slap her dad with, or the teeth of a Trident to make him hurt a little. But all she could do was give him a very human glare and cross her scrawny human arms over her chest.
“Luke,” she said. “His name is
Luke
. And there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s kind of blunt, yeah. But… he’d never do anything to
hurt
me.” Then she added quietly, “Besides, the French employ him. You know you can’t—”
“I can’t do anything!” Shieldak snarled. He spun on his heel and began pacing back and forth between the window and the door. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know that I have absolutely no control over my own people?”
Allai quietly released a small breath of relief. So then this wasn’t about Luke. Not really. It was just about the French, the people who sent him to ‘keep an eye’ on her dad, as Luke liked to say with a blind wink.
“You have control.” Allai tried to keep her voice calm, although shock coursed through her as her relief died away. This just wasn’t her father. Her dad never brought his problems up, at least not to her. “You know any Warrior in the Sentinel would die for you.”
“Of course they would,” Shieldak snapped. “Most of them have been loyal for decades. What I’m worried about is whether or not that loyalty is getting them anywhere.” He stopped pacing and pressed his fist to his forehead. “The French cut funding again.”
She bit her lip. The French government had funded the Sentinel ever since its beginning. There had always been high numbers of paranormal creatures in France—some legends even said they originated there.
The French needed some way to take care of dangerous paranormals, and the Sentinel was the answer. Shieldak and his Warriors would rid society of any paranormal that was a threat to humans, keeping the civilized world safe. And the French would fund his efforts, keeping the Warriors well fed and equipped. The French had learned over the years how to keep the Sentinel under their thumb, but overall it was a simple and effective method.
As long as the French kept up their part of the deal.
“Oh,” Allai murmured.
“‘Oh’? That’s all you have to say?” Shieldak glared at her. Allai met it with a glare of her own, and his expression slowly crumbled into one of guilt. He rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, “I’m sorry. It’s not fair of me to take this out on you. I never should have brought it up.”
“It’s alright.” Her tone was probably a little too curt, and she tried to make up for it by asking, “Will the Sentinel be alright? Without the funding?”
“We’ll be fine.” But he said it too quickly, and she knew it was a lie. Then Shieldak hesitantly added, “The French ambassadors are coming here in a few days to speak with me. That’s what has been on my mind tonight. They refuse to give me specifics, but they want to talk about the Sentinel’s funding.” He paused for a moment, and then said, “They also wish to speak about you.”
“
What?
” That couldn’t be possible; the French didn’t even know she was
alive
. Shieldak had told everyone she’d died that night Drake attacked. The entire world thought she was dead, except for Luke, Shieldak, and the members of the Sentinel. The lie was for her own safety, and so far it had worked. No one knew she was alive, so no one had been able to make any more threats on her life.
“Someone must have told them you’re alive,” Shieldak said. “But it will be alright. As long as Rhaize still thinks you’re dead, then you’re safe.”
Allai nodded. But it still felt weird to know that people knew her secret. “Why do they even want to talk about me?”
“I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t worry about it. I think this meeting will be more about the budget than you.” His expression darkened again as he mentioned the budget.
“Who knows,” Allai said, giving him a small smile. “Maybe they’ll bring good news.”
Shieldak
“Luke,” she said. “His name is
Luke
. And there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s kind of blunt, yeah. But… he’d never do anything to
hurt
me.” Then she added quietly, “Besides, the French employ him. You know you can’t—”
“I can’t do anything!” Shieldak snarled. He spun on his heel and began pacing back and forth between the window and the door. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know that I have absolutely no control over my own people?”
Allai quietly released a small breath of relief. So then this wasn’t about Luke. Not really. It was just about the French, the people who sent him to ‘keep an eye’ on her dad, as Luke liked to say with a blind wink.
“You have control.” Allai tried to keep her voice calm, although shock coursed through her as her relief died away. This just wasn’t her father. Her dad never brought his problems up, at least not to her. “You know any Warrior in the Sentinel would die for you.”
“Of course they would,” Shieldak snapped. “Most of them have been loyal for decades. What I’m worried about is whether or not that loyalty is getting them anywhere.” He stopped pacing and pressed his fist to his forehead. “The French cut funding again.”
She bit her lip. The French government had funded the Sentinel ever since its beginning. There had always been high numbers of paranormal creatures in France—some legends even said they originated there.
The French needed some way to take care of dangerous paranormals, and the Sentinel was the answer. Shieldak and his Warriors would rid society of any paranormal that was a threat to humans, keeping the civilized world safe. And the French would fund his efforts, keeping the Warriors well fed and equipped. The French had learned over the years how to keep the Sentinel under their thumb, but overall it was a simple and effective method.
As long as the French kept up their part of the deal.
“Oh,” Allai murmured.
“‘Oh’? That’s all you have to say?” Shieldak glared at her. Allai met it with a glare of her own, and his expression slowly crumbled into one of guilt. He rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, “I’m sorry. It’s not fair of me to take this out on you. I never should have brought it up.”
“It’s alright.” Her tone was probably a little too curt, and she tried to make up for it by asking, “Will the Sentinel be alright? Without the funding?”
“We’ll be fine.” But he said it too quickly, and she knew it was a lie. Then Shieldak hesitantly added, “The French ambassadors are coming here in a few days to speak with me. That’s what has been on my mind tonight. They refuse to give me specifics, but they want to talk about the Sentinel’s funding.” He paused for a moment, and then said, “They also wish to speak about you.”
“
What?
” That couldn’t be possible; the French didn’t even know she was
alive
. Shieldak had told everyone she’d died that night Drake attacked. The entire world thought she was dead, except for Luke, Shieldak, and the members of the Sentinel. The lie was for her own safety, and so far it had worked. No one knew she was alive, so no one had been able to make any more threats on her life.
“Someone must have told them you’re alive,” Shieldak said. “But it will be alright. As long as Rhaize still thinks you’re dead, then you’re safe.”
Allai nodded. But it still felt weird to know that people knew her secret. “Why do they even want to talk about me?”
“I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t worry about it. I think this meeting will be more about the budget than you.” His expression darkened again as he mentioned the budget.
“Who knows,” Allai said, giving him a small smile. “Maybe they’ll bring good news.”
Shieldak