Mr. Magpie appeared eventually, seated like a king on a leopard-print throne. He wore a suit of gold brocade, with an emerald green necklace and white fingerless gloves that showed off all his rings.
Every time Gray saw him, he wondered why it was that a demon chose to dress like the king of pimps.
Mr. Magpie squinted at the camera, silent for a moment. “I don’t have much time,” he said. “I don’t trust phones. The Pigeon Heart is on the move, and I got a tip-off about the transport.”
Gray’s heart thrashed in his chest instead of just beating faster. Heat rushed to his face. His fingers tickled.
“Where?”
Magpie blinked, and his perfectly handsome lips stretched into a smile. “I’m happy you’re not dead.”
Gray could have lived without that weirdly detached statement.
“He’s doing very well, even if shadow-less,” Vars filled in.
Magpie frowned. “Oh, no. That’s not good at all.”
Beast’s eyelid twitched, as if it had a life of its own. “Would you explain? Stop talking in riddles.”
Magpie pushed back his perfectly fluffy hair. “Did the shadow obtain a body?” When everyone confirmed, he leaned back, tapping the golden armrests. “This creature will emit spores to make Baal’s trees blossom. We’re practically on borrowed time. Am I the only one who likes my life the way it is?”
Jake scowled. “But what was Gray supposed to do? He wanted to save my life.”
Magpie shook his head. “You know I like you, Jake, but many more lives will be in danger once those trees bear fruit.”
Gray was fed up with the chitchat. “Why are we even discussing this now? Tell me where the Pigeon Heart is, and I’ll get it. World saved.”
The silence at the table was so damning Gray kept his gaze firmly trained on Magpie, who smiled. “Maybe Jake could do it this time?”
The last word was like the thud of a bullet entering Gray’s body, and he leaned back, shocked that even someone who’d always valued his abilities had lost his faith in him.
Vars frowned. “You’re joking. He’s not proficient at the shifting yet. What if he gets hurt?”
Knight leaned against the table. “To be fair, his skin is thicker than a human’s.”
Jake cleared his throat. “I’ll do what I need to, but let’s find out where it is first. Maybe my size would actually be a disadvantage.”
They discussed the matter as if Gray’s involvement was something to be dismissed altogether. Was Gray supposed to just take that?
“What about me?” he asked, unable to stop his toes from tapping the floor. At least this way his anger and insecurity would be kept hidden from everyone else.
“What about you?” Rev asked, frowning as if he really had no idea what Gray was referring to.
“Mr. Magpie said it’s in transit. No thick walls. Few cameras. We can do it.”
Magpie cleared his throat. “They’re moving it from the MET back to the owner. I only just found out.”
“But when?” Beast asked, spreading his hands.
“Tonight.”
Beast slapped the table so hard the computer rattled. “Where? How?”
“We still have time. No reason to just jump on the first opportunity when we don’t have a plan. Would you risk your family like this?”
Magpie pursed his lips. “I can’t sire children.”
Knight sniggered, but Beast wasn’t having any of it. “That’s not the point! We will talk amongst ourselves and let you know.”
As soon as Magpie disconnected, Gray stood. “I said I can do it.”
Beast made a guttural growl that sounded inhuman because of his damaged vocal cords. “Enough! No one else will say it, so I will. Gray, you can’t even drive right now. You lost an arm. It’s tough, and you wanna show us that you can still get shit done. I get it, I really get how it feels when your life turns upside down, and you don’t even feel like you’re the same person anymore. But the fact of the matter is that you are not. You have to get used to it, and take your time working out what else you can do.”