Living with the Dead Part 48

She stepped back and waved him in. He paused another moment, then followed.

They had their coffee on the patio. Robyn hadn't used it since she'd arrived couldn't even remember opening the door until today so they'd had to drag out chairs from the kitchen. Now she sat there, enjoying the sun and realizing, to her shock, that she had an amazing view. Patio chairs were going on the shopping list. Maybe even a table.

As they drank, Robyn said she'd decided to go with Hope to the council meeting that weekend. She'd told Hope she wanted to meet the delegates to a.s.sure them they weren't in any danger with her knowing their secrets. And maybe they could use a little PR a.s.sistance, someone to advise them and craft cover-up stories. Being non-supernatural herself, she was the perfect person to help them navigate exposure threats from the human world.

She hadn't told Hope that part of the plan. It seemed a bit foolish. Presumptuous, maybe. Now she bounced it off Finn, and he said it sounded like a good idea. So maybe it wasn't so crazy after all.

"About this meeting," he said, setting his mug on the railing. "Is it open to any... supernaturals? I was just thinking, maybe I should go to one. Introduce myself. Offer my help. See about getting some help myself from other... necromancers." He stumbled over the word, clearly not comfortable with it yet. "That Jaime Vegas woman I talked to is supposed to be a delegate of this council."

"Then she'll be there. And I'm sure you're welcome. It's in Portland. You can come up with us, if you like."

He nodded and sat there, still nodding, gazing out over the city for at least a minute before saying, "It would just be me, Robyn."

"What? No Damon? Forget it then. You're uninvited." She gave him a look. "I know Damon will still be spending some time with you, helping on cases. I know that's what he's supposed to be doing when he's here, helping you, you, not visiting his wife. I know he's supposed to have only minimal contact with me, so we can both move on with our lives, and if he starts using his time here to hang out with me, he loses his day pa.s.ses. You explained all this to me, Finn." not visiting his wife. I know he's supposed to have only minimal contact with me, so we can both move on with our lives, and if he starts using his time here to hang out with me, he loses his day pa.s.ses. You explained all this to me, Finn."

"I know but "

"But now every time I ask you in for coffee, you're going to wonder if I'm really asking you, or I'm asking the guy who keeps me connected to my dead husband." She sighed and cupped her mug between her hands. "I guess, then, maybe this isn't such a good idea, us trying to..." She shrugged. "Stay in contact, whatever. Of course I wouldn't mind keeping that connection with Damon. But to invite you along on our trip, just to "

"You wouldn't do that. I know. Sure, ask Hope about the meeting. If it's okay with everyone, I'll come along."

He took his mug, lifted it to his lips, then frowned, as if just realizing it was empty.

"Got time for another?" she asked. When he hesitated, she took his mug. "I'll refill it anyway."

HOPE.

Hope had returned to work at True News True News on Monday morning as if the last few days had never happened. That wasn't easy. She'd dropped Karl at the airport that morning, wanting to run after him like a scared little girl, screaming "Don't go! Don't go!" on Monday morning as if the last few days had never happened. That wasn't easy. She'd dropped Karl at the airport that morning, wanting to run after him like a scared little girl, screaming "Don't go! Don't go!"

She reminded herself of how many other times she'd dropped him at an airport... and picked him up again when he came home. In two months, she'd do the same and she'd have booked that promised cabin in the woods for them, and everything would be as it was. Better than it was. But still she worried. They both did.

On the weekend, Hope was supposed to appear before the council and explain what had happened with Adele and the k.u.mpania. With Irving alive and the Cabal not making any complaints, there was little threat of a full inquiry, but that worry had forced her to consider whether it was time to move on.

She'd never abandon the council. Whatever path she chose, she was keeping her job at True News, True News, and if she caught a whiff of an exposure threat, it would go to the council. But maybe, for her, working for the council was like taking regular-strength Tylenol for migraines, and it was time to admit the remedy was no longer strong enough. and if she caught a whiff of an exposure threat, it would go to the council. But maybe, for her, working for the council was like taking regular-strength Tylenol for migraines, and it was time to admit the remedy was no longer strong enough.

Today she was meeting Rhys. He was flying in to have lunch and pitch his proposal. She wanted to tell him about Neala's last thoughts, her final, unspoken apology. Maybe it would help. Maybe it wouldn't. But he should know she'd wanted to say it. Hope had news for him, too. News she hoped he'd already heard, because she hated to be the one to break it.

Adele Morrissey was still alive.

In the aftermath at the k.u.mpania, no one had questioned her death. Hope had blown a hole through her head. It hadn't occurred to her to check for a pulse.

Sean Nast had called last night with the news. Adele was brain dead, but being kept alive in a Cabal hospital until her baby reached full term.

Sean said rumors of it were already flying through the Cabal world. Whispers of a clairvoyant of unsurpa.s.sed power, gestating in a Nast laboratory. Another story to add to the others, omens and portents that already had supernaturals whispering and eyeing the skies uneasily. Even those who scoffed at such superst.i.tious nonsense had begun to admit the recent rate of "unnatural" occurrences in their world was... discomfiting.

Twins born to two werewolf parents, the first known full-blooded werewolves.

Humans cracking the code of magic, conducting horrible experiments with child sacrifice.

A previously unknown supernatural race fully evolving in a few generations.

Coincidences easily dismissed, all of them. Nervous minds seeing correlations where none existed, viewing the world through the limits of time and experience, and mistaking rare events for unprecedented ones.

There had been female werewolves before, so surely there had been full-blooded werewolves. The cases just weren't doc.u.mented or preserved.

Humans had experimented with magic for centuries and small breakthroughs had had been doc.u.mented. This greater success only suggested latent supernatural blood in the caster. been doc.u.mented. This greater success only suggested latent supernatural blood in the caster.

Supernatural races did evolve and die out they already knew that. Jaz and his brother had been genetic anomalies, not signs of an accelerated evolutionary pace.

Adele Morrissey's child might not be a functioning clairvoyant, much less an uber-powerful one. And even if he was, his conception was the result of twisted ambition and adolescent hormones, not divine or demonic intervention.

And yet...

Hope knew it might just be her overly active imagination. Maybe exhaustion and stress were making her see connections where none existed. Or maybe her demon blood knew just knew that all this meant something, that change was coming, that she would have a role to play.

A role for the good? She hoped so. But she couldn't shake the feeling that when the time came, the choice might not be hers to make. And that scared her more than anything.