Politics of Blood (Gray Spear Society, #8)

by Alex Siegel

location. There is a traitor in your midst." Aaron looked at Seferis. "Perhaps one of your Secret Service agents." "Hey!" Seferis said. "Every one of my men is completely loyal." "I don't think so. Until we find the traitor and neutralize the enemy, we're going to play by my rules." Haley noticed the young woman was carrying a sword in her right hand. The blade was jet black and smoking, but that effect was probably just a result of the poor light. "Roy," Ethel said, "this is one of my best men. His accomplishments are extraordinary. You can put your life in his hands with complete confidence, as I would." He frowned. She was asking him to take an enormous leap of faith. The smoking sword was distracting him. "What's going on?" He pointed. "Is your sword burning?" The young woman looked at her weapon. "Ma'am, may I show him?" "Go ahead," Ethel said in a tone of resignation. "We've bent enough rules already. Bending one more won't make a difference." The woman slashed a rocky outcropping. Astonishingly, the blade cut the stone like it was cotton candy. She held up her sword, and the darkness melted away, revealing ordinary steel. "It's not the sword that's burning," she explained. "It's me." Haley shook his head in dismay. These people were made of magic. "Enough show and tell," Aaron said impatiently. "Time is running short. I need you to gather up your entire staff and move them to the largest room in the house. I mean everybody.