Page 112 of Bargain with Fate
But where?
I whipped toward Vale. “Harriet mentioned the oni at Forsyth. Where were the other sightings downtown?”
Vale paused to think. “Drayton Street. Gaston Street. Whitaker. They all surround Forsyth.” He redialed Gage. “I need people on every block near Forsyth Park. Bring weapons but be discreet. I don’t want to induce mass panic.” He hung up and looked at me, stress rippling across his rugged features. “This is all my fault.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You did. Like you said, all these fae appearances can’t be a coincidence. Word has finally spread that the eighth son is weaker than his predecessor.”
“And what? Because you’re number eight, you retain only a small fraction of your father’s power? Genetics don’t work that way.”
“The fae have never had much interest in science.”
“Well, it shows.” A clever foe was hard. In some ways, an ignorant one was even harder.
“I made it clear from the moment I accepted the seat that I was neither my father nor my brother. There are those who’ve misinterpreted my position as weakness.”
“They see a power vacuum,” I said. “The fae are testing you. That’s why the Coranians are here. They’re nomadic. They’ve never cared about magic stones or seizing land before, but suddenly they’re collecting stones and cozying up to fae like Leanne. It isn’t their style.”
Vale’s gaze snapped to mine. “You think the Thornborn are at the helm?”
“That’s my best guess. If they believe Savannah is up for grabs, they want to be the ones to grab it. A coastal stronghold would be a huge win for them.”
His brow creased. “Stone treaty or not, they can’t possibly think they can reclaim the mortal world after all these centuries.”
“It’s their sole purpose, Vale. They’ll win or die trying.”
His eyes burned with determination. “Then so will I.”
Chapter
Seventeen
Iarrived at Forsyth Park armed with more weapons than I’d allowed myself to carry in five years. Our weapons were useless for killing these fae, but they weren’t useless for forcing them out of Vale’s territory. It was more than likely the Coranians would return another day, but at least it would give us time to formulate a better plan than “fight like hell and hope we don’t die.”
The temperature was comfortable, which meant there were more people roaming the thirty-acre park than I would’ve preferred. Any ensuing violence endangered innocent bystanders.
Stepping out of the shadows, I unsheathed my sword and flicked my wrist from side to side as a warm-up. There was no sign of Vale’s team. He’d instructed them to stay hidden, but I hadn’t expected them to be so good at it. He may be the eighth son of a dubious god, but Vale was a natural leader. I had trouble getting Jinx to use the litter box. Then again, she was a cat. Only a fool would expect a cat to listen.
“I thought you said you had contacts in the sheriff’s office,” I said.
“What makes you think I don’t?”
I waved a hand at the dozens of people milling around. “No one is clearing the area.”
“My insider has a new supervisor.” Vale’s face flickered with annoyance. “He doesn’t seem to hold my position in as high regard as his predecessor.”
“Does he know who you are?”
“I’m under the impression he thinks I’m a lunatic and that his predecessor merely humored me.”
“His mistake.” The lack of a relationship with human law enforcement would impede Vale’s ability to keep his territory safe from supernatural threats. There were already instances of fae breaking ranks within the city limits. If I were Vale, I’d want to do everything in my power to get them on my side.
Thunder rolled.
“Remember, we can’t kill them with weapons,” I said.
“Which is why I gave the order to contain them,” Vale replied.
