arboreal_priestess | Various and Diverse Points Around Baltimore, Monday Night (Reply)

Dominic left the roof and Verity stood there blinking after him for far longer than she really would have liked. She was in a daze, a thousand thoughts crashing through her brain at once while her brain tried to sort through the options she had besides 'panic.' It felt like she was moving in slow motion as she walked across the rooftop to where she'd dropped her bag. Her cell phone was tucked safely into the front pocket. It took her three tries to make the zipper work, and another five tries before she could successfully access her contact list and call the one number that had a prayer of helping her find her emotional footing: Liam.

Covenant 'purges' were legendary in most cryptid circles, including the ones the Prices moved in. The Covenant of Saint George sent in a team of their best killers, and when the dust cleared and the blood had been hosed off the streets, nothing inhuman remains standing. When Dominic had first arrived in Baltimore, Verity'd asked her father to look up any historical records relating to purges in the Maryland area. The things he'd been able to find were bad enough they'd given her nightmares for weeks, and that was saying something, given all the other nightmare fodder this summer had offered her.

Some people call the Covenant 'monster hunters,' and if there was anything that demonstrates how wrong that label really was, it was the way they purge a city. True hunters spare the children and the pregnant females, allowing the population to remain stable. That was how they ensured that they'd always have something to hunt. The Covenant had no such concerns. They didn't want to ensure that they'd always have something to hunt. They wanted to wipe every breathing cryptid off the face of the planet. She didn't know if they gave out merit badges for confirmed extinctions, but she wouldn't be surprised.

The members of the Covenant weren't monster hunters. They were exterminators.

Liam	"Very, hey," Liam's tone was warm, but not without an edge of caution as he answered his Global. For her to call or text after a night of patrolling wasn't all that unusual, but this was pretty early. "What's up?"
Verity	"Liam." His voice in her ear gave her something to hold on to, firming up her resolve. She closed her eyes and steadied herself. "You're gonna wanna cancel tomorrow's portal to Iceland. We've got a problem."
Liam	See? Caution: definitely warranted. "Problem with a capital C?" he guessed, already moving to gather weaponry even as they spoke.
Verity	"Handsome and psychic, too" she quipped, mostly on autopilot. She walked back to the roof and sat down, covering her face with her free hand. That helped, a little. Maybe if she stuck her head under something and waited patiently, the Covenant would go away. "Dominic says they're coming to check his work. They want to see how far along he is in preparing the city for a purge. Which means the next step is either them figuring out that he isn't prepared at all, or the Covenant starting the purge preparations themselves." Or Verity finding out that Dominic had been fucking them this whole time and was only waiting for his masters to arrive before pushing the button.
Liam	There was a beat of silence as Liam turned that over in his head. "He told you all this?" he said, slowly.
Verity	"Yeah," Verity said crossly. "Maybe a whole minute before I started threatening to throw him off this fucking rooftop."
Liam	Liam pinched the bridge of his nose. "Which means he took off as fast as humanly possible, I'll bet," he said with a sigh. He didn't exactly blame Dominic for that; an angry Verity was a scary Verity. He took a deep breath, working up the courage to say something that quite possibly would get that anger directed at him: "You probably shouldn't have done that."
Verity	"What?" Verity snapped, pulling her hand away from her face. "Did you hear the words coming out of your mouth right there?"
Liam	See? Called it. "Yeah," Liam said. "I did. Just... listen- you know that he and I talk, sometimes. And it's not about sports or cars or trivial stuff like that." Really, could you imagine either of them making small talk about sports, Verity? "I've been trying to bring him over to your- our side. So if he was willing to tell you that the team was coming..."
Verity	"But not willing to stand up to the Covenant!" Verity snapped. "Not willing to stop them from--
Liam	"... then he may be willing to work with us to minimize the damage to the population," Liam continued mildly, as if Verity's protest hadn't registered. Before he'd been the Sheriff of a weird little island, he'd been both a Companion Agent and the leader of the Resistance. Not only did he understand all too well what it was like to be caught between two warring ideologies, he'd been very, very good at helping others see those same shades of grey. And Dominic- he wasn't there, not yet. But he was close.
