said. “She’s tripled my door. Quadrupled spell sales. They’re pouring out of the Neutral Zone to get here.”
“Tell me about the wolf,” a third man said. I bared my teeth.
“You saw for yourself,” J.C. answered. “Do you need a better demonstration? He thinks she’s his.”
Phaedra was the witch, but fire poured through my veins.
“Has he marked her?” the other man asked.
“He wouldn’t dare,” J.C. answered. “Archer’s a well-trained dog.”
“See that he stays that way,” the other man said. “She’s useful even without him.”
I envisioned sinking my fangs into J.C.’s neck and tearing it open. Useful. Christ.
“How strung-out is she?” the third man asked.
“That’s the thing,” J.C. said. “I’ve diluted her dose to the point it’s barely more than saline with a minimal glamor. She’s psychologically dependent on the stuff, not chemically.”
“Good,” he said. “Keep it that way. When we bring her up, I’d like to groom her properly. Give me a week with her and I’ll have her primed. She’s a star, J.C. A good find.”
“Thank you,” he said. “But you’re shortsighted. She and Archer are a package deal. At least for now.”
My claws dug into the wall. What the hell was he talking about?
“How far have you gotten with testing him?” the third fae asked.
I heard a glass clink. J.C. was likely at his bar. It was pure theatre. I could hear the hunger in the fae’s voice. J.C. had information he wanted. He had his undivided attention. And mine.
“I told you. Archer’s a loyal, well-trained dog. He does what I say and when I say it. He was bred for this, don’t forget.”
“You’re sure it’s him,” the second man asked. “We all know what happened with his father in the end. I’m not interested in making the same mistakes. Two generations of planning, wasted.”
I couldn’t breathe. Stars swam in front of my eyes. My father. They knew who my father was. They knew what was in my personnel file. God. Of course they did.
“The program didn’t end with Archer’s father,” J.C. said. “It began with him. We’re not done reaping the benefits of that experiment, and that was always the intention. It’s not some coincidence that Archer’s here any more than the girl. It was planned. A good plan. And it’s working.”
“We’re going to need more than just your word, Jameson,” the second man said. I heard that windchime quality again. The wall beneath my palm turned to water. Was that my magic, or theirs?
“You saw what he did tonight,” J.C. said. “He was ready to kill everyone on that floor for her. He was ready to kill me. What more proof do you need?”
I would kill him now. All of them.
“We’re all impressed with how well you’ve run the Taurus,” the second man said. “And you know I’m the one who advocated for you to be here. I stuck my neck out for you, Jameson. Never forget that. You’ve risen high. Well above your birthright. You’re a credit to your race.”
Silence from J.C. These were two pure-blooded fae denigrating him for his half-human DNA. I would have hoped they tore him inside out if it didn’t deny me the chance to do it myself.
“What are you saying, Krall?” J.C. said to the second man. Krall. The name struck through me. Krall. He’d been at Birch Haven. If Topher was right, he’d helped design it.
“What we’re saying,” Krall answered, “is that it’s time for you to think about stepping back. It’s time for you to start thinking about where else you might best serve the Ring.”
“Step back? My work isn’t done here. You tell them that. You tell them what you saw on that floor. Archer is every bit as strong as his father was. Stronger. More stable. More controllable. And the girl? She’ll keep him in line, yes. But there’s more to her. I feel it. She’s hiding something. I’m going to find out what it is. She didn’t just show up here by chance. Her fate may be linked with Archer’s, but there’s more to it. You need to let me find out. Only I can bring out her hidden potential. Full-blooded fae aren’t suited for this. You’ll ruin her mind. You need me.”
“Calm down,” Krall said. “We’re talking about the future. Not the immediate. But we can’t wait forever. So do what you have to do with her. But do it quickly. Are we clear?”
“Yes,” J.C. spat. “She wants this. Trust me. She’s got a pure hunger I rarely see in girls like her. She