Chapter 3 #3
They’d worried that the common humans’ testimony might not hold much weight with a demon. The half-fae Girl Explorers’ ages and the trolls’ reputation as dunces would count against their own credibility. And while her wife remained so ill, Sabrina refused to leave the Zone.
Before Gwen and the trolls had left Sabby’s house, though, the witch had promised to meet them by Wall One at dawn for their next task: tampering with the breach site.
By then, she hopefully would have regained enough of her witchy power for the job.
They couldn’t wait any longer than that, because an unknown clock was already ticking down the minutes.
Sooner or later, the conspirators would either alert the authorities about the breach or arrive in the Zone themselves and loudly, falsely proclaim demons to be the guilty species—which meant all planted evidence of demonic guilt had to disappear, stat.
Also any real evidence of fae perfidy Sabrina might find, since that too could touch off an apocalyptic war with common humans.
And New Year’s Day was dawning within an hour, so Sabby, Gwen, and the trolls all needed to head to the breach site soon to start tampering while they still could.
Hugh too, if he chose to believe her and assist their efforts.
Gwen wasn’t especially optimistic about that. “I’m sorry to hurry you, but I really need to know your verdict. Do you believe me?”
He hesitated. A bad sign.
“I believe in your good intentions,” he finally said, his tone as neutral as the last time he’d passed judgment upon her, twenty years before.
“I believe that you believe what you’ve told me.
But that doesn’t mean you, Max, or Edie accurately interpreted recent events and your vision.
And even if everything you’ve just told me is correct and you’ve drawn all the right conclusions, I’m not convinced that what you want me to do is the best course of action.
I’d rather alert SERC to the breach and assist you through official means instead. ”
That was exactly what Max had predicted Hugh would say.
He may be our best shot at getting the help we need, but he’ll resist working outside the system, the vampire had warned Gwen just before she and the trolls had left in Lorrie’s SUV.
He lives by policies and procedures, and he’ll most likely die by them too.
As will everyone else if he can’t extract his head from his own ass.
Hugh could live however he wanted, and he could die that way too. Only, she didn’t want to die with him. She didn’t want her unborn child to die either, and she certainly didn’t want her friends and neighbors and everyone else to die as well.
She wasn’t giving up.
“The trolls are waiting outside. Please talk to them first before making any definite decisions.” She met his dark eyes and held them stubbornly, even though her instincts were screaming for her to bow her head and slink away in shamed defeat.
“As your constituents, they deserve a fair hearing too.”
There. That should appeal to his sense of duty.
His frown only intensified. “Will they repeat the same story you just told me?”
“Yes.” And that was a good thing, right? Further proof of her trustworthiness?
Apparently not, because he reached for his cell on the marble side table. “Then their hearing can wait until more urgent matters have been resolved. Namely, coordinating immediate assistance in the Containment Zone, then getting you seen by a doctor.”
“No.” She leapt from her seat, shaking and desperate, and grabbed his forearm.
“Listen to me, Hugh. I know you want to help through official channels, but please, for the love of all the gods and goddesses, wait. Come with us to the breach site and see it for yourself. Talk to the trolls and my witch friend. After all that, if you still think we’re wrong about what happened, you can contact your SERC colleagues and raise the alarm then. ”
He didn’t put down his phone, but he didn’t shake her off either.
Beneath the soft Henley, his skin radiated heat like a stove, and she let that warmth soak into her dread-chilled bones. Let it bolster her as she continued to fight for what was right.
“There’s no immediate danger now.” She shook his arm slightly in emphasis.
“The zombies are all dead, and one or two more hours won’t make or break the emergency response.
You can afford to get all the information before making any decisions.
Especially since the wrong one could lead to an apocalypse. ”
His eyes bored into hers as if he could see down to the depths of her terrified soul, and she hoped he could. Hoped he could plainly spot her sincerity and her gut-deep fear, because she didn’t know how else to convince him to believe and help her.
“That vision terrified me, Hugh,” she whispered. “Please.”
His expression changed then. He sucked in a sharp breath, and his brow tightly furrowed.
She waited, but he didn’t explain his odd reaction.
“If you’ll drink more tea and rest in my car,” he eventually said instead, “I’ll drive you and the trolls to the site.”
Holy crap.
She’d done it. Somehow—against all odds—she’d successfully recruited Councilor Hugh Blacke’s assistance. Temporarily, at least.
Giddy with relief, she smiled up at him. “Deal.”
For some reason, her smile seemed to make him frown even harder. Gwen didn’t care, because she’d completed her mission.
“All right, then.” She glanced around herself, wondering where he kept his clothing. “Since we don’t want anyone but Haziq to suspect you’re not still snoring peacefully in your bed, you’ll need a disguise too.”
His chest rose and fell on a sigh. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes.”