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“If you mean you were about to burn him to death after you beat him to a bloody pulp, then sure, you had it handled.” But Ruby didn’t sound disapproving, just curious. “I take it that was your first time dealing with Mr. Serving?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s…eccentric. And he would have gotten you into trouble if you took it to the Council.”
“It’s not my fault that he’s a jerk,” Pearl muttered.
“There are a lot of those around here, but I find it best to just ignore them.”
“But—”
“Saph and Em believe in maintaining peace and building up our clan’s good name.”
And that was the gist of her holding back: because it was what their two older sisters, Sapphire and Emerald, would have done—and it was what Sapphire, their oldest sister, had done when the woman had been the Sutton household head for years.
“Our brother did nothing,” Pearl found herself saying for the nth time. “He was accused of evil sorcery and punished for it. We proved he was innocent in the end, but here we are, still suffering the setbacks. Still in disgrace.”
“It’s improving,” Ruby insisted gently. “Maddox was accused of a lot of things, too, but with good behavior and a stellar record of helping out our magic folks, they don’t see him as a monster anymore.”
Belatedly, Pearl glanced at a shady corner, where she glimpsed a figure lurking beside a tree and studiously watching them. She waved. The half-vampire waved back, clad in all-black and looking so intimidating that no one would have expected him to be one of the kindest people there was.
“Maddox is a sweetheart. Anyone’s an idiot not to see that.”
Ruby’s brown eyes softened. “He is. Our family’s not that bad, either, and it’s no longer the disgrace it once was perceived as. Patience is key.”
“Good for you. Unfortunately, Ruby, I have a short fuse.”
“Pearl—”
“And I have an appointment with the Council, where there are members with shorter fuses. Catch you later?”
Ruby opened her mouth to argue, then closed it and sighed. “Dinner at our house and drinks at the bar later. Join us if you’re free.”
“I’ll try, sis.” She kissed her sister on the cheek and sent Maddox a wink. “Or maybe just some drinks. A truckload of them.”
Before either of the two could lecture her, she marched away, zoning in on the direction of the Council’s headquarters—a place she wouldn’t have been caught dead in years ago. Pearl used to not care, throwing it all to hell and letting her siblings handle the politics of it. Sapphire used to handle it with quiet perseverance while Emerald handled it with inherent grace. Silver Sutton, the original head, handled it with confidence and a crazy amount of charm. Now the three were gone, off to lead happy lives away from Broom’s Isle, and all the better for it.
And it was up to Pearl to put her free spirit aside for a while and push the family name to the glory it once had.
“That was good and fast work, Miss Sutton. Very impressive, especially after such a short preparation time.”
“I agree. You have steadily been acing tasks and delivering good results to us, most of which have been very helpful to the community. I daresay you’re even better at it than Emerald with your tenacity.”
“I agree.”
The praises kept coming, some laced with a bit of malice and disapproval, but most in good nature. She noted the ones who looked their noses down on her while she stood before them, then addressed everyone with a polite nod.
“It’s my pleasure. And thank you for the prompt payment and signatures. I suppose this means that my brother’s debt regarding Mr. Moriarty’s properties has been paid?”
“Yes, they have.” John Wheel folded his hands. “Which brings us to your brother’s debt on a bigger property. We have a task that might just eliminate it.”
Ursula Tiempo leaned forward. “I don’t think she’s ready for it. And she’s not powerful enough.”
“I’m ready for anything,” Pearl piped in, looking the frowning woman in the eye and waiting for yet another malicious remark. On cue, Ursula scoffed.
“John, I’m telling you, this isn’t the right task for her.”
“Why isn’t it the right task for me?” Pearl asked.