Verity	"Why are you on his side?" Verity demanded, pacing across the rooftop. She knew that wasn't a fair question or even a reasonable one, but she was staring into the face of a fucking purge. One that would target her, just as fast as it targeted her cousin, her friends, and every other cryptid they could find. If they ever discovered the island, they'd probably firebomb it just to be sure. "Maybe you forgot but the people on my side hate the Covenant."
Liam	Really, really not fair, considering if you wanted to talk purges, Liam was the last living representative of the Kimera species, and he wasn't even a full-blooded one at that. (Not that that had been the Covenant's work, of course, but still. The principle was much the same.) "I didn't forget." He also hadn't forgotten that both Verity's grandfather and great-great grandparents had been Covenant once, too. Proof that in the right circumstances, they could be turned. "And I'm not saying we have to trust him." Not yet, anyway. "I'm saying we can use him."
Verity	"Hold on a second," Verity said, her stomach sinking. "Are you telling me that you really expect me to work with the man who may or may not be in the process of selling me out to the people we've been hiding from since before I was born?" she paused. "I lost track of that sentence somewhere in the middle. Liam, you can't. You can't expect me to work with him. Not now."
Liam	"I'm saying we have to," Liam insisted, stressing the 'we' in an attempt to remind her that above all else, the two of them were a team.
Verity	"I won't do it," Verity declared.
Liam	"Verity," Liam said. "This isn't the first time I've dealt with someone in his position. Someone who may be willing to help, at least a little, even if they're not ready to drop everything and leave their old life behind just yet." A beat, and then he added: "If you're not ready to trust him, then trust me when I say we could use him."
Verity	Fuck. That was dirty pool right there. Because Liam knew she trusted him. She trusted him more than anyone who hadn't been raised as family. And if he was asking for that trust... Her voice was very small as she asked, "What if he doesn't want to help anymore? I turned him down hard."
Liam	"Then we figure something else out," Liam promised. "Together."
Verity	"Promise?" Verity asked. Or maybe kinda demanded.
Liam	"Promise," Liam said firmly. "We're a team, Very. I've got you."
Verity	"Okay," Verity sighed and mentally pulled herself together. "Okay. Right. No more freaking out. I'll try to get in touch with him. But first I've gotta start warning people. Sunil, Rochak, Sarah, Kitty...People need to know what's coming."
Liam	"Where are you headed first?" Liam said, locking the door to the apartment behind him. "I'll meet you there.
Verity	"Gingerbread Pudding," Verity said, glad to have a plan of action. "Let's give Sunil and Rochak as much time as we can to figure out what to do." She owed them that much and more.
Liam	"Makes sense," Liam agreed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
Verity	For a brief, wild moment, Verity wished Liam was willing to lie to her. It would be nice to have him say, 'Don't worry, honey, everything's under control,' and actually be able to make herself believe him. But he never would. The best he'd do was promise to be there with her and to help her face whatever was coming. And that...that was kind of everything, wasn't it? That promise to always be there with her? She knew her back was a little straighter now than it had been at the beginning of the call. "I'll see you then," she said softly. "And--thanks, Liam. For everything."

Liam was right; keeping Dominic close was a better idea than cutting him loose. Only one small problem with that: Dominic didn't pick up when Verity called his cell phone. She didn't have his home number, assuming he even had one; she'd never seen the place where he lived. He could have been emulating Sarah, and just moving from hotel to hotel, keeping a roof over his head without tying himself to a permanent address. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like she'd been deluding herself all along. There was no way he'd ever really trusted her.

Still, she needed to put that aside, at least for right now, and figure out how she was going to deal with the very real threat of a Covenant purge. Verity broke into a run, pushing her phone deep into the front pocket of her jeans, building to a full-out sprint. She needed to find Dominic. She needed to start warning people. And there was nothing saying she couldn't combine the two.

