Waging War Read Online Free PDF

the
ones in Russia and Germany might fit a self-‘atin’ Vampire.”
    “That could be any Vampire,” I said angrily.
Then my eyes shot to Archer’s face as I realized what I’d said.
“Not you.” My heart clenched. It was too much all at once, and I
was handling it badly.
    Archer reached out a hand to my face.
“Wherever Tom is, he’s only half Monger. We know there’s good in
him too.”
    I shifted backward, away from Archer’s hand.
“There are Mongers here, now, who are taking Descendants. That
should be our priority.”
    But Archer wouldn’t let me out of range of
his touch, and he twined his fingers through mine with a wry smile.
“Because we’re the only ones who can find them and save the
day?”
    I huffed dramatically. “You know what I
mean.”
    Archer’s expression became serious again.
“Yes, I do. Your self-sufficiency has become a finely-tuned sense
of responsibility, which I share.”
    “I don’t,” Ringo smirked, “but I’m not
lettin’ either of ye do yer rescuin’ without me.”
    I shot him a perfect twelve-year-old sneer,
and he crossed his eyes back at me. Because sometimes adolescent
behavior is a necessary part of one’s repertoire, and at least it
lightened the mood.
    Archer gave me a pointed look. “But we have
allies in the search for the missing Descendants – people to help
share the burden and responsibility of it.”
    I finished the part of his sentence that he
didn’t say. “And if we locate Tom, we’re the only ones who can go
back for him.” Archer didn’t even need to agree. I saw the
certainty of it in his eyes. I sighed. “Okay, fine. But I’m going
to London tomorrow to find the brother and sister who witnessed
Tam’s kidnapping. They must have seen something that could help us
out. The Armans are back from Paris and they’ve invited Mom and I
to tea, so we can detour to the address Olivia gave us before
that.”
    Archer gave me a sharp look. “Jeeves will
drive you?”
    I barely held back an eye-roll. “As if he’d
let anyone else drive Lady Elian anywhere.”
    Archer schooled the concern out of his
expression and stood to help me up. “Be careful, Saira.”
    I knew what it cost him not to mention the
fact that it would be daytime, so he couldn’t go with me even if he
wanted to. I kissed him lightly on the lips. “Last one back’s a
rotten egg.”
    Because sometimes adolescent behavior is the
only thing that trumps fear.

 
A Trap

    After we got back to the manor house, Archer
left us to go back into London. He wanted to scout Olivia’s
friends’ address before we went, and would stay the day at Bishop
Cleary’s unless there was a problem. He and Ringo discussed random
car stuff that Ringo had helped Jeeves do to service the Aston
Martin, and then they made a plan to explore St. Brigid’s before
school went back into session. The mood I was in, I could barely
follow their conversations, much less contribute more than a
distracted good-bye kiss when Archer drove away.
    Ringo turned to head toward the library, and
I followed him. The big room had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves,
complete with wheeled ladders and massive wooden tables, and was
one of my favorite rooms in the manor.
    When the door was closed behind us Ringo
turned to me. “Okay, spit it out.”
    I almost denied anything was wrong, but the
look on his face was already impatient so I didn’t bother
sugar-coating it.
    “I don’t want to find Tom.”
    He crossed his arms in front of him. “Why
not?”
    “Because if he’s bad, Archer will kill
him.”
    “Not if the cure works and ‘e can become
‘uman again.”
    My voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t know
if I want Archer to try the cure.”
    Ringo stared at me in shock. “But ‘e wants
it.”
    “There are risks—”
    “There are always risks, and ye know it.
Saira, ye can’t deny ‘im this. If ‘e’s willin’ to take the chance,
ye ‘ave to support ‘im.”
    “What happens to me if something goes
wrong?” I