Battle With Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights)

I nodded slowly. “She has a point, Roger. That last Guild was a cesspool, or don’t you remember standing by in Seattle, doing nothing because you weren’t powerful enough to take them on while they broke all the rules?”

His gaze took on a hard edge. My stomach curdled. I could take him in a fight, and had, but even so, the man could freeze water on a hundred-degree day with that look.

“Also…why don’t I get a title?” I nodded at Trixie when she placed my drink on the bar in front of me. She grabbed the bottle of Jameson and poured Penny another shot without asking.

“You have a title. Chief Shitshow,” Roger said, nothing on his face to show that he’d just made a joke. Apparently shifters thought cracking a smile would invite someone to challenge them. A bunch of ninnies. His eyes stopped sparkling from his less-than-funny joke. “We are set to convene in two days at our compound in Montana. Darius has all the information. The Realm is restless, and we’ve had word that the wheels are starting to turn. The battle seems to be drawing near.”

“A commune, how fun. Who is ‘we’?” I asked, just to make sure we were on the same page. I took a large pull of my hurricane.

“The first and second Arcana have all their people gathered—those who aren’t hidden away in the Realm. We’ll talk more about that when we meet—”

“Should I give us a privacy spell or something?” Penny asked, glancing around.

Roger didn’t scan the bar again, unlike me. Most people were shooting him furtive glances, a few clearly lustful, and a couple were staring into their drinks like the sheriff had just waltzed into the saloon. Not one of them set off my danger bells.

“No need,” he replied. “The elves’ people aren’t good at blending into populated Brink areas. They stick more to the shadows and the outskirts. There’s no one in this bar to worry about.”

And that was the reason for the scan. Got it. Though I could’ve told him this place was clear. I was pretty sure Penny could’ve done the same, though she probably didn’t realize it. Danger had a way of shouting at you when it was present, and we’d been in too many dangerous situations not to notice.

Roger pulled out the barstool beside me like it had done him wrong. He moved in front of it and sat, just a regular guy…if you couldn’t feel the pulsing power and danger emanating from him. Or didn’t notice his poise and readiness, like the world might explode and he’d save everyone here when it did.

“Can I get you something, alpha?” Trixie asked, leaning her hands against the edge of the bar.

“Cosmo. In a tumbler.”

Penny leaned forward and looked at him from around me. “Cosmo?”

He met her assessing stare. “Have you tried them? They taste pretty good. Better than your drink.”

“I am not drinking whiskey because it tastes good. I am drinking it because it tastes like a punch in the face. After the day I’ve had, and the few months that preceded it, I just need a punch in the face from time to time.” She made a soft, irritated sound in her throat. “The devil’s bells and tackle, I need a donkey kick to the throat, actually. Is there a drink that is like a donkey kick to the throat?”

I tapped my glass.

“Yeah,” she said with a nod. “Maybe I’ll get that next. Anyway, Roger, I’m impressed, that’s all. You’re a big, rough-and-tumble guy, but you’re clearly secure enough in your masculinity to drink a pink drink. I respect that.”

“Not totally, though, right?” I said. “He got it in a tumbler…”

“I always spill with martini glasses,” Penny responded. “I get it.”

He didn’t respond for a second. Then: “My pack has levels, and we have structure…but that hasn’t resulted in a cesspool or corruption. If the leadership puts the pack—or organization—first, and lives and dies by honor, then the pack will thrive. That kind of leadership fosters respect. A title won’t set you on a path to corruption, Penny. Levels won’t destabilize all you’ve achieved. Instead, those things will help people understand where they are and where they are going. You’ll get some bad apples, yes. Any organization will. Good leadership means recognizing those bad apples and throwing them away. Good leadership means helping their people step up the ladder in a safe environment that praises hard work and growth. As a friend, let me encourage you to be as open in your leadership as you are in your magic. Feel it out, and judge what’s best. Don’t let the fear of what could be tarnish what is.”

Penny blew out a breath and sagged a little. “Yeah.” She took a sip of her drink. “Damn it, I’m really starting to like you, which is annoying, because you scare the poop out of me.” She pushed off her stool and turned toward the back of the bar. “I’m going to go pee.”