Page 140 of The Shade of Things
“If you’ve got the only estrie seen in hundreds of years and she can cure anyone who gets this disease, then in theory, you’ve become the most powerful vampire in existence.”
“It’s not theory,” he said.
“You can control her? Isn’t it the other way around if she sired you?”
“Do I seem like the type to go into this unprepared?”
I guess being sired didn’t come with any type of maternal bond since he had her locked up in the dungeon—at least I hoped he did—but even if he could control her, that wasn’t exactly good news.
“You get to choose which of your kind lives or dies. Dies for good, I mean.” I whistled.
“Am I supposed to give you a pat on the head and send you out this door alive now?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
“Why is that?”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“Ancient proverbs,” he scoffed.
“Star Trek. Good reboot. Okay, not so much friend as client. Luckily, I work for a magic fixer, Cassin and Associates.” Tatiana needed to get on those business cards pronto. “We do excellent work and I have a feeling that you’re going to need our services in the future. When you’re at the top, there’s only one direction to go.”
On his gloriously gobsmacked expression, I headed out. I had one last promise to keep.
* * *
“This is never going to work.” I poked one of the bushy eyebrows that Sadie had glued onto Pyotr.
My daughter slapped my hand away. “Stop it. You’ll make it crooked.”
The gargoyle admired his new look in the mirror. Along with the eyebrows, he sported a heavy beard, matching dark blond wig, and any exposed skin was slathered in concealer. “Is dashing!”
“Are you sure the neon sign was okay with this and you didn’t sneak out?” The gargoyle was always in the KH no matter when I showed up, but this was his second visit to my home. Not only that, we were taking him out in public.
I must have been mad to listen to Sadie’s idea that we bring Pyotr to the garden center in disguise. If the KH didn’t enact any retribution, I’d be busted for violating the prime directive and thrown on Deadman’s Island.
“Yes. Is fine,” Pyotr said impatiently. “I am employee. Get time off.”
I shook my head, eyeing him critically. “I don’t know.”
Sadie placed a hand on my shoulder. “Stop freaking out. People see what they want to. They’ll think Pyotr is just some weirdo human suffering from a sucky skin condition. Okay, come on,” she said to him. “We need to get the rest of your disguise on.”
A baseball cap, baggy coat, and gloves awaited him downstairs.
“Exciting.” Pyotr grinned at me before bounding after my child. I’d been informed earlier that Sadie was now tied with Malorie for his favorite friend. Hopefully, I’d beat whatever plant he acquired today and remain in the top three.
“Remember to keep your wings invisible!” I massaged my temples. We’d be fine. Behave normally and others would do the same.
“Are we getting this show on the road or what?” Emmett poked his head in the bathroom. He wore a black nylon tracksuit with his own baseball cap, and concealer covered his red clay skin. Sadie had mentioned our outing to the golem, who’d insisted on being part of it.
There was a sharp clap from the foyer followed by Sadie bellowing, “Five minutes to go time, people!”
Emmett thudded down the stairs.
I gave my reflection a mostly confident thumbs-up and followed.
My now-magic child was laughing and wrestling with her uncle golem for a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses while her new gargoyle friend adjusted his cap to fit his stone head with the seriousness of a hostage negotiator.
Life had certainly taken a one-eighty in the last few months. I smiled. I hoped it stayed this way.
“Ready?” Sadie said.
“You bet.”
