Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
I waited for Tia to throw her drink in my face.
She stuck her thumb up. “It worked!”
What?
“Like, it was kind of awesome. Because if they sent anybody else, I wouldn’t have told them shit.”
Um. “Thank you?”
“You’re welcome. Please continue with the rant.”
“I’m almost done. I want to get a degree from Rice. I want to double major in Applied Magic Theory and Business Admin. It’s not just about academics, though. It’s about meeting the right people and getting to know how they think, because down the road they would be our clients and our enemies. I need Augustine for this. First, I need him to write me a letter of recommendation for Rice, because I know that’s the only way I can get in. But it’s more than that. That dude is a fucking shark. He knows everything about everyone. He’s like a surgeon when it comes to House politics. He is in. I want him to teach me how to be like him. And right now, he thinks I’m a nuisance. I told him I found Phillip, and he was like, cool, next. And I don’t know what else I can do. I guess I will pick up the next case tomorrow and try to impress him again. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.”
Matilda was watching my face.
“You probably didn’t get any of that, did you?” I asked her. “Matilda, your Aunt Diana is the Head of your House, just like Augustine is also the Head of his House. The two Houses are allied through a friendship pact. They are probably doing some kind of House business together.”
“I’m worried,” Matilda said.
“I’m sorry. I will text Augustine after dinner. He won’t tell us what he is doing, but maybe he can get your aunt to text you back. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Would you like some ice cream? They have really yummy ice cream here.”
Matilda opened her mouth.
My phone chimed. Augustine. I put my finger to my lips and answered, putting the call on speaker.
“Yes?”
“I’m sending you coordinates. If I don’t text or call you in two hours, I will need an extraction.”
I almost did a double take at the phone.
“I need plausible deniability. Don’t use MII resources.”
OMG. Here was my chance. “Understood.”
Augustine hung up.
I plugged in the coordinates and switched to satellite view. A giant ugly house by Canyon Lake.
I pulled my tablet out of my purse, logged into our database, and typed the address. Tia got up and came to look over my shoulder.
“Adrian Woodward, Prime Animator.”
Matilda bared her teeth like an angry kitten. “He tried to buy Zeus.”
“He did?”
“Who is Zeus?” Tia asked.
I showed her a picture of Zeus.
“Holy shit.”
“Matilda, why did Woodward want Zeus?”
“He wanted Father to keep Zeus still while he cut him apart to study his body.”
“Oh, hell no,” I told her.
“Yes.” Matilda’s voice carried a trace of a snarl. “Hell no.”
Augustine wouldn’t have called unless he expected an extraction. There was a slim chance that he would text me again, but the fact that he involved me meant his back was against the wall. And Diana was likely with him. They were going to attack Woodward.
I got up. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.”
“Hey,” Tia said. “Do you want some backup?”
“Yes, but this is likely to get violent and messy.”
Tia grinned. “My two favorite words.”
“I’m coming,” Matilda said.
I looked at her.
Matilda opened her eyes wide. “May I also come? I will stay out of the way. I will be useful.”
“Are you trying to look cute and pitiful to manipulate me?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl. You can also come.”
“Is that okay?” Tia asked.
I nodded. “She is an animal Prime. Her family has been taking her to House warfare fights for years. Matilda is small but deadly. Come on, we’ve got to pay the check, and then I need to call my brother-in-law. I’m going to need to borrow a helicopter.”
EXTRAS
These stories previously appeared on our site, Ilona-andrews.com, and are included here as a bonus.
PREFACE
These stories previously appeared on our site, Ilona-andrews.com, and are included here as a bonus.
A MISUNDERSTANDING
Some days just suck.
First, I found a stain on the cute dress I planned to wear today. Then I spilled my coffee. Then I hit my toe on the door frame to the office. I really wanted to kick the door, but the last time I punched an offending surface, I had to lie to Catalina and claim that a support beam in an abandoned building spontaneously collapsed. If it had been my oldest sister instead of my second oldest sister, I wouldn’t have gotten away with it. Nevada knew when you lied to her. Catalina totally believed me.
Lying to Catalina wasn’t a habit I cultivated. Oh, I lied casually all the time and never got caught, but lying to Catalina was like kicking a baby deer. It made me feel guilty and I avoided feeling guilty whenever possible. But my family just now relaxed enough to stop continuously worrying I would change my shape and be killed because of it. I didn’t want to heap more onto the worry pile.