Page 98 of The Shade of Things
Boo raced in, carrying a tiny toy mouse that she dropped at Laurent’s feet. He absently picked it up and chucked it across the hotel for her to chase.
“Now BatKian has you looking for the amplifier,” he said.
“Yes, and before you ask, I only figured out what the amplifier did at the end of the game.”
“BatKian doesn’t care about dybbuks,” he said.
“Yeah, well, dybbuks aren’t the only thing in Gehenna that we have to worry about.”
Laurent’s brow furrowed. “What else would he… There are estries there?”
Part of me loved how I could tell Laurent something and he immediately got it and made the next leap. Plus, it felt good to give him some information about Gehenna for a change.
“That’s what Zev thinks. And no, I don’t believe him about wanting to speak with his sire. Well, not entirely. There’s more to it than he’s admitting, but the more I learn, the better my chances of preventing the Ascendant from causing further damage.”
“Damage like my aunt’s car crash that your parents caused.” He didn’t shift, didn’t growl, and yet hearing him say those words aloud made me feel more exposed and vulnerable than if he’d had his canines at my throat.
Part of me hated how I could tell Laurent something and he made the next leap.
I nodded, unable to meet his eyes.
“How much time went by between you learning about your parents and your promise to Zev?” he said.
“A couple of days.”
“In which you avoided me,” he said neutrally.
Laurent only took that tone of voice when he was pissed. Even if I appreciated where his reaction came from on a psychological level, I crossed my arms, my jaw clenched.
“I didn’t play you or manipulate my way into your lives,” I said. “I was in shock when I figured it out, and I wasn’t ready to tell Tatiana and potentially lose her.” I rested my cheek against the cushion, the fight draining out of me. “Lose either of you. But I didn’t appreciate you playing this passive-aggressive game of implying you knew something while we were dealing with the Human Race. If you had something to say, you should have just said it.”
“You’re right and I’m sorry.” Laurent drew his knees into his chest, his bare feet resting on the sofa. “This wasn’t why I texted you. It wasn’t because you owed me answers.”
