Boundary Born (Boundary Magic Book 3) - Melissa F. Olson Page 0,108

this situation, but I felt too awkward with Maven. “You look like . . . nothing happened.”

She gave me a wry smile. “Mostly thanks to you, I’m told.” She picked up her cell phone off the desk and sent a brief text. “Conduit blood is quite extraordinary.”

“I had no idea it would work so fast.”

She nodded. “Last night Quinn filled me in on most of what happened while I was . . . out,” she continued. “I wanted you to know I will personally be making sure Ardie Atwood is held responsible for her role.”

“Thank you,” I said, meaning it. I hadn’t been sure what to do about Ardie. I could have asked Maven what she planned to do to the duplicitous witch, but I decided I didn’t actually care. Whatever happened to Ardie, she deserved. “Um, do you know where Quinn is?” I asked instead.

“I believe he’s on his way to St. Luke’s in Denver, trying to visit you,” she said mildly. She gestured to her phone. “I just texted to let him know you’re here.”

“Oh.” My face fell as I realized the implications. I’d been so afraid to talk to Quinn that I hadn’t mentioned I was leaving the hospital. Stupid.

“Sit down, Lex. We have a lot to talk about.”

It was almost easier to stand than to jostle my ribs and kidney, but I did as she asked, gingerly settling into one of her visitor chairs. She offered to get me something to drink or eat, but I just shook my head. There was too much I wanted to know.

“You knew who my father was the first time we met, didn’t you?”

She nodded, unperturbed. “Your bloodline was too strong for you to be anything but Lysander’s child.”

“A deathling,” I said distastefully. That had been Lysander’s word for it. “So when you hired me, it was for . . . what? Bait? Insurance?”

Her face softened. “Lex . . .”

“Just tell me the truth, please,” I said, trying to sound professional. “I know I’m your employee, but I do believe I have earned it.”

Maven sat up in her chair, folding her hands neatly in front of her. “You’re right. But you have to remember that when we first met, I was trying not to take an active role in running the state. My intention was always to stay in the wings and let Itachi keep things going.” Vampires don’t usually fidget, but her small hand rose to tuck her orange hair behind her ears. “Then you walked in here, and I couldn’t believe it. I’d never heard of one of Lysander’s concubines escaping from his little harem.”

“But why hire me?”

“It was an impulsive decision, but not a bad one. I knew right away that someday Lysander would come for you. You wouldn’t be able to stand against him on your own, but together, I thought you and I had a chance. Me for revenge, and you for independence from your family ties.”

“Why not just tell me that?”

She arched an eyebrow. “First, because Itachi had no knowledge of my past, and I had no intention of telling him. But would you have believed me? You’d just been told about the Old World, that your niece was in danger, that you were a witch. If I had added that your father was a conduit and you yourself could raise the dead, what would you have done?”

I considered. “At the time? I probably would have laughed all the way to the mental hospital. But there have been plenty of opportunities since Itachi died.”

“You’re right,” she said, and her tone surprised me. I’d been expecting a fight, I guess, or at least an admonishment for challenging her. But Maven wasn’t like that. She didn’t need to flaunt her power or use it to put me in my place. She understood what she could do, and wasn’t threatened by me. How many vampires could I say that about? Two?

“But I guess I just . . . didn’t want to. Everything was so unstable, and you were just beginning to understand what you were. I wanted to give you a chance to trust me, to see that I wasn’t your enemy, before explaining.”

I sighed, but nodded. Would I have done things any differently, in her place? “Besides,” she added, “I wanted to give myself a chance to get control of this state before we challenged Lysander.” Her smile was rueful. “It’s only now beginning to happen, thanks to you and Quinn. If you hadn’t saved me