Page 57 of Red Rooster

“They probably don’t need it. I’m sure one of Ingraham’s underlings copied the invocation out of the book while we were there. The original facility burned, but I’m sure some of it survived.”

“Does that mean they have a mage, too?”

“They might.” He shrugged. “Or maybe that’s why the turning didn’t take well. We can’t know.”

He was getting on her nerves, and that, more than anything, was proof that he was family. “So what’s your big plan?” she asked. “Yoursoloplan tohandle things.”

He drew upright in his chair, expression closed-off. But Trina could read a hint of doubt in his voice. “I’ll figure it out. It’s fine.”

“Wow. Convincing.”

He muttered something in Russian.

“Don’t worry about him,” Lanny said. “If the war didn’t kill the stubborn asshole, doctors with pet werewolves won’t.”

“I have to do some recon first,” Nikita said, grudgingly.

“Nik,” Trina said, with as much patience as possible, “they’re keeping Prince Valerian against his will–”

He tensed, eyes flashing.

“–and from what I can tell, he’s very old and powerful. What do you think you can do all by yourself?”

There was just enough glow from the phone for her to see a muscle in his jaw twitch. He said, “Valerian’s been locked up for a long time. You’ve seen his clothes – alongtime. I’m younger. I’m smarter. I’m not worried.” But his voice wobbled. “When did you see him last?” he asked, growing suspicious. “I don’t like this.”

“Tonight. In my dream.”

“I’m starting to wonder if I ought to be jealous of this guy,” Lanny said.

“No,” Trina and Nikita said together, and then stared at each other.

“You shouldn’t talk to him; he’s dangerous,” Nikita said.

“So are you,” she returned, “so is Lanny.”

“Ouch,” he muttered.

“I’m in a whole houseful of dangerous people right now. I’ve spent my career interrogating dangerous people. If Valerian can help us – and he helped me tonight – then we’d be stupid not to accept it.”

Nikita’s gaze dropped to the table, his blue-gray eyes glimmering like quicksilver in the gloom. He took a deep breath and looked, to her eyes, tired suddenly. The Great Patriotic War was long since over, but he still carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’d had only Sasha to worry about for a very long time, and in they’d blundered and given him a whole new pack to fret over.

“What is the address in Queens?” he asked, accent thicker, now. “I want to leave soon.”

There was no point arguing with him anymore. “Will you take Sasha?” Trina asked, as Lanny texted the address to him.

“No. I’ll leave him here to watch over all of you.”

“Then who’ll watch overyou?”

His smile was tight. “Rasputin could talk his way into any room, and so can I.”

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