Page 127 of The Shade of Things
“Proverb, schmoverb,” Tatiana said. “You don’t even put out food? What is this? Starvation torture?” She thrust out her hands, her thumbs extended. “Just put the screws to me already.”
Laurent stared at the floor, his shoulders silently shaking. Oh good. He was going to be as useful as Eli was whenever Sadie got snippy in a fight.
“Fine.” I kicked Laurent’s leg, making his shoulders shake harder. “My parents tried to kill you, and you hired me with a hidden agenda.” My voice warbled, and Laurent placed his hand on my thigh. “Zev screwed us both over. That sum things up to your satisfaction?”
“It’s a start,” she said, fanning herself. “I’m a little faint because of my fast metabolism and lack of food in defiance of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.”
Guffawing loudly, Laurent had to leave the room to compose himself.
“Jesus.” I stomped around my kitchen and returned with a block of cheddar and an unopened box of crackers on a stack of small plates. I threw a steak knife down next to everything. “Happy?”
Emmett frowned. “The plating leaves something to be desired.”
“Many, many things.” Shaking her head, Tatiana tore into the crackers.
Her stupid nephew howled with laughter from the hallway.
“If everyone could stick to the topic,” I said icily. I snapped my fingers at Laurent. “That means you too, Chuckles.”
He slunk back in and took his seat.
“Did you steal the Ascendant from Arlo?” I said.
“Mitzi,” Laurent admonished. “She was attacked on the way to deliver it.”
“No, she wasn’t, because Arlo used it. It’s what got him damned in the KH.” If I was correct, then Tatiana was culpable for the crash. It didn’t absolve my parents, but if she hadn’t stolen it back from her client, no one would have gone after her.
Too bad that didn’t make me feel any better.
“I didn’t steal it,” Tatiana said. “Arlo called me in a panic a few days after I’d given it to him asking me to hide it.” She sliced off some cheese. “He handed the amplifier over, and the crash happened on my way home. By the time I was recovered enough to understand what had happened to me, Arlo had disappeared.”
“I spoke to him. He’s being tortured—” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “In the Kefitzat Haderech.”
“Where’s the Ascendant?” Tatiana said. “I want it back.”
“I destroyed it.” I dusted off my hands. “Done and done.”
Tatiana stabbed the cheese with the knife like she was murdering a poor whale with a harpoon.
I smiled meanly, one eyebrow raised in challenge, but she didn’t call me out. “We have to find out why Zev needed the estrie who sired him,” I said, “and undo whatever he’s wrought by making me free that demon.”
“It worked then?” Laurent said.
“Yeah. Anyone got a problem with that?”
“I’m on board with anything that screws him over,” Tatiana said.
Emmett banged his fist on the table. “That’s your plan? More revenge? You two suck. I thought you were going to work things out.” He pointed at Tatiana. “So you would stop being such a bitch. And you?” My turn for a finger jab. “Didn’t turn into a zombie again.”
“It was a documentary with zombie ants,” I said through clenched teeth and glared at Laurent.
“My English not so good,” he said in a thick French accent.
Tatiana chortled and helped herself to more food.
I turned flashing eyes on my former boss. “I’m not going to sit here and be mocked by Ms. False Pretenses.”
Tatiana made a snarky face at me, much like a petulant five-year-old.
