Page 21 of Fortune's Ashes
‘I saw enough to know that you sent vampires to interrupt it,’ I bit out. ‘That’s not helpful, not even slightly. Alan Cobain is nothing to do with you.’
‘On the contrary, D’Artagnan, he’s everything to do with me. He’s calling supernatural integrity into question and I am duty bound to answer him. It’s nothing to do with you.’
‘Bullshit.’
Lukas laughed softly. ‘Yes, alright, I suppose it is. But I know he’s causing you problems and I want to solve them. He’s a con artist. All he wants is money.’
‘You don’t know that for sure. He might be telling the truth.’
‘He’s not. The man isn’t even a supe.’
I gripped the phone more tightly. ‘How do you know that?’
‘We tested him with wolfsbane and verbena and he didn’t smell a thing. This entire public tantrum is some sort of set-up. He’s trying to create as much as noise as possible in the hope that you and the police will pay him to slink away quietly. I’m very disappointed that Phileas has gotten involved. I’ll be talking to him later.’
‘You will not.’ My tone was harsher than I intended. ‘Lukas, please. Stay out of this.’
‘I want to help you, Emma.’
My heart ached when he used my real name and I briefly closed my eyes. ‘You’ll be helping by not interfering.’
‘You know he’s trying to goad you into approaching him, then he’ll claim that you’ve attacked him.’
‘I’m not planning to approach him.’ I wasn’t entirely stupid.
‘Then he’ll claim that you’re deliberately avoiding him and use that as proof that he’s telling the truth.’
‘What if heistelling the truth?’
‘He’s not.’
Regardless of the wolfsbane and verbena test, he might be. I had to consider every possibility. ‘Just stay away from him, Lukas. You and all your vampires. Please.’
I heard him sigh. ‘Fine, if that’s what you wish.’
‘It most definitely is.’
His voice changed. ‘Are we still on for tonight?’
My hand touched my stomach again. ‘Yes. I’ll be there.’
‘Good.’ He sounded satisfied. ‘I’ll see you then.’ He hung up before I could say anything else.
I stared at the phone. Lukas believed that he could solve every problem that came his way, but he still didn’t know the truth about me. When he found out that I was now a Cassandra… I shuddered. He’d try and solve that problem too, but I was certain there was no solution. This was my life now, and I had to accept it.
The trouble was that I knew Lukas wouldn’t be able to do the same. I shook my head. A few months ago everything had seemed perfect. So much for perfection.
I touched my belly again. At least all was not lost.
* * *
Although darkness was fallingby the time I got back to Supe Squad, there were hours to go before I was due to meet Lukas. Max had gone off shift and been replaced by Stubman, his surly, supe- and cop-hating colleague who glared at me as I walked up to the door.
I waved at him and gave him a wide smile in a bid to be as perverse as possible. He growled in response and turned away. Whatever. If that man thought he was a thorn in my side, he ought to get in line – he’d be way back at the end of the queue. Besides, I’d known him for long enough to know that he was all bark and no bite.
I flicked on the light switch as I entered and frowned at the chill in the air. The others must have already left for the day. Liza would be toddling off with Grace to curl up on the sofa like the happy couple they were. Fred would be getting ready for his damned date with Buffy. I cursed aloud for no good reason whatsoever. I was planning to stay here until it was time to meet Lukas. Following up more on Quincy Carmichael would keep me focused and productive.
I wanted to stay warm and comfortable as I worked, so I stomped over to turn up the heating. Then I noted the draught coming from the back of the building so I stomped even more loudly towards the back room, hissing in annoyance when I saw the window was open. That was careless. I slammed it shut and stomped some more until I reached my desk and sat down.
