AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His lip trembled. “No!”
“Yes, sweetie. And Muffer will be here, and Kara…”
“Want you!”
It hurt more than the ribs had, as he started crying. Elise looked in the door, and her eyes met mine with quiet sympathy. I swallowed the anger back. Her fault, Robert’s fault, my fault—it didn’t matter, because it wasn’t going to change until I found a way to resolve this, either by running or making a place for myself and Dmitri in the Guild. Even then, no one would win. There was no prize.
But I would make arrangements for her and Robert to be in Dmitri’s life, if they wanted to be.
SEVEN
Alys
I overslept. This was a morning when Elise had planned to spend time with Dmitri, so my mobile wake-up call didn’t happen. Coming up with a schedule for when I hoped to have Dmitri and Walker meant I gave Elise a little more time. If it didn’t work out, I’d run with him. Either way, giving her more time seemed fair.
Shortly thereafter, the chance to escape Robert’s mutterings of “Did you have to self-destruct the whole collection, Alys, really, the whole collection?” as he read the damage report from the insurance company made me view Silver’s new mission in a kinder light. Righting an old wrong while possibly bringing scandal down on the Presidency made for a mission I could enjoy in peace and quiet.
Dove walked in with a package and set it on the table. “For you, Mr. Dumont.”
Robert was too dignified to pounce, but the box was open in short order. He opened the internal packaging to reveal a large gun. There was a box of ammunition as well, with the familiar hazard symbols plastered on them.
“Starting the new collection with the largest handgun you could buy? And magekiller rounds? Who are you planning on assassinating?” I asked, yawning.
“Nobody,” he said tartly, picking the box up. ”This is CHKV mk2, and by no means the largest handgun out there. It’s good to be prepared if another roaming band of mercenaries or an elf appears,.”
The man had a point. Luckily, I didn’t have to admit it, since he was leaving for work. I started searching for breakfast.
Dove had made oatmeal for breakfast, which was tolerable once I loaded it with honey and fruit. I carried it up to the study so I could eat in relative quiet.
I’d almost finished my bowl when Dmitri’s frightened yelp echoed through the window. The chair slammed against the wall as I rushed to look outside.
My son was trying to climb the stones we had mounded in the garden playing fish, to get away from a large dog. Its fangs bared, it growled and snapped at him, jaws closing inches from his face.
The window shattered into powdered glass as I went through it. The two-story drop was nothing. As I landed, I saw a strange man standing by Dove, an athame in hand. Elise, wringing her hands, stepped out of the kitchen door toward me. Carl stood just behind her, his expression angry and frustrated. The dog had vanished.
I pulled a weapon from an arm sheath. Illusions, frightening Dmitri. Either to make him use the full extent of his power and call the elves back, or maybe just to try to gauge his strength, Neither was acceptable.
Dove triggered an emergency ward as she tackled him, saving him from my throwing knife. From the ground, the stranger gestured at me, fire blossoming around his hand as he raised it to throw the blast.
Dove yanked his arm down.
I reached Dmitri before Elise by a hair. Crying, he lifted his hands. I let Elise pick him up as I pulled another knife and paced toward the dead man breathing who’d threatened and frightened my son.
“What happened?” I asked in my most reasonable voice, directing the question to both of them.
Dove pointed toward the ward and shook her head. Sound passed in but not out. The stranger’s mouth moved, and she answered.
I could wait for the ward to drop. He wasn’t going to frighten my child without consequences.
Dmitri’s soft whimpers approached from behind me.
“Dr. Larger’s from Trinity College; he came to test Dmitri because the President’s office ordered it.” Elise’s voice was hard as granite. “I told him no, but he said he didn’t need parental consent. I called Robert while Dr. Larger created the illusion.”
“Test Dmitri for what?” Anger, like a heartbeat, grew pulse by pulse.
“Magic.”
“He has it—we all know that.”
