It meant Roland knew. I’d been trying to pretend that Hugh had died and I’d almost managed to convince myself that Roland didn’t know about me, but Hugh’s continued existence just ripped right through my denial. Roland had healed him. They had talked. My father knew. My father was coming for me.

Fuck.

Jim smiled, showing his teeth. Next to him, Barabas froze.

A small hysterical voice inside my head screamed, Run! Run!

I quashed it. I had no sword. None of us had any weapons. Now wasn’t the time to panic.

We were on the third floor. There were only two exits, the front door leading out and the back door, which wasn’t an exit but an entrance to a narrow hallway that led to a sunroom. I would have to go through Hugh to get to the front door. Hugh outweighed me by sixty-five pounds and I had experienced what his body could do. I wouldn’t get past him without a sword. The back door was our only option for retreating with minimal casualties. I had to get my people out of here in one piece. I could freak out about all of this later.

The journeymen gaped at Hugh. Most of them probably didn’t recognize him. Ghastek’s face went white. So did Ryan’s. They knew exactly who he was and what he was capable of.

Ghastek recovered first and stood up. “We didn’t expect you, Commander.”

Translation: What the hell are you doing here?

Hugh moved to stand next to Ghastek. Ghastek was tall. Hugh dwarfed him. “My fault. I should’ve called ahead.”

Hugh smiled. He was wearing his affable, pleasant disguise. No need to bother, I’m just one of the guys. I topple governments, reap a harvest of death, and revel in violence, but please don’t get up on my account.

This would end badly.

Hugh waited. Ghastek woke up and stepped aside. “Please sit down.”

“You should introduce me,” Hugh told him and took a seat.

Ghastek chewed on that for a second. This is my colleague, a nearly immortal psychotic warlord . . .

“Please welcome Hugh d’Ambray,” Ghastek said. “He is a representative of our main office and he has sweeping executive powers.”

“Let’s not be so formal,” Hugh said. “Please carry on with your business. I’ll just sit here quietly and observe.”

Ghastek and I looked at each other.

“Please,” Hugh invited. “I believe there was something about a building?”

Ryan Kelly’s mouth remained firmly shut. Everyone looked at me. Apparently I was supposed to say something.

“The building in question is a ruin that Medrano Reclamations is going to pull apart. They’ll salvage the materials, sell them off, and move on.”