Dominic rolled his tongue over his fangs, taking his time before he spoke. “Then I would suggest you find him first.”
Mal raced after Tatiana, but Lilith flew past them in a blur, laughing like a child playing games. When he skidded to a stop alongside Tatiana, Lilith already stood in the foyer, assessing the visitors. Son of a priest. What was the mayor doing here? And with Octavian? There was no way this was going to end well. The voices cheered.
“You’re dead,” Tatiana said. Her face was a frightening blank.
“No, I’m not, my darling.” He took a step toward her, but she retreated. “I can explain.”
She lifted her metal hand to point at him. “You betrayed me.”
Lilith studied the group, gaze flicking from face to face. “Who is this, Mother?”
The question brought a look of contempt to Tatiana’s face. “This is Octavian. The one who knew you as a baby. The one who betrayed… us.”
“As a baby?” Octavian turned toward Lilith, staring at her face. “It can’t be. Is this our child?”
Tatiana bent forward, screaming, “She’s not your child!”
The mayor shrank back into the corner, her anxious gaze pinned to Lilith. “It can’t be,” she muttered.
Lilith’s eyes went completely bloodred, swallowing up the white. “You.” She stalked toward Octavian. “Mother said you were a traitor. That you tried to give me to her enemies. That you’re the reason I was taken away from her.” Lilith hissed at him, spittle flying from her mouth. “You’re a bad vampire. I don’t like you.”
She grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him against one of the stone columns flanking the doors.
“No,” he yelled, but the impact silenced him, crumpling him to the ground in an unnatural heap.
Lilith picked him up again and shook him. “You hurt my mother.”
Blood trickled from Octavian’s mouth as he tried to lift his head, tried to protest.
Before he managed a word, Lilith opened her mouth and bit down on his limp neck. She yanked back, tearing a section of his throat out and spitting it onto the polished marble flooring.
She dropped his body as it went to ash, and then she turned to Tatiana, gore covering her mouth and chin. Her lower lip trembled. The white had returned to her eyes. “Was that wrong? Are you mad at me again?”
Tatiana looked like she’d gone into shock. She stood there, staring at the space Octavian had just occupied. Her eyes weren’t even silver, just hollow and round. “I…” She moved her mouth but no words came out.
Lilith howled, covering her face with her hands. “You are mad!” The light shifted with her wails, as if retreating from her. Shadows broke free from the corners of the room and surrounded Lilith in darkness. When they cleared, she was gone.
Tatiana swayed toward Mal, her body collapsing. Mal grabbed her before she hit the ground. Her head lolled back. She was out cold.
“Was that… creature my granddaughter?” the mayor whispered.
“Yes,” Mal answered. “What are you doing here? Never mind; you need to get out of here. Do you have a car outside?”
She nodded, arms wrapped around herself. “So you’re not dead and my granddaughter is a psychotic vampire. You have some explaining to do.”
“Later. Have the driver take you back to whatever hangar your plane is parked in and then get on it and go the hell home. Tell no one you came here, what you saw, or anything about me being here. Understand?”
Again, she nodded. Tatiana moaned softly.
“Now,” he told the mayor. “Go while you still can.”
“This isn’t over,” she hissed, but she slipped out the door and disappeared into the night. As soon as he heard the car drive away, he yelled for help. “Kosmina!”
Before long, the head of staff came running. “What’s wrong?” She gasped when she saw Tatiana in his arms. “What’s happened to my lady?”
“Octavian was here.” He gestured toward the ash. “But as you can see, Lilith took care of that.” And if Lilith was that quick to act, Tatiana was right. She had to be dealt with. He could only imagine what she’d do if she found out there was another vampire child on the way.
Chrysabelle found a spot in the recesses of the wine cellar and settled in. The stacks of crates and barrels hid her completely from anyone approaching. Now all she had to do was wait. She lay down, tucking one arm beneath her head as a pillow. Cold seeped up through the stone floor, making her wish Mal would hurry.
A low whistle opened her eyes. She sighed in frustration. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep.
Again, the whistle broke the deep silence of the wine cellar. She pushed to her feet, her body aching a little from lying on the cold ground. Mal had fed from her on the plane, strengthening her with the exchange, but the truth was, being pregnant was using up her reserves faster than normal. She whistled back, soft and low.
“Chrysabelle?” Mal’s voice came from farther away.
She slipped out from behind the barrels as he came around the stack of bottles in front of them. She smiled and held her arms out. “I’m so glad you’re here. I need you to kiss me.”
