StrategicSurrender by Elizabeth Lapthorne Read Free Book Online Page A

destroy it of course,” she answered promptly. “It’s
the only way to be sure it can’t ever fall into the wrong hands.”
    Kiera blinked as Hayden looked equal parts smug and proud of
her. Once again her jaw dropped in stunned amazement.
    “Hayden,” she replied with a wobble in her tone. “We can’t possibly destroy the manuscript. The Tribunal would completely implode. We’d be
punished, lose our jobs, our homes . Not to mention they’d make all three
of us pariahs. I don’t know how you feel about living on some rock in the
middle of butt-fuck nowhere, but I rather like Chicago for myself.”
    “Hang on.” Josh raised his hands as if he could halt the
proceedings simply by his will alone. “We are not going to destroy an
object of any kind—evil incarnate or not—that is a possession of the Tribunal.
I like my balls—indeed I am incredibly attached to them. I do not want to sever
them and hand them on a platter to the Tribunal elders. Which is what we would
have to do to beg for their mercy.”
    “Don’t you think it slightly suspicious that Morgan stressed
so strongly that he would protect us from fallout from the Tribunal?” Hayden
countered after a small wince at the visual Josh had evidently sent the wizard.
Kiera snorted as she ran a hand through her dark curls.
    “Hayden, he meant he would protect us when the Tribunal puts
pressure on the group of us to tell them where we hid the manuscript. If
Morgan wanted the folder destroyed he would have done it himself, not
passed along the problem to us. He’d not do that to us,” Kiera insisted firmly.
    Hayden appeared struck by her logic and thought seriously
about her comments for a moment. Reluctantly he nodded his head as he came
around to her point of view.
    “No, you’re right, he wouldn’t get us to do his dirty work,”
he agreed. “All right then, so Morgan simply didn’t think about
destroying it. He purposely gave us this file so we could come up with a
better alternative and I still think he’d want us to do this.”
    “I just don’t know, Hayden.” Kiera shook her head though the
more she thought about it the more uncertain she became. Hayden genuinely had a
good point and Kiera started to doubt her initial assurance it wasn’t the
correct way. “I can’t help but think Morgan wanted us to put it somewhere that
no one else would ever think to look for it. For blindingly obvious reasons he
doesn’t want this artifact to fall into the wrong hands. That does not give us the right to destroy something that I feel certain the Tribunal will
decide should belong to them. Morgan’s taking this manuscript might to others
appear debatable in its wisdom, but we know he’s acting in the manner he feels
right. Destroying it, even though technically it’s not yet properly of the
Tribunal, just isn’t our place.”
    “I’m with Kiera here, though I can’t believe we’re even
discussing this.” Josh shook his head. “We need to treat this as if it’s the
Tribunal’s manuscript—even if they technically haven’t got possession of it and
don’t know of its existence. But assuming it’s rightfully theirs, how can we
possibly consider destroying it? I don’t even want to think about what they
would do to us if we tell Morgan it’s gone, and he goes to them tonight and
says, ‘Oh hey, guys, guess what, my two protégés and a wizard you only recently
cleared of dark magic destroyed a grimoire of yours I was supposed to
bring with me tonight—so sorry’. That just boggles my mind.”
    “Firstly, Morgan’s parting words were a reminder he would
help smooth the way with the Tribunal, I for one don’t take his promise
lightly. Second, Josh, are you really saying you don’t think something as
obviously evil as this needs to be burned?” Hayden pressed, an eyebrow raised
in evident disbelief. Kiera hesitated before answering.
    “I didn’t say that,” Josh hedged, apparently on more
uncertain ground when put in that manner.