Gravity took over once she stepped off the edge of the roof, and she was able to push other concerns aside in favor of the pressing need to keep herself from splashing on the pavement. That was one of the nice things about free-running; it was very distracting when she needed it to be. She was focused enough on her surroundings that she could usually avoid things that present an actual danger, like pissed-off cryptids or booby-traps (like snares, for example), but she didn't need to think about her faltering dance career, or the fact that the man she'd been starting to think about as maybe being a real friend wasn't really real friend material, or the upcoming Covenant purge. All she had to think about was the run.

Her first destination was a little café called Gingerbread Pudding. Going there wouldn't help her find Dominic, but it would help her begin the process of warning the city's cryptids that they needed to keep their heads down and maybe consider taking that California vacation they'd been dreaming about. She'd been telling the truth when she'd told Dominic that there was no way she could evacuate the entire city. That didn't mean she had to leave the people she considered friends unprepared for what was coming.

Letting go of the last rooftop between her and her destination, she dropped down, into the dark beyond.

Verity	The hours posted outside of the Gingerbread Pudding storefront said that they were open until nine PM, and a cheery sign in the window said to come back tomorrow for fresh sweets and the best hot chocolate in Baltimore. Verity could testify to the quality of both the baked goods and the hot drinks, but coming back tomorrow wasn't an option. She banged on the door. Politely. When five minutes passed without anyone coming to let her in, she banged again, impolitely this time. "Hey!" she half-whispered, half-shouted, pressing her mouth up to the crack in the door. "Sunil! Rochak! Come let me in, I need to talk to you!"
Liam	Which is right about when Liam walked up to the door as well, footsteps just loud enough for Verity to have heard him coming. "I wonder if they assume we're nocturnal, the way we keep showing up after closing like this?" he mused.
Verity	Verity turned, pulling him into a hug and burying her face in his chest. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, voice muffled by the fabric. "That I was such a bitch to you on the phone, I mean."
Liam	"Shh, hey, it's fine," Liam assured Verity, wrapping his arms around her. "That was a pretty big bombshell to get dropped on you with no warning."
Verity	"That's for damn sure," Verity mumbled, appreciating Liam's scent, his warmth, the way his arms folded around her and held her close. "This is gonna be bad, Liam. I can't think of any way this can end well for the cryptids in this city."
Liam	Impossible odds were nothing new to Liam, but this was Verity's world, which meant it didn't play by the same rules he was used to. "Then we do what we can to minimize the damage."
Sunil	That was when the bolt on the door unlatched, and the door swung soundlessly open, revealing a Indian man in his mid-twenties. Note that the word 'human' was nowhere in that sentence. Sunil was a Madhura, a type of humanoid cryptid, with a love of sweets. He, his brother Rochak, and his sister Piyusha had opened up Gingerbread Pudding as a way to not only survive in Baltimore, but thrive. Survival hadn't been in the cards for all three of them. Piyusha had been sacrificed by the snake cult that was trying to wake the dragon sleeping under the city. Verity had tried to save her. She hadn't been fast enough. There were reasons Verity thought warning Piyusha's brothers about the coming purge was literally the least that she could do. Sunil didn't look surprised to see them on his stoop. "It's late," he said.
Verity	"I know. I'm as diurnal as you are, but this is sort of an emergency," she said, giving Liam a wry smile. "Did I wake you? Can I come in?"
Sunil	"No, you didn't wake me, and yes, you can come in. Rochak is in the café kitchen heating up some gingerbread." Sunil stepped to one side, waving for them to enter.
Liam	A frown creased Liam's features as Sunil spoke. "You make it sound like you were expecting us," he said.
Dominic	"They were," said Dominic. He was standing in the doorway to the private dining alcove, a festively-decorated little nook with a single table and no windows opening on the outside. That was how they'd been able to miss the light. "I was hoping you'd come here after you finished calling for backup." He nodded at Liam, shadows in his eyes.
