much.”
“I do and I can tell you, Pellimento’s sly about it, but digging into the legislation she’s passed has brought to light a frightening number of anti-othernatural rulings.”
“So basically, if her son is among these missing tourists and this turns out to be othernatural related, she’s going to hate us more than usual?”
Fenton’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “She has the power to take New Orleans away from us, Augustine. To destroy our Haven city designation.”
“That’s a fae thing. She has no say over that.”
“She does if she makes it illegal for fae to own property or hold a job here.” He pointed a finger at Augustine’s smirk. “I’m not joking. If her son dies and she becomes the next president of the Southern Union, she will make our lives very difficult. Actually, it won’t take her becoming the president to make our lives hell. As I’m sure you can imagine, Loudreux is very concerned this not happen.”
“For once, the Prime and I agree on something.” Hugo Loudreux was the leader of the fae Elektos but even his position as Prime didn’t give him authority over the Guardian. In theory, they were supposed to work together, but Loudreux hadn’t been in favor of Augustine becoming the Guardian and as such, made his life as difficult as he could whenever possible.
“I hope that means you’ll give this some real attention.”
Augustine sat back, his fingers on the handle of his coffee mug. It took a lot to rile Fenton. This was obviously serious. “I will. We’ll find her son.” Eventually. He still had Harlow’s needs at heart. “Grantham have any leads?”
“Not on Robbie, no, but he does have an eyewitness who thinks she saw one of the missing tourists talking to Zara Vincent at the farmer’s market.”
“If you’d told me Giselle, I’d think it meant something, but Zara’s the harmless one, isn’t she?”
Seeming slightly calmer, Fenton shrugged. “She’s never done anything to put a blip on the radar.”
“Although now that her sister is the high priestess of the New Orleans Coven, maybe she’s decided the time is ripe to make a move.” His brain kept processing. “Or she could be working with Giselle.”
Fenton lifted his hand. “To what end? Giselle makes her money telling fortunes in Jackson Square. I know she’s got private clients that pay her a lot more, but those tourists are her bread and butter. I can’t imagine her doing something that could possibly scare them away.”
Augustine shook his head. “But as high priestess, she’s now on the coven’s payroll. I’m sure she’ll keep her private clients but I can’t see her wallowing with the unwashed masses in Jackson Square anymore.”
Fenton lifted one finger. “Ah, but she has been. We’ve had eyes on her.”
“Interesting.” Augustine wrapped his hand around his mug but the coffee had gone cold. He let it go. “Almost as much as the fact that theirs is the one name that’s been connected to this new issue.” He sighed. “Talking to Giselle never does any good. I can’t imagine talking to Zara would be any different.”
“Agreed. Leave that to Grantham. Right now we have Harlow to think about.”
“And finding Robbie.” But finding that party boy was only peripherally on his radar. No matter how bunched up Prime Loudreux was. Harlow was his sole concern. Augustine pushed his chair back and stood. “If anything comes of the talk with Grantham’s grandmother, I’ll let you know. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow morning. And I’ll tell Grantham he’s got our cooperation, but my involvement is going to be minimal until Harlow is herself again.” The thought of another day passing and Harlow still held prisoner in her own body shot a sense of helplessness through him, a feeling he hated more than anything.
Fenton nodded. “I understand.”
Augustine turned and strode out of the war room and down the hall toward the crypt’s exit. Paying a visit to his mother, even under the guise of helping Harlow, would be worthless. Unless he commanded her to help.
As Guardian, he had the right to require any fae citizen of New Orleans to assist him. But as her son, he also knew that such a command would destroy her. She would be forced to face her fae heritage, the only thing she hated more than her own son.
He shut the crypt door behind him, blinking for a moment in the brightness of the clouded sky.
There was no question in his mind as to his decision if things got that desperate.
Harlow would always come first.
Chapter