This wasn’t what I’d wanted. I’d wanted the junior council.
“I talked with your sister earlier,” I said.
“You’re the reason she’s acting strange?”
She had that general tone to her voice, one of the ones that made me instantly dislike certain people. As if she were trying to sound casual, but came across as hostile by default, because that was just how she was.
I ignored it and nodded.
“Sitting on the couch, eyes on the floor, nonresponsive, except to take the food and water I gave her.”
“Yeah,” I said.
“What did you do?”
“I spared her,” I said.
“Spared?”
“The alternative was that I’d cut her throat,” I said. “But I overheard her talking to Lola on the phone, and…”
I shrugged.
“I could end you right now,” she said. But I felt how spooked she was. I’d waded past their defenses.
“Maybe,” I said. “But, before you decide to, I should tell you that your sister swore to take no action to stop or interfere with me.”
“That’s why you were able to get past the barrier.”
“Is it? That’s not my point.”
“Get to the point, then. It sounds like all hell is breaking loose down there, and I don’t like being outside,” she said.
“Your sister took you away, which did help. One less person for me to deal with.”
“Deal?” she asked.
I saw her expression change fractionally.
“I played a role in killing your husband and his brother,” I said. I left out the Duchamp woman.
She staggered like I’d struck her.
“Damn her,” she said. “That wasn’t her call.”
But she sounded different. The hostile tone was gone.
She sounded a little choked up.
“It wasn’t,” I agreed. “Me and my friends did it. Now, I’m not looking for a fight, here.”
She didn’t respond.
“I want to speak to Lola,” I said. “Where can I find her?”
“Inside,” she said, still sounding dazed. She seemed to rally her senses. “If you think I’ll let you in-”
“Just ask,” I said. “I’ll meet her out here if need be.”
“I…”
“Please.”
I watched her turn to go.
It was an awkward few moments, waiting with the smoky things, quite possibly ogres, standing there, staring at me.
She emerged.
“Come in. Protections inside are a better safeguard than anything inside. If you try something-”
“I don’t intend to do anything overt,” I said.
“Overt?”
I shrugged, “I only want to talk, ideal world.”
“Your funeral if you don’t.”
I passed inside.
Much as before, I could sense the change.
Not an ordinary home.
Sure enough, Joyce was on the couch, sitting on her hands. She looked at me.
Lola was standing by the kitchen table in the adjoining room. It was an open concept, and we had a clear view of one another.
“You again,” she said.
“Not meeting the junior council?” I asked.
“I am,” she told me.
I raised an eyebrow.
She took a step to the side. I could see the laptop on the table.
“Ah.”
“What do you want?”
I gestured to the laptop.
“Um, I don’t-”
“Please. And a phone. This is important.”
I saw her look at her mother, who only stared at the floor.
“I think maybe you’d better leave,” Lola said.
“I helped kill your aunt’s husband,” I said.
Her eyes widened.
“I’m interested in continuing the process. But, here’s the thing, I get it if you can’t tell me to go after your fiance.”
“Um, yeah.”
“But I’m suspicious that if I put out an open call, asked the Duchamp kids in the chat… he wouldn’t be the only one that deserves to die, harm to the family aside.”
“That’s-”
“I only want to ask,” I said. “And open a proper discussion. Unfiltered. Nothing more.”
I saw her look at her aunt.
“Who are you calling?” she asked. I had her.
“Thorburns,” I said. “Or a friend, who can get my cousins online.”
13.04
Craig[B]: i’m not disagreeing. i’m saying we can’t say until the night is over. we can’t make any deals if we don’t know everything
Penny[D]: We really have to don’t we?
Penny[D]: What happens if we wait?
Penny[D]: The fighting between families goes on and everything out there moves faster than anything in here.
Penny[D]: We get swept up in it and then what’s the point of having a junior council at all?
Penny[D]: We’re pawns in our parent’s games.
Penny[D]: We’re pawns against each other, and the council dissolves.