Reap the Wind (Cassandra Palmer 7)

“Why?” I asked her.

“To keep them from invading faerie—they’re the only ones who can. They were stupid enough to assemble their leaders all in one place, for some kind of conference. It’ll be the last time they—”

“What about Mircea?”

Her lips curled. “He’s the one keeping the vampire alliance together, and you know how they are. One Senate won’t dare invade if it leaves them vulnerable to attack from the others back home. Break the alliance and no more invasion. Plus our vampire contact didn’t want to go up against him, and decided to take him out before—”

“Take him out.” I felt the room spin again. “Then he’s dead.”

She shrugged. “If he’s not, he s

oon will be. Along with the rest when we get the Tears—”

“Tears? You’re after . . .” I broke off.

Because of course they were.

Of course they were.

“Our contact told us they have two whole bottles,” she confirmed. “More than enough for what we need. But he wouldn’t get them for us. Said it was too risky. Said they were in some kind of command center with a ton of wards—”

“I know where they are,” I said, my lips numb.

“—and that we’d have to wait until the attack started.”

“Just like at Lady Phemonoe’s,” Rhea said, furious. “When you plundered her.”

The blonde moved her eyes to Rhea. “You were there to do the same thing. We both want the power; we’re just taking different paths to get it. Those of us with any sense chose to align with the god. You chose the vampire’s whore. So don’t tell me—”

Tami decked her.

The girl’s head rocked back, the blow hard enough to send her slamming into the mage behind her. Who didn’t so much as flinch. But he did catch her when she slumped over and tried to slide off the chair.

I looked at Tami.

“I’m sorry!” she yelled. “I’m out of control! I’m hitting everybody—”

“If you hadn’t, I would have,” Rhea said, low and vicious.

“But she might have told us more—”

“She told us enough,” I said, and started for the hall.

Only to have Jonas grab my arm. “Where are you going?”

“Where do you think?”

“No. I’ll have my men—”

“Do what? Drive up to Washington State? Take a ley line?” I shrugged off his grip. “That might get you there in an hour or two, but this is happening now, Jonas!”

I made it to the bedroom before he grabbed me again.

“I have men on the ground,” he told me quickly. “We always have people watching the Senate. I’ll send them—”

“Then send them! And while you’re at it, send the demons.” I looked around, but if my former protectors were still here, I couldn’t see them. And I couldn’t command them. “Tell Adra—”

“We don’t need the demons,” Jonas said. “My people—”