Page 2 of Quiver of Cobras
‘You think I don’t know that?’
Charrie shook his head again. ‘It won’t work, Madrona. You know that. Deep down, you know it as well as I do. Even if you take it, Rubus will still use the Spiders against me. Against my family. We had a chance while Chen was alive because the sphere was bound to him as its creator. Now that he’s dead, all bets are off.’
I rounded on him, nostrils flaring. ‘Do you have a better plan? We can’t just roll over and let Rubus take the sphere! I’ve not stuck to that bastard’s side for all these years so that when the manure finally collides with the windmill I step back and let him do whatever he wants! The things I’ve done to stay in his good books would make a mass murderer flinch. I am not giving up now.’
The bogle’s eyes dropped. ‘Actually,’ he whispered, ‘Idohave a better plan.’ With fluttering hands and even more nervous twitches, he outlined his idea.
I stared at him. ‘There has to be another way.’
‘There’s not.’
‘Why don’t we just take the damned sphere and drop it in the deepest part of the deepest ocean?’
‘Because Rubus will catch up to us before we get there! You know this is the only way.’
I pressed my palms against my temples. ‘It can’t be. If you let me think—’
‘Madrona, I have a family. Rubus’ll use them against me if he thinks I’m hiding the sphere from him.’
I threw my hands up. ‘Exactly! You have a family! Give the sphere to me and we’ll switch places. I’ll take the fall and then you—’
‘No.’ Charrie was adamant. ‘I was at Chen’s lair. Regardless of what happens next, Rubus will know I’m the one who betrayed him. This is the only way it can go.’ He sighed. ‘There’s something else you should know.’
‘What?’
‘I’ve got cancer. I’m already dying. This way is less painful. It’s better for everyone.’
‘Cancer is ahumandisease. You can’t…’
‘I belong to this demesne, Madrona. I can get cancer just as easily as any human. Obviously. It’s already spread from my lungs to my stomach.’
Horrified, I gazed at him. ‘I’m so sorry.’ Never had those words sounded so inane.
‘It is what it is.’
‘I still can’t do it,’ I whispered. ‘I won’t.’
The bogle’s answer was simple. ‘You have to.’ He glanced down the street, his spine stiffening. I followed his gaze, inhaling sharply when I saw what he was looking at.
‘The Redcaps. What are they doing here?’
Charrie grabbed my hand, pulling me down so that we were both out of sight. We watched the hulking trio shuffle towards the Metropolitan Bar before pausing about twenty feet away from it. They started to argue.
‘Do you think Rubus sent them here to take care of Morgan? They’re not bound by the truce like you. They’re like me.’ Charrie’s voice wasn’t as bitter as it should have been. ‘They could do it. They could get rid of him once and for all.’
I watched them with narrowed eyes. ‘No,’ I said finally. ‘If that were the case they’d just go in and get the job done. They’re here for another reason.’ I continued to observe the byplay. Despite the public setting, the Redcaps were nearly coming to blows. ‘Maybe,’ I said slowly, ‘they’re planning to switch sides.’
Charrie drew in a breath. ‘Do you really think…?’
I shrugged. ‘Does it matter? Does anything matter right now?’
‘Only preventing Rubus from getting his grubby Fey mitts on that magical sphere.’ Charrie glanced at me. ‘You know that.’
I ran a hand through my hair. Unfortunately I did.
***
An hour later, with my game face on, I stalked into Rubus’s latest hideout. He moved around on a regular basis, which I suspected was for no other reason than to annoy everyone who worked for him. Still, at least here of all places I could let my true mood show on my face.
