The Hunt is On (The Patroness)

by Natalie Herzer

  Questioning eyebrows rose at my words, eyes looked stunned from me than to Kylian and back.

  “Someone is playing with us and, purposely or not, initiated a war on the way.” I leaned back against the desk and folded my arms across my chest. “We need to find out who it is.”

  Kylian asked, frowning and drumming a finger on his thigh, “How exactly did we end up blaming the vamps, Moreau? Thinking back, can you tell us who first noticed their absence under the missing?”

  Moreau rubbed a hand over his front as he tried to think back. “Well, we came to work on disappearing cases after Mademoiselle Cadic noticed similarities between two of her own cases if I’m correct.” I nodded. “So we looked through the latest reports for the points in common, after nightfall and around Montmartre and the Gare du Nord. Later while comparing our notes and findings we noticed the other hot spots. And we came up with seven more cases that fit the bill.” He frowned and closed his eyes, calling the day back to mind. “We checked everything, financials and telephone records and so on. The usual, really. Also the magical background when no links between the victims showed up. Four humans, one faery and two witches.” His eyes opened. “When you came and Vigeur told you about the new cases Perrin and Rodriguez began talking about why there were no vamps or shifters among the missing. It was the first mentioning, first questioning.”

  “Where are they now?”

  He sighed, weary. “Send him to grab something to eat while we talked. I’m on duty with Perrin. He’s my partner, and a good kid. Eager to learn. Maybe a little too eager but that will go away once the green washes off.”

  I felt his pain when he instinctively jumped to the young man’s defense, knowing it wasn’t easy to have to doubt your own team. Been there, done that. “And Rodriguez?”

  “He’s with Vigeur.”

  Kylian nodded. My lips curled in a sad, knowing smile. “Thank you for your help, Moreau.”

  He nodded back and I went with him towards the door, stopping him there. “Say hi to Moth and Nightingale for me.”

  A loving warmth filled his eyes that pushed the lingering doubt from before a little away. “Will do.”

  When he was gone I turned around to face Kylian. “What now?”

  “Depends. Do you still want to talk to Anouk alone first, or do we surround the whole team straight away?”

  On one hand I wanted to round up her team and find the rat just to have this over with, but on the other hand I knew if this were my team, I would want a heads up first. Whether Anouk might or might not have a role in this didn’t matter, she deserved knowing the truth. She was a known shifter and leading the first police unit investigating magic-related crimes, and therefore she had a lot to proof. If she wasn’t hand in glove with Raymond, the last thing she needed was someone showing her incompetence by finding the rat under her nose in her stead and humiliating her in the middle of the spotlight. Spotlight was unpleasant enough as it was.

  I called her.

  “I don’t even know what to say. No. That’s not even it. I know what to say, but not where to begin.” Anouk was now the one pacing up and down the length of the room, her eyes throwing daggers.

  We had clued her in right after she stepped into my office, and she wasn’t happy. At. All.

  She whirled around, her gaze pinning Kylian to the chair. “You had a spy watching me!”

  “I needed some eyes and ears in there, and look how useful they are.” Oh boy. So the wrong thing to say right now. Anouk looked ready to strangle him.

  Her eyes went yellow and shifted to me. “And you knew about this?”

  I raised my hand in an offer of truce and shook my head. “No, just found out tonight, just like you.”

  Obviously satisfied for now Anouk started pacing again.

  Kylian looked at me. “Thanks.”

  I shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

  “I’ve got a rat in my team. A dumb rat and a spy.” She shook her head, then stopped in her tracks and pulled out her cell. “Meeting at the station in ten. Tell the others.”

  “What do you want to do?” Kylian asked, watching her.

  “Find out who’s the rat. Can’t imagine either really having the balls to do it, but obviously I’m wrong. When this is over I’ll probably need a new team. If they don’t cancel the unit, that is.”

  “What of Moreau?”

  Anouk’s eyes glowed. “What of him?”

