Taliesin Ascendant (The Children and the Blood) Read Online Free Page A

fighting Ashley’s people by being instantly trusting.
    He looked back to the front as another door opened, admitting Jamison into the room. Immediately, the others dropped whatever they’d been saying and took their seats while, with a face that could have been chipped from granite, Jamison approached the podium.
    Harris’ jaw tightened. From the man’s expression, there seemed a good chance Brogan had died.
    “Thank you for coming,” Jamison said levelly. He flicked a switch to cue the ceiling projector and then glanced back at the screen on the wall. A picture appeared, grainy and oversaturated. Harris recognized it. He’d taken the shot with his cell only a couple days before.
    “Cole Jamison,” the man continued. “My son. As some of you know, Taliesin took him from me. Now we have the chance to take him back. Obviously, I wish him unharmed. The same goes for the little girl who may still be in his company. Any others may be killed if necessary, though bringing them in for questioning would be preferable. And, of course, the reward for his retrieval will be… considerable.”
    A low murmur of chuckles rose and fell around Harris at the man’s words.
    “He was most recently seen in Monfort two days ago with this child.” The security camera photo of the little girl appeared. “His captors have gone by the name ‘Smith’, and he may also be using that name rather than his own…”
    Harris struggled not to feel like an impatient schoolboy as Jamison’s lecture went on, empty of any mention of Ashley, Brogan or anything else he didn’t already know.
    “Simeon has information on the specific areas I wish you to target,” Jamison concluded. “Any questions can be directed to him.”
    Without another word, he headed for the door, while the others broke off into their groups as before. Incredulous, Harris rose and hurried toward the front.
    “Mr. Jamison,” he called.
    The man paused, glancing back.
    “Is that it?” Harris asked.
    Impatience flickered beneath Jamison’s emotionless visage, and he turned to the door again.
    “Isn’t there any word on Brogan?” Harris pressed. “Ashley? Anything?”
    “Brogan’s alive,” Jamison told him shortly. “For now.”
    “And Ashley?”
    Jamison’s eyes went to Simeon, and the ponytailed man stepped between them. “You have your instructions,” Jamison said.
    Harris moved to avoid the other man. “I’m not going after your son.”
    With a hand on the doorknob, Jamison paused, and then his head turned back to Harris. His eyebrow rose eloquently.
    “I’ve been thinking about something Brogan told me,” Harris continued. “About the fact wizards don’t know I can see them. They don’t think I’m a threat, Mr. Jamison. But your son does. I didn’t get a chance to explain anything to him in the car, and from his reaction, I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m one of the bad guys. I don’t want to be a liability to you, but if I go after Cole, I guarantee you he’ll run when he sees me.”
    Jamison watched him, his face unreadable, but Harris could feel the tension building in the man.
    “But Ashley won’t,” Harris persisted. “She might remember me, but she won’t run. Hell,” he added, trying to keep the anger from his voice and only partly succeeding, “she probably won’t even care I’m there. You’ve got this whole group going after Cole. But someone needs to stop Ashley too, before anybody else gets hurt. That’s where I can do the most good right now.”
    Jamison said nothing, and Harris fought to keep his irritation down. He resented needing the man’s permission, but as the morning progressed, he’d been forced to admit the reality of the situation. This man and his associates held the purse strings. Brogan had paid for his search for the kids after the police department had put him on leave, and wandering off the reservation without at least a nod in Jamison’s direction would presumably bring his investigation to a rather