As Lie the Dead

“So what does this mean for us now?” I asked. “Do you still want Rufus handed over to you?” Phin’s hesitation answered my question. “I guess I didn’t uphold my end of the deal, huh? Deliver the brass before Aurora gave birth.”

“I technically gave you until tomorrow,” he said. “Help me protect the other bi-shifting Clans, and then his debt is forgiven.”

“How can I protect them if I don’t know who they are?”

“I believe you’ll find out tonight. Jenner is very persuasive, and you’ve gotten him on your side.”

“How?”

“You stood up to him, and he’s not used to that. It gained his respect. You also did what you promised—your very best to ensure Aurora’s safe delivery.”

“About that,” I said, suddenly curious. “What happened to Belle?”

Phin’s expression darkened. “She received a warning from her Pride Alpha about taking things that do not belong to her.”

“A warning?” From the look on his face, I didn’t want elaboration. Fine. “Okay, so what now? Did Call’s group meet last night somewhere else?”

“If they did, I wasn’t told about it.”

“Could the day have been wrong? Could he be having the meet tonight, even though he knows the Triads are watching the place?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry. If he does, and your people show up spoiling for a fight, the Triads will be outnumbered three to one. They’ll be decimated.”

“They aren’t dumb enough to walk into that kind of trap.” Nor would I let them, if I thought otherwise. “They may have tried to kill me twice in one week, but the Triads are all that stands between the city and the Dregs.”

My final remarks produced twin squawks from the men in the room. I held my hand up to silence Wyatt and addressed Phin first. “I use the word ‘Dreg’ to refer not to all nonhumans, but to the assholes who’ve decided to wipe us off the map, whatever species they be.”

That seemed to placate Phin. Wyatt, on the other hand, was staring down at me with a queer look on his face. Something between anger and amazement. “Evy, what the hell happened at the factory?” he asked. “What did Gina do?”

“Her job,” I replied, and, oddly, believed it. “I became a threat to the Triads—this time, on purpose—so she followed protocol.”

“Did she start the fire?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“It does—”

“No, Wyatt, it doesn’t.” I tugged his arm until he crouched down to eye level, then grabbed his chin and held tight. “As much as I’d like to kick her ass six ways from Sunday for my legs, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t fucking matter. And in this, my vote is the only one that counts.”

Tension thrummed off his body. Though unhappy with the decision, he seemed to relent. “Fine. It doesn’t matter.”

I let go of his chin, almost believing him. He could hold a grudge longer than me, and he wouldn’t be completely satisfied until he got details about the fire. I’d tell him eventually, but it wouldn’t help us today. There was simply too much to do, and as always, my personal bullshit had to wait.

“About Park Place?” Phin asked, elegantly redirecting the conversation.

Wyatt shifted so he sat on the bed next to me. He reached around and tugged the sheet up, over my bare legs. I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders, amused by his attempt to protect my modesty.

“We need to know more about Leonard Call,” I said, backpedaling to before our latest conversational tangent. “He’s supposedly human, which doesn’t make a lot of sense. Could he have a specific bone to pick with the Triads?”

“It’s hard to know,” Wyatt said. “I don’t recognize the name, and it’s difficult to imagine a human building a Dreg army to fight against other humans.”

My point exactly. “Do you think Kismet would tell you if she found out anything?”

“After all the names I called her the last time we spoke? Sure,” he deadpanned.

“It’s worth a try.”

Phin produced a cell phone and held it out to Wyatt. Wyatt glared at it, then took the phone and flipped it open.

“Put it on speaker,” I said as he dialed.

He did. It rang half a dozen times before the line connected.

“Kismet.”

“It’s Truman,” Wyatt said.

A pregnant pause preceded a soft, “Hey.”

“What do you know about a man named Leonard Call?”

I stifled a groan. Way to be subtle, Wyatt.

“Um, not much,” she replied, his question seeming to catch her off guard. Indecipherable background noise painted the call with static. “He’s got no address, no credit, not even a Social Security number. There aren’t any Calls in the entire state, and the only Leonard Call we found is a four-year-old in Arizona.” She paused. “Where did you hear that name?”

“A little bird told me. You?”

“From a friend.” I swear I heard regret in her voice. “Wyatt, come back in so we can protect you.”

He snorted. “Why? Am I in danger?”

“It feels like we’re all in danger right now. Our informants are hearing some pretty nasty rumors about goblin movements.”

“What sort of goblin movements?”

“I’ll tell you when you come in. They can’t have who they really want to punish, so they may come after you.”

Who they really want was a diplomatic way of saying, “Since I killed Evy, they can’t kill her for killing one of their Queens.” But part of me was still curious what the goblins were up to.

“We can’t afford to lose you, Wyatt,” she said.

“Touching, but no thanks.”

I gave Wyatt a poke to get his attention, then mouthed the words “Park Place.” He nodded. “What’s going on tonight, Gina?”

“Nothing so far. We’ve been watching the location all night and day, but beyond the occasional homeless person, there’s been no activity in any of the four buildings on that corner. Baylor took his Hunters and a rookie, and they’ve been patrolling the entire waterfront, keeping an eye on things.”

Baylor had a rookie on his team? I chewed on my lower lip. He must have lost a Hunter at Olsmill. I’d been so preoccupied, I still hadn’t bothered to find out the names of the other four Hunters who had died that night.

“Besides a storage-unit auction this afternoon,” Kismet was saying, “and some sort of charity benefit tonight, nothing’s happening within six blocks. Perimeter sensors are in place, so if anyone larger than a sparrow goes in those other buildings, we’ll know about it.”

“Don’t underestimate their numbers or their cleverness.”

“I haven’t underestimated a Dreg in a long time. You taught me better than that.” No, she only underestimates humans. “Look, come in—”

“If I learn something useful, I’ll let you know. Otherwise, don’t expect me.”

“Wyatt—”

He hung up. I bit back a retort about rudeness. Knowing his temper, I should have been amazed he’d made it through the entire phone call without letting loose more foul names. He hadn’t turned his back completely, though. He never would. He’d been there for the birth of the Triads; he had trained Kismet and countless others. This was beyond personal for both of us.

“Well, that was somewhat useless,” Phin said.

Wyatt grunted. “Depends on your point of view.”