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“It was a… misunderstanding. I had been robbed. I merely requested Lord Radu to accompany me to this house to retrieve my property.”
“And is that what he will say before the Senate?”
Every time Louis-Cesare said “Senate,” Cheung flinched slightly. “There is no reason for them to learn of this.”
“Radu may feel otherwise. I do not like to speak ill of my Sire, but he can be somewhat… vindictive.”
“You could talk to him,” Cheung pointed out.
“Why would I do that?”
“We fought for you!”
“Not knowingly,” Louis-Cesare said.
“But the result was the same. You would not have carried the field without us. And therefore the debt is the same. And your family has a reputation for honoring your debts.”
“As does yours.”
Cheung’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want?” “Protection for this house for the next few days, until I can make other arrangements.”
I started to say something, then stopped. There were worse things than having Claire pissed off at me about vampire security. Assuming I could even figure out where she was.
“Agreed. And it is to be made clear to the Blarestri that I had no knowledge of their connection to the stone when I arranged to handle the sale.”
“Okay, but we get Ray,” I countered. “I promised to bring him in.”
Cheung rolled his eyes. “I have no further use for him. I wish I had never heard of him or that accursed stone!” He looked at Louis-Cesare. “We have an agreement, then?”
Louis-Cesare nodded. “I will do what I can with Lord Radu. But it would perhaps be best if you were not here when we have that discussion. Your presence might… inflame him further.”
Cheung didn’t go so far as to say “thank you,” but he nodded. He pulled a sheath off the fallen fey and handed it to a servant, who carefully enclosed the unusual sword. Then Cheung and half his boys slipped silently out the back door.
The rest lingered behind, looking awkward. “Would you… happen to have some tea?” one of them asked me, after a moment.
“Uh, yeah. I think so.” Claire had mentioned seeing some. “I’m not sure I know how to make it, though.”
“If you show me to your kitchen, I can manage.”
I pointed. “It’s through there. What’s left of it.” He nodded and the guys filed out, except for Scarface, who continued to watch us from above.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding, and sagged against the wall. Damn. That could have gone… well, a whole lot worse.
Louis-Cesare looked at me and smiled. “Lord Cheung is an honorable man.”
Lord Cheung had been in deep shit and just dug himself out, I didn’t say. Because pissing off Scarface wasn’t my idea of a good time. Not when I felt like I might fall over any minute.
And not when I still had a mess to deal with. I pushed myself off the wall.
“Where are your friends?” Louis-Cesare asked me, as if he’d been reading my mind.
“I don’t know.” I looked at the missing stairs. A few planks still clung to the walls here and there, and the top three steps remained in place. But that wouldn’t have helped me much, even if I hadn’t had one hand out of commission. “Maybe upstairs.”
“I will check.” He caught hold of the jagged edge of the floor above and pulled himself up. Scarface waited, arms crossed, eyes slitted, until he stood up, and then the two faced off. I held my breath; it looked like there might be trouble, after all.
Then Scarface grinned. “I never had the chance to watch you fight before.” He pursed his lips. “Not bad.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about, having been a little too busy not dying to pay attention to anyone’s technique. Louis-Cesare looked bemused as well, whether at the compliment or in surprise at who was giving it. But he nodded briefly.
