“Lesser evil is still evil.”
She didn’t say anything.
“Did you get their child back?”
“Of course I did.”
Linus came striding back. “Get your guards. We have to take a road trip.”
Chapter 17
Arabella took a turn at thirty miles per hour in an armored transport not designed for it.
“I’m sorry about Pete,” I told Linus.
I had finally given him a detailed account of everything that had happened. He had already heard the summary from Arabella, but there were things she didn’t know about.
Linus didn’t say anything. Pete had been with him for almost twenty years. He wasn’t an employee; he was a friend.
“What about his son?” he asked.
“I had MII stash him in a safe location until this is over.”
“That’s good,” Linus said. “Still angry with me?”
“Yes.”
I was going to be angry for a very long time. I had compartmentalized it the way I compartmentalized my fear and outrage when I dealt with Victoria, my revulsion when I had to process a crime scene, or the deep anxiety I felt when Konstantin looked at me a moment too long with that longing in his eyes. I’d learned that I could do that. It was my superpower. But it didn’t mean I forgave or forgot.
“You should’ve told us,” Arabella said from the driver’s seat.
“That I was your grandfather or that I was Caesar?”
“Both,” we said at the same time.
“You were not ready for it.”
“It’s pointless,” I told Arabella. “He thinks he is always right.”
“No,” my sister said. “One time he thought he was wrong, but he was mistaken.”
“We could’ve really used a grandfather twelve years ago when Dad was dying,” I said.
“I didn’t know.” Linus sighed. “After I left, I only saw your father once. I was coming out of a building and this young twenty-year-old kid bumped into me. I saw his face and it was like looking in the mirror. He said, ‘I never asked anything from you. Keep her out of Houston.’ That evening Victoria called me. She thought James was in Houston and wanted me to help her find him.”
“What did you do?” Arabella asked.
“I manufactured a trail that led to Seattle and made sure she found it. I tried to find him, but I had nothing, not even a last name. Victoria had taught him how to hide. She was paranoid that if something happened to her, he might be targeted because he had no magic, and she made sure he knew how to disappear. When he did, she thought she could find him again, but he was smarter than both of us. I didn’t realize who Nevada was until I learned she was a truthseeker and ran a background check. Your father’s driver’s license made things obvious.”
The parking lot of the Office of Records didn’t look nearly as bad as I thought it would. There was a crew working on the hole in the building.
“I was a lousy father,” Linus said. “I’m working hard to be a good grandfather. I do love the five of you.”
“Don’t worry,” Arabella said. “We love you too. Even if you are terrible sometimes.”
Right now, the only emotions I felt toward Linus were anger and hurt. There were probably other things there, deeper under the surface, but those two blotted out everything else.
My sister parked, and we got out and walked to the building. The lobby of the tower was pleasantly cool. Linus spoke to the receptionist.
Arabella looked around. “Hm.”
She had insisted on coming. I wanted to take Leon or Alessandro, but she was convinced that if she didn’t go with us, something terrible would happen to “Grandpa.” She had adjusted to his grandfather status awfully fast.
“Stay in the lobby,” I told Arabella. “If someone blows up our car, don’t try to save it.”
“Yes, yes. Because armored transports grow on trees and are super cheap to replace.”
“Linus is awake, he will deal with any damages.”
“Uh-huh.”
The elevator door whispered open, and Michael stepped out. His gaze slid over Linus and me and stopped on Arabella. She stared back at him, unperturbed.
A moment passed. Michael stood aside and indicated the elevator with his hand. Linus and I boarded, he followed, and we rode the elevator up to the fifth floor.
Déjà vu.
A couple of moments later we entered the round library. The Keeper met us by the couches.
“Prime Duncan, Prime Baylor. We are glad to see the Office of the Warden back to full strength.”
“I come here today as a private citizen,” Linus said.
The Keeper’s black eyes narrowed. “How can we help you?”
“I need to know how an antistasi can kill Ignat Orlov.”
“Please give us some privacy, Michael,” the Keeper said.
Michael nodded and left the room.
“What do you want?” Linus asked, his tone blunt.
“You know my price.” The Keeper’s tone matched Linus’.
“Done. I withdraw my objection. I will not hinder but I will not facilitate either. It is up to them. This is my best offer.”