Verity	Very snapped her head around so fast it made her ears ring. Sunil closed the door behind them, pulling the shade a little tighter. Verity barely noticed, her attention focused on Dominic. "Why are you here?"
Dominic	"Because I knew you would come." He smiled a little, indicating Sunil with one hand. "You are a deeply infuriating woman, but you're also a dependable one. I knew you’d start by warning your friends. The dragons will panic. Then they will demand explanations and protection, all of which will take a great deal of time. You were going to begin either here or with your cousin and odds were good you'd bring Liam with you." Who would hopefully help temper Verity's reactions.
Liam	He'd certainly try, but he made no promises in that regard. "Thanks for coming," he offered Dominic, genuine appreciation in his voice. From what Verity had said, the two of them hadn't exactly parted on the best note, and that Dominic came back anyway gave Liam hope that his intuition was pointing him in the right direction.
Sunil	"Why don't you go sit down?" asked Sunil. "I'll help Rochak in the kitchen." He looked uncomfortable, maybe because very few cryptids who've seen a meeting between a Price and a member of the Covenant have walked away unwounded. He probably wanted to continue that streak for as long as possible.
Verity	Verity thanked Sunil while Dominic gestured for them to follow him into the dining nook. He'd clearly been there for a while; a half-empty cup of hot cocoa was sitting in front of one seat, and his duster was hanging from a hook on the wall. He didn't say anything as he sat, picked up his cup, and looked at Verity. She sighed, looked at Liam for a long second and bit the bullet. "I'm sorry about before," she said awkwardly, sitting down across from him. "I know you were trying to help. My reaction was out of line."
Dominic	Dominic sipped his cocoa. "Yes," he agreed. "It was. To be fair, however, it was unexpected information. You had good reason to react as you did. I may have hoped that you would respond better, but I knew not to place all my faith in hoping."
Verity	Ouch. Okay that was fair, but it didn't mean that didn't sting a little. "Liam said...I mean, he thinks, and maybe I think, too...I mean..." Verity stopped, sighed again, and took a deep breath before she continued. "Dominic, there's no way we can evacuate this entire city before the Covenant gets here. And there's no way for you to prevent them from coming. I'm going to need help making sure they do as little damage as possible. Please. I need your help."
Liam	"The people in this city," and yes, there was a pointed look in the direction of the kitchen, "don't deserve the fate the Covenant has in mind for them. I know you know that." Or he wouldn't have come to Verity in the first place.
Rochak	Dominic's answer was delayed by Rochak's arrival. He was carrying a plate of the café's rightfully famous gingerbread. He also had a cups of hot cocoa. "Hello, Verity, Liam" he said, with an honest smile. For a man who accused Verity of killing his sister the first time they'd met, Rochak had mellowed considerably where she was concerned. Verity stood as he set the dishes down and gave him a quick hug which he returned with real warmth. "Is there really a purge coming?" he murmured in her ear.
Verity	"Yes," Verity said as she pulled away. There was no percentage in sugarcoating things. So to speak. "That's what we're talking about now."
Rochak	Rochak gave Liam a friendly nod as he passed over a cocoa and made sure their fingers didn't accidentally brush. "Sunil and I won't leave." He didn't need to explain why. Piyusha was practically a tangible presence in the house.
Liam	"Didn't think you would," Liam said with an understanding look. "So we'll just have to make sure you two stay under the radar."
Rochak	"I guess so," said Rochak, and smiled again before he turned to slip out of the nook. "Call us if you need anything more."
Dominic	Dominic was watching both Verity and Liam with something close to warmth in his eyes. "You are insane, infuriating, and in dire need of aid if you're going to survive this," he said softly. "My help was always yours. All you had to do was ask for it." "I'm asking," Verity said. "Then it's yours." He nudged the plate of gingerbread toward her. "Gingerbread?"
Verity	"Gingerbread and tactics," Verity agreed, picking up a piece of piping-hot baked goodness and the cocoa as well. "Now that's a date that I can really get behind. Just ask Liam."
