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“The Black Circle could.”
“The Black—” Pritkin stopped, apparently unable to process that.
Marlowe nodded, a grim smile settling over his features. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The collective energy of the Silver Circle was being sold to their fiercest rivals. Of course, according to Mr. Todd—the man you released for us, Cassie—Saunders never knew where it was going. But he didn’t bother to find out, which makes him equally culpable. A point of view with which I’m sure the magical community would concur, were it to ever hear about this.”
“When it hears!” Pritkin corrected.
“All you war mages are the same,” Marlowe said dismissively. “Run at a problem full on and club it into submission! The finer points are lost on you.”
I crossed my arms. “Then explain them to me.”
Marlowe glanced at Mircea, who nodded tersely. “Saunders has been informed that we have Todd and his evidence. It would be enough not only to end his career, but to bury him if it ever came out—”
“Which it will!” Pritkin interrupted.
“Which it can’t,” Marlowe shot back. “Otherwise, whoever the Circle taps for his successor will put us back in the same quagmire in which we’ve been stuck for the last month!”
“You’re talking about blackmail!” I said, catching up. “You stay silent about his activities and he confirms me as Pythia.”
“And does any other little chore we may think up,” he added with a slight smile.
“That is completely out of the question!” Pritkin’s hands kept clenching as if only the lack of a target was keeping him from pouncing on someone and beating them bloody. “The Senate does not control the Circle!”
“Does not control the Circle . . . yet,” Marlowe murmured, deliberately provocative. Pritkin’s eyes latched onto him with an expression I didn’t like, and Marlowe gave him a small smile. The temperature in the room escalated about ten degrees.
Mircea ignored them. “Cassie, if you want the recognition and cooperation you need to function, this is the only way.”
“By leaving a felon in the most important position in the magical world? That doesn’t sound like a great way to begin!”
“Better than not beginning at all,” Marlowe said. “We haven’t spent the last month looking for something to hold over that bastard’s head to throw it aside now! Your scruples—”
“Are commendable,” Mircea broke in, throwing him a look. “But of course, we will make it clear to Mage Saunders that his financial arrangement will have to be terminated, and that we will be keeping a very close watch on his future activities.”
“You’re forgetting one small matter,” Pritkin said scornfully.
“And what is that?” Mircea demanded.
“Jonas intends to challenge—”
“Something that would not be the case had you not interfered!”
“—and indeed, I shouldn’t wonder if he hasn’t already done so.”
We all looked around, but Marsden had disappeared. Marlowe swore and dove for the foyer. Mircea started to follow, but I grabbed his arm. “We’re not done.”
“This isn’t the time, Cassie!”
“According to you, it’s never time, not to tell me anything! You get angry with me for bringing in outside help—”
“I would hardly categorize Mage Marsden as help! The man was almost impossible to work with—”
“To dictate to, you mean,” Pritkin put in.
“—not to mention that two days ago, you informed me that you intended to swim, relax and perhaps do some shopping. Not to start a revolution!”
I stared at him. “Okay, let me make sure I understand. I’m supposed to vet everything I do with you—”
“If it involves aiding a coup, yes!”
