”

“The Casino is more likely,” Andrea said. “Not only can she pick off the stragglers, but scared people naturally tend to run toward the light. It gives them an illusion of safety.”

And the light will be full of vampires. “Erra might be reluctant to destroy vampires, which could limit casualties.”

“The People won’t enter the fight,” Curran said. “They have nothing to gain.”

“Nataraja may or may not know the connection between Roland and Erra, but Ghastek doesn’t know,” I said. “He realizes that something odd is going on and he wants a piece of it. He went through a giant guilt rant when I wouldn’t let him have Deluge’s head. He won’t jump into the fight if you or I ask them, but if a knight of the Order calls them . . .”

“Ted would never approve vampire deployment. He wants this to be solely the Order’s affair.” Andrea crossed her arms.

“You’re wasting your time,” Raphael said. “She won’t do anything to help you. It would endanger her career too much.”

“You’re an ass,” Andrea snarled.

Raphael executed a perfect bow. “Does the Beast Lord require my presence any longer?”

“No,” Curran said.

Raphael walked out.

Curran gave me a beautiful version of an “I told you so” look.

I turned to Andrea. “If you call Ghastek and tell him that Ted’s planning a showdown with the navigator of undead mages less than two miles from the Casino and doesn’t want the People involved, Ghastek will foam at the mouth.”

“Thanks for the tip.” Andrea grimaced. “Would’ve never thought of it on my own, being as I sit on my ass all day polishing my weapons.”

Curran rose. “The Pack thanks the Order for its continued cooperation and goodwill. We look forward to successful relationships in the future.”

That’s it, you’re done, go away now.

Andrea drew herself upright.

“I’m not done,” I said quietly.

Curran ignored me. “You and I have an understanding, Andrea. Don’t abuse it by insulting your friend and my mate.”

Andrea walked out.

I sighed. “You don’t get to decide when I’m finished talking to my friend.”

Curran perched on the edge of the table. “The conversation was going nowhere. They’re both hurt and neither of them was in the mood to listen.”

That didn’t change anything. “I thought this was a joint venture. Am I wrong?”

Curran fell silent for a long moment, obviously picking the right words. “Yes, it is. I know it goes against the grain, but please don’t contradict me again in public. You can scream and kick me in private, but in public we must present a united front. Always. Anything we do outside of those rooms upstairs will be scrutinized and people like B will exploit every rift to their advantage. When a decision is made, I need to know that you will support it.”

I tapped my fingernails on the table. “Even if the decision was made without my input?”

He exhaled slowly. “I’m not used to sharing. I’ve never had to do it before. If you cut me some slack, I promise I’ll do the same for you. I will attempt to always include you, but it won’t always be possible. You have to trust me.”

“Trust goes both ways.”

Curran leaned closer. “If she were one of mine, I would’ve had my claws on her throat. I permit her to insult you, because she is your friend and you don’t play by the same rules. I want some credit for that.”

This was going to be an uphill battle. I could see it in his eyes. “You permitted her to insult me because she is a knight of the Order and even you can’t murder them with impunity.”

“That, too.”

“As long as you’re aware that I will make my own decisions and I will fight you if you attempt to interfere. I will make an effort to always include you, Your Majesty, but it won’t be always possible.”

Gold sparked in his eyes and vanished.

“I deserved that,” he said. “We’re even now. Peace?”

He watched me carefully. It was important to him. What I said would matter.

Curran was used to unquestioned obedience and I rejected all authority. He’d never shared his power before and I never had any. Both of us had to give and neither wanted to.

“Peace,” I said. “This is going to be really difficult for us.”

“Yes. But we’ll work it out, with enough time.”

If it got to be too much, there was always the gym.

We sat in silence for a long minute.

“What are you thinking?” I asked finally.

“Erra’s down to three undead: wind, animal, and the third one.”

“Gale, Beast, and Darkness. And nobody knows what Darkness does.”

Curran nodded. “Assuming that whatever trap the Order sets for her fails—”

“Which it will,” I added.

“—she’ll chase the crowd toward the Casino.”

“We have to keep her away from the crowd.” I pulled Slayer from the back sheath and put it on my lap. “There is no telling how many she will kill, if they panic.”