Page 41 of Forbidden

Ah, there was the selfish motivation. Wolf’s equilibrium returned.

“Ten minutes. There and back. Xyra can hold down the fort a little while longer, right?” Shadrach held out one hand, palm up in invitation, and Wolf took it, rattling off the skating rink’s address so Shadrach could find it.

The world blurred around them, and when they came to a stop, they were outside the Rink, with its dented and rusted metal walls and craggy pavement.

Shadrach took one look at it and cackled like a hyena. “This is it?This?This is a dump!”

Wolf didn’t bother to argue. Itwas, really. For now, as Iraliked to say. Everyone said so when they saw it for the first time. The inside already looked a lot better than it had, and they did more work on it everyday. The outside would probably be last, since it provided a certain amount of urban camouflage.

“Just come on,” he said, marching toward the glass door.

“I don’t know why you guys won’t just kill Lilith, anyway,” Shadrach remarked as he trailed after him, straightening his suit jacket. “She’s just a halfling. It’s not like she’s any stronger than any of us.”

“You know why. She has too many followers. They’d riot.”

“Then her followers can die, too,” he said flippantly.

Wolf shook his head. “You might be good, but you can’t kill a few hundred halflings on your own.”

“I’m not on my own. There are a handful of you already banding together. Who’s to say there aren’t more who would gladly turn their backs on her if given the chance?”

“Like it or not, Lilith has done a lot for the halflings in the city. She’s given them places like In Extremis to be their darker selves. She brings in the blood-spiked drinks and the willing humans to feed on. The drugs, the money, the weapons. If you get rid of her, all of that falls apart, and the halflings would hate you for it.”

Shadrach scoffed, and Wolf rolled his eyes. Shadrach didn’t like to admit it, but even he enjoyed some of Lilith’s innovations, like the club. Her enterprise was a house of cards—delicate enough, yes, given that she was ‘just a halfling,’ like Shadrach thought. But if it all fell down, everyone would suffer in the fallout.

Cool air hit him as he strode in—they’d finally gotten theair conditioner fixed, which was good news—and the tension drained from him at long last when his eyes found Ira.

His curly hair was pulled into a bun atop his head, and his brown skin gleamed under the ambient lighting of the training floor. He held a sword above his head, his arm shaking with effort, but he fell from the defensive pose as he saw Wolf. Talon and Malachi, standing at the half-wall and watching the humans train, turned as Wolf and Shadrach entered.

“To get rid of Lilith, someone would have to step up and take over everything she’s in charge of right now,” Wolf said. “I hear she’s even some kind of liaison for Hell. If they ever need to send a message to the halflings on Earth, they contact her.”

“Seriously?” Shadrach asked. His dark eyes trailed around the room, glittering with amusement. “This place is adorable. I love that you kept the eighties lighting. The disco ball really gives it that extrasomething.”

“I’m not a part of her inner circle, but that’s the rumor,” Wolf replied distractedly. “So if you kill her, who takes over? They’d fall behind you or Talon, maybe, but neither of you wants to lead. Hell, I don’t blame you. But until somebody can fill the void she’ll leave behind, Lilith stays. No other choice.”

“What happened?” Talon asked.

“You’re supposed to be working,” Ira said, leaving his sword on the floor and rushing over. “What happened? Is something wrong? I haven’t seen anything, are you?—?”

Wolf wrapped Ira in his arms, feeling settled for the first time since Xyra told him Lilith wanted tosee him.

“I’m okay,” he rasped in Ira’s ear. “I’m okaynow.”

“Something’s wrong,” Ira guessed. “Tell us.”

Wolf sighed, pulling away just far enough to cradle Ira’s face in his hands. “Lilith knows about you. She’s not happy I kept you a secret, and… she says she wants to meet you.”

The color drained from Ira’s cheeks. “I don’t suppose she’d take a simple no for an answer.”

“Not so much. I received a very colorful threat for trying.”

Ira’s expression darkened. “Shethreatenedyou?”

“It’s fine?—”

“It’snotfine! She can’t do this.”

“She can,” Shadrach said drolly. “Or rather, she thinks she can. No one really ever tells her no.”

---