Malphas clenched and unclenched his fists, and Xavier’s gaze fell to track the movement. “Soren,” Malphas hissed. “What are you doing with my ex-employee?”
“I don’t converse with pariahs.” If Soren’s voice had been cold before, now it was a single spike of deadly ice.
“I find that inconsistent, since you’re the one who summoned me here. Whatever stories this human might have told you, they have nothing to do with Djinn law. But you already know that, or you would have gathered many more Djinn to meet with me.”
Malphas strode forward, his attention turning back to Tess. The veneer of humanity he wore thinned, and details of his appearance grew disconnected. He still had two eyes, a mouth and nose, cheekbones and jawline, but none of the features looked like they comprised an actual face, and sheer raw Power shown out of him like light from a lantern.
“Tell me, Tess,” he said. “How have you enjoyed the dreams I’ve sent you?”
If she had been pale from tension before, now she turned chalk white. She whispered, “They’ve been engrossing.”
“You know they’re just a taste of what I can do if you really cross me. Tell me you haven’t really crossed me, and you can have your old job back. It’s all there waiting for you—the six-figure income, your nice apartment and all your nice things. The bad dreams will stop. All will be forgiven.” Malphas pulled his lips into a smile and opened his eyes wide. “I promise.”
Xavier moved directly between Tess and Malphas, turning to face the Djinn with reddened eyes and fangs fully descended. Every predatory instinct he possessed urged him to attack, and he had to fight to control himself.
“The Vampyre seems to think he might be able to do something to stop me.” Malphas gave Xavier a vicious look. “How terminally misguided of him. Do you think I should let him try something to make him feel manlier, or should I stake him now and be done with it?”
Julian blurred to Xavier’s side. The Nightkind King’s fangs had descended too. “Attacking one of my subjects is an act of war with the entire Nightkind demesne.”
“If you insist,” snapped the Djinn. “I can stake you too.”
“You know what, Malphas?” Tess said suddenly. “I am so done with you. Do you hear me? I am done. I’m done with your snotty attitude, and your petty cruelties and threats, and this persistent belief you have that you’re untouchable. I’m done being afraid of you. I’m done giving you real estate in my head. I’m getting you out of my life, and burying you in the past where you belong.”
She strode to Soren and held out the sealed envelope.
“What is that?” Malphas said. The open viciousness in his face ebbed and a different kind of tension took its place.
Tess ignored him. She said to Soren, “Will you strike a bargain with me?”
After a long glance at Malphas, Soren smiled. “Why yes, human, I believe I will. What kind of bargain did you have in mind?”
“I want you to take this envelope and keep it safe,” Tess said. “As long as Malphas does nothing to harm me or anyone else in the Nightkind demesne, I want you to promise this envelope stays sealed and unread. But if anything happens to me, or to anybody else I’ve ever known or cared about, I want you to send copies of the contents of this envelope to Senator Jackson, the Elder tribunal, the Nightkind King, the governing body for the Djinn, and every gaming commission in the United States.” She cocked her head. “Actually, please make that every gaming commission for every government worldwide. I would also like for you to send it to every Elder Races and human news outlet. Would you be willing to do that?”
“The terms of this bargain are easily met,” Soren said. “I would. What do you offer me in return?”
Tess’s gaze never wavered. She said steadily, “I hadn’t gotten that far in my thinking. Anything you like.”
“No!” Xavier snapped. Making an open-ended bargain like that with a Djinn was incredibly foolhardy. She was effectively throwing away her life, and Soren would own her.
Julian gripped him by the arm, preventing him from lunging forward.
Soren glanced at the Vampyres then at Malphas, who vibrated with impotent rage. Soren turned back to Tess. “For my end of the bargain, as long as Malphas does nothing to harm you or anyone in your life, you will never reveal the contents of what is inside this envelope to anyone.” He paused, lifting one white eyebrow. “Be careful, human. This bargain is binding. You must never speak of it again.”
The rigid tension eased from Tess’s shoulders, and she took a shaking breath, and Xavier could tell that she knew Soren had given her a reprieve. “I agree.”
“We have a deal,” Soren said. He took the envelope, held out his hand and Tess shook it. He said to Julian, “I’m done here.”
“Thank you for coming,” Julian said.
Soren nodded and vanished.
Julian turned his red gaze to Malphas. He growled, “Leave.”
Malphas ignored him and walked over to Tess, who stood her ground. Oddly, the pariah’s fury seemed to have vanished, to be replaced by fascination.
Malphas said, “You always said you weren’t a gambler, but you just gambled everything on Soren keeping his word. What was in the envelope, Tess?”
She said, “I’ll never tell.”
“Whatever it is, you think it’s worth sending out to every gaming commission in the world?” His gaze was like twin laser beams.
“Malphas, I know for a fact that if the gaming commissions knew what you were doing, no one would ever let you run a respectable casino again.” She leaned forward. “That might not stop you from gambling somewhere, somehow, but it would severely curtail your activities, wouldn’t it?”
After a long moment, he said, “Fine. I don’t expect to see or hear anything from you again.”
She lifted her chin. “Nor I, you.”
He studied her unblinkingly then gave Xavier and Julian one dismissive glance. Without another word, he vanished.
“So, okay,” she whispered. “That happened.”
Xavier felt his fangs recede, but not his anger. Striding over to Tess, he glared at her and spat, “Estupida.”
She shrugged, her mouth working. That was when he noticed she shook all over. Grabbing her none too gently, he hauled her into his arms. She leaned her forehead on him and let out a shaking breath.
He buried his face in her hair and held her. After a moment, he whispered, “I didn’t know he was sending you dreams. Did you?”
“I thought they were just nightmares.” When she lifted her head again, her eyes were too bright, but overall she seemed calmer. Walking to the couch, she picked up the pad of paper and turned it over, faceup, to show the top page to Xavier and Julian.
Twelve names were written on it, and each name had a note scribbled beside it.
Xavier stared at the paper, then at her. He grabbed the pad and flipped through it. The second page from the top had been ripped out, and a jagged edge showed along the seam. “You put a blank piece of paper in that envelope, didn’t you?”
Her shoulders lifted in a small shrug, while her dark eyes never left his. “Now, you know I can’t reveal what I put in there. I just made a bargain with one of the most Powerful Djinn in the world promising I wouldn’t.”
While he carefully tore off the top sheet, folded it and tucked it in his pocket, Julian walked over to the cabinet and poured himself another drink of bloodwine.
He said in Xavier’s head, I don’t know what the hell you’re going to do with her, but assuming you still want to keep her alive, you can’t send her out on assignment. She’s much too colorful.
I know, Xavier said.
A few minutes later they left Julian’s apartment.
Tess walked along beside Xavier meekly. They strode down the hallway, past a variety of different creatures, most Vampyres, but some humans, a few ghouls and even a troll.
She asked Xavier telepathically, Can we do anything with those names?