didn’t miss a beat.
I booked us a private room at the back of what my lawyer promised me was a very good restaurant. The maitre d’ escorted us through the dim, well-appointed hall, real candles burning in wall sconces and live music playing in the background. The table was set for four. I’d debated inviting Aaron and Candace too, but until the investigation of Coin’s death was completed, I decided it was better to keep social contact to a minimum. If Kim had stayed, I’d have brought her too.
As we ordered drinks, I considered the three of them. Chogyi Jake, with his freshly shaved scalp and constantly laughing eyes, asked for water. It arrived in a sculpted glass bottle, freshly opened. Ex ordered a gin and tonic. He was wearing all black again, the way he had the first time I’d met him. His hair was pulled back and tied with a length of leather. Aubrey sat across from me and ordered wine. I got the same thing he did.
I raised my glass.
“If not to a job well done, at least to a job done,” I said.
“And to Jayne,” Aubrey said. “Without whom I’d still be eating through a tube.”
“To Eric,” Ex said. Chogyi Jake didn’t offer a toast, so we gave the silence a moment, then drank.
“I suppose you’re all wondering why I asked you here,” I said, trying to lighten the mood a little.
“To say good-bye?” Chogyi Jake suggested. Aubrey’s head lifted as if he’d heard a strange sound. Ex saw the movement and coughed slightly in scorn.
“She’s got an empire, Aubrey,” he said. “Eric had places all over the country. All over the world. You can’t expect her to curl up here in Denver and never poke her nose out.”
“Besides which,” I said, “the Invisible College is broken, but it’s not dead. I was thinking it would be a good idea to get out of town for a while, even if I did decide to come back.”
Aubrey went pale. It was good to see the reaction. It made me feel better about the part that came next.
“So,” I continued, “that’s why I’d like to hire you.”
Now it was Ex’s turn to look startled.
“I’ve got a lot of money,” I said. “I can afford a decent yearly salary for all three of you. And Ex is right. It is an empire, and I’m still pretty much wet behind the ears. I need help cataloging things, but even more than that, I need to know what the hell it is once it’s all cataloged. You guys know more than I do, and that’s important-”
“We don’t know near enough,” Ex said. “Coin just about killed Aubrey. We were living with a vampire for days without any of us putting it together. You and Aubrey could have gotten slaughtered by the haugtrold before any of the rest of it even got off the ground!”
“That’s important, but it’s not the only issue,” I said, staring Ex down. He scowled deeply, then softened and smiled a little. I went on. “The big thing is I know you guys. The world’s still full of riders. Vampires, werewolves, demons. Whatever you want to call them. And if I’m going up against them, I want people I trust. I trust you. So there you have it. Come work for me, and we’ll pick up where Eric left off, or enjoy the meal and I’ll tell you how much I owe you for what you’ve already done and we’ll call it quits. Your call.”
I took a sip of the wine and waited while it sank in.
“I have a job,” Aubrey said. “The lab…”
Chogyi Jake considered his water glass as if it were a piece of fine art. Ex leaned forward. No one spoke. They were going to do it. I could already smell it. They were in, all of them.
I’d come to Denver a little under a month before, knowing nothing about riders or the Invisible College, Eric’s wealth, or my role as his heir. I hadn’t had anyone. Now I had all of it. Sitting in the dim elegance around our table, I could see a future worth hoping for. I watched as each of them-Aubrey, Ex, Chogyi Jake-nodded. I grinned, delighted.
My uncle hadn’t had the time to train me, but he’d meant for me to have all of this, to follow in his footsteps. With a little help, I would. I’d be the one who could help the Candaces and Aarons and stand against the Randolph Coins. And even better, I’d have my friends beside me. In that moment, I was as sure of myself, as confident, and as at peace as I had ever been.
I didn’t have a clue.
