Hunter's Trail

“We got off the phone just a little bit ago with someone who calls himself the head of the Luparii,” Dashiell announced. Tiny smile. “He was suddenly interested in taking my calls, after his niece was arrested for an American murder.”

“And?”

“And we made a deal,” Will informed me. “Petra Corbett’s going to plead guilty to murder and serve her time. And the Luparii won’t return to Los Angeles, ever.”

I looked from one to the other. “That seems like a really good deal,” I said slowly.

Will shrugged. “I think he was more angry at Petra for letting a null and a human get the better of her than anything else.” I could see him trying to keep a straight face, but he looked positively delighted.

“What’s the catch?” I asked warily. There had to be a catch.

“We never take the bargest out of LA County, and we don’t allow any witches to examine the spell that built her,” Dashiell said evenly.

I thought that over. “That’s why you can’t kill her,” I summed up. “Even if you found a way to do it. You have to keep her as leverage in case they renege.”

“Exactly,” Will said, smiling broadly like I was a star pupil. “And we know you love dogs, and you haven’t been able to have one because you’re around so much magic.” He spread his arms, indicating the bargest. “It’s a perfect fit.”

I stared at him. I admit—my heart leapt at the thought of taking Shadow. She would be a lot of work, both because of her size and because we had no idea how socialized she was, really. But I loved her already.

On the other hand, I wasn’t a child anymore, and I wasn’t stupid. “Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it keeps your werewolves in line too. If I have her, and I work for you, that makes her a tool in your toolbox, doesn’t it? What better way to restore faith in you as a leader than a scary new weapon?”

Will’s face hardened. “No,” he allowed. “It doesn’t hurt. But let’s not forget how my pack became unstable in the first place.”

I winced. Touché.

“So what do you say, Scarlett?” Dashiell asked pleasantly. “Is that arrangement acceptable?”

They looked at me, both a little smug, waiting for my response.

I patted Shadow one more time and sat up in my chair. “Guys, you’ve seen The Wizard of Oz, right?”

Looking confused, Will nodded, and Dashiell said a short, “Yes.”

I had a moment of stark curiosity where I wanted to ask him if he’d been to the original theatrical run, but I managed to stay on topic. “At the end of the movie, Dorothy realizes that she had what she wanted all along—but she had to learn that for herself. And see, I always thought that was total bullshit. Why wouldn’t Glinda just tell her that the shoes would take her home the minute they appeared on her feet? Why go through all of that, just to realize the value of what you had?” I looked Dashiell and Will in the eyes. “But I’m coming around on that.”

Dashiell sat there motionless—vampires have all the time in the world, literally—but Will leaned forward. “What are you saying, Scarlett?” he asked impatiently.

“I’m saying that I have value,” I said flatly. “And I know it now.”

An amused glint appeared in Dashiell’s eye. “You’re asking for a raise?” he said disdainfully. “All right. I suppose we could increase your pay slightly.”

“No. Well, yes, a raise would be nice, but that’s not what I’m asking for,” I replied. “You want me to keep hiding messes for you, fine. You want me to take in the bargest, fine. But I’ve put my life on the line for you three times in as many months, and I want to be a goddamned partner.”

Even Dashiell’s eyes widened at that, and I felt a little twist of satisfaction. “What exactly does that mean?” Will asked.

“No more cleaning lady,” I said firmly. “When you make big decisions together, I want to be there. I want health insurance and a small team I can work with to make sure we don’t have any oversights. Oh, and you’re paying for my knee surgery,” I added to Dashiell. “Call it a signing bonus.”

Will stirred in his seat, but my eyes were on the vampire.

“We do not accept demands,” he said coldly. “What’s to stop me from killing your bright young brother instead?”

I’d been expecting that, and I forced myself to shrug, keeping my face as neutral as I could. “You could do that,” I allowed. “It sure would show me who was boss. But if you touch Jack, if you send anything his way besides the occasional ‘Keep up the good work, buddy,’ you will never hear from me again,” I said flatly. “You will lose me as an asset. I will go to another city and declare loyalty to another cardinal vampire, or maybe another alpha werewolf, and I will use everything you taught me for someone else’s gain.”

“We could kill you,” Will pointed out, but in a neutral, “devil’s advocate” kind of way. “And we’ve got Corry now.”

“You could do that too.” I shrugged again. “Why not? My life isn’t worth much. But if anything happens to me, I have arranged for Corry to leave LA and offer loyalty to another city too. We can do this the hard way, guys,” I said calmly. “Or we make a few adjustments, keep the peace, and you can let me help you.”