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I hesitated before I shrugged. Everyone knew as much about him as I did, so I couldn’t protect Michael Stead, even if that was one of my irrational impulses. “He works in the lab beneath my library.”
“Yes, but do you know him?”
“Not particularly, why?”
“He’s given you his protection, which is why dark things don’t hunt you, or if they do, he takes them out before they get close enough for you to notice.”
“You’re clocking me now? How long have you been hunting me like one of your targets?” I scowled at him and tried not to think about those implications. The Scholar had been in the research lab for four years, and since then I hadn’t been approached more than once by any of my usual stalker types. Maybe Horace had said something to him after that first unfortunate incident when a werewolf wouldn’t accept my refusal.
He shrugged and diced a green onion. “You know how much Mother Mercy appreciates large donations to help smooth the way through this ever more commercial world. In this case, it’s not only the money, but I haven’t been able to find out what other reason she has for giving the location of the one who burned Song.”
I choked on air and took the glass of water he handed to me. When I could speak, I sputtered, “Mother Mercy is selling me to infidels?”
“Not exactly. You’re to be brought back to the House of Mercy, where you will be examined by priests not of our sect. I’m not bringing you back, because you wouldn’t survive the examination, and neither would they.” He smirked slightly before his smile faded. “They believe that you’re still a vegetable in the healery, so it would be more of an autopsy than anything they expected to get out of you. You don’t know how you did it, or even if it was truly from you and not just a reaction of mixed elements, demons, vampires, and so many different substances mixed with blood while they tried to raise a doorway into the infernal realm. You make a terrible human sacrifice, even if you are a virgin.”
“You’d be a much better virgin sacrifice, prettier, too.”
He batted his lashes at me. “Your flirting is still terrible. The Scholar is clearly interested in your health and well-being. Is that because you’ve been practicing your flirting on him? I saw the two of you eating sushi together the other night.”
I scowled at him. “You’ve been stalking me all week?”
“I didn’t realize he was there until he stopped the car. What does he want with you?”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “I don’t know, but it’s probably about the fire.”
He shrugged. “Or he’s personally interested. You do draw them like moths, Angel.”
“I doubt it. He’s spent four years knowing I exist, but he’s only spoken to me a handful of times, and always very professional, very disinterested, except the other night when he um, well, jokingly accused me of finding him attractive.” And then I’d thrown a death curse at him. But who wanted to mention that? Particularly when he’d shook it off like it was nothing. Shiver.
Cross raised a brow. “Did he? How ungentlemanly. Did you break his neck?”
“Why would I break a vampire’s neck? That would only irritate him.” It wouldn’t even slow Michael Stead down, not if a death curse hadn’t. I should warn Cross to stay away from him for his own safety.
“But you didn’t shove the pointy end of your cross into him, either.”
I glanced towards the doorway of the living room where my cross was hanging. “What do you know about him?”
“He’s powerful, and peculiarly enough, has a reputation for establishing order amidst the worst kinds of chaos. He’s the reason that Song isn’t falling into ever deeper depravity. The vacuum you created when you burned everyone was filled by him, and he likes his monsters to play nice. He is fascinated by impossibilities, like you, but who isn’t? Does he know that you’re the one who started the fire? That could go one of two ways: destroying you as an unstable threat, or protecting you as a possible source of information.”
“I threw a death spell at him, and he brushed it off. You don’t need to warn me to stay away from him.”
He shook his head and took two plates out of my cabinet. He’d brought one of them four years ago, the second time he came to visit me and given me my check. “If you ran away with him, I wouldn’t have to try to convince Mother Mercy that the body of the vegetable is indeed yours. I’ve lied for you for years, Angel. I think you owe me something for that.”
I took a bite of his omelet. “I’m not running off with a vampire because you lied for me. Sometimes you’re maddeningly irrational. Anyway, I gave you that very nice dagger for your birthday last year.”
“Something more personal.” He leaned forward until his forehead touched mine. “I want you to be happy.”
I stared at him in that awkward position. “Happy?”
He nodded, violet eyes burning with an intensity that reminded me of Horace in his office. Suddenly, the situation seemed very dangerous, my beautiful life precipitously perched on the edge of a cliff. Cross wasn’t here for fun.
He said, “You have survived more than anyone else I’ve ever known. You outlived your life expectancy by twenty years. Don’t waste it on paranoia, building up your defenses like you’re under siege. I wouldn’t have to tell you to run if you’d built up a life here that couldn’t be taken away without creating any ripples. The Scholar is the only one with the power to protect you against anyone who might want you.”
I snorted and pulled back. “Are you kidding me? You’re trying to set me up with a vampire? I hate vampires, and I have other people who would notice if I vanished. With how much sushi I eat, I am a necessary part of this city’s ecosystem. I’m not going to run off with a vampire or on my own, but I don’t think you should try to foist a dead body off as me, either. If she found out that you were betraying the order for me, she’d cut off your hands.”
He smiled, and it wasn’t a nice smile. “No, actually, she wouldn’t. She’s getting very old, delicate health sending her closer and closer to the end of her long life.”
I shivered. “You can’t be serious.” He was a cold killer when he had to be, but Mother Mercy had raised both of us.
