Rooming with the Wicked

44 | no more chances

The Vanguard were responsible for everything?

But—

"Why?" I breathed, retreating a step.

No matter how I looked at it, it made no sense. None. Zero. Attacking supernaturals, sure. That was right up the organization's alley. But attacking a member's daughter? It just...didn't fit.

Unless Dad was in on it.

Bile rose and my stomach churned. Was he really willing to sacrifice his own flesh and blood for their—for his cause? Did he hate supernaturals that much? Or was this about something else?

I clenched my fists until my nails painfully dug into my palms.

Professor Flamel steadied himself with both hands pressed flat on the desktop. With white knuckles and frantic eyes, he stared right at me. "The treaty negotiations—your father..." He cleared his throat. He—They need his vote. His and the other undecided ambassadors' votes."

I froze.

Undecided?

That made even less sense. My whole life he'd been on and on about how he was called to be an ambassador, how it was his responsibility to make sure things didn't get out of hand, how he had to help keep the balance. How he was so sure of everything.

The reason he'd stopped being a father. Priorities and all.

And now he was supposed to be unsure?

"Undecided...how?" I asked slowly.

"Your father," Professor Flamel said, "he's against the mining of energy crystals. He's been trying to convince the others to stay away from Glimmerweald."

Come again?

"Professor, are you sure—"

His glasses slid off his nose and landed on the desk with a soft clatter when he nodded. "Yes. The seelie queen herself will attend treaty negotiations this time. As well as the high council of Pandaemonium."

The demons were coming too? What the literal hell was going on here?

I shook my head. "But Dad... He's in the Vanguard! Why would—why would he...?"

"What?" For the first time in, well, ever, Professor Flamel looked truly shocked. His elbows shook and he took a deep breath. "What are you talking about? He's been working against them. Not openly, of course, but he's been trying to weaken them bit by bit."

"That's not... That can't be true." I stumbled backward until my spine hit the closest lab table. "My dad... He's not a good person. He's... He—"

"Ariel, please, you have to listen to me." Professor Flamel's voice was low. "We don't have much time. They're after you because he won't yield. They know that now. They're going to make an example out of him and sway the negotiations at the same time."

Wasn't this just ironic? Offing the one person my dad didn't give a crap about. For an organization whose ruthless and calculated reputation preceded it, its members sure were stupid. Maybe I should point them in Clarence's direction instead.

Oh, right, he was one of them. Just like Dad.

"Ariel—"

I pushed myself away from the table. "Even if that was true, my dad doesn't even care about me!"

Professor Flamel slumped back into his chair. "Of course, he does. You have to"—a raspy cough made him double over—"you need to leave. It's not safe here."

My head was starting to spin for a whole different reason. Professor Flamel was one of the smartest people I'd ever met. How could he be so easily fooled?