Croe did not doubt that Sperantia saw this as a repeat performance. She couldn’t say she blamed her – she hadn’t been exactly civil, when she was trying to get the god’s familiar out of her way, and her behavior thereafter had been self-interested and dangerous. But in spite of all that, she felt a twinge of defensiveness. Croe hadn’t hurt Mallos or anyone else, when she’d worn his skin. There had been threats, but no action. If anything, inhabiting his body had instilled in her a deep admiration for what he was, and that had set everything in motion that brought them together. And of course there had been others, since then – some who tried to impersonate him, some who were law-abiding and merely trying to navigate with a new, temporary body and new, temporary power. All of them had been basically harmless, even if one had offered to mess around with Croe in a boat.
But this omniety imposter…this one hadn’t made any demands. They’d tried to complicate Mallos’ life in a way that had lasting, significant consequences. They’d pretended to be harmless, and then done something to activate the cuff. That didn’t sound like mere self-interest, to Croe; it sounded like someone with an axe to grind. If Croe hadn’t believed that the omniety assignments were random, she would have suspected this had all been staged.
“Daddy’s having a very busy morning, Monkey.”
You might need my help, she thought weakly, but she knew Sperantia was right. The children were a vulnerability…Croe herself was a vulnerability. Mallos would be devastated if something happened to any of them, and it was possible whoever was in there knew it. Even so, the idea of leaving now, trusting Sperantia to handle it when she wanted nothing more than to exorcise him, herself…
She was spared having to reply immediately by Alvarez’ appearance at the door. He greeted all four of them politely, even little Ned, and Croe noticed for the first time that he’d addressed her, first. Not Sperantia. She frowned a little.
“Has anyone brought Mallos his coffee, this morning?” she asked in Spanish, cocking her head. It was an odd question, and Alvarez blinked at her for half a heartbeat, before seeming to deduce what she really wanted to know.
“He is in his office, Seńora. He says that he is not to be disturbed.”
“Well, have them keep trying,” she said breezily, as if she were more a nagging wife than a fang-bearing she-wolf protecting her den. Her hand released Angie’s, but only so she could tuck a lock of the child’s hair over her ear, and smile at her conspiratorially. It pained her, but Sperantia’s plan was the only one they really had, and if she was going to carry it out without frightening her children, she had to commit. “The kids and I are going on a little trip, just the three of us. Will you have a car brought up? And please keep Sperantia informed – Mallos can be so insufferable when he overworks.”
Alvarez departed, and Croe stood again, shaking the flecks of shadow off her hands like drops of water. “You’d better pack for our adventure,” she told Ángela, tapping her softly on the nose. She only trusted herself to spare Sperantia a passing glance, without giving away her hesitation and concern.
I’ll call Alliannah from the car. Be careful…
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