  “He stays.” Kylian stood, his demeanor calm. “Think this through Anouk. He’s a good agent. You need him. The reason I wanted him to watch your unit was just that, to watch you. Not in a spying kind but the take-care-of-her kind. You might have loner status, but in the end when you fuck up, it’s my head that’s going to roll for it. Paris is my territory and I have to take responsibility for all the shifters on it, even those that don’t want the security of a pack. Moreau was just my way of looking out for you. And me.”

  Anouk stared at him for a long time, a muscle working in her jaw. “I want your word that he only reports to you the moment I really mess up. Nothing else. No play-by-play.”

  “You have my word.”

  She nodded her agreement. “Well, then let’s go and find ourselves that rat.”

  Without another word I grabbed my coat, switched the lights off and locked the door behind us.

  “Who do you think it is?” I asked as soon as we were outside. The night air greeted us, not balmy but still warmer than usual. The streets were flooded in eerie orange lights and the sound of our heels on the sidewalk echoed through.

  “Perrin is a newbie. He barely knows the basic magical rules enough to get around. But he’s also diligent and curious. And Rodriguez? Well, he’s seen some stuff. Seems a little grumpy and prejudiced sometimes but he doesn’t really let it get in the way. He too has some new rules to learn. Rodriguez might not like that but he accepts it, that’s why he’s a good agent. Not exactly suspicious, but careful.” She expelled a breath. “I don’t know who of the two of them it might be.” Anouk stopped to face us, rubbing a hand over her face. “I’m too close. I need to step back and look at it the right way. Motive. Why would any one of them work with Raymond? Why come work with me against magic-related crimes and then go of and help Raymond? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  I frowned. “How and why did Perrin and Rodriguez become a part of your unit anyway? Perrin, like you said, has no real idea what he’s gotten himself into. And Rodriguez, though he seems to have a drop of magic in the blood, is suspicious of non humans. Hell, I remember him warning me that you guys packed silver bullets the first day we met. Both seem to be weird pickings for your unit.”

  “Yeah, I know. Of course, being new colleagues and all we talked about our reasons. Rodriguez was tight-lipped to say the least. And Perrin, though he might not know our actual rules, has a lot of interest in magical stuff. You know, fantasy movies and books and stuff.”

  Oh boy.

  For a brief moment Kylian’s face reflected my thoughts, but then he masked it and said, “And Rodriguez hasn’t said a word about why he runs with you? Not even to you as a partner?”

  “No.”

  “Then let’s have that chat with both of them.”

  Agents Perrin, Rodriguez and Moreau were already waiting in their office at the police station. Moreau stood leaning against the wall and talking to his partner Perrin, who clung to his lips, and Rodriguez was in his chair behind his desk. All heads swiveled towards us.

  They had expected Inspecteur Vigeur. But Kylian and me? Not so much. Perrin and Rodriguez both looked at us quizzically, but other than that gave nothing else away.

  “Hey guys, sorry for keeping you waiting.”

  “Something wrong?” Rodriguez asked.

  Anouk walked over behind her desk, all the while taking her coat off to hang it over the back of her chair. “As a matter of fact there is.”

  Kylian and I stayed by the door, blocking the only exit except for the windows that were fortunately barred, and
simply watched. Anouk moved to lean her hip against the side of the simple piece of furniture, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes sharp and unforgiving as her gaze pinned each of her men in turn.

  The reactions varied. Perrin swallowed visibly. Rodriguez tensed in his chair, bristled. If he were a canine his hackles would have been up. And Moreau, well, his dark eyes and stance managed to offer an apology and to show something close to appreciation at the same time.

  “We’ve got seventeen missing persons, a pissed off Queen of the Undead and no new leads. I really wouldn’t mind this whole mess so much if it hadn’t turned out we’ve been barking up the wrong tree all the time. All because, and here it gets very interesting, someone in this room was dumb enough to work with Raymond hand in hand.”

  For a brief moment one could have heard a feather dropping to the floor, but then noise took over again.

  “What the hell? What the hell are you talking about?” Rodriguez exclaimed.

