“If you’re going after magical people, they’re probably even harder to scare. They’re more accustomed to this sort of thing.”

“I hope I can accomplish my objectives by merely unsettling them at first. That might make them more receptive when I offer to protect them from these threats.”

Really? He was planning to run a protection racket? This was the magical mafia, I thought, trying not to grin and shake my head. But I guessed if it worked in the nonmagical world, it would work with magic.

The creatures finished their discussion and turned to face Roger. The harpy spoke. “We’ll start at a hundred dollars an hour when we’re actually working. Each. Five grand a week retainer for the group.”

“Two grand a week retainer, and trust me, you’ll get plenty of hours in,” Roger countered.

The creatures huddled again, then the harpy said, “Done. But we want the first week’s retainer up front.”

“That’s not a problem,” Roger said. “I’ll have the cash to you by the end of the day.”

“Not now?” the harpy whined.

“I don’t carry that kind of cash. Shall we meet here again, or somewhere else?”

Her hideous face twisted into something I assumed was meant as a smile. “I could always drop by your office to pick it up.”

“You know that’s not going to happen.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find you. That’s what we do.” Her cackle echoed in the vast space, and there was a rustling as all the creatures disappeared into the darkness.

Roger took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his hands, even though he hadn’t touched any of the creatures. “Disgusting things,” he muttered. “But they are the best at what they do.” He refolded the handkerchief and returned it to his pocket. “Now, shall we go? We’ve got another stop to make.”

When we were inside the car, Roger snapped his fingers, and the windows became transparent. As the car left the warehouse, light poured into the interior, and I found myself sighing. It felt so good to feel sunlight and to know where I was. Judging by the angle of the skyline, I figured we were somewhere in Brooklyn. We drove across the bridge to Manhattan and stopped in front of the kind of restaurant where corporate bigwigs probably did deals over three-martini lunches.

“Hungry for lunch?” Roger asked.

“Um, I guess,” I said. I hoped this was strictly business and that he wasn’t putting the moves on me. Or was this kind of place his equivalent of grabbing a sandwich at the corner deli, no big deal?

A doorman helped me out of the car and an attendant inside took our coats. “There will be someone joining us,” he told the hostess, and I relaxed a little. If someone was joining us, then this was business.

Once we were seated, he declined the wine list and ordered a soda for himself and an iced tea for me. I might have been miffed that he hadn’t consulted me, but he was right about my order. After the waiter left, he said, “I’m looking at a potential team member today, and I’d appreciate your insight. Let me know if anything seems off, for one thing. And you might know something about them.”

Now, I figured, we’d be meeting with those people Rod was sending to us. Much to my surprise, Minerva Felps swooped toward our table, her colorful scarves flying out behind her. “You must be Roger—and no, I didn’t know that because I’m a seer. I know it because you set up the meeting. And hello, Katie! It’s good to see that you’ve landed on your feet. The way you were treated was atrocious.” I would have said she was laying it on a little thick, but that was the way she always was.

She let the waiter seat her, ordered a gimlet, and turned to face Roger again. “I’m a little confused because you’re not planning to offer me a regular job. You just want me to freelance for you on the side. But I can’t quite get a good read on what sort of work you’re doing, or even who you work for.”

I was surprised to see just how taken aback Roger was. It did take getting used to Minerva, but if he was recruiting a seer, surely he knew what he was getting. It would have been more alarming if she hadn’t already known what was going on.

“I’m glad to hear that my defenses are working,” he said. He paused while the waiter brought our drinks and distributed menus. “But I’m impressed that you got that much. You must be the real deal.”

“Do you think I’d be where I am now if I wasn’t? So, you want a little freelance scrying done for you?”

“I’m doing some long-range planning, and I want to get a sense of possible outcomes.”

“Personal or professional?”

“Both.”

“That I can do for you. Not here, of course. That takes solitude, quiet, and preparation. And you’d have to drop those defenses for me to get an accurate read.”

I bit my lip so I wouldn’t grin. It would be a big help to us if Minerva was able to read his future. I sincerely hoped that she really was on our side because I was toast if she wasn’t. A real seer who’d tell him the whole truth would surely tell him he had a traitor in his midst. Minerva hadn’t been on any list we’d put together of potential Collegium allies, and I doubted Roger would have wanted to talk to her if she had been.

“I’m sure that can be arranged. I’ll have Katie get in touch with you later to set up a meeting.”

She tilted her head to the side, studying him, for a moment. “I can tell you that things are in flux around you. There are a lot of variables at work that make your future very hazy.”

Tags: Shanna Swendson Enchanted, Inc. Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net