Read Online Aces Wilde: Immortal Vegas, Book 5 by Jenn Stark - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jenn Stark
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Magician back with both hands, as much to create distance between us as to emphasize my point. “You used my attraction to you, whatever this thing is between us, as a means to get you information, to figure out how I could drag ever more complicated crap back to home base. First the artifacts, then people— For criminy’s sake, I went to Atlantis for you!”
“You went to Atlantis for yourself,” Armaeus corrected me. “I merely told you where to find the weapons you needed, and Death showed you the path.”
“Yeah, well, did she know you were jacking me up on purpose? Were you guys all sitting around comparing notes?” I put my hands to my temples. “Sweet Christmas, Eshe. That pompous windbag crawled around inside my head, Armaeus. She—”
“Eshe and I do not discuss the progress of my work with mortals.”
If he’d meant those words to reassure me, he was in for a shock. “Your work with mortals. Are you for real?” I stared at him, so unreasonably irate I could feel my split ends sizzle. “I…goddamnit, Armaeus. I thought—I mean, you said—”
I stuffed the words back into Pandora’s Box as quickly as I could, but once again the Magician’s entire body went tense, like a pointer closing in on a bird.
“I said what, Miss Wilde?”
I could feel the vocal projection shifting through me, but not even the magic of the Arcana Council could outweigh the survival instincts of a woman so totally scorned.
“You didn’t say anything at all,” I snapped, weighing my words with a healthy dose of self-disgust that was not remotely feigned. “I heard something in my head that I wanted to hear. But that’s over—we’ve gotten that out of the way. From now on, though, you need something, you ask. Don’t play games with me simply because it’s a shortcut. It’s not necessary.” I rubbed my hands over my eyes, wincing as my flayed palms chafed against their bandages, but glad for the pain to steady myself. “Whether you need me to go to Atlantis again or astral travel or find stuff—whatever it is”—I passed a hand over my brow—“for the right price, I’ll do it.”
Armaeus watched me for a long moment before nodding. “Very well,” he said, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Annika Soo has charged you with taking over the House of Swords.”
“I know, I know—”
“Decline that invitation.”
I pulled my hands away from my head. “Wait, what?”
“It’s a simple enough request, Miss Wilde. It’s not your place to become the head of the House of Swords. Decline it.”
“Oh, geez—what is it with you people?” I demanded. “First, Father Jerome is on my case, then you? Him at least I can understand—he doesn’t want me to get dead all that soon. But what do you care about the House of Swords?”
“It’s a task that others are better suited to do. Moreover, it’s beneath you. Your skills are such that you are made for greater things than an earthbound House.”
I scowled at him. Something wasn’t adding up here. “An earthbound House that you couldn’t learn anything about until it practically fell into your lap thanks to me,” I said. “But now you want me to step down?”
“You’ve not even begun to step up.”
“Semantics. I would’ve thought you of all people would be into this side job. What better way for you to find out about this House that’s eluded your grasp for lo, these past thousand years? And not only that one, but the others besides.”
“A worthy consideration, but shortsighted. Now that the House of Swords has been definitely revealed to me and the Council, there are other agents who can be assigned to learn more about its inner workings and personnel.” His glare bored into me. “And it is not a side job, as I suspect you well know. House leadership belongs in the hands of someone ruthless and unforgiving, and one willing to spend her every waking hour dedicated to action and self-protection.”
“Maybe you missed the geisha
“You went to Atlantis for yourself,” Armaeus corrected me. “I merely told you where to find the weapons you needed, and Death showed you the path.”
“Yeah, well, did she know you were jacking me up on purpose? Were you guys all sitting around comparing notes?” I put my hands to my temples. “Sweet Christmas, Eshe. That pompous windbag crawled around inside my head, Armaeus. She—”
“Eshe and I do not discuss the progress of my work with mortals.”
If he’d meant those words to reassure me, he was in for a shock. “Your work with mortals. Are you for real?” I stared at him, so unreasonably irate I could feel my split ends sizzle. “I…goddamnit, Armaeus. I thought—I mean, you said—”
I stuffed the words back into Pandora’s Box as quickly as I could, but once again the Magician’s entire body went tense, like a pointer closing in on a bird.
“I said what, Miss Wilde?”
I could feel the vocal projection shifting through me, but not even the magic of the Arcana Council could outweigh the survival instincts of a woman so totally scorned.
“You didn’t say anything at all,” I snapped, weighing my words with a healthy dose of self-disgust that was not remotely feigned. “I heard something in my head that I wanted to hear. But that’s over—we’ve gotten that out of the way. From now on, though, you need something, you ask. Don’t play games with me simply because it’s a shortcut. It’s not necessary.” I rubbed my hands over my eyes, wincing as my flayed palms chafed against their bandages, but glad for the pain to steady myself. “Whether you need me to go to Atlantis again or astral travel or find stuff—whatever it is”—I passed a hand over my brow—“for the right price, I’ll do it.”
Armaeus watched me for a long moment before nodding. “Very well,” he said, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Annika Soo has charged you with taking over the House of Swords.”
“I know, I know—”
“Decline that invitation.”
I pulled my hands away from my head. “Wait, what?”
“It’s a simple enough request, Miss Wilde. It’s not your place to become the head of the House of Swords. Decline it.”
“Oh, geez—what is it with you people?” I demanded. “First, Father Jerome is on my case, then you? Him at least I can understand—he doesn’t want me to get dead all that soon. But what do you care about the House of Swords?”
“It’s a task that others are better suited to do. Moreover, it’s beneath you. Your skills are such that you are made for greater things than an earthbound House.”
I scowled at him. Something wasn’t adding up here. “An earthbound House that you couldn’t learn anything about until it practically fell into your lap thanks to me,” I said. “But now you want me to step down?”
“You’ve not even begun to step up.”
“Semantics. I would’ve thought you of all people would be into this side job. What better way for you to find out about this House that’s eluded your grasp for lo, these past thousand years? And not only that one, but the others besides.”
“A worthy consideration, but shortsighted. Now that the House of Swords has been definitely revealed to me and the Council, there are other agents who can be assigned to learn more about its inner workings and personnel.” His glare bored into me. “And it is not a side job, as I suspect you well know. House leadership belongs in the hands of someone ruthless and unforgiving, and one willing to spend her every waking hour dedicated to action and self-protection.”
“Maybe you missed the geisha
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