The Council (Darkness #5)(23)

Andris didn’t take the bait. Instead, he closed his eyes again, waiting patiently for whatever would come. Rudy took three steps to the side, needing action to worry away the frustration.

“You are overly confident, that’s the problem.” Rudy walked back the three paces. “You pushed too hard, too fast. Demons, Andris? That was your great plan?”

Hazel eyes opened again, the smile now condescending. “I’ve come further than you. I have all the tools I need. All the tools I need. I just need one more element, and I will be unstoppable.”

“What makes you think you’ll get her?”

“Her?” Andris laughed. “I don’t need a her. No, the last element is maintaining control of a demon powerful enough to wreak havoc.”

“You have come further than me, but you are here. In a cell.”

“For now.”

“Is that right?” Rudy paced three more steps. “You can get out at any time, then. Is that it? Your escape is guaranteed? This whole endeavor is planned.”

“I need that fool Trek. I also need revenge on a thorn in my side. Both of those elements are here. When have you known me to be impatient?”

Rudy dipped a hand into the pocket of his slacks to hide balling it into a fist. Andris’ cool gold eyes held confidence. Knowledge. What does he have that I don’t? “Wait… you have all the tools? Presently?”

The smile soaked up Andris’ face. “Yes. Accounted for and ready to go.”

Rudy shifted his stance in disbelief. “Why haven’t you used it before now, then?”

“Because that is a secret worth keeping until the last possible second. Not even that fool Trek knows. Secrets are only safe on the lips of the dead.”

Rudy’s finger scratched at the copper coin in his pocket. “But now I know.”

Andris closed his eyes peacefully. “You are talking to a dangerous man, Rudy. Some might wonder why.”

“For the good of the Council, of course.”

“True. Well, then. Run along and let everyone know my grand plans. And when they say I must be lying, you can say you know me personally—that we went through magic classes together. You can say you helped me set up my current empire. You can say you came here to try and corrupt from the inside, where I chose organizing an army to take power by force. They would surely believe you then. The problem there is, I know my enemies… you do not. We probably have the same number, but yours hate you more. Traitors are dealt with harsher than villains.”

Rudy dug his fingers into his palm within his pocket. Outwardly, he developed a little smile of his own. “That is dangerous information you have, Andris.”

“Yes. It is.”

“You might not live long enough to make your escape. I, too, have everything I need. Plans are already in place to capture a black.”

Andris laughed heartily. “Sasha, you mean? You’ll have an easier time saddling up a cat. Besides, her magic doesn’t function normally. She has a hard time linking—did they tell you that? As soon as I kill her beloved, she won’t be able to link at all.”

“She has a blood link with the male. That is what enables her linking.”

Andris shook his head in delight. “No, Rudy. Once again, you didn’t get all the facts. He has a special trait that levels out links and magic. She is useless in any capacity other than strictly a mage. And what’s more, she can’t learn in a classroom setting. She can’t be told how to do something—she has to do it. You might have noticed that human teachers aren’t in large supply. And no, I will not lend out mine, Rudy.”

“I can work a deal with the male, then. If they can link, I can use them both.”

Andris leaned his head against the grimy wall with a blissful expression. “You never were the thinker in the pair. Stefan cannot be manipulated or dominated. He does the manipulating and dominating. He is a quintessential alpha male who has been nothing but a continuous roadblock to me. He will make a splendid demon.”

“Pain has a way of calming people down, Andris. You have not won. Your plans are still in the air, while mine are rolling into effect.”

“Go away, Rudy. You’re making my head hurt.”

Rudy stared at the smug, overconfident male. His ire rose as quickly as his uncertainty. “You die, Andris, and your merry plans die with you.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?”

“I’ll just remind you who is in the cell,” Rudy said dismissively, turning.

Grating laughter followed him out of the dungeon.

He needed to kill off that male and capture the black. If he had to, he’d capture her male as well. Fear and pain were powerful persuaders. After that, everything would fall into place beautifully. The American and European Councils would both be his before long. He was in the home stretch, now.

Chapter 7

“Hey loser.”

I looked up as Ann slapped Charles in the back of the head.

Charles, Jessie and I had been sitting in front of empty plates for five minutes. It looked like we were hiding from challenges, which was obviously true, but what people didn’t know was that we were waiting for the shifters to meet us so we could all go to the Council meeting.

“Damn it—” Charles rubbed his head as Ann sat down in front of him. “I liked you better before I knew you.”