Free Bitten in Two by Jennifer Rardin Page B

venom and jagged edges that I cover them with my hands. Well, I try. Grief is still in my grip. Should I take aim?
    As I consider my options, he slaps the palms of his hands against the carved bone bracelets on the opposite wrists. He slides them off his fingers, and they seem to reach toward each other, as if they know they belong together. They link with a sound like searing steak.
    I have time to think, Oh shit, that’s his wand , before he raises the gnarled weapon and traces an intricate pattern in the air. As the wand buzzes and he chants, I charge.
    Warlocks don’t do much hand-to-hand fighting, and Sterling’s ego won’t admit that anyone like me would dare to attack in the face of his might. In a sense he’s right. No way would I shoot a fellow spy. But I sure as hell would head-butt him.
    Our skulls crack with the force of a couple of rams. For a couple of seconds everything goes gray.
    Cassandra stopped me with a gasp. “You head-butted Sterling Nicodemus? You. Head-butted? The most powerful warlock in the world?”
    “Wel , that was before Paolo Grittoli died, so technical y he was number two at the time. In retrospect, it was a stupid move, though. Too much risk for too little gain. But as I stood back and my eyes cleared, I gotta say I grinned when the blood gushed from the gash I’d opened up on his forehead. Within seconds it had blinded him. One point for me, right? But my lead disappeared when he hauled off and punched me. Not literal y. Dude doesn’t have to. Just waves that wand of his and al the oomph he’s stored up goes zapping through his special little conduit. Looks like a damn blue claw coming at you.”
    “What did you do?”
    “I flew through a wal . It was a flimsy wal , which is why I’m stil alive today. Luckily that put out the flames, so my clothes were only smoking when I got up and ran. He came after
    me,
    which
    led
    to
    a
    five-minute
    attack/escape/something-gets-blown-to-bits chase that final y caused the place to col apse. Unfortunately, the mage we’d been after had never been there in the first place, so we stil had to neutralize him before we could ditch each other. We managed a temporary truce. Did the job. He threatened to rearrange my reflection and we went our separate ways.”
    I knew Cassandra was shaking her head because I could hear her earrings clicking together. “Does Vayl know about this?”
    “No.”
    Sigh. “Al right. I’l cal him. But you have to promise to behave.”
    “Cassandra. I’m a total y different person now. It’l be no problem. You can promise him that. And, you know, make a deal if you have to. Tel him I’l buy him a new trumpet or something.”
    “You think he’s stil that angry that he’s going to have to be bribed?”
    “I don’t know. I mean, Vayl did request his help when we went to Scotland and nothing came of it. At the time he thought the Oversight Committee was responsible. I never corrected him because we were final y going somewhere with our relationship, and the last thing I wanted to say was,
    ‘Oh, by the way, can I tel you about the time I was a complete ass to a sensitive artist?’”
    Cassandra said, “He was out of line too.”
    “See, that’s why my brother loves you. Is he home yet?” New excitement in her voice as she said, “I’m meeting his plane tomorrow. I can’t wait! Is it okay if I take Jack with me?”
    “Sure. Just tel him he doesn’t have to get on the plane this time, okay? Otherwise he’l take off in the opposite direction.”

    “Okay. And, um, I’l cal Sterling now.”
    “You are the best future sister-in-law ever.” I had to sit there for a minute after I hung up before I could identify the strange new feeling making me want to jump up and pace around the room.
    Huh. I think it’s called hope. But don’t quote me on that. I’ve been wrong before.
    Nothing makes me hungrier than a gut ful of optimism. So I took Vayl’s cane in one hand and let the other brush back the