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And clearly, he didn’t.
“You’re making people nervous,” Jameson said as he gestured farther into the space.
Grant walked beside him while I trailed behind both. It gave me a chance to survey our surroundings, and I didn’t have to keep up any of the conversation.
“Why would that be?”
“Because you show up without a word, ready to step back into a position you’ve rejected for over a century. Would you not find that curious? Especially given your last interaction with the guild?”
“You spend a century trying to get me to come back, then act surprised when I do it?”
Jameson made a noncommittal sound, as if he didn’t want to call Grant out but knew there was more to it. Then again, even if he knew Grant was up to something, I doubted he had the power to do anything about it.
Other people stood in the hallways and rooms we passed through. It wasn’t open in the way the last places had been, and the stone walls showed signs of aging. I felt like I was in some old castle that had withstood thousands of years, as though I were walking through history itself.
The people didnotlook happy to see us. On the plus side, for once, their censure wasn’t reserved just for me. I got plenty of it, sure, but Grant had his own hate. That made me happy, since for whatever reason most of our interactions had me as the unwanted one.
The mages dressed in varying types of clothing, some looking like they’d stepped right out of boardrooms and others as if someone had pulled them in from a surfing trip. One girl seemed no older than ten, blunt bangs hanging across her forehead as if she had to take her school picture in a few hours. The knowledge in her dark eyes told me her youthful face was a lie and cautioned me against trusting her.
“I believe some are worried you may have decided to remove the council again,” Jameson said, drawing my focus back to them.
I quickened my steps to keepup, reminded that my short legs were still a problem.
“And why would I do that?”
“You did it before.”
“Are you telling me there is a repeat of the situation that caused that?” A catch in Grant’s voice drew me closer. He spoke as if it were a warning, not a question.
Jameson paused a hair too long before answering. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Sure.” Grant peered over his shoulder at me, his eyebrow lifted as if passing some message.
What it was, I had no idea. Maybe just to stay on my toes?
Through a final large archway was a massive room with stone tables and benches that all faced the same direction. There, at the side, was a raised area that was carved directly from the stone, as if the entire room had been built around this one spot. A stone chair at the center was likewise carved, and openings to each side of it were shrouded in darkness, not allowing me to tell how far back the paths went.
Jameson nodded at people as we passed them, the groups moving about as they took seats at the tables and benches around the large room.
Still, they spared him hardly a glance before gawking at me and Grant. It seemed we were the real show they’d come to see.
I expected to take a seat at one of the benches, but we passed them all and headed for the front, for the carved seat. It reminded me of the other thrones I’d seen so far—Colter’s at the coven, Lucifer’s in hell. It seemed every person and group needed some obvious seat of power, as if being ruler alone didn’t mean much without the nifty furniture to prove it. I could almost picture these arrogant men looking through catalogs—ah, yes, the maple one is nice and all, but nothing says ‘my dick is really big’ like skulls.
Jameson peered at the seat, his longing making me take a step toward Grant. Desire like that did nothing good for a person. It twisted them, made them do things they never expected just to get or keep what it was they really wanted.
Jamesonwantedthat throne. He craved the power, the right to sit there, and I had no doubt that if he thought he could, he’d take out Grant to get it.
The shrewd look in Grant’s eye said he knew it, too.
“Do you have an agenda?” Jameson asked as Grant stood beside the seat. “We had scheduled to discuss the ongoing issue with feral mages and convene additional resources to properly locate and put down any mage who shows signs of infection.”
“It isn’t an infection,” I broke in.
He gave me a look that said he wanted to be dismissive but wasn’t sure he could get away with it. He saw me as a little girl, an outsider, and he didn’t care for me having opinions. Still, I’d guess my whole reaper trick warned him off it. “It operates as one.”
“But I can cure them. I’ve been doing it for the werewolves and the vampires.” I pressed. “And when we deal with Lilith, they’ll be freed from it anyway.”
“And in the meanwhile? Do you have any idea how dangerous mages in this condition are?”
