asked.
“Everyone was close with Kim.” Madison smiled faintly. “She was like the team mom. The captain, though...he spent most of his time up here. Towards the end he never spoke to any of us. It was like he was obsessed with something.”
“Still, I’m sorry for what happened to them.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Madison said.
I wished I could believe that.
The office was small and functional. A couple of decent sized windows, so I’d get good sunlight during the day. All there was in the way of furniture was a solid-looking desk and a couple of chairs. There was a tall gunmetal filing cabinet in one corner. No personal effects or decoration. McCreary, apparently, had believed in a spartan existence. Either that, or the Table was well practiced at cleaning up after the death of their captains.
There was a black metal rotary phone on the desk, alongside a more modern intercom system. I picked up the phone and dialed the only number I still knew by heart. It rang for a long time, long enough that I begun to wonder whether I’d screwed up the old-fashioned rotary somehow. I was getting ready to try again when there was a click on the other end of the line.
“Hello?”
“Hey, May,” I said, my usual greeting. I liked the rhyme.
“Dave!” I closed my eyes and imagined the way her face would light up when she said my name in happier times. For a moment I pictured her, younger and happier and without the weight of a war on her back. “I’m kind of in the middle of a war briefing here.”
The image vanished, lost like a reflection in a choppy pond. “With the Commanders Council, right? What are you talking about?”
She laughed. “Your name’s come up a few times. Avalon’s been talking for twenty straight minutes, trying to get the rest of the old men to agree that Bill didn’t have the right to appoint you. No one seems to be biting—nobody wants to question the Pendragon—so your job should be safe for now.”
“That’s a relief,” I said. “Listen, that’s why I’m calling: I need help.” I quickly summarized the events of the day.
“God, Dave. Ten minutes with a C on your chest and you’ve got the East Coast falling apart.”
“What can I say? I’m helpless without you.”
She laughed again. “I should have been there by now, but Avalon’s been holding the meeting up. I should be there by midnight, your time.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. About two and a half hours. “You’ll come in with Gwen?”
“Yep. You know where the meeting place in New York is?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Great. See you then, Dave.”
“See you later, May. I—” She hung up before the next two words could get out of my mouth. “—love you.”
I scowled at the silent receiver in my hand. Why the hell had I added the last part? I had no idea. Still, it was good she’d hung up when she did. Just imagine the awkward fun that could have been.
There was a knock at the open door. I could see Krissy standing in the hallway, peeking through. Her expression was worried.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
She came into the office, adopting a bright, sunny demeanor. “So, ‘love you,’ huh?”
I shrugged. “Old habits, I guess.”
“Do you?” she asked. “Love her, I mean?”
“God, Krissy.” I leaned back in my chair. “I was eighteen when I met May. She was the first woman that ever really meant anything to me. Yeah, I guess I still love her. Part of me always will.”
“But do you trust her?”
Anger flashed under the surface. I swallowed it and leaned forward. “Of course I do.”
“You said yourself that no one should have been able to find your place, right?” Krissy asked. “So how’d the vampires know where to, like, send me? Did May know?”
“She’s one of the highest ranking knights in the Table,” I said. “Of course she knew.”
“So you do trust her.”
“Completely,” I said. “With my life.”
Krissy was silent for a moment. Then she said,
“Everyone was close with Kim.” Madison smiled faintly. “She was like the team mom. The captain, though...he spent most of his time up here. Towards the end he never spoke to any of us. It was like he was obsessed with something.”
“Still, I’m sorry for what happened to them.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Madison said.
I wished I could believe that.
The office was small and functional. A couple of decent sized windows, so I’d get good sunlight during the day. All there was in the way of furniture was a solid-looking desk and a couple of chairs. There was a tall gunmetal filing cabinet in one corner. No personal effects or decoration. McCreary, apparently, had believed in a spartan existence. Either that, or the Table was well practiced at cleaning up after the death of their captains.
There was a black metal rotary phone on the desk, alongside a more modern intercom system. I picked up the phone and dialed the only number I still knew by heart. It rang for a long time, long enough that I begun to wonder whether I’d screwed up the old-fashioned rotary somehow. I was getting ready to try again when there was a click on the other end of the line.
“Hello?”
“Hey, May,” I said, my usual greeting. I liked the rhyme.
“Dave!” I closed my eyes and imagined the way her face would light up when she said my name in happier times. For a moment I pictured her, younger and happier and without the weight of a war on her back. “I’m kind of in the middle of a war briefing here.”
The image vanished, lost like a reflection in a choppy pond. “With the Commanders Council, right? What are you talking about?”
She laughed. “Your name’s come up a few times. Avalon’s been talking for twenty straight minutes, trying to get the rest of the old men to agree that Bill didn’t have the right to appoint you. No one seems to be biting—nobody wants to question the Pendragon—so your job should be safe for now.”
“That’s a relief,” I said. “Listen, that’s why I’m calling: I need help.” I quickly summarized the events of the day.
“God, Dave. Ten minutes with a C on your chest and you’ve got the East Coast falling apart.”
“What can I say? I’m helpless without you.”
She laughed again. “I should have been there by now, but Avalon’s been holding the meeting up. I should be there by midnight, your time.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. About two and a half hours. “You’ll come in with Gwen?”
“Yep. You know where the meeting place in New York is?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Great. See you then, Dave.”
“See you later, May. I—” She hung up before the next two words could get out of my mouth. “—love you.”
I scowled at the silent receiver in my hand. Why the hell had I added the last part? I had no idea. Still, it was good she’d hung up when she did. Just imagine the awkward fun that could have been.
There was a knock at the open door. I could see Krissy standing in the hallway, peeking through. Her expression was worried.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
She came into the office, adopting a bright, sunny demeanor. “So, ‘love you,’ huh?”
I shrugged. “Old habits, I guess.”
“Do you?” she asked. “Love her, I mean?”
“God, Krissy.” I leaned back in my chair. “I was eighteen when I met May. She was the first woman that ever really meant anything to me. Yeah, I guess I still love her. Part of me always will.”
“But do you trust her?”
Anger flashed under the surface. I swallowed it and leaned forward. “Of course I do.”
“You said yourself that no one should have been able to find your place, right?” Krissy asked. “So how’d the vampires know where to, like, send me? Did May know?”
“She’s one of the highest ranking knights in the Table,” I said. “Of course she knew.”
“So you do trust her.”
“Completely,” I said. “With my life.”
Krissy was silent for a moment. Then she said,
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