"You know this for a fact?"
"It's a gut feeling."
"Why are you trying to help me?"
"I'm not entirely. I have my reasons for wanting to see Brandon officially accepted into the Guardian network as well. Part of that revolves around me not trusting Xander. He holds most of the cards pretty much all the time, and I'm always interested in evening out the balance of power."
"This is politics."
"It is."
Jonny considered. Negotiating with either God was always a double-edged sword, and it was a rare day when he didn't end up cut to pieces by it. "Brandon should be free to make his own choice, same as Ashley," he said finally. "I'm not going to promise you anything."
"You don't have to. I'm advising you the way I do Damian. It's sort of what I'm supposed to do. And you've already spoken for Ashley. From what I understand, she's yours."
"For now," he allowed.
"Wouldn't you like a way to balance Xander?"
Jonny's thoughts went to all the favors he'd one day owe Xander. The Original Vamp was no threat today, but Darian was right. The politics of the gods and the Originals shifted often, and they didn't always agree on the bigger picture.
"You keep Ashley. We keep Brandon," the Grey God said.
On the surface, it was smart for each side to have a pawn, a means to hold Xander in check. But the idea made Jonny unusually anxious. If he kept Ashley too long, he risked becoming vulnerable. He didn't buy Charles' and her insistence he needed an emotional cause in addition to his primary purpose as the Black God. As he thought, he became aware of something else.
"This is the first time any of you have dealt with me like I'm not the noob you consider me," he said icily. "Is this a game, Darian?"
"As far as I'm concerned, you aren't a noob. You're the Black God. You and I have been in power for about the same amount of time. Like I said - Damian isn't ready to see that yet."
"I'll consider what you're saying. I do tend to agree with Xander that everyone has the right to decide his or her own fate," Jonny said. "For me to hand over Brandon would rob him of his choices. Ashley already made her decision."
"And someone can never choose differently," Darian said wryly.
Jonny stiffened. The idea he'd lose her sat as well as the danger of her staying. He wasn't certain what he wanted to happen, and he wasn't in a mindset to decide quite yet.
"No offense meant." Darian raised his hands. "Just think about what I said."