Elle. “For the most part.”
“So little birdies tell me. I thought maybe I'd see what your bit was these days; send in a boy or two to scope the scene, see if you kids felt like making a little mazuma.” He rubbed his fingertips together to make sure they got the point. “A deal, like. A partnership. Since you're out of the saint business now.”
“You wish to pay us for some deed? After you sent a beast to hunt us down?” Straightening in her seat, Lily's hands clenched into fists. “Your ambassadors are sorely lacking if you wish to bring us into some nature of business arrangement with you.”
“Hey, hey now!” Frank said, holding up his hands in a genial blocking motion. “You don't have to get your feathers in a ruffle. You're all here and safe, right? What's bugging you?”
“A boy died,” Piotr explained coldly, thinking of Jamie. “All because you wish to make a deal?”
“We all die someday,” Frank said reasonably. “I'm not laughing at your loss, Red, but there are more important things going on in the Never than one lost little soul.” Sighing, he leaned forward and tapped the table twice, waiting for the drink to be set before him before he continued. He took a long swallow, wiped his mouth, and said, “Maybe my choice of messenger wasn't the best, yeah? I am sorry about that, but you don't always get the cream of the crop volunteering to do the dirty work.”
“The Walkers not only killed the boy, they tried to kill Piotr,” Lily continued, quiet and fierce. “Said that it was their orders. That he'd been wandering around the Never long enough.”
“That's just malarkey,” Frank snapped. “We don't want Red here dead. We need him!” Realizing what he'd said, Frank grimaced and sat back. “Well, I just threw that hand, huh?” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Piotr, look kid, I've got a copy of that poster around here somewhere. We offered some prime A-grade salvage for the soul who could get you up to the Top of the Mark for a little chat. That was it. Granted, we didn't specify alive or dead, but it would be an awfully dumb ghost who thought that killing you would be the way to go.”
“Dead bodies disappear here,” Elle chuckled, waving for another drink, “but some of these souls aren't exactly DaVinci reborn, Frank. Those Walkers might not've thought it through.” When the tuxedo-clad waiter brought it, she sniffed and sipped appreciatively. “Or maybe you should've realized that revenge can run deeper than salvage. Especially when Walkers are concerned.”
Frank sat back, expression tired. “It's no excuse. It's an explanation. And I can't make what's past undone, but I can promise you—I can give you my utmost word—that if we ever put a bounty out again, I'll make sure to add a ‘no one gets hurt’ addendum.”
“As you will,” Piotr said, sitting back and rubbing his own eyes. The Never and the living lands were flickering wildly now. The stutter-flash of the brightly lit nightclub and dimly lit restaurant were giving him a headache.
“So what do you say? Want to ride the roller coaster with me, kids?” Frank spread his hands on the table. “Feel like making a little scratch on a job well done?”
“Depends on the job,” Elle said lazily. She twirled a finger through her fringe. “Depends on the pay.”
Frank smiled a chilling grin. “Let's have us a little chat about the Lightbringer.”
Narrowing his eyes at the older man, Piotr leaned back in his chair. “What about her?”
“It's come to our attention that you and the Lightbringer have an…understanding.” Keeping his free hand flat on the tabletop where Piotr and the others could see it, Frank lifted his drink and took a deep swallow. “Is this so?”
Stiffening, Piotr turned his face away. Frank was sharp, too sharp, and Piotr didn't want the Council member to spot the mingled anger and dismay he felt every time Wendy's name was mentioned. “I really don't think my
“So little birdies tell me. I thought maybe I'd see what your bit was these days; send in a boy or two to scope the scene, see if you kids felt like making a little mazuma.” He rubbed his fingertips together to make sure they got the point. “A deal, like. A partnership. Since you're out of the saint business now.”
“You wish to pay us for some deed? After you sent a beast to hunt us down?” Straightening in her seat, Lily's hands clenched into fists. “Your ambassadors are sorely lacking if you wish to bring us into some nature of business arrangement with you.”
“Hey, hey now!” Frank said, holding up his hands in a genial blocking motion. “You don't have to get your feathers in a ruffle. You're all here and safe, right? What's bugging you?”
“A boy died,” Piotr explained coldly, thinking of Jamie. “All because you wish to make a deal?”
“We all die someday,” Frank said reasonably. “I'm not laughing at your loss, Red, but there are more important things going on in the Never than one lost little soul.” Sighing, he leaned forward and tapped the table twice, waiting for the drink to be set before him before he continued. He took a long swallow, wiped his mouth, and said, “Maybe my choice of messenger wasn't the best, yeah? I am sorry about that, but you don't always get the cream of the crop volunteering to do the dirty work.”
“The Walkers not only killed the boy, they tried to kill Piotr,” Lily continued, quiet and fierce. “Said that it was their orders. That he'd been wandering around the Never long enough.”
“That's just malarkey,” Frank snapped. “We don't want Red here dead. We need him!” Realizing what he'd said, Frank grimaced and sat back. “Well, I just threw that hand, huh?” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Piotr, look kid, I've got a copy of that poster around here somewhere. We offered some prime A-grade salvage for the soul who could get you up to the Top of the Mark for a little chat. That was it. Granted, we didn't specify alive or dead, but it would be an awfully dumb ghost who thought that killing you would be the way to go.”
“Dead bodies disappear here,” Elle chuckled, waving for another drink, “but some of these souls aren't exactly DaVinci reborn, Frank. Those Walkers might not've thought it through.” When the tuxedo-clad waiter brought it, she sniffed and sipped appreciatively. “Or maybe you should've realized that revenge can run deeper than salvage. Especially when Walkers are concerned.”
Frank sat back, expression tired. “It's no excuse. It's an explanation. And I can't make what's past undone, but I can promise you—I can give you my utmost word—that if we ever put a bounty out again, I'll make sure to add a ‘no one gets hurt’ addendum.”
“As you will,” Piotr said, sitting back and rubbing his own eyes. The Never and the living lands were flickering wildly now. The stutter-flash of the brightly lit nightclub and dimly lit restaurant were giving him a headache.
“So what do you say? Want to ride the roller coaster with me, kids?” Frank spread his hands on the table. “Feel like making a little scratch on a job well done?”
“Depends on the job,” Elle said lazily. She twirled a finger through her fringe. “Depends on the pay.”
Frank smiled a chilling grin. “Let's have us a little chat about the Lightbringer.”
Narrowing his eyes at the older man, Piotr leaned back in his chair. “What about her?”
“It's come to our attention that you and the Lightbringer have an…understanding.” Keeping his free hand flat on the tabletop where Piotr and the others could see it, Frank lifted his drink and took a deep swallow. “Is this so?”
Stiffening, Piotr turned his face away. Frank was sharp, too sharp, and Piotr didn't want the Council member to spot the mingled anger and dismay he felt every time Wendy's name was mentioned. “I really don't think my
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