Page 56 of Soothsayer

“You can tell her yourself, son.” He drove off and we went inside, and Sören ordered the most obscene waffle I’d ever seen, more fruit and syrup and whipped cream on top of it than you’d find in a bakery. He ate every bite with relish, and I sipped my coffee and had a few pieces of toast. I didn’t want to start shaking from low blood sugar in the middle of what was about to come.

I finally interrupted Sören in the middle of his second waffle. “Are you happy?”

“Very happy,” he said after swallowing. “This is my favorite food.”

“Good.” It wasn’t much, but if he had to remember me any way, I wanted it to be as someone who liked him enough to get him what he wanted. “I’m glad.”

“Cillian… Sören was very upset last night.”

“I know.”

“He was also very happy.”

“That’s good.” I had known that too, but I didn’t mind hearing it again.

“Youdohave a real plan today, don’t you?”

“Of course.” What was it with everyone doubting my plans? Were they really that bad?

A black SUV pulled into the parking lot, and I threw a twenty down on the table. “Looks like our ride is here.”

“Oh.” Sören put down his fork and stared pensively at his plate. “I don’t want to go with them.”

“Maybe after today you won’t have to again.”

“Good. That is what I want.”

You and me both.I stood up, waited for Sören to join me, and then headed outside toward my own fate.

I had plans, I did. Hopefully they would be enough.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The SUV wasn’t as luxurious as I’d expected, but it was gratifying not to be cuffed immediately and stripped of everything I had on me. The driver who met us did take my gun, but that was just good business. He considered over the lighter and the pack of cigarettes, but I gave him a look and said, “Those might be my last fucking request, okay?” After a moment, he shrugged and handed them over before showing us into the back of the car.

The younger brother was inside. He also held a gun on both of us. “Hello, Rolf,” Sören said pleasantly as he settled into a seat.

“Just keep your mouth shut,” Rolf snapped, his eyes darting anxiously between us. He was shorter than his older brothers, a little slimmer, and had none of the stolid forcefulness of Art?r or the whiplash intelligence of Jakob. He looked even younger than Sören, honestly, and I was a little surprised that he was the one who’d been sent to fetch us. “Both of you.”

“Talking passes the time better,” I said. “How have you been since Chicago, Rolf? Not running after us, obviously.” I took in the slight tremble in his hand, the slick pallor of his face, and came to a few conclusions. “I guess someone had to hang around and be the gopher for your dad while your brothers were busting their asses.”

“I told you to shut up.”

“I know, I know.” I held up my hands. “Or rather, I guess I don’t. It’s not like I know what being cooped up with a megalomaniacal, magic-wielding, abusive parent is like. How’s your shoulder, by the way?” Rolf was holding his right side very stiffly, and I remembered from before his father’s penchant for grabbing Rolf a little too hard by the arm and shaking him to make a point. It looked like the last time he’d done it had resulted in dislocation.

“It’s none of—it’s—”

“Is he still injuring you?” Sören frowned darkly. “He no longer has the excuse of his temper, and that was a poor reason to begin with.”

“I’mfine,” Rolf bit out. “Just keep your mouths shut, all right? We’ll be there soon.”

I didn’t say anything, but I didn’t stop looking at Rolf either. He squirmed under my scrutiny, and I suddenly realized what was going on here. Rolf was a test, a chance for me to prove my intentions. If I meant to go in guns blazing, the best way for me to start things off would be to take Rolf hostage. Maybe Ólafur had hoped I’d kill him, which would give him leave to dispense with some of the formalities that were coming up and just blow me to smithereens once he had Sören safe again.

No, nope, wasn’t gonna do it. Formalities were going to save my ass once “negotiations” got going. Formalities were keeping Andre alive right now and what made me more than 50 percentsure that Jakob had been blowing smoke up my ass when he’d talked about killing Marisol and my mother.

Magic was a tricky thing, and the older it was, the more formalities and ritual became a part of it. I didn’t know much about Icelandic lore, but I did know that Ólafur wasn’t going to start things off inhospitably, not now. Being inhospitable had cost his family too much. I had no doubt he’d never meant to kill me after he realized what was going on, not even when he sent Art?r after me. We had bargains to discuss and sacrifices to lay at Sören’s feet before there could be any killing.

Rolf being here, and being so obviously out of his depth, was an invitation for me to break the rules of hospitality before Ólafur did. He was bait, plain and simple, but I wasn’t about to swallow this worm down. Besides, the kid had obviously been through enough.

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