He shakes his head. “I wish I had better news for you, my Lady. They’re a vastly unknown subject matter.”
“Well, kids, let’s break out the books and dig in.” Marcellus twines his fingers and cracks them. “It’s time to get the research ball rolling on all fronts.” His pointed stare makes me roll my eyes.
“Okay, daddy. I’ll contact the witches. I’ll need to call another council meeting anyway.”
“Tread carefully. Zephirin’s itching to nail your ass after the stunt you pulled with Cein and Kul.”
“Please.” I roll my eyes. “I saved his son’s ass. It’s not my fault his stupidity overrides his survival instincts.”
“Clearly, it’s a family trait he inherited from his father,” Sacha says drolly.
I snicker. “Too right you are there.”
“You bled for the bastard. He owes you, and everyone who witnessed it knows that. Use that to your advantage when the time is right,” Sacha suggests.
The vampires hiss. Blood matters are a big deal.
“When the time is right, I’ll call in my marker.” I soothe them through our link. “At the time it was the easiest way to handle a potentially dangerous situation. I don’t regret my actions. Uniting against a common enemy outweighs any lingering prejudices.”
“I’d pay money to see his face when he realized the family is now in your debt,” Sacha says as we move to the bookshelf.
“Like he’s sucking on a sour lemon, I’m sure.”
Sacha wrinkles her face and squints her eyes. I can’t hold back the laughter that wells up at her imitation. The oppression lifts, as we dive into the leather-bound tomes. The smell of parchment, the careful turn of pages, and the ingestion of information whittle away the hours. I slowly surface when my stomach growls loudly.
“Okay. The humans need food and sunlight. I’m stealing your Queen. We have to touch base with our people anyway,” Sacha says.
I close the book, Middle Eastern Monsters and Myths, and stand. My legs protest my inactivity. I roll my stiff shoulders and neck.
“Call me if you find anything?”
“Of course,” Luz says.
Sacha and I link arms as we make our way out of the library. The moment we’re outside she turns to me.
“Tell me really, are you okay?”
“I feel like we’re on a time limit. I can’t shake the image of an invisible doom’s day clock loudly ticking down the seconds until total destruction. There’s so much we don’t know. It unsettles me. Every new death reported feels like a direct result of our failure.”
“You can’t think like that, Lou. You’ll go insane.”
“I know.” I sigh. “I hate to go to sleep at night because I’m not sure what horrors await me upon waking. People are starting to take notice of the strange things occurring, and the council is expecting me to make it all go away. I didn’t even know what the hell we were dealing with until today. A few hours ago, genies were ancient lore, not history.”
“There are people desperate to discredit you right now, and others looking on to see if you can prove you can handle yourself against their attacks. No one believes what’s been dumped on you was caused by anything you did. What do you think Sebile’s angle is?”
“She’s hedging her bets while helping us under the table, so she can keep her hands clean. Just in case the Djinn come out on top. Fae forbid she has a war waged on her over humans.”
Sacha laughs as we make it to her car. “We’re going to gorge ourselves on Mama’s Soul Kitchen and put everything else on hold. After our bellies are full, I’m going to keep the council at bay for the next twenty-four hours, and you, my brilliant bestie, will have something for them when they approach you after that time.”
“Don’t ask me what,” I say sarcastically.
“That’s the spirit. Polish the turd. Make it pleasant to the ear and give them a call to action that makes them feel important. I’ve watched my father kiss enough influential ass to know how it works.”
Climbing into the teal beast, I lay my burdens down momentarily.
***
“You look to be in one piece, but I’m not so easily fooled. If there’s one thing I know about witches, it’s that they hate to lose face.”