  “How did you know?” Perrin squealed.

  “Hang on. Are you saying one of us wo-” Rodriguez clamped his mouth shut as the words of his young colleague registered.

  All gazes locked on Perrin.

  Anouk shook her head in astonishment. “You can’t even give me some time to grill it out of you, can you? Always so eager.” Slowly she got up and walked over to him. “What did he promise you?”

  Perrin swallowed. He seemed so young and naive now, as he jutted his chin out in juvenile defiance. “He will make me a vampire. Just like in the movies.”

  Oh, for the love of Pete.

  But then again. He was a young man, easily influenced and fascinated by all things fantasy. What else could he do when a dream come true was dangling right in front of him. It was the perfect bait.

  Anouk had trouble keeping a straight face at that as well but managed. “Ah. Right. And what else?”

  He looked dumbstruck.

  Rodriguez swaggered in. “That’s it? You hand over our asses and you get nothing out of it?”

  “You won’t say that when I’m a vampire.”

  Anouk took a deep breath. “Okay, Perrin. What do you know about Raymond? How did he approach you? When?”

  He shrugged, a blush creeping up his neck. “It wasn’t Raymond, but a girl, Marie. We met one night and talked.”

  “Do you know if Raymond is the one taking those people? Or Lilith? Did she say anything about that?”

  “No, he’s not. She just said it was a sign that the odds were in their favor.”

  Yeah, not for long. A deep growl beside me mirrored my thoughts.

  I went over to the nearest desk, grabbed pen and paper and wrote down the Council’s number. Then I went over to Anouk and gave it to her. “I think we aren’t needed any longer. Let the Council and your boss decide what to do with him.” I shook my head at Perrin and with a last glance at the rest of the stunned group Kylian and I got out of there.

  A cold wind greeted us outside, clearing my head. “He’s just a guy. A human. He had no chance against the perfect promise on the perfect vampire lips. If that hadn’t worked they would have tranced him and we’d have ended up here anyway.”

  Kylian sighed beside me. “You’re right. Still, couldn’t he have just… ” He raked a hand through his dark hair. “This whole thing just annoys the hell out of me.”

  “Yeah, we’ve been led quite the merry chase.”

  “And are back to square one.”

  I looked at him darkly. “You know, I’m really starting to hate that phrase.”

  TWELVE

  “Okay guys, what the hell is going on?” Pauline demanded to know the minute Kylian and I stepped a foot into the apartment.

  Pauline, Ben and Viviane were sitting in the living room, looking at us. For a moment I was sure she was angry with me for not hanging around after the party but then a quick glance at her eyes showed she wasn’t furious at all but worried instead.

  After taking off my coat and stepping out of my pumps I strolled into the kitchen. Over my shoulder I replied, “Agent Perrin worked for Raymond. Well, kind of anyway.” It was still hard for me to really think of him as a traitor. He was a human, in over his head and didn’t know better. “Do you still have wine over there or shall I open a new bottle?”

  When no one answered, I looked over the high counter and saw the bunch staring wide eyed, their gazes switching from me to Kylian like ping-pong balls.

  “You want some?” I asked Kylian waving a wine glass in the air.

  He nodded, taking off his coat, and started explaining what we had discovered during the party and what later had transpired in Anouk’s office, while I opened another red and brought our glasses over into the room.

  Since the couch and chairs were already taken I settled down on the floor beside them, tugging my legs under me.

  “So basically you’re saying that Raymond wanted you to make Lilith go crazy but that he isn’t behind the disappearances?” Ben concluded.

  Kylian growled, “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “Damn. That means we’re back to-”

  This time I did the growling. “Don’t you dare say it.”

  Ben held up his hands in faked surrender and chuckled. “Okay, okay, I won’t.”

  Viviane yawned and stood. “I think it’s time for me to wish you a good night.” I scrambled up to accompany her to the door.

  “Is everything alright?”