Liam	"It's true," he nodded. "It'd also make an amazing band name," Liam quipped. And despite the seriousness of the situation- or maybe because of it, sensing that a break in the tension would do them all some good- he grinned at both of them.

Verity	In deference to Dominic's dislike of falling - and Verity's own desire to finish eating her gingerbread and cocoa, which were just as good as the sign on the door had promised they would be - she allowed him to flag down a taxi on the corner in front of Gingerbread Pudding. After checking her phone to be sure that she hadn't forgotten where Sarah was staying, she gave the driver the address for the Port Hope Hotel and settled in her seat, ignoring her dislike of Baltimore taxis in favor of enjoying her Madhura-concocted treats. And if being scrunched up next to her meant that Liam could feel the tension thrumming through her beneath her facade of gingerbread-sated calm, well, she trusted him not to say a damn thing about it.
Dominic	They were about halfway there when Dominic raised his head, gave Verity a bewildered look, and asked, "Where are we going again?"
Verity	"To see my cousin Sarah." Liam still had some gingerbread left. Verity leaned over, snatching the last bite from his fingers before he could object. "She just changed hotels last week; that's why you can't remember where we're going. Don't worry about it."
Dominic	Dominic's bewilderment lasted a few more seconds before it cleared away, replaced first by understanding, and then by an irritated scowl. "I hate the way she does that."
Verity	Verity shrugged. "I know. But it's a passive defense mechanism that she doesn't really have control over, so you should really just shrug it off and wait until she stops hitting you so hard." Given sufficient exposure to Sarah, he'd develop more resistance to her passive defenses, even as she got better at reading his mind. It was a trade-off, and one that most of the family had been more than happy to make, since it means they didn't literally forget that she was in the house when they weren't in direct line of sight with her. Verity glanced at Liam and asked, carefully, "How are you adapting to it?"
Liam	Liam, who was giving her a look of betrayal at the theft of his gingerbread, shrugged. He had an advantage that Dominic didn't, in that his Kimera heritage made him naturally sensitive to psychic energies. "Remember Parent's Weekend?" he said. When he'd been able to figure out that Sarah was on the other side of the door. He wasn't about to go in to any more detail, but he figured Verity would get the reference, at least.
Verity	Verity shrugged. She still had to check the encrypted message on her phone to remember where Sarah was living these days and would for another week or so until Sarah was properly settled in. But she let it go, since they hadn't exactly been planning on telling Dominic about Liam even before he'd dropped the news on them. The taxi let them off in front of the Port Hope Hotel. Dominic paid the cabbie - tipping generously, Verity was pleased to note - before turning to join them in studying the building. It was modest by Sarah’s usual four-star standards, although it wasn't run-down by any means. For a moment, Verity couldn't imagine what she was doing here. Then she spotted a sign in the hotel window, and had to bite her lip to stop keep from laughing. "Look," she said, tugging on Liam's sleeve and pointing to the sign. "Sarah has finally returned to the Mothership."
Liam	Yeah, no. Telling Sarah had made sense, as she'd picked up something strange about him right away. Telling Ryan had been something of a necessity, after the incident with the cultists at Carol's place... anyone else? Well. There wasn't exactly a need to, right now, especially someone whose status as an ally was questionable at best. So he'd been deliberately vague in his answer, knowing that Verity would understand what he'd meant. He followed Verity's gaze up to the sign and let out an amused chuckle of his own. Visit the Baltimore Museum of Mathematics! it read. Only four blocks away on York Road. Math can be fun! "Wonder if they have souvenir postcards," Liam mused.
Dominic	And then Dominic murmured, "I wonder if she left them any after she hit the gift shop," looking just as surprised as Verity did by the comment and the chuckle that followed.
Verity	"Look at you with a sense of humor," Verity teased, leading them into the hotel. "Hanging out with Liam's been doing you good." The telepathic static signaling Sarah's presence hit as soon as they were inside. To Verity's surprise, it was coming from the other side of the lobby. She turned to see her cousin waving cheerfully from the hotel's restaurant, one of those modern things where the tables also serve as the restaurant wall. It's supposed to seem homey and welcoming. Verity just thought it was a good way to cut down on the amount of cover in a firefight. Her standards were perhaps not those of the people who build hotels.
