Free The Sorcerer Heir (Heir Chronicles) by Cinda Williams Chima Page A

was any love lost between Emma and DeVries either.”
    “What about Emma?” Gabriel said. “Has she fallen for you, Jonah?” It was a familiar question. They’d had to navigate a number of infatuations over the years. He and Gabriel had worked out strategies for defusing them, for redirecting crushes. They’d become damned efficient at keeping love away from Jonah’s door.
    Jonah shook his head, the memory of the confrontation in the gazebo knifing through him. “Right now, if I had to guess, I’d say she hates me.”
    “Natalie said you were dancing with her.”
    “This is exactly why I usually refuse to dance with anyone. I say yes to any girl in a moment of weakness, and Natalie has me fathering her children. Though how I’d manage that, I have no clue. It was just a dance.” The words burned in his memory.
    Gabriel fingered his earring, his eyes troubled. “I understand your caution, believe me, but you may be exaggerating the risk.”
    “I don’t have any reason to believe that anything has changed,” Jonah said. “And I don’t care to risk somebody’s life to find out. I’ve killed enough people already.”
    Gabriel sighed. “I wish you would let go of the notion that Nightshade is in the business of killing. Shades are remnants of savants who have died. That’s all. They are not viable as human beings.” His eyes searched Jonah’s face. “Back to Emma. We don’t know much about her, except for her relationship to Sonny Lee Greenwood. Is it too much of a coincidence that she showed up here and insinuated herself into our operation, and the next thing we know she’s having a fight with DeVries? Can you get a read on her? Is there a possibility she’s involved somehow?”
    “No,” Jonah said.
    Gabriel held Jonah’s gaze a moment longer, then shifted away. “Well, then. What happened tonight should convince you that we’re on the right course. If none of us is responsible for the murders tonight, then Lilith must be. She’s doing exactly what she threatened to do—continuing her killing spree while ensuring that we get the blame.”
    On that count, Jonah had to admit that Gabriel was probably right.
    Lilith Greaves was the charismatic shade who had organized the undead survivors of the massacre at Thorn Hill into an army; a force dedicated to taking revenge on the mainline guilds, especially wizards. Killing the gifted produced blood magic, something that strengthened the ability of shades to possess new bodies. Lilith had been trying to recruit the living members of Nightshade to her cause. “So,” Gabriel said, when Jonah didn’t respond. “Are you going to continue to defend her to me?”
    “I’ve never defended her,” Jonah said. “You know I’ve riffed more shades than anyone else by a long shot. I only suggested we talk to her.” He paused, took a breath.“But now I’m beginning to see your point. We can’t win this thing as long as Lilith is killing mainliners indiscriminately. I need to do something about that.”
    He couldn’t allow Lilith and her army to go on killing the Grace Mosses of the world.
    “ We need to do something about that,” Gabriel said. “Nightshade is a team effort, remember?”
    Right, Jonah thought. But at the end of the day, I’m the one that usually does the killing.

E veryone seemed to find a way to take the blame for Grace Moss’s murder. Madison, because she’d brought her sister to Trinity against her wishes. Grace would still be alive, at least, if she’d stayed at home. Also, Madison had neglected her role as the Dragon, because she’d never wanted it in the first place, and maybe if she’d done a better job, none of this would have happened.
    Seph McCauley, because it happened at his house, and he’d been the one to stir the pot by inviting a volatile mixture of guests. Bring people together, and see what happens.
    Leander Hastings and Linda Downey, because they’d let him have his way about the party.
    Leesha Middleton,