Page 88 of Junk Magic

“Yes, bardric. He—his grandfather was Vilkas of Graymoor, better known as—”

“Sword Breaker. Yes, I’ve heard the stories.”

The man finally looked up, and Sebastian handed him his son. “He fought alongside my father in the wars,” he added. “Clan Graymoor were good friends to Arnou, and still are.”

“Yes, sir!” the man, so afraid a moment ago, was now hugging his son and staring at Sebastian with wide eyes. “Yes, always!”

Sebastian’s own eyes softened, and he bent forward, lowering his voice. “I was wondering, could you help me keep everyone out of the arena? Sienna’s people have been doing it for hours and need a break, but I don’t have many people here and it’s a grisly sight.” He ruffled the boy’s hair. “Especially for ones so young.”

“Of course! I—I’ll get my whole clan on it. All of us!”

The crowd behind him murmured assent, and someone started organizing things even before Sebastian smiled the man out and closed the door. Suddenly, instead of a frightened mob, he had a group of loyal soldiers doing his bidding. And, like them, I wasn’t quite sure how he’d managed it.

But the smile didn’t last, and the blue eyes that met mine a second later were no longer luminous or kind.

I sighed and redid the silence spell as Sebastian stared me down.

Ulmer intervened before his boss resumed the tongue lashing the kid had interrupted. Which suited me, since it had felt a lot more like literally being flayed than a verbal attack had any right to. But Ulmer missed the undercurrents in his quest to find himself a perch that could bear his weight.

“Sorry, I was checking with the cavalry,” he informed us, after scraping a steel framed arm chair across the tile.

“What cavalry?” I asked, because the fight had been over for hours.

“Our remaining force from Vegas. Called them in before you arrived and they just got here. They’re hooking up with some of Sienna’s people who know the area.”

“To do what?”

“What do you think? To find whoever did this, of course.”

“And if you do find them?” I asked, feeling my blood pressure spike. “What then? Because you can’t take them—”

“Like hell we can’t. You’d be surprised—”

I grabbed his arm, which wasn’t easy because it was thicker around than most people’s thighs. Many Weres were more heavily muscled than the average person even in human form, and Ulmer was no exception. Which would do exactly fuck all if he caught up with a bunch of drugged up Relics!

“No, you’ll be surprised—for about a second,” I told him. “Your people can’t take them—”

“What the hell are you talking about? And get your hand off me—”

“Call them off!”

“I’ll do no such thing! And how are you this strong?”

“Do as she says,” Sebastian said.

“What?” Ulmer looked up at his bardric in confusion. “Why? We have half the council on the way here—”

“The council?”

“—so you’re going to want some answers—”

Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “Just do it.”

Ulmer did it, because that voice had brooked no argument, going to the door and speaking briefly to someone outside. Then he came back, arranged his bulk in the steel reinforced chair, and scowled. “What the hell?”

“What is the council’s ETA?” Sebastian asked, as I redid the silence spell for the third damn time.

“An hour or so. I just got off the phone with our informant on Moon Shadow’s staff.”

---