Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
“Lorcan will be there, too,” Kierse added.
Graves’s eyes skipped to her, and she looked away. She didn’t want him to see whatever was on her face. “Wonderful,” he said drily. “He better stay out of our fucking way.”
“He’s there to counter the Men of Valor. So I’d guess he’s on our side.”
When Kierse glanced at Gen, her best friend was staring bullets into her. There were questions in her eyes that Kierse had no answers for.
“Similar objectives doesn’t put him on our side,” Graves said.
“Okay,” Kierse agreed.
Graves was silent for a few seconds. She hoped he wasn’t piecing together something she didn’t want him to look too closely at. But eventually he moved on. “The convocation seats add a new layer to the plan,” he said, glancing to Nate. “There are two seats up for grabs. We know the Men of Valor are going to try to get both of them.”
Gen bit her lip. “How do we stop that from happening?”
“Nate is going to put himself forward for one of the seats.”
Nate jerked around. “What?”
“You were part of the treaty signing. You are well liked. You have an army of wolves behind you,” Graves said. “You’re an obvious choice.”
“But I’ll be busy with this,” he said, gesturing to the heist party.
“Voting will be after,” Graves said. “You’ll do your job with this, put your hat in the race, and all goes well, we’ll be voting you in to the convocation this weekend.”
“Fuck,” Nate said. “Maura is going to kill me.”
“She’ll be fine with it,” Kierse told him.
“You’re perfect for the job, Nate,” Gen told him.
He groaned. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Good,” Graves said. “Everyone else set? Laz?”
“All wards are in place. I’m set for transport tomorrow.”
“Schwartz?”
Schwartz nodded. “Explosives purchased. I’m laying them tonight.”
“Gen?”
She gave him a thumbs-up. “Laz got me a uniform and a pass to access the security room. Walter showed me what I need to do.”
“Nate?”
“Besides the new problem of dealing with the Treaty issues, I’m good to go. But if they need me to vote…”
“We’ll deal.” Graves turned his attention to Kierse. “You’ll have Lyra with you. Fill her in on specifics. She’ll be your backup and diversion now.”
“Will do.”
Kierse watched Graves survey the room full of people. A few short months earlier, he wouldn’t have trusted one person, let alone an entire room of them. Any of them could betray him in the middle of this. But it was their chance to get the cauldron, and everyone had a necessary part to play in the scheme. Graves simply couldn’t have done it all alone. It was good to see him accept that their little family had grown to eleven.
He opened his mouth as if he were about to give a closing speech, but he stalled and looked upward. “Edgar, someone is at the door.”
A few seconds later, the doorbell rang.
“How does he know?” Lyra whispered.
Kierse didn’t have it in her to explain warding to the girl. She might be a vampire princess, but Kierse had a strong bet that she didn’t understand magic in the slightest.
“Who is it?” Kierse asked, standing.
Gen came to her side and placed a hand on her arm as if she was going to pull her away to ask questions. But Kierse absolutely could not stomach questions.
Walter choked. “Uh…Graves…the security footage.”
Oh right, he’d installed cameras.
Graves walked around to look at the screen and closed his eyes briefly. He looked half ready to shred anyone who spoke to him sideways. “Fuck.”
“Who is it?” Kierse asked, pulling away from Gen. She took one look at the man in the top hat and repeated Graves’s epithet.
“The meeting is adjourned,” Graves said. He found George where he was waiting in the corner. “Get rid of everything that makes it appear like we’re working in here.” George nodded and began to collect the paperwork. “Walter, you need to move your computer equipment elsewhere. I’ll delay him as long as I can, but make it quick. Laz and Schwartz will help you.” He glanced up at the rest of the confused faces. “The rest of you need to leave out the back way.”
“There’s a back exit?” Gen asked in confusion.
“I’ll show them,” Isolde said, gesturing to the men. “Come with me.”
“I have to deal with our…guest,” Graves grumbled.
“I’m coming with you,” Kierse insisted.
Graves glanced back at her before nodding. “He’ll expect you.”
“Kierse, wait, we should talk,” Gen said.
“After,” Kierse promised.
She hurried after Graves and out of the library as the rest of them hustled to clean the place up.
Edgar had just thrown the front door open, and in strode the English gentleman who upended Graves’s life.
“Kingston,” Graves all but growled.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
“Graves, my boy!” Kingston crowed.
“Kingston.” A smile appeared on Graves’s face, almost unbidden. He was clearly displeased with his mentor’s unannounced arrival, and yet somehow, Kingston could still manage to get a smile out of him. “What are you doing here?”