Frankly, Viktor was getting tired of sitting on his butt. If Ant could do that – well, at least he and Able would get more exercise.
“The Justiciary is a similar position to the consultancy work that Ant had already been doing, but it deals specifically with paranormal crimes and incidences like one mage interfering with another.” Bridget confirmed Viktor’s thought process. “The reason why the Mage Academy was so gung-ho about having Ant join the Justiciary is for a number of reasons.
“He’s the highest-ranking mage in the area. With his scene reading skills he can see the truth of a situation regardless of what is said. It doesn’t have to be murder. It could be sabotage. It could be espionage. Viktor, you have no idea. Some of the magesmight come across as all prim and proper, but my goodness, when somebody thinks that a fellow colleague is going to get an award that they think they should have won themselves, they can get cutthroat. Robert’s been telling me all about it.”
“They’re not that bad,” Ant protested. “I didn’t realize that the Mage Academy had invited me to become a Justiciary. You could have told me earlier.”
“When would I have done that?” Bridget shook her head. “All you’ve done is focus on this business with Carmine’s sister, and look, I’m not saying that those bastards who killed her shouldn’t have been put away. You know I agree with that wholeheartedly, but Viktor has already explained there’s a good chance those guys are already dead.
“Besides, I’m getting sick of roses, all right? I want this business with Carmine worked out once and for all, because he keeps sending me the damn things and they are driving me loopy. It’s like this little dig that’s telling me that he hasn’t forgotten us, that we’re still on his radar. And I’m with Viktor on this. I want this to stop.”
“Bridget.” Ant clearly hadn’t realized up to that point that his sister felt that way. Viktor could understand.
“I don’t only listen to you, Ant,” Bridget said. “I listen to my brother-in-law as well. I can see this vampire’s frustration, and I’m not even mated to him. Honestly it’s gone on long enough. Carmine, if he’d had an ounce of common sense, should have just backed off, backed down, and left things alone. But he has made a mistake. He won’t know the laws surrounding the policies of one mage interfering in the work of another. And you can make that case if you were a Justiciary. All you need to do is go back and read that scene again. Read the scene from a current standpoint, not the horrific act that occurred ten years ago.”
If anyone wanted to ask my opinion, I’m not a fan of going back to that park,Viktor thought. He had no idea how many of those quicksand-filled potholes that young mage had used, and he wasn’t keen to find out.
But Ant was nodding. He clearly agreed with his sister, and as much as Viktor didn’t like it, if it was a way of bringing down Carmine, without them having to move house, without them having to fight, without Viktor having to kill the man, because honestly it was getting to that point...
You know that killing’s not an option.Viktor’s vampire was clearly paying attention.His damn family would just go after our mate.Viktor hated it when his vampire side was right.
The Justiciary idea sounded positive, though and Ant seemed to think so, too.
“Are you sure the letter from the Mage Academy definitely said it wanted me to be a Justiciary?” Ant asked. “They’re not just saying they want to interview me, or they want me to put in an application? If I have to go through that, it will take too much time.”
“You were invited to join as a member of the Justiciary at your convenience,” Bridget said. “The moment you agree, the position is yours. It’s as simple as that. For all the Mage Academy’s legalese and long-winded letters, the context of that one was perfectly clear. They wanted to snap you up before you resolved your issues with the police department and went back to working for them. Those guys there aren’t stupid. Slow and a bit stuffy, but they’re not stupid.”
“Okay, let’s do this.” Ant sighed. Viktor looked across at Bridget, expecting to see her on her phone, likely penning a reply to the Mage Academy, but Ant pressed his forefingers against his temples.
Viktor felt a tingle through his head. Seconds later, just the same as when Viktor and Ant had claimed each other, Viktor heard a foreign voice in his head.
“The appointment of Doctor Anthony Channon as Justiciary is confirmed. Details regarding payment, benefits, and duties, along with provisional appointment papers related to the vampire known as Viktor, will be sent via email later today. Congratulations on your new position, Doctor Channon.”
“It’s done,” Ant said.
“I know,” Viktor said, rubbing his head. “What’s all this regarding provisional papers for me?”
“You’re my mate. Unlike the police department, the Mage Academy expects you to want to work with me.” Ant smiled for the first time that morning.
Viktor felt something settle in his chest. “I assume you’re ready to head back to the park now?”
Ant nodded.
“Give me a moment, I’ve got to do a spot of research on my phone.” Viktor reached into his pocket.
“Oh, my goodness,” Bridget burst out laughing, slapping the table. “I’ll wager five dollars your vampire is searching for how to avoid quicksand in park areas.”
Ignoring her, Viktor typed that exact phrase into the search bar on his home screen.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Carmine was here.” Ant opened his eyes with a sigh. His hand was on Able’s neck, and he was conscious of Viktor standing just beyond the clearing. “He was standing right over there, about three feet from where you are now, watching one of the students from my class lay the magical traps.”
“Do you know the name of the student?” Viktor was still hesitant about getting anywhere near the murder site, so Ant got to his feet and headed to his mate.
“I never really bothered to learn them,” Ant said, patting Able and making a fuss of him for a job well done. “I can definitely find out who he is.”
“But,” Viktor prompted, “there was something else you saw that’s bothering you.”