  She sighed. “I’m fine.” Her gaze dropped to my neck, and regret and pain filled her eyes. “It’s my fault. I should have killed him a long time ago. The man he was back then is no more. He hurt my baby. I won’t let him get through with it.”

  I hugged her tightly to me, breathing in her familiar and comforting scent. “It’s not your fault. It’s his, it’s Lilith’s fault. But it’s not yours. Never yours. You made me who I am and I won’t falter. This won’t keep me down. Okay?”

  After taking a shuddery breath she nodded and smiled sadly, “Ma grande, so strong.” She hugged me back once more and then went out the door.

  When I came back into the living room Ben and Pauline were gone. After a questioning look at Kylian, he explained, “They are on the roof.”

  Aha.

  Fully aware that we were alone and not quite sure whether I liked that or not I picked up the empty glasses from the table and brought them into the kitchen. After setting them beside the sink I turned around, only to gasp as I nearly collided with Kylian.

  “If I didn’t know better, I would think you’re scared of being alone with me.”

  I didn’t get out one word. He surrounded me. His gaze dipped from my eyes to my mouth and just when I thought, he would lean down to kiss me, his eyes moved to caress the tattoo on my neck. His fingers graced my skin, tracing the fleur-de-lis and Latin words there, and making me shiver and even more aware of him, the heat and scent of him.

  “What does it mean?” he asked softly, his voice a deep, husky rumble vibrating through me.

  “Fluctuat nec mergitur. Tossed around but doesn’t sink.” It was the motto of the city I protected.

  Leaning down he kissed the with ink covered scar, running his soft, hot tongue along it. The gesture utterly sweet, breaking my heart so it burst in thousands tiny pieces that exploded everywhere inside of me and melted my blood. And just like that the world faded away, leaving only him and me. His teeth grazed my earlobe, and I trembled, my head falling back to give him better access. Oh God, that man made me feel entirely too much.

  He raised his head and our gazes locked. I stared up at him, at the ice blue heat and lust in his eyes, and answering need shot through me. Then he crashed me against him and his mouth was on mine and the sweetness from before turned into devouring fire. The tip of his tongue teased the crease of my lips before finally plunging, demanding. I was on fire not even feeling the cold countertop as he lifted me easily onto it and as he nudged between my legs. He growled, his mouth trailing kisses to my jaw and down to that soft spot under my ear. I�
��d never felt such all-consuming heat before. My hands fought with his shirt, tugging it out of his pants in a desperate need to get to feel the hot skin underneath. His large, warm hands gripped my hips before roaming up the side of my body, brushing my breasts and to tangle in my hair. He gently bit my shoulder and I moaned, delicious chills erupting and sliding along my spine. Burning with need I sought his mouth again, reveling in the feel and taste of him and biting gently into his lip. He groaned.

  “Oh…shit.”

  Pauline and Ben.

  Coming back from the rooftop.

  Slowly the rest of the world came out of the blurry and registered again. Since I didn’t see them standing in the kitchen I assumed they had backtracked at our sight.

  A look at Kylian’s eyes told me he was quite happy to continue what we had just started. I didn’t know whether I was. As reality slowly came back, I remembered that there was a reason this hadn’t happened before. I had just some troubles grappling it. Then my cell phone went off.

  Leaning his forehead against mine he closed his eyes and growled. But I didn’t move. Only moments later his phone started ringing.

  “Dammit.” Sending a killing glance that nearly made me laugh at the wall above my head he pulled away.

  It was Anouk and she had bad news. Two of the officers out patrolling hadn’t checked back in. They were still trying to figure out if something had happened and if so what had happened. Retracing their steps for a clue would take some time, and she promised to call us the minute she found out more.

  I woke early the next morning. I hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep since this whole business - missing persons, obstructed investigation, plus the vampire rebellion and war looming on the horizon - had me tied up in knots. Yeah well, and maybe the pent-up attraction had something to do with it as well. So instead of turning restlessly in my bed I had decided to get up and prepare breakfast as quietly as possible so that Pauline at least could sleep in.