Only Him

Chapter 44

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked, inflicting my best dubious tone as I paced around the living room, phone clutched tightly to my ear.

"Of course not," Hans answered promptly. "I don't like it one bit. But Her Majesty insists that she must go and we ultimately answer to her."

Hans was doing a very good job at acting like this was the first time we'd had this conversation. In reality it was about the tenth but this time was the one that counted. I felt the eyes of everyone else in the room on me as Hans and I laid the trap we hoped to catch Marlen in.

Off to the side Sydney sat at the dining table, laptop in front of her, as she did something techy. She gave me a nod when she caught my look, assuring me that things were going according to plan. I looked to the couch and met Dimitri's eyes. He sat rocking Aleksey, bottle firmly in his mouth to keep him from making any noise. He too nodded, a mixed look of apprehension and eagerness on his face. I understood him. I was nervous too. After all, I was setting a trap to lure God knew how many Strigoi in but I wouldn't be participating in the fight. I'd be sitting at home, coddling a newborn while we waited to see if his father and our friends ever returned. But on the flip side, it felt good to finally be doing something proactive and to be—for the first time ever—a step ahead of the enemy.

It had taken Sydney the promised two days to get a better fix on where Marlen was hiding out and once she'd pinpointed that to a thirty-mile radius in Harrisburg we'd decided to set our trap. A week of planning had led us to this very moment.

"Baltimore," I repeated for the third time in the conversation, making sure that anyone listening couldn't possibly have missed it. "What the hell is in Baltimore for her?"

"You know the Zeklos lord lives there," Hans said dismissively, as if the why was unimportant, only the command. "The vote on the guardian law was too close for her liking and she wants to be able to secure those swing votes in the future, you know that. She's trying to show that she's willing to work with others, not just make them come to her. That's why we've been leaving the wards to begin with."

I scoffed. "I think we're past the point of extending the proverbial olive branch," I said, staring imploringly at Lissa who was perched on the couch next to Dimitri. She made a face at me and turned away, clearly ignoring the jab. "I don't like this. She shouldn't leave the wards."

"I fought her on it but she's insisting. We made a deal," Hans proclaimed. "This is the last time she'll leave the wards. After this she'll bring the meetings to her."

And the trap was baited. If Marlen thought that this would be his last opportunity to get Lissa and anyone I cared about outside the wards then he was sure to act on it.

At least, that's what we were counting on.

I exhaled sharply. "Fine. E-mail me the details. I want to know everything."

"You aren't going," he reiterated firmly.

"I know," I snapped. "But I'm still Lissa's head guardian and I'll be damned if I don't know everything happening."

Hans grumbled something unflattering under his breath. "I'll send it to you now. Don't plan anything stupid, Hathaway."

"I don't do stupid," I assured him pithily. "I do dangerous and reckless." I hung up the phone and dropped it onto the counter like it was about to bite me.

"Well?" I demanded of the silent room around me.

"The chip was transmitting a signal the entire call," Sydney assured me. "Whoever put it there was listening."

"And they'll be reading that email too," Adrian added as my phone dinged with the details Hans had promised.

"Do you think he'll go for it?" I asked again.