Chapter 1 #5
“Kara. What did you do? How could you let him die!” Panic was heavy in her voice.
Dealing with powerful witches was all fun and games until one of their own died during a job.
Then the alliance quickly turned to a rivalry where they tended to be fine with Pyrrhic victories.
Witches rarely went to war, but when they did, it was with an unmatched intensity without any regard to the destruction their covens may suffer.
“How could I let him die? I’m not your fixer. Why would you do that to Belham? What is your endgame, Corrine?”
I didn’t receive an answer, just frustrated utterances and curses.
“Belham?” she inquired.
“Unaffected and angry.”
“I wasn’t trying to kill him. You know I can’t do that.
Did that asshole change the plan?” Technically, Jonah killing Belham and going off plan wouldn’t break the oath since he wasn’t part of the house.
Binding oaths weren’t all encompassing, and if someone was creative enough, they could be circumvented.
“Why would you work with anyone you’d believe would go off plan?” I asked.
If she could breathe, she’d be panting right now.
“Be at the house in an hour and bring the body,” she commanded, ending the call.
I handed Jonah his phone back. “Don’t answer your phone until tomorrow. Deal with your injuries. You and I will discuss this later.”
“There’s nothing for us to discuss.” Using his uninjured hand to raise the other, he directed my attention to the broken wrist as if the injury absolved him of his actions. “I’ve paid quite handsomely for my poor decision.”
Violence isn’t the answer, but it’s a formidable option. I preferred favors and debts and collected them like trinkets.
“You can’t possibly believe that.”
But he seemed arrogant enough to, and his clenched jaw of defiance demonstrated it.
I remained silent, letting him come to his own conclusion.
He did what most did, dropping his gaze to my bracelet with the houses’ interlocking crests.
The jewelry was the one thing they could agree on.
Tungsten carbide was an unflattering metal choice for my warm umber skin, but the advantages of having the bracelet outweighed its appearance.
It was a better alternative than the gaudy rhodium bracelet with crests encrusted in diamonds they’d initially provided.
Not only would that have ensured I’d get noticed, it would also make me a target for robbery every time I left the house.
A judgmental sneer flitted over his lips. The bracelet wasn’t understated but it was necessary to be viewed as my position and protection.
His expression held the question I’d been asked a million times. How in the hell did I get this role? A tale as old as time. One that I pushed aside because the unedited version would have the vampires fighting to determine who’d be the one to end my life.
“I’ll contact you later this week to schedule a meeting and secure your debt.” He didn’t seem trustworthy, so his debt would need to be a kiasin, a magically bound oath.
I started walking out, hoping he’d subdued his arrogance and had the good sense not to allow too much distance between us.
News of what he’d done surely had made it through the homes of the vampires who chose to live in the House of Knight.
Without explicit orders not to retaliate, he wouldn’t last a moment.
Fortunately, Jonah’s survival instincts were good, and he followed me out. His breath caught and he sidled closer to me when William approached.
William handed me a bag. “I would have preferred to give it to you under better circumstances,” he admitted.
His intense gaze cooled when it shifted to Jonah and warmed when it returned to me.
I peeked into the bag at the small hand-carved flute I assumed was from his recent trip to Madagascar.
That would explain his absence the last few weeks.
I was always aware of when he was gone. The house felt unbalanced.
He watched me carefully as I removed the flute from the bag, examining its intricate details along with the strange marking on it.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
I wasn’t sure. Its touch sent an unsettling tingle across my skin that defied explanation.
Returning it to the bag, I smiled and thanked him.
“The wood feels a little weird,” I admitted.
The flute was so beautiful, I’d find a place to display it.
This was the third gift he’d given me from his travels, and I loved them, but it seemed to be blurring the lines of our professional relationship.
I couldn’t show favor with either of the houses or have my objectivity compromised.
“I expect nothing in exchange. I’m a gifter. Nothing more.” His low baritone voice settled some of my unease.
Nodding, I ushered Jonah ahead of me. He was becoming increasingly skittish with William so close.
His hand kept moving over his pocket, I assumed touching the small sphere that had been the focal point of his exit plan.
He seemed moments away from using it just to escape William, whose unnerving eyes switched from unassuming vampire when on me to ruthless assassin when they landed on Jonah.