Stars Rise

XVIII. "Louis Reveur . . . Sent Me . . ."

"Louis Reveur sent me," Cristo lied.

The boss sat down behind a polished hardwood conference table and took out a cigar which lit itself by the time he put it to his lips for a puff. There was a smell of molten ash that could have been from the burning nub as much as the star that lit it on fire.

Snow had started to fall again as if it had politely waited for the masqueraders to enjoy the night air and leave before sending down the rest of its load. There would be a few inches by morning. Light from offices across the city started to go out. Cristo wasn't seeing this through a window, but through a wall to wall viewing link — it wasn't a corner office, but that didn't prevent the boss from attaining a view.

It had been the plan to tell Potestas the truth. That he was meant to die tonight. He was allowed to tell Potestas that much. Nova dropped her cat mask onto the desktop so Cristo could better see the annoyance on her face. Or see that she was watching him. He knew her playbook.

That's what was so unnerving. He had no intention of playing into her hands by following the plan she knew about. He knew her. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him exactly like the time he dropped a stack of her textbooks out the library window to get her to stop studying. The cold in her cheeks and her frost bite gaze was the same every time he tried to kiss her up until the time she kissed him, or maybe including that time, and every time he confessed that he had told his dad a lie. At least he was always honest.

He had to lie to Potestas for now.

"Your friend Reveur knew everything. He sent me to stop it. And Leander."

Leander studied him hard. He might suspect that Louis Reveur had not sent Cristo. He might be deciding whether to separate himself from Cristo, who seemed to be under suspicion. He might keep quiet for now, observe, build a case against Cristo and use it on him later.

Instead, Leander said, "Yes, Doctor Reveur sent us to protect you, Mr. Potestas." He began to pace, somewhat self-importantly, as if taking the lead. Amusing. "That's how we knew the details of the assassination plot and were able to counter it effectively. Doctor Reveur's investigation uncovered the specifics of the plan — the approximate time, the locations and roles of the three shooters, the modus operandi. The motive. Mr. Somnare will explain the whole story." His confidence almost tripped Cristo up. He was playing along.

Doubtful it was to help Cristo; more likely Detective Prince wanted leverage on him. What was surprising was how quickly Detective Prince had decided his best move.

And Cristo didn't correct Leander on his last name. He had no plans to tell any of them that.

"We're lucky Louis came across such precise details," Cristo said, just for something to say, just to maintain his own confidence. He swallowed a lump in his throat and tried to relax.

"How exactly did you sneak a gun into Potestas Tower?" the boss asked.

"I didn't have any more trouble than the three assassins," Cristo said. He tried to meet Nova's hostile slits and the boss's coal eyes. "I had it easier. Louis Reveur's gun was able to fire in Potestas Tower because it was connected to Constellation's magic when you gave it to him. It wouldn't have fired for anyone except him until he died, but sadly he was executed tonight." He expected a reaction from Potestas and Nova "Dasilva" to that, but both waited for him to answer their question. Leander kept his mouth closed and his eyes on Cristo, trained not to miss a thing. "The connection to Constellation transferred to me after he died, when I fired the weapon. But just how did assassins get their hands on three connected weapons? Did they get away with murdering three of your staff?"