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I locked eyes with him. “Ensuring our survival isn’t a publicity stunt. If they come at us, and they will try, we will respond in kind. But the negotiations for the treaty were long, difficult, and delicate. This is more than just Iron Shadows business. It’s Shadow Court business. So until I set you loose, it is defense only. If you have a problem with that, we won’t send you out.”
There were unhappy faces in the crowd, which I expected. So did Comet. “Get it out,” he said. “This is your chance.”
“Pres, you’re really going to piss off the Legion for a hybrid? I know they’re valuable, but no one isthatvaluable.”
The man who spoke was Magnet. Generally relaxed and supportive, but his question wasn’t isolated.
“This would have happened sooner or later, with or without Skyla’s involvement. She’s collateral damage in this. We took the drugs, which should have been ours to begin with. It’s our actions that put her at risk. Without the shipment disappearing, she never would have been outed as a hybrid.”
Though I wasn’t angry she had been. Finally, the last three years madesense.
“What are you going to do with her?”
All four of my captains bristled. Delta bounced on his toes, pulling out his butterfly knife and flipping it around his knuckles. Even Grave seemed on edge. “That’s not up for discussion.”
“We still have a right to know.”
Delta snorted. “Not before she does.”
There were still grumpy faces in the crowd, so I stood taller, uncrossing my arms. “Some of you were around for the last bloodbath. Many of you weren’t. If you had been, you would understand my caution.
“To be clear, I want to fuck them up. I was about three seconds away from using their President for knife practice. But even though we’re stronger, they’re not weak. I’m not willing to guarantee that some of you will die for a conflict that’s avoidable. If any of you feel like jumping in and fighting them on the streets, feel free. But you’ll be alone, and without the support of the Shadows.”
A clear line in the sand. If any of them attacked without permission, they were out. Whether they were killed by the warlocks or I had to remove them.
“Anyone have anything else? If it’s not about this, bring it to regular church.”
The silence was thick and tense, but it wasn’t broken.
“We’re done.”
Everyone began to move, significantly less boisterous than they’d been on the way in. Comet turned to me. “That went about as well as it could.”
I grunted. “We’ll see. I’m not convinced everyone is on board.” Glancing at Wraith. “Be vigilant. Everyone, but especially you, Wraith.”
He inclined his head.
“We should go see her,” Delta said.
I wanted to. She already knew we were going to talk. But my gut told me she needed more time. “It hasn’t been that long. Get cleaned up and meet at my apartment. We’ll go down together.”
“What are we going to tell her?” Wraith asked.
Pushing off the altar, I headed for the door. “That, we’ll play by ear.”
Whatever we ended up telling her, it would all end the same way. Skyla was ours, and we weren’t letting her go.
CHAPTER EIGHT
____________
SKYLA
NOWHERE TO GO
Idid cry.
Coming on like a summer rainstorm, it hit me hard and fast before it was over.
