Page 59 of Hexbound

"But the vote went against this idea, didn't it?" she asked, slipping off the sofa and crossing to sit in the chair opposite him. "You wouldn't be this calm if it didn't."

"Three to two," he admitted. "For now. They're going to wait and see what happens. Ascension is on Sunday at the Winter Solstice, where the decision of who will sit in the Prime's chair will be answered. But I'm concerned the two Sicarii who voted against him might take matters into their own hands. Or...."

"Or?" Verity whispered, reaching over to lay her hand on top of his.

Bishop sucked in a sharp breath, looking down at her pale hand laid over his tanned one. Yet he didn't ask her to remove it. "I made it clear I would stand against it if the vote went the other way. If they decide they're going to remove him as a threat, then it's likely I won't be invited to that meeting. They'll make a move without me. I won't even bloody well know. I'm an idiot."

"I might not know a great deal about sorcery in all of its forms, but even to me the Prime looked like he could handle himself."

"His wards are ridiculously strong, but there are ways through them."

"You tested them?"

"It's the way my mind works. I like to solve problems, and I wasn't really paying attention one day, just opened my Sight up, and by the time the half hour was up, I'd managed to work out the flaws in his wards. IfIcan do it...."

Well. She'd never been one for false comfort.Solve the problem, Murphy had always said. "Who else can you trust to protect him?"

Bishop stared at her.

"You cannot do it all alone," Verity pointed out. "You're only one man. Which means you must either turn your entire focus upon the Chalice, if we're to make headway there, or give up that quest to another and guard your father. Could Lady Eberhardt do either of the tasks?"

Those dark eyes were dangerous when they were thinking. "Could she protect him? Yes. Perhaps. But that means she'll be standing between Drake and a Sicarii assassin or two, and we're good at what we do, Verity. Besides, she's getting older, and as much as I want to think she's invincible...."

"She's not," Verity murmured, remembering the odd bond between this man and the older woman. "Even if Iwouldhate to earn her wrath. So who else do you trust?"

"And therein lies the problem."

"Surely you have someone else whom you can turn to." After all, he was part of the Order, surrounded by sorcerers. Even the members of the Hex had a network of people they could turn to.

Bishop shook his head. Then paused, his eyes firing with some thought, some light. They were so damned expressive at times. "There is someone."

"Who?"

"It's not so much someone I trust, so much as someone who Drake trusts. My brother, Lucien Devereaux, the Earl of Rathbourne, and his new wife, Ianthe. She served as Drake's seneschal throughout the last decade, until she married Lucien last month."

"And they can protect the Prime?"

"Ianthe can. Lucien's still recovering from the demon's psychic attack, but they are bound together by a soul-bond," he replied. "Ianthe can use Lucien's power as a well, from which to draw. And they both want him alive, just as much as I do."

Verity offered him a smile. "There. Problem solved."

"Thank you," he murmured.

"You're welcome," Verity replied, just as softly, and with that, he turned back to the map table.

She was snoring.

Slightly.

Bishop looked up from the chisel that he was using to remove the defective rune, and cursed under his breath. He needed all of his concentration for this delicate work, but somehow she stole every wit he owned, even it was simply by breathing.

Across the room, Verity had gradually slumped into the armchair, her chin resting uncomfortably on her shoulder.

He stared at her for three long seconds, then looked away. Christ, he shouldn't even have allowed her in here tonight, not with him so on edge, but something about what she'd said had struck a chord with him. Hewaslonely. And her company was both pleasant, and disruptive.

"Verity?" he whispered, crossing on cat-silent feet toward her.

Nothing.