The Scales of Justice

Chapter 24

A low growl escaped her throat. She'd been found out.  Malice gripped the wheel tighter, forcing herself to maintain her composure as she drove past her home. She was tempted to follow the car that had just left with her beloved, but she knew where it was going; somewhere she wouldn't be able to follow and still carry out her plans. Another part wanted to do damage to the enforcer who had stayed behind; to take back her haven; but she knew she couldn't do that either. Even if she could take him out, it was no longer safe to go back. They knew where she lived, they had taken her mate; the only thing she had left now was her bait; the unconcious Draconis in her trunk. 

Now she needed a plan B, a new place to stash Calendula. She turned the corner in the opposite direction of where her mate was headed. There was only one place left then; one place that would afford her the seclusion she needed. It would be singularly unpleasant for the Draconis, but it didn't really matter about her comfort; she was destined to die anyway.

Malice pulled into the parking lot of a small park less than 

a mile from her home. There was a wooded area just to the south of the lot, and she parked the car in the closest available spot, backing in. Her stash of dragonbane lay growing in a faerie pocket within those trees. It had to be the best place to hold her prisoner. She had used a small dose of her bane extract to subdue Calendula, but not enough to kill her; or at least she assumed so, as she wasn't dead yet. It was a bit hit or miss with the dosing since one could never be too sure just how someone would react to the bane at all, let alone a direct injection straight to the blood stream.

She looked around, checking for any witnesses. It wouldn't do to have anyone see her hauling a body into the woods. This was Chicago after all, and it had a reputation for being a bit rough. Maybe this area was not typically so bad, but last thing she needed would be the police showing up. It would be just another wrench in her plans, and Gods knew, she'd had enough of those for one day.

There was one family playing on the playground equipment, and she sat back in her seat to wait. It looked like maybe they were winding down and getting ready to leave, so she was content to wait. Besides, it gave her a few more minutes to put the next wheel of her plan into motion. She pulled Zoryon's cell phone from her bag. There was one major detail left undone; informing the homewrecking harlot of her sister's capture. Bait did no good if the catch was oblivious. 

Malice tapped in the number she had managed to locate through some subterfuge, one that rang directly through to the room that Ophelia had rented. It had taken her several tries, but she'd managed to get a person dually apathetic and stupid enough to believe her when she had concocted a story of a sick family member. It had worked with Zoryon, so she'd decided to stick with what worked. Now she needed Ophelia to answer the phone so that she could cast the line, dangle the bait. She had waited to call until she physically had Calendula, even though it would take longer to reach endgame since she wasn't already on her way back; but she couldn't take the chance that Ophelia might have warned her sister. Now though; now was the perfect time.

Ophelia threw away the container for the cheap takeaway sandwich from the gas station down the street. She was so bored, and lonely, and tired of hiding. She was going to go ahead and tell Callen that too. She was coming home; she would figure out the next step then; probably getting shipped right off to Pandora, most likely. She had one credit card with her, one she had yet to use, but it would serve to get her home. She was beginning to run low on cash anyway. Callen had given her everything she had on hand at the time and sent her to the nearest bus terminal. She was sure that neither of them had expeted Ophelia was going to have to hide this long.

Ophelia giggled a little. They hadn't thought this entirely through. Callen had no way to contact her since she'd left without a phone, so really; everything could have been resolved five minutes after she had left town, and she'd never know.  Unless she called; which Callen had also told her not to do; and she wasn't about to do what Callen had suggested she do and call an enforcer. She shivered at the thought. Those two; they freaking scared her. She wasn't about to deal with the likes of those two unless she truly had to. That need had not been achieved; not even close.