Sarah	Sarah waved to them her free hand holding a glass of something that looked like over-thick cherry soda. It's ketchup and tonic water, she informed Verity blithely, about a half-second after her eyes hit the glass. Delicious and a good preventative against malaria.
Verity	"Sarah, you don't have blood as most mammals understand it. Why would you need to worry about malaria?" It wasn't until Dominic shot Verity a startled glance that she realized she'd spoken aloud. Dammit. "Stupid telepaths," she mumbled, chagrined. Sorry! No, you're not, Verity thought back at her, starting across the lobby toward the restaurant.
Sarah	*No, I'm not,* Sarah agreed. She stood as they came closer, putting her ketchup soda down on the table. Her eyes flicked from Liam to Dominic to Verity and back. "What are you guys doing here? Are you hungry? They make a really fabulous lasagna here. The kitchen's technically closed, but if I asked-- "
Liam	Liam's own gaze flickered across the restaurant, with the staff puttering around taking care of closing duties, the lobby with a handful of people hanging out on the couches... Even with Sarah's telepathic masking, there were too many variables. "It's not a social visit," he said apologetically. "We should probably go up to your room."
Sarah	Sarah blinked, expression going momentarily confused. The concerned. Her eyes flicked back to Dominic a moment, and she nodded. "Sure. I was pretty much done here anyway." She picked up her soda and stepped around the table, passing over the line between the restaurant's carpet and the lobby's hardwood floor. She didn't leave any money on the table as she toasted the hostess on duty with her glass and started toward the elevator. If Verity'd tried that, she would have wound up with an irritated hostess chasing her down for a signature. Sarah just got a blissful smile and an enthusiastic wave, like she was the Queen of England or something.
Verity	"Stupid telepaths," Verity sighed again, and followed Sarah. As always, Sarah was staying in the nicest suite in the hotel, although this one was, at least, only slightly larger than Verity's apartment. She'd been there for three days. It was already a disaster zone that would have made Verity's mother clutch her head and weep for the future of the family.
Dominic	Dominic looked around the room, frowning for a moment before he said, as delicately as he could, "You might do well by allowing the maids access to your room."
Sarah	"Oh, they were just here this morning," said Sarah guilelessly. She looked at Dominic, improbably blue eyes wide, and asked, "Don’t you think they did a good job?" Dominic sputtered. Sarah giggled, hiding it behind her hand.
Verity	"Sarah, don't toy with the Covenant boy," Verity said, successfully biting back a grin. Look, she still wasn't entirely on Team Trust Dominic and she appreciated a good trolling, but it was time to be serious. "We've all had a long night, and it's not going to get any better from here."
Sarah	"What's going on?" Sarah took a sip of her tomato soda, frowning at her cousin. "You're reading awfully serious."
Dominic	Verity took a breath, trying to figure out how to word what she needed to say. Words failed as she looked helplessly at Liam and then turned her eyes towards Dominic. He frowned, squared his shoulders, and turned to Sarah. "Please read my mind," Dominic said. "It will be the simplest way to convince you both of the urgency of this situation and my role in it. In this one instance, I give you my consent."
Sarah	Sarah's eyes widened. "Uh..." The Covenant of St. George specialized in hating cryptids, and Dominic was still a member of the Covenant, no matter how relaxed he was becoming about associating with 'monsters' like Verity's cousin. Him giving her permission to read his mind was huge, and she had no idea how to deal with it. Finally, she went with the easy option: "Okay. Um, just clear your mind of everything but what you want me to see, and try not to think about Verity naked, okay?" Dominic reddened, sputtering denials. But Sarah had a reason beyond just trolling the Covenant kid. Telling people not to think about nudity was the best way to make sure they think about nudity. That was intentional. If he was busy trying frantically not to picture Verity's tits, he wouldn't be thinking about keeping the telepath out of his head. It was a good way to get around a person's natural defenses. Sarah's eyes began to glow white. The brightness rapidly increased, until her pupils and irises had been completely obscured. Then her eyes widened again, mouth falling open in a horrified 'o.' "They’re coming here?" she demanded, in a voice that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a whisper or a squeak, and wound up demonstrating the attributes of both.
