Page 18 of Quiver of Cobras
Morgan watched me. ‘Is it?’
‘I’m still on your side.’
A muscle ticked in his jaw. ‘It’s not about sides. It’s about doing what’s right.’
‘It’s always about sides, Morgan.’ Before we could descend into an existential argument, I pointed upstairs. ‘I was about to head up there and see what I could find. Down here is just a burnt-out mess.’ I paused. ‘Are you coming?’
He smiled again. ‘Lead the way.’
Taking our time, we stepped gingerly upwards. Along the way, I filled him in on everything that had occurred, from my plans with Julie to Rubus’s attempts to test me. None of it made Morgan happy. ‘You have to be careful, Maddy. Rubus isn’t an idiot. Far from it.’
I snorted. ‘He’s dangerous – and he makes me look like the very definition of sanity – but I’ve not seen much evidence of intelligence. He doesn’t completely trust me, not yet, but he’s proving quite easy to manipulate.’
Morgan sucked in a breath. ‘You have to take care. Believe me, I’ve tried to thwart him on numerous occasions. He sees several moves ahead and always ends up with the upper hand.’
‘You give him too much credit because he’s your brother,’ I scoffed. ‘He doesn’t achieve as much as he thinks he does.’
‘He managed to get you.’
A flicker of pain ran through me. ‘That was the old me.’
‘Was it?’ he asked softly.
I sighed. The truth was that I didn’t really know.
We stepped onto the scarred first-floor landing. Although the damage here was extensive, there were a few odd corners that appeared untouched by the flames. There was an oriental rug, which still had patches of its original red wool visible beneath the layer of ash. A cabinet stood at the end of the hallway. It was open and obviously empty and its door hung off one hinge but it appeared salvageable.
Morgan nodded. ‘There might be enough here to make this work.’
I gazed at him blankly. ‘Huh?’
He chuckled. ‘You still don’t know everything that you’re capable of. Faeries can do more than affect time and lust after home.’
‘I shot a magical beam at the sniper who was firing at us at the Travotel,’ I said importantly. ‘Alas, it was with my hand rather than my eyes. It would have been cool to shoot laser beams from my pupils.’ I stared at him. ‘Unless we do have laser vision?’ I crossed my fingers.
‘No.’
Darn it.
‘Most of our skills have little to do with fighting. We’re Fey, Maddy. Our role is to enhance the earth and the environment, not to destroy.’
‘Tell that to Rubus.’
Morgan’s expression was rueful. ‘That’s the trouble. He believes that he is enhancing life and, in a way, he is. He’s seeking to return us to Mag Mell, which is why he has so many followers. That and numerous pixie-dust addicts.’
‘Have you tried yourself?’ I asked. ‘To re-open the borders, I mean?’
‘Again and again and again.’ His mouth turned down. ‘Whatever occurred to slam the borders shut in the first place, I can’t see a peaceful way to return them to their former state.’
‘So now you advocate patience?’
He nodded. ‘You can see why Rubus’s call to action is more desirable.’
Yeah, I supposed I could. ‘And maybe,’ I said, ‘you can see why it’s a good idea for me to stay by his side.’
Morgan rolled his eyes but I could tell he agreed with me.
He dug into his pocket, pulled out a small white object and passed it to me. I held it up and examined it. ‘A shell? Is this a memento of you, Snail Boy? Are you trying to ensure that I don’t forget you?’ As if that was likely to happen, I snorted to myself.
