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“Absolutely not,” Elias said.
Leo looked pained. “Look, I know it's not ideal. But Legal tells me it's the only opening they see. And it's still iffy. But if you do this, at least it'll give them something to work with.”
Elias felt a headache coming on. Two weeks ago, in the Breach, he'd told himself he missed the paperwork. The office hours. The normal life. Now he wished there was something he could hit with a sword. Although even that was becoming more complicated. Had already become more complicated.
Alien assassins from outer space are coming to kill me. Either get out of the way or get killed. It really hadn't been much of a choice at all. Not much of a fight, either, once Elias had swallowed his pride and done the sensible thing. And now he was back here, dealing with yet more problems he couldn't solve the easy way.
“So are you saying 'no' because she'd turn you down, or are you saying 'no' because you don't want to?” Leo asked, happily oblivious to Elias's thoughts.
“I'm saying 'no' because it's silly,” Elias told him. “I'm saying 'no' because her response would be to die laughing.” Even if based on what he'd seen, it would take a lot to kill Ada. So maybe she'd survive, at that. Maybe they both would. Maybe one day, he would in fact ask her to marry him.
But it wouldn't be because of guild politics. Or because Legal couldn't figure out another way to get Ada out from under the DDC.
“She's a smart, sensible woman,” Leo said. “Maybe you could have a mature, adult conversation with her about this. Instead of stepping on her cat and throwing food at her.”
“That's not fair,” Elias said. It might be true, but that didn't make it fair. Elias possessed excellent reflexes. In a fight, he was superbly aware of his surroundings. He was precise, level-headed and focused. He'd simply not accounted for the option of a vengeful cat deciding to trip him up while bearing a tray of tacos. It could have happened to anyone.
“We're not in the business of being fair,” Leo said. “Neither, may I remind you, is Graham. Or the DDC. You asked for options, and I gave you one. What you do with it is up to you.”
“Thanks a lot.” Elias tried to sound sincere. He'd known from the beginning that it was a slim chance. A fool's errand.
“Seriously,” Leo said. “Try flowers. Bring some Turtle Pecan Cluster Blizzards. Be your charming self.”
Elias gave his second-in-command a long look.
“Just trying to help.” Leo grinned.
“How do you even know she likes Turtle Pecan Cluster Blizzards?”
“I have my sources,” Leo said loftily. “Those same sources claim she doesn't particularly like you at all, by the way. Which I think is good. If you get married for business reasons, it's best to keep things clear.”
“You make it sound so romantic.”
“I know you,” Leo said. “And I like Ada. The two of you would make a fun power couple.”
“We're not going to become a power couple, fun or otherwise, and I'm not going to ask her to marry me.”
“At least read the report. It's only ten pages.”
Elias thought that sounded like nine pages too many, but he had asked for a report, and it would be childish to now refuse to read it. “Fine.”
“I'll expect an invitation, by the way. I already missed the taco incident, I don't want to miss this too.”
“Please get out of my office now.”