Liam	"Yeah," Liam grimaced, pressing a thumb in to the palm of his other hand. "Unfortunately."
Sarah	"They - you - how can you let them do these things?" The glow in Sarah's eyes went out as she broke contact with Dominic's mind. Her entire body seemed to shudder, and she took a long step backward, away from him. "You know what they’re coming here to do. I know you know. I saw it."
Dominic	"And you also know that I did not invite them, and that I am here to help." Dominic sighed deeply. "Believe me, Sarah, I was raised to want nothing more than to be able to join my brethren in cleansing this city without remorse. Part of me still wants to be sure in my mission, confident in the righteousness of the Covenant's purpose. But I can't. I can't be that man anymore."
Sarah	"This is why they call you Prices dangerous, you know," Sarah said, looking at Verity. "He's telling the truth. He's not the man he was." She paused, gaze swinging back to Dominic. "That's really why you wanted me to go into your head, isn't it? So I could tell Very that you were being sincere when you said you wanted to help us not wind up dead."
Dominic	"I told her myself; I doubt that she fully believed me," said Dominic calmly. "This seemed the simplest way to answer everyone's questions, while not getting stabbed and left for any one of the varieties of necrophages that live in this city."
Verity	Verity didn't bother denying that that possibility had been rattling around her head. No one would believe that blatant a lie anyway. "You let a cryptid poke around inside your head, so I'd believe that you wanted to be a good guy?" she asked instead. "Wow. You really have learned a lot."
Dominic	"That, or you truly are the foul, corrupting beast that my elders would make you out to be." Somehow, Dominic managed to make that sound like a joke. "To say nothing of what he's like," he added, pointing towards Liam with the smallest of smiles on his face.
Liam	"Hey!" Liam protested, without any real heat behind said protest. To Sarah, he added: "We're going to need your help."
Sarah	"I know. I picked that up, too." Sarah crossed her arms. "You seriously want me to go into the Nest and tell the dragons that the Covenant is en route? I mean, that's really how you think I should be spending my night? I have class in the morning, you know." She sighed. "...Which I'll probably be missing."
Verity	"I dunno..." Verity teased, "do you think the dragons will finish freaking out in time for you to get a decent night's sleep? It's only eleven-thirty." Ha ha. She was so funny she forgot to laugh.
Sarah	Sarah gave Verity a withering look. She didn't say anything aloud, but spoke inside her head instead. Dominic is really worried about you. Me, too, a little bit, but mostly you. I think you should be cautious.
Verity	Why? Verity asked. She couldn't send thoughts that way Sarah could, but she could think clearly and let Sarah pick them up like scattered candy. Do you think he's going to hand me to the Covenant?
Sarah	No. But I think there's a pretty good chance that he'll drug your drink and you'll wake up on a Greyhound bus bound for somewhere in the Midwest. He doesn't want you to get hurt. Liam either, but he has faith in Liam's ability to keep his head down. You, you're a Price, which means not only will they be gunning for you, but you'll dare them to do it. Sarah sounded fond and exasperated. Verity frowned, but couldn't really argue. On a scale of one to ten... she mentally asked. Sarah didn't need her to ask the whole question. If he's not playing straight, he's got shields I can't break past without a lot of effort, she answered. *For right now, I'm assuming he's telling us the truth.*
Dominic	The subject of their furtive mental discussion was looking at them with weary annoyance. "I can tell when you're discussing me telepathically, you know," he said. "Despite my never having sought to develop this particular skill, I've learned to recognize the signs."
Verity	"We're educational," Verity said blithely. "Sarah's afraid you're going to drug me and dump me on a bus to get me out of town." Which would be a very convenient way to get the biggest potential thorn in the Covenant's side out of the way, she noted. He'd still even be considered an ally after that.
