The Shifting Price of Prey

‘I know why the Emperor wants me – sort of, anyway,’ I said. ‘But why would his werewolves kidnap the ambassador’s wife, her kid, and the zoo employee?’

‘I don’t know, Ge

Most could be left till later, but Katie wanted me to call, urgently.

I phoned the Spellcrackers’ office private line. ‘Hey, hon,’ I said, ‘how’s things?’

‘Where are you, Gen?’ Fi

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Surprise at unexpectedly hearing Fi

‘What the hell were you doing answering my personal texts, Fi

‘You know why, Gen,’ he said, exasperated. ‘You can’t go seeing the sucker out in public.’

‘That’s my decision, not yours.’

‘Yeah, it is,’ he agreed, stumping me. ‘And you’re right; I probably shouldn’t have sent that text. I know jealousy isn’t cool, but it’s more than that, if you want to keep Spellcrackers.’

And here it was: his usual emotional blackmail. Well, I’d made my decision and even if Malik was a cowardly text-dumping over-protective idiot vamp, and our relationship was more likely off than on, I was sticking to it. No way was I going to let Fi

‘Threats are even less cool than jealousy, Fi

‘I know, Gen,’ he said, his exasperation turning to apology. ‘I’ve been talking to Tavish, and like him I’ll back you all the way. Hell’s thorns, I think the herd owe Spellcrackers to you for all the hassle they’ve caused.’ He paused. ‘But things will be a lot easier if you stay away from the sucker. If you can, that is.’

Shock rocked through me. Part was his comment about ‘staying away from Malik, if I could’, though what Fi

‘Gen, I enjoy the job, but a lot of that is working with you. I don’t feel any great need to be the boss and to be honest, with Nicky and the baby to look after, I could do without the added responsibility. So, yeah, I’ll back you.’

Sincerity rang in his voice, telling me he meant every word. A bubble of happy excitement expanded in me. Fi

‘Work for you, of course.’ He laughed like it was a joke, though his words held a serious note.

I blinked, astonished. ‘You’d want to work for me?’

‘Gods, Gen, I’d be happy to.’

I let that idea sink in. We were friends, we made a great team and we’d always had a lot of fun working together. Okay, so it would be different if I was the boss, not Fi

Fi

I nearly dropped the phone in the fountain. He knew about me and Malik, and he still thought wecould sort things out? Never mind how the hell did Fi

‘He didn’t, Gen. Sylvia told me.’

‘Sylvia?’ I said, even more betrayed that she’dgossiped about me. We were supposed to be friends. ‘She had no right, either.’

‘Hell’s thorns, Gen.’ Fi

Crap. I’d forgotten about the trees on the island. They’d have had a ringside seat, literally, and now it would be all over London. Even if Sylvia hadn’t told Fi

‘Fi

‘Sylvia was worried about you,’ he replied, as if I hadn’t spoken. ‘The trees said it was pretty violent, and with Ricou not around she needed someone to reassure her that the sucker hadn’t hurt you.’ He stopped, then said hesitantly, ‘Did he hurt you, Gen?’

‘What? No, of course not.’

‘Sylvia said she wasn’t sure, she’d asked you, and you told her not to worry,’ he went on earnestly. ‘I know he can order you around, Gen. If you can’t tell me, there’s ways of getting round it. Just say something, like, oh, he’s a bad client. You don’t have to protect him.’

Damn it. This was why he was taking things so well; he’d cast Malik as the bad guy, me the damsel in distress and himself as the white knight riding to my rescue. Typical. ‘Fi

Silence. Then, almost as if to himself, he said, ‘Sylvia told me the trees said there was some accident and the sucker forced you to drink his blood. But that was all.’ A pause as he obviously worked things out. ‘Did something more happen, Gen? Something that he didn’t force you to do?’

Yes, a lot more. But I thought you knew that.My chest constricted at the pain in his voice. Shit. I bent over, hugging myself. Way to put your foot in it, Gen!And what the hell was I supposed to say now?

I took a fortifying breath. ‘I’m sorry, Fi

Another, longer silence. Finally: ‘You’re working with the police on something to do with those kidnappings, aren’t you?’ He’d changed the subject. I didn’t know whether to be relieved, or cry. I scrubbed my face. ‘Yeah.’

‘Right. I’ll hold the fort here until you’re done.’ His brisk businesslike tone came out harsher than usual. ‘We can talk about this then.’

Crap. Not a subject change, just a postponement. Only I’d made my choice, and never mind Malik was an idiot, I wasn’t going to change my mind. Fi