damn important to risk on such a foolhardy mission. Please, just come back with me.”
I stared at my scarred hands half-curled on the table. “I…I made a deal, Adrian. I can’t just walk out on him.”
His expression grew dark. “Ah, yes. The so-called bait you were supposed to kill to gain Noir’s loyalty. Stupidest plan by the Elders yet, by the way. They should’ve known he wasn’t that much of a blithering idiot. No one is.”
The conversation died and I waited for Adrian to say something, anything.
He obliged. “Look, I dunno what the problem is. The bait…well, he’s can’t really actually want to die, can he? If you call off, then he’ll live. And that’s good for him, isn’t it? I mean, who actually wants to die for some stupid, idiotic cause? Damn it, it’s not even a cause. It’s just a fucking excuse.”
It would be easy.
So easy to simply stand up, leave the SUV in the parking lot, and go with Adrian.
Too easy.
Adrian stood up, as if he had already made the decision for me. “Where’s your sword? Come on, if we leave now, we might be able to beat the morning traffic.”
I can’t do this without you.
I need you, Ran.
I breathed out, let my shoulders relax. Lately, more and more often, I found my shoulders tensed unconsciously. It probably explained the multitude of small headaches I couldn’t seem to shake. “Go without me.”
His fingers clenched around the plastic headrests.
“You know what this’ll be called, don’t you?”
I didn’t care. “I made a deal. I’m not going back on it. I’m going to see it through. To the very end.”
“Insubordination,” he said, a whisper, a word I barely heard over the sounds of pancakes sizzling on the industrial sized griddle. “No one’s ever said no to the Elders.”
“You mean, no one’s said no and lived past sunset.”
He ran a shaky hand through his dark hair. “Don’t do this, Ran. I’m begging you. Just come back with me. Elder Chang is worried. Everyone’s worried.”
And despite everything, a nearby booth smelled of pancakes and hash browns and my stomach growled. When had I eaten last? I couldn’t remember. “The person I’m working for. He’s going to help me kill Noir. How can that be wrong? How can they condemn me for something they’ve fought for since the very beginning?” I paused, tried to choose my words with care. “It seems…hypocritical of them.”
He sucked in a breath, a panicked expression on his lean face. Silly of him to worry. While the Fellowship was strong, they certainly weren’t strong enough to know when they were being discussed. “I wish you didn’t say that.”
I regarded him calmly, even though my stomach continued to rumble in an embarrassing fashion. “Can’t I? Either way, I can’t go, Adrian. I’m staying. I’m going to see this through to the end.”
The diner seats were built low on the walls and he stepped closer, loomed over me.
“Honestly? It doesn’t look good, Ran.” He snuck a glance over his shoulder, although why he chose to do so was confusing. Was he expecting someone? “We heard you’re an Ailward.”
I should have expected this. Should have expected the Fellowship to hear of such developments. Surely, this was not an ordinary incident, and more so due to my past. “It’s a cover.”
“Yeah. So you say,” he said and shook his head. “The thing is, you are walking a dangerous line, kid.”
I let that name go. He was old enough to get away with it. “Do they really think I’m fighting for the other side?”
“I’m just telling you right now,” he said. “Things start looking real suspicious. For everyone. You’re Ailward to a vampire who no one’s heard of.”
I tapped a finger on the plastic table. “Do they know who the vampire is?”
His eyes narrowed. “No. Why do you think you’ve got everyone so worried? Not to mention, what happened to the small fry you were supposed to off? How is he wrapped up in this? Was he a spy?”
Interesting. So the Fellowship didn’t know everything.
I didn’t know if that was a good thing.
“He’s…part of the scheme, Adrian.”
Should’ve just told him everything. Should have told him to sit down and start the story over from day one when I first met Jason Eldridge. But something stopped me. Maybe it was the way Adrian kept sneaking furtive looks over his shoulder. Maybe it was the way he kept clenching and unclenching his fists.
The suspicion made me feel ill.
There had never been a time I couldn’t trust