“The Special Consul for the Department of Justice. You will be offered an under-the-table deal. Samantha Corners was a go-between, but she didn’t sign the check. They want the people who hired you.”
Albert stared at me. “He incited a crowd to violence, and they’re willing to make a deal? He murdered people.”
“They’re offering a deal because if this recording became public, it could spark civil unrest. The impact on psionics, in general, would be catastrophic. The National Assembly wants to protect psionics. The Department of Justice wants to avoid riots and further loss of life. They came to an agreement in the interest of the greater good.”
This deal left a bad taste in my mouth. Linus had explained it to me, after I brought him the recording, and he hadn’t even tried to put a pretty bow on it. He had predicted this outcome so precisely that I wondered how many times something like this had happened before. Two weeks later I had official confirmation from him. They would make a deal with a murderer.
Christian leaned on his desk as if he were about to climb over it. If I were within arm’s reach, he would have choked me to death. “How do you know all of this? You’re nobody.”
“That’s not important.”
“What are the terms of the deal?” Albert asked.
I pointed at Christian. “He’s done. Out.”
“Excision?” Albert turned pale.
I nodded. “He will testify as a disguised witness, you’ll be permitted to retain all assets, and his excision will take place before a sealed committee of the Assembly.”
Albert turned to his father, then back to me.
“I’m here for information,” I said. “If you don’t give me what I want, I’ll upload this video to every major streaming platform. Once it goes public, people will howl for blood and you can kiss your deal goodbye. The Assembly will rip you to shreds in retaliation. Your House won’t recover. If you attempt to harm or detain me, I’ll lobotomize you and then I will upload the video. If you shoot me right now, the video still gets uploaded and my House will murder everyone you love.”
Christian swore.
Albert turned to me, his eyes wide. “Who are you?”
“Also not important.”
“My father wouldn’t tell anyone about Leon. He wouldn’t even remember something like that.”
“Oh I think he did.”
“Why does it even matter?”
“Someone is targeting my House, Albert. You have one minute to think it over.”
“I wanted to marry you,” Albert whispered.
I wanted to say I was sorry. I wanted to hug him and tell him it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but any weakness on my part, any hint of kindness or compassion, and Christian would slip from my fingers.
I let my magic pour out of me. When I compelled people to fall in love with me, my wings were glorious, green and gold and shimmering. The wings that grew from my back now were black. The tips of my feathers glowed with crimson, as if I’d dipped my wings in blood. This was the other side of the coin. I’d learned I had it after Alessandro left, when I was in a dark place and wanted to be left alone. Leon had pestered me during dinner one night, I lost control, and the black wings made their debut. The family was stunned into silence for a whole thirty seconds. And then everyone called me Goth Princess for a week and Arabella kept leaving vampire novels by my door.
My wings stretched, huge, black, intimidating. I couldn’t actually do anything with them, the way I could use my other wings to entice, but they looked impressive.
Both men took a step back.
“I don’t think we would be a good match, Albert. Twenty seconds.”
“He doesn’t know anything,” Albert insisted.
“Ten seconds.”
Christian slumped in his chair. “All right.”
Albert frowned. “You told someone about her cousin?”
“I was approached at the club. A young telekinetic walked up to me on the green.”
“How do you know he was a telekinetic?” I asked.
Christian sneered at me. “He didn’t have to physically retrieve his balls.”
“When did this happen?”
“Last Saturday.”
Arkan’s people moved fast. “What did he ask?”
Christian sighed. “He asked if I was interested in removing you from my son’s life, and I said yes.”
Albert sat down in the chair and slumped forward on his right elbow on the armrest, his forehead on his fist. “This is a nightmare,” he said, his voice almost cheerful. “I’m going to wake up any minute, won’t I, Father? Why did you sabotage my relationship?”
“Because you could do better!”
Albert pointed to me. “Better than that? There’s a fucking angel of death in your study and you thought I could do better?”
“I didn’t have all the information at the time. She wouldn’t give you the time of day. I was sick of watching you chase after her like some lovesick puppy.”
“Did I ask for your help?”
“I am your father! I look after your future! They’re an upstart House, and Victoria Tremaine will rip them to shreds when she gets out.”
“My grandmother trusted me to handle this matter,” I said. “I’m here instead of her as a courtesy to Albert because of our friendship. House Tremaine doesn’t suffer fools, Mr. Ravenscroft. Don’t be one.”
Christian opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
“Describe the telekinetic,” I prompted.
“Young, in his twenties. Dark hair. Tan skin. Good teeth. Accent.”
“What kind of accent?”
“Not sure.”
This was like pulling teeth. “Was he a member of the club or a guest?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
“Was he with someone else?”
“Not that I saw.”
“Did he offer you anything? Did he give you some way to contact him?”
Christian shook his head. “We talked for a bit while we walked. That was it. He didn’t tell me his name.”
“How did Leon’s name come up?”
“He asked what I thought about all your family members. I told him that I didn’t care for any of them. I told him that you acted as if you were too good for us, and even your damn dud cousin snubbed my son and told him some made-up stalker story about a girl named Audrey.”
Not much to go on. As soon as I got home, I would ask Bern to go through the surveillance next to the club and see if anyone looked familiar.
“What happened?” Albert asked.
“Audrey is dead. Leon was framed for her murder, but he has a bulletproof alibi.” I looked back to Christian. “Anything to add?”
Christian jutted his chin into the air, his eyes defiant. “I’m right. My son is too good for you.”
I hid my wings, rose, took my tablet, and walked out.
Chapter 14
Fifteen minutes from the house I called in to report to Victoria’s office like a good little soldier. Trevor answered on the second ring, his voice clipped.
“Please hold.”
The look of horror on Christian’s face when I mentioned my evil grandmother was branded in my memory. Did I have to become Victoria for us to survive? I was learning to think like her. To react like her. If I kept going, there would come a time when the act of being Victoria’s granddaughter would no longer be an act at all. I didn’t want to turn into my grandmother. I wanted to go back to the time when my lack of experience gave me blinders.
Now was a bad time for a moment of weakness. Trevor would come back on the line to take down my report, and I couldn’t afford to sound bitter.
The phone clicked, and my grandmother’s crisp, upper-class voice filled Beetle’s interior. “What did you find out?”