I heard Hakon, one of the highest-ranking Grigori and a member of the Assembly, speak up from somewhere on the other side of the room. ‘It’s a good source but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to verify,’ he said.
‘I think we might be able to do that in a few minutes,’ Steph said. She’d moved a few feet away from me. Not that it mattered. Lincoln didn’t look in her direction.
‘How?’ he asked, feigning sudden interest in the file he was holding.
‘Chloe is awake,’ Steph answered, sounding meek for the first time. Before Lincoln could speak, she continued. ‘She said the group they were trying to infiltrate had an office here. Zoe and Salvatore are getting the details from her now.’
The tension was palpable in the silence before Lincoln seemed to snap out of it. ‘Fine. As soon as we get that, we’ll assemble a team and raid the building. We’ll run surveillance today and take them first thing tomorrow. It’s not ideal but we need to ensure all the right people will be there. Office hours will be best.’
I took a deep breath.
Tock.
‘A full-on attack is unnecessary.’ My voice was so surprisingly steady I almost turned to Gray for a quick high-five.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Lincoln responded, tilting his head but still angling away from me.
I closed my eyes briefly then took a step forward, and lowered my hood. I ignored the sudden murmurs that filled the room and set my eyes on Lincoln, who had finally turned in my direction.
So perfectly green. God, no memory could ever do your eyes justice.
I cleared my throat. ‘An attack will only alert the exile controlling all of this that we are coming in force.’
Lincoln held my gaze with little outward effort. I tried to affect the same response even as I felt the connection between us course through my entire being.
‘That’s hardly a problem as far as I can see; it might draw them out of the woodwork. And may I remind you that you are here as a guest. I’ll tolerate that, but mind your place. This is not your mission and you will not be required to offer an opinion.’
If my emotions had not been shut down so tightly, his behaviour would have caused a flare of pain, and then anger. Lincoln knew how much I cared for Spence. He also knew that it wasn’t smart to cut out opinion if it could lead to a good solution.
I took another step forward, my eyes narrowing on him slightly. I wasn’t about to stand by and watch Spence get hurt.
‘While I appreciate your tolerance I think you’re missing the point.’
He crossed his arms over his chest. ‘And what would that be?’
I glanced briefly in Josephine’s direction, hoping in vain that she might speak on my behalf. But she appeared content playing the spectator, her eyes darting back and forth between Lincoln and me.
‘If Spence had wanted you and your team to lead this rescue then he would have sent Chloe back with a message for you. Not to mention she’s been hiding the fact that she’s been drifting in and out of consciousness for the past couple of days waiting until I arrived.’ I crossed my arms now, mirroring him.
You could have heard a pin drop.
Lincoln’s face remained impressively impassive, given that I’d just challenged him in front of the entire room. ‘Message?’
‘He’s alive.’ I didn’t miss his instant relief and I was comforted to see a glimpse of his familiar sincerity.
He’s still in there somewhere.
I heard a gasp from the opposite side of the room and followed it to Mia. Morgan had her arm around Mia’s shoulders as Mia hurriedly wiped her eyes. My brow furrowed but I turned back to the more pressing matters.
‘We have a name to go on. Sammael,’ I said. I swallowed before adding, ‘You’ve seen him before.’
Lincoln raised his eyebrows.
I fought back the memories. ‘Bald. Short, for an exile. Suit. Glasses. Br—’
‘Briefcase,’ he cut me off.
I nodded.
Lincoln glanced at Max and Morgan. ‘Take his name up to the libraries and see what they can dig up on him.’
As soon as Max and Morgan were out the door Lincoln turned back to me, his mouth set in a straight line. ‘What else?’
‘Spence was tracking him when the tables turned on them. When he was separated from Chloe they were headed south and it looks like he’s still somewhere in that direction. Still in the country. He told Chloe to tell me it was a trap.’
Lincoln threw a hand in the air. ‘Well, there you go. Doesn’t sound like he wants you after all.’
‘And then he said he’d see me soon,’ I fired back. ‘I guess he knows me well.’
Lincoln’s eyes narrowed at that statement. ‘What are you suggesting, Violet?’ His voice broke slightly on my name as if he struggled to say it.
I shrugged. ‘Run your surveillance today. I’ll take a few of your people tonight, if they’re willing, to cover the perimeter of the building. Gray and I will go in and find out what they know about Spence and this exile. Once I know where Spence is I’ll take a team with me to go and get him. Then I’ll bring him back here.’