What he was proposing was potentially lethal. There were those amongst my clientele who would not take kindly to me switching sides. “I’m sorry, it’s too dangerous. I can’t help you if I’m dead.”
“I can protect you.”
I laughed, I couldn’t help it. The mental image of me sneaking over a rooftop with a Templar in full regalia in tow was ridiculous. “You?”
“What’s so funny?”
“Well, look at you.” I waved a hand at him, still laughing. Big, solid, blond. Everything about him screamed “human” and “good” and, to anyone who knew anything about combat, “warrior.” Plus there were those big red Templar crosses tattooed across the backs of his hands. “Even if you could hide your hands, you might as well have a sign saying ‘I’m a Templar’ hung around your neck.”
“I know how to blend,” he said. “I found out about you, didn’t I?”
He had a point. But blending in in a few border borough drinking holes and gaming hells was different from actually doing what I did.
“Templars aren’t entirely unusual in the border boroughs,” I said. “But you won’t get far in the Night World. Not unless you’re intending to wear gloves the entire time.”
“Tattoos can be hidden.”
Glamoured, he meant.
“Plenty of Night Worlders can see through a glamour,” I retorted. “It’s too risky. The instant it was discovered that I was working for the Templars, my career would be over.” Or I’d be dead. But I didn’t want to actually say that out loud. “I’d never get another commission from the Blood or the Beasts.”
He leaned forward suddenly, eyes narrowed. “Do you work for the Beasts often?”
“Why would I tell you that?” I studied his face for a moment. “Is it the Beasts you need information on?” If so, he’d managed to surprise me. I would’ve thought the Blood were the bigger problem in the Night World right now.
He leaned back. “Why would I tell you that?”
“I thought you wanted to hire me?”
“Does that mean you’ll do it?”
“Go spy in the Night World for the Templars?” I shook my head firmly. “I’m sorry, but I’m not giving up my livelihood for you.”
“You’d be helping a lot of people.”
“I already help people. I have people relying on me and the money I make. People who might die without it. So don’t give me your moral higher ground. I don’t believe in the greater good.”
“Never?”
I met his gaze. Judge me all he wanted, he wasn’t going to change my mind. “The greater good has never lifted a finger to help me. Individuals matter.”
“The greater good is made up of individuals.”
“Yes, and I get to pick which of them I choose to care about. I’m sorry, but my answer is no.”
“And if I don’t give you a choice?” His voice was still calm but suddenly ominous.
I’d survived in the Night World long enough to recognize a politely worded threat when I heard one. I’d also learned that, most of the time, it was best not to act threatened. “Just how would you do that?” I asked.
“I can throw you in a cell.”
“Really?” I tried to sound bored. “Last time I checked, it was difficult to spy on the Night World from a cell in the Templar Brother House. Locking me up hardly helps you.”
“You’re hardly helping me now,” he said, one hand rubbing the cross on the back of the other.
“Anyway, what grounds do you have for locking me up? Being uncooperative isn’t a crime. Or do you Templars enjoy locking up the innocent?”
His eyes went even icier and his brows drew down, two pale slashes of lightning above the storm. “This isn’t a game, Miss Everton. We’re fighting for survival. It’s important.”
“So is my life,” I snapped. His intensity had me somewhat rattled. Were the Templars actually losing ground? Or was there another reason for his urgency? I didn’t know why but my gut told me he wasn’t telling me the truth. Not that I blamed him for that. But it didn’t
“I can protect you.”
I laughed, I couldn’t help it. The mental image of me sneaking over a rooftop with a Templar in full regalia in tow was ridiculous. “You?”
“What’s so funny?”
“Well, look at you.” I waved a hand at him, still laughing. Big, solid, blond. Everything about him screamed “human” and “good” and, to anyone who knew anything about combat, “warrior.” Plus there were those big red Templar crosses tattooed across the backs of his hands. “Even if you could hide your hands, you might as well have a sign saying ‘I’m a Templar’ hung around your neck.”
“I know how to blend,” he said. “I found out about you, didn’t I?”
He had a point. But blending in in a few border borough drinking holes and gaming hells was different from actually doing what I did.
“Templars aren’t entirely unusual in the border boroughs,” I said. “But you won’t get far in the Night World. Not unless you’re intending to wear gloves the entire time.”
“Tattoos can be hidden.”
Glamoured, he meant.
“Plenty of Night Worlders can see through a glamour,” I retorted. “It’s too risky. The instant it was discovered that I was working for the Templars, my career would be over.” Or I’d be dead. But I didn’t want to actually say that out loud. “I’d never get another commission from the Blood or the Beasts.”
He leaned forward suddenly, eyes narrowed. “Do you work for the Beasts often?”
“Why would I tell you that?” I studied his face for a moment. “Is it the Beasts you need information on?” If so, he’d managed to surprise me. I would’ve thought the Blood were the bigger problem in the Night World right now.
He leaned back. “Why would I tell you that?”
“I thought you wanted to hire me?”
“Does that mean you’ll do it?”
“Go spy in the Night World for the Templars?” I shook my head firmly. “I’m sorry, but I’m not giving up my livelihood for you.”
“You’d be helping a lot of people.”
“I already help people. I have people relying on me and the money I make. People who might die without it. So don’t give me your moral higher ground. I don’t believe in the greater good.”
“Never?”
I met his gaze. Judge me all he wanted, he wasn’t going to change my mind. “The greater good has never lifted a finger to help me. Individuals matter.”
“The greater good is made up of individuals.”
“Yes, and I get to pick which of them I choose to care about. I’m sorry, but my answer is no.”
“And if I don’t give you a choice?” His voice was still calm but suddenly ominous.
I’d survived in the Night World long enough to recognize a politely worded threat when I heard one. I’d also learned that, most of the time, it was best not to act threatened. “Just how would you do that?” I asked.
“I can throw you in a cell.”
“Really?” I tried to sound bored. “Last time I checked, it was difficult to spy on the Night World from a cell in the Templar Brother House. Locking me up hardly helps you.”
“You’re hardly helping me now,” he said, one hand rubbing the cross on the back of the other.
“Anyway, what grounds do you have for locking me up? Being uncooperative isn’t a crime. Or do you Templars enjoy locking up the innocent?”
His eyes went even icier and his brows drew down, two pale slashes of lightning above the storm. “This isn’t a game, Miss Everton. We’re fighting for survival. It’s important.”
“So is my life,” I snapped. His intensity had me somewhat rattled. Were the Templars actually losing ground? Or was there another reason for his urgency? I didn’t know why but my gut told me he wasn’t telling me the truth. Not that I blamed him for that. But it didn’t
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