Page 90 of Hexbound

Bishop took three steps toward her then froze as Conrad pushed away from the wall, stepping between them.

"Uh, uh, uh," Guthrie called, sinking into the chair behind his desk. "A sorceress of the Order stepped onto our turf, which means she belongs to me now."

Agatha?He sent the psychic touch toward her but she only flinched and waved him off with a hand, the other pressed over her eyes.

"I've done what I can," said the assassin girl. "It's not much but she'll survive another hour or two."

"Which gives us plenty of time to negotiate her release... or not." Guthrie smiled pleasantly.

"You little pissant, Guthrie.” Verity snarled. “There are rules! We don't go up against the Order."

"Rules change," Guthrie said flatly. "Murphy's no longer in charge here and I think the Crows deserve to have a little bigger slice of the pie."

"You're making a mistake," Bishop told him.

Daniel Guthrie laced his fingers together, looking triumphant as the old procuress beside him settled the Chalice on the desk on front of Guthrie. It gleamed, but Bishop tore his gaze off it as it began whispering to him. Hell. They had no idea what they held in their midst.

"Magical object like that.... Oh, it looks like it'll fetch a good pound or two on the black market," Guthrie said.

"You don't know what kind of forces you're dealing with." Bishop ground his teeth together.

"The Order's been breathing down our necks for years," Guthrie shot back. "I think I know what they can do. And what they can pay."

"I wasn't talking about the Order." Bishop took a threatening step forward but Guthrie clicked his fingers.

Everybody in the room turned stiff with anticipation.

"If he twitches one finger in my direction, Mercy-lass, then you sink one of your magical shivs straight through the old broad's heart." Guthrie's shark smile stretched as he looked back at Bishop. "Do you understand?"

Bishop had never felt so helpless. He could snuff the young assassin in an instant, but she was both innocent and Verity's friend. Verity would never forgive him and Bishop didn't kill women unless he couldn't avoid it.

"Understood," she replied in a flat, distant voice.

"Then it seems you're at somewhat of a disadvantage." Guthrie was thrilled by this, and barely managing to contain it. "I have something you want—two somethings, by the way—and you have something I want." His gaze slithered past Bishop and alighted on Verity.

"No." Not her. She belonged to him.

Kill him, themaladroisewhispered.Squeeze his heart in his chest and drink in the power of his death.It wouldn't even be that difficult. He wanted it. Themaladroisewanted it. He could almost imagine the power of that death exploding through his body, igniting every one of his nerves, and leaving him a veritable God. Invincible. Unstoppable.

"Actually, I think we have two things you want," Verity said, stepping past him to lean on the desk. "And they're not the ones you think."

Thank God. Bishop was sweating with the need to destroy this gnat. It was all he could do to rein it in.

"Pray tell, Verity-lass." Guthrie smiled, toying with a pair of coins on his desk. "I always did like your brash heart, but I know when you're bluffing."

"The problem, you see, is that what you're holding in your hand is a very powerful object and unfortunately we're not the only ones who want it."

"Sounds like we've got a couple of buyers then. You're not convincing me, Ver."

"You're still thinking of this in terms of coin, Guthrie, but those who want this item don't think like that." Verity settled on the edge of the desk. "They had it in their hands and I stole it right out from under their noses." She tugged the edge of her sleeve back, revealing the crow tattooed on the back of her hand. "And I made sure they saw this."

"We're surrounded by Hex witches. If someone wants it back then they'll doff their caps and come in all polite like."

"You're surrounded by flesh and blood, Guthrie. I wonder how long they'll hold up against a wave of flesh constructs, the like of which attacked the Dials the other day, hmm?"

Bishop shook off the lingering effects of themaladroise. "And I wonder what the rest of the Seven Dials would think of that? You, playing so callously with their lives."

Verity shot him a brilliant smile. "Why don't we ask them, Bishop? I wonder what the faction leaders would think of Guthrie's play then? And his deliberate disregard of the Code."