Dominic	"I'll admit, the thought did cross my--" Dominic stopped and scowled. "I do not appreciate the violation of my privacy."
Sarah	"You invited me in," Sarah countered. "I can't help what I see while I'm in there. I wasn't snooping, but the image of getting Verity the hell out of Dodge was pretty prominent in your thoughts."
Verity	"And I'm not in the mood to play the fainting flower and get shipped off," Verity added. "We all clear on that point?" She was including Liam in that. Not that she ever thought he would, but on the off-chance Dominic tried to corner him and try to get him onboard...
Liam	"Wouldn't dream of it," Liam said, also giving Dominic a pointed look. "You're needed here."
Verity	Dominic sighed and Verity ignored him. "Good. Sarah, can you please get to the dragons tonight? Let them know the Covenant is coming, and we don't know anything more than that, but that they have my word that we'll do everything we possibly can to keep William safe." Female dragons were the ultimate pragmatists. William's wives would be perfectly happy to die if that was what it took for him to survive the purge. One of the perks that comes with being the last known male of your species, apparently.
Sarah	"Sure, let me just send a few emails and I'll go," Sarah said. "I'll even try to convince Candy that it's not your fault and you shouldn't be held responsible, though I can't promise anything."
Verity	"Don't worry, I'm not expecting miracles," Verity assured her wryly. "As soon as you're done at the Nest, I want you to head for the airport and catch the next plane home." Sarah wouldn't need a ticket. That was one more bonus of being a cuckoo. She could waltz past security without showing ID, and the airline would mysteriously find her an unclaimed First Class seat.
Sarah	"No," said Sarah calmly. Verity blinked at her, opening her mouth to speak. "I mean no," Sarah replied, answering her cousin's unvoiced question. "The Covenant isn't going to find me. You need me, Verity. I'm the ultimate spy. Dominic was thinking it, even though he was trying not to, because he didn't want to upset you. You need me to stay here and help. I'll do it, because if I let you get killed, your mother's going to be so mad." Sarah looked at Verity calmly. "You can argue if you want, but I'll just change hotels and not tell you where I am."
Verity	"Liam's got skills. He's a sheriff. He could find you."
Liam	It wasn't the law enforcement part of his skillset that would help him find Sarah if she ever did go to ground, but with Dominic right there, he wasn't about to say as much out loud. And besides... "She does have a point," he admitted, somewhat reluctantly. And the reluctance wasn't just because it meant agreeing with Dominic's assessment. He didn't want Sarah in harm's way either, but she was an adult fully capable of making her own decisions.
Sarah	"Sorry, Very," Sarah said, not sounding sorry at all. "You're outvoted. You can tell your parents you tried, though, when they start yelling. But I'm sticking around to help out."
Verity	"I hate you sometimes," Verity informed her. "I know." Verity sighed. "But also I love you. I do appreciate this, Sarah."
Sarah	"I know that, too." Being a telepath made it easy to sort through emotions that way. "Okay, you all should go and figure out what next while I go pay the mother of social calls on the dragons."
Verity	Verity moved to hug her before heading toward the door. "Don't be a hero, Sarah. That's an order."
Sarah	Sarah laughed at that. "I'm the last person in the world you need to worry about there. Especially compared to the three of you. Anyway, I'll call if I hear anything." The convenient thing about having a telepath in the family: she never ran out of batteries, and she didn't depend on the cell towers for service.
Liam	Liam didn't go in for a hug, but he did give Sarah a nod and a warm smile. "Good luck. And thanks again."
Dominic	"Miss Zellaby," said Dominic, with a small nod before following Liam and Verity to the door, out to the hall, and into the elevator. "That went surprisingly well," he ventured.
Liam	"It did," Liam agreed mildly. "Now, let's go figure out what can go surprisingly poorly."
Verity	"Don't worry," Verity said, as the elevator doors closed. "I'm sure we can find something."