The message had came at dawn.
'Adrian Celestius requests your presence at noon in the central Gardens. You must come alone.'
Lucille read it twice, then burned it.
I watched the ashes fall from her fingers. "You're going."
"Obviously." She didn't look at me. "He doesn't make requests. He makes demands disguised as requests."
"Want backup?"
"He said alone."
"Since when do you follow his orders?"
That got a slight smile. "Good point."
We were in my headquarters, early morning strategy meeting.
"He's going to try to reassert control," Marcus said, looking up from his enchanting work. "Its a classic power move after a loss. Remind his assets who they belong to."
"I don't belong to anyone," Lucille said quietly in dangerously low voice.
"We know that," I said. "Question is, does he?"
She checked her daggers. A habit when she was thinking. "He thinks I'm still his. His childhood friend and loyal shadow. His..." She stopped.
"His property," I finished.
"Yes."
