“You should shut up until you know what you are talking about,” I said, but guilt was an unexpected prick at my soul. Frustrated, I went to the slate coffee table and plunked myself down at one of the chairs. Mood bad, I slapped the warrant on the table. It sat there in front of everyone until Edden put a single finger on it and slid it across the table, retreating to a sunny window to look it over. From the rafters, a single black feather spiraled down as Hodin crow-hopped to a new rafter, interested as well.
“I’m sure you can get it sorted out,” Vivian said comfortingly, but her brow was furrowed in worry.
“Jenks, will you warn Kaspar and Zack that Pike’s here?” I asked suddenly, and the pixy’s hover bobbled and his dust shifted to green.
“Yell if you need me,” he said, then darted into the foyer and up the belfry stairs.
“Go-o-o-od chili.” Pike eagerly helped himself to another bowl and sat beside Mrs. Sarong. Nose wrinkled, the woman shifted away with a little sniff. Edden sighed as he set the warrant down, and Trent stepped forward to take it. Head lowered, he took it to the piano and David, Hodin mirroring the move in the rafters.
“May we continue?” Mrs. Sarong said dryly, eyeing Pike’s torn clothes and enthusiastic spoon-to-mouth. “I’ve already gone past my allotted time for this. As I see it, Rachel’s continued claim to Cincinnati and her attempt to drive Constance out—the legal vampire representative, I may add—is making more unrest, not less.”
“I’m working on it,” I said as I watched Pike eat as if he’d never seen food before. A good Brimstone cookie would do that to you, though.
“This is not a trial, Rachel,” Vivian said encouragingly. “We simply want to know how you are going to get Constance to leave.”
“And if we can help,” David added, earning a derisive look from Mrs. Sarong.
I slumped where I sat, wanting my coffee but not enough to go get it. I hadn’t really thought about the how, having been more concerned with Zack. “I can move now that Zack is safe,” I said, not addressing Mrs. Sarong’s exact concern.
Pike noisily scraped his bowl. “I thought you were here to force her compliance.” He looked from Mrs. Sarong to Vivian in disbelief, then wiped a bit of chili from his lips. “You think Morgan can get Constance out of Cincinnati?”
I didn’t like the silence, hearing an unspoken doubt in it as Hodin shifted his feathers.
“Rachel, it’s you who are tearing the city apart,” Mrs. Sarong said, clearly appreciating Pike’s disbelief. “All you have done is send her a lily?”
“Hey!” I barked, and everyone but Trent and Etude jumped. “That lily drove her from her daylight quarters. A master vampire. No one died. No one got bitten. Do you have any idea what it would have cost to accomplish that with manpower?”
A flicker of understanding slowed Pike’s spoon-to-mouth and, seeing it, I sat up. “Tell me, Mrs. Sarong,” I said, rising to go get my coffee. “Have you given any thought to your new normal under Constance? Have you met her? Seen firsthand how she manipulates her camarilla? What she’s doing to the vampires?” I stifled a grimace, remembering Kip helping Joni out of Constance’s line of fire. “Her own people are scared to death of her, not because she might accidentally drain or kill them. No, they’re afraid that she’s going to push them past their limits, luring them into behavior they’ve worked all their lives to avoid. Constance is insane. Not just undead insane, but down-to-the-core nuts.” Pulse fast, I glanced at Pike. “No offense.”
“I’m the last person to argue with that assessment,” he said as he set his empty bowl on the table, that same odd look lurking in the back of his eyes. He was thinking. About what?
“I got out of the I.S. because her own people helped me,” I added, feeling uneasy. “Give me some time. I’m taking care of it.”
“You don’t have time,” Mrs. Sarong said stiffly, dark eyes angry. “Kill her or kiss her ring. Not next week, not tomorrow. Today. Our first home game is in three days, and if I can’t open my stadium because of city unrest, I will lose millions.”
“You’re worried about your bottom line?” I said, incredulous, and her chin lifted.
“Ah . . .” David raised a fast hand. “I’m not advocating murder.”
“Me either,” Edden piped up.
“You are unbelievable, Ellen,” I said, and the Were flushed, probably because I used her first name. “I had to get Zack free before taking stronger action. I will not sacrifice the leader of one faction of Inderland to make another feel safer.” Shaking inside, I leaned back against the cushions. “Or do I have your okay to do nothing if Constance picks up, say, your daughter, Mrs. Sarong, dresses her to look like me, and drains her over a long weekend?”
“I wouldn’t put my daughter in that position,” Mrs. Sarong said coldly.
“You think siding against me will make you safe?” I said in disbelief, then froze, turning to look to the front of the church at the small scuff of noise. Slumping, I exhaled to drive the anger from me. It was Kaspar and Zack. Kaspar’s hands were wreathed in a purple-tinted aura of unfocused force, hatred showing in the clench of his jaw. Zack didn’t look much better, but at least he wasn’t dripping potential pain from his fingers as he stood beside him in my blue terry-cloth robe. Jenks was on his shoulder, whispering in his ear. They were looking at Pike.
“If Pike touches you, he dies,” I said to Zack, and this time, Pike didn’t laugh.
“What did I miss?” Zack said with an affected lightness, and Kaspar jumped to follow when the young elf paced forward, his bare feet silent on the newly sealed floor as he went to stand with Trent. Trent had been very quiet while I took a stand, not because he didn’t agree with me, but because he was watching the room, seeing the unsaid alliances . . . weighing our options.
We make a good team, I thought as his worried eyes met mine.
Edden shifted to make room for Zack at the piano bench. “Mrs. Sarong is suggesting Rachel step up her game.”
“I’m sure, as a demon, you have killed before,” Mrs. Sarong prompted, and my jaw clenched. “Assassination is often the fastest, least damaging way to achieve change.”
“I’m all for that,” Zack said, looking not nearly nervous enough as he sat beside Edden. “You need some help, Rachel?”
“Count me in,” Jenks added. “Give me five minutes. I need to pee first.”
Vivian covered her eyes as if she had a headache, but David chuckled, helping himself to two more cookies before handing Zack the bag. Motions stiff, the kid dipped a hand in and began to eat them with a methodical swiftness. He was probably starving, if not from shape-shifting, then from avoiding eating while Constance’s guest.