Peace Talks by Jim Butcher Page 0,98

eyes were absolutely sapphire blue, almost gemlike. She stretched, as anyone might in the morning, though not many of us would have made it look that good in those clothes, and smiled at us. “Harry. Ms. Murphy. Good morning.”

I looked around. “Late night?”

“Your people and the svartalves aren’t the only ones I’m practicing diplomacy with,” she replied. “And it’s always a good idea to eat a large meal before one expects difficulty.”

Murphy leaned on her cane. “You prepare for trouble by having sex?”

“I’m a vampire, Ms. Murphy,” Lara said calmly. “I have certain physiological needs. So yes. It is also often necessary for celebrating a victory. Or recovering from a defeat.”

“I’m sensing a pattern,” Murphy said in a very dry voice.

Lara laughed. It was just a laugh, with none of the supernatural comehither in her voice I’d heard before. “Our information suggested you’d be in the casts for another week.”

“Four days,” Murphy corrected her. “And I got bored. But this isn’t really a social call.”

“Oh, how unprofessional of me,” Lara said.

I peered around and said, “Someone bugged your office, didn’t they?” Lara lifted her little cup to me in a salute. “And they say you’re a mindless thug.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Even if I felt like sharing my”—she fluttered her lashes—“intimate details with you, Harry, what makes you think it would be wise to do so?”

“Just asking,” I said. “One professional to another.”

“I know you meant that to be flattery,” Lara said, her tone wry. “So I’m going to take your intention into consideration.” She visibly considered it for a moment before saying, “I’m not sure. But too many leaks have happened in the past few weeks. I’m secure against strictly technical means of doing it. And I’ve never had issues with my people betraying me.”

“Not even in the Raith Deeps?” I asked.

She waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, that was just everyday treachery. That’s different.”

“How?”

“It was kept mostly in-house,” she said. “It benefits all of the White Court to have the strongest and most capable leadership possible. Challenging that leadership for control of our people’s aims is good for everyone.”

I sputtered. “I almost died. So did you.”

“Don’t be a whiner, Harry,” Lara said. “Neither of us did. When my people turn on me, we keep it mainly between us. This information has been falling into outside hands. I work with consultants in such matters, of course, but they haven’t been able to find any magical surveillance, either. My working theory is that it would take one of your people to manage a spell they couldn’t detect.”

I frowned. The White Council tended to wage information-based warfare whenever it could, right up until it was time to start ripping satellites out of orbit and triggering volcanic eruptions, on the theory that with enough knowledge, leverage would be far more effective, obviating the necessity for open war. It was an obnoxious, arrogant stance to take on such matters—and it worked.

Mostly.

That didn’t mean being the target of a full-court press on surveillance was fun. I hadn’t much liked it when they’d been monitoring me more closely, earlier in my career.

Wizards could be really annoying sometimes.

“Would either of you care for coffee?” she asked.

We did. Freydis set us up, her eyes always looking at nothing specific, as if she was trying to take in everything around us at once.

“So,” Lara said. “Why are you here?”

“It’s about tonight,” I said.

She gave me a sharp look and then glanced at Murphy.

“You demanded my help,” I said. “You’re getting it. My way.”

Something that very nearly resembled anger changed the shape of her face, made it look remote and cold. It was gone again after a breath. “I see.” Her eyes went to Murphy. “I apologize that you were dragged into the matter.”

“Then why’d you do it?” Murphy asked.

I shifted my weight a little so that my hip pressed against Murphy’s. Well. It pressed against her upper arm.

Lara took that in for a moment and nodded slowly. “I see. I trust that you can keep this matter a professional one?”

“Try to stab us in the back or feed on either one of us, and I’ll make holes in your skull,” Murphy said. “Play it straight with us and we’ll all be fine. I like your brother.”

“Did you just threaten me in my own garden?” Lara asked.

“I just explained our stance to you,” Murphy said.

Lara glanced at me.

I shrugged. “Better to have it out in the open than under the table.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I suppose we are all here

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