Without a word, he pulled her into his arms, bent his head, and covered her mouth with his.
Long seconds passed before she broke away. “Thank you. That’s already helping.”
He gave her a strange look. “Glad to know I can be of service.”
She poked him. “I was a little low on energy. Much better now.” And she was. One kiss and she felt revitalized. “What’s going on up there?”
“A lot. I’ve met Lilith. Tatiana wasn’t lying. She’s a nightmare from hell. The mayor and Octavian showed up—”
“Holy mother.”
“Indeed. Lilith figured out who he was. Apparently Tatiana told her that Octavian had betrayed them and was the reason she was taken away from Tatiana, so Lilith bit his head off. Literally.” Mal grimaced. “Damn, it was nasty. I do not want to go like that.”
This was so not good. “How did Tatiana take all this?”
“She passed out. Shock, I guess.”
“Did Lola pass out too? I don’t like that she knows you’re alive now. Hopefully she won’t try to kill you again.”
“I saved her life, so she owes me. After Tatiana passed out, I told the mayor to go back home as fast as she could. She didn’t argue, although she expects an explanation. I think seeing what her grandchild has become may have changed her mind about wanting custody of her.”
Chrysabelle almost laughed, but then she imagined how devastating that realization must have been for Lola. Family seemed to mean a lot to her. Something Chrysabelle understood. “Where’s Tatiana now? Does she suspect anything’s changed?”
“She’s resting and I promise, she has no idea I’m not on her side.” He took Chrysabelle by the arms, staring into her eyes. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine.” Tired, but still fine. “Anything else?”
“Yes. The ancients met with Tatiana and told her how to deal with Lilith. She’s got to eat from the Tree of Life—”
“In the Garden of Eden.” Chrysabelle pulled the page from her inside pocket and held it up. “Except I was told Tatiana had to eat from it. I don’t know how we’re going to get her to go through the portal, though.”
He took the map and studied it. “Looks the same as Tatiana’s. You won’t have to worry about getting her through your portal. She was given instructions for opening her own. She and I will go through that way with Lilith.” He stared at her page a little harder. “Who gave you the info about the tree?”
“Same person who gave me the map. The Aurelian. She wasn’t happy about it either. Well, maybe a little. Mostly because I didn’t put my sacre through her.”
“And now she knows you’re alive.” Mal frowned. “You trust her? She has no reason to help you.”
“Sure, she does. I threatened to kill her.” Chrysabelle waved the paper. “She cut this page from one of her books. Seems to me like a good sign she�
��s sincere. Do you trust the ancients?”
“Good point.” He squinted at her. “You look tired.” He lifted her and set her on one of the upturned barrels. “Rest while you can. No arguing.”
“No arguing.” A lot of smiling, though. Mal was definitely back to being his usual, protective self. “I guess we have no choice but to get them there and make them both eat from it. How we’re going to get Tatiana to eat something she thinks is meant to kill Lilith is beyond me.”
Mal leaned against another barrel, but reached over to take her hand. “Leave that to me. I’ll make it happen.”
“What’s our next move, then?”
“You take the plane home, then open your portal there and follow this map. I’ll stall Tatiana and Lilith for a day so you can get there ahead of us, and then I’ll get them through the portal from here and I’ll see you inside the Garden of Eden.” He shook his head as he handed the map back. “There’s a phrase I never thought I’d use.”
“Tell me about it.” She tucked the map into her jacket again. “Assuming I can get into the Garden without a problem, I’ll find a place near the tree to wait.”
“Be safe.”
“I will. I promise.” She slid off the barrel and tucked her hands into her pockets. “And then, when it’s all over, you’ll come back with me through my portal.”
He stood, threading his arms through hers and kissing her forehead. “I can’t wait until we’re home again and all this is behind us.”
“Me too.”
A bottle fell somewhere in the stacks, shattering with a pop. Mal’s eyes silvered and he leaped into action, disappearing in a flash of movement. He returned, a woman struggling in his grasp. “We have a spy.”
Chrysabelle whipped a blade out and shoved it under the woman’s chin. “Who are you?”
“Don’t kill me,” she begged. “I’m just a servant. I heard nothing.”
Mal held her tight. “She’s Kosmina, Tatiana’s head of staff.” He shook his head. “We’ll have to kill her.”
“No, please. I can help you,” Kosmina pleaded.
“Help?” Chrysabelle asked. “How?”
All traces of fear left Kosmina’s eyes. “I am…” She lowered her voice. “Kubai Mata.”
Chapter Thirty-four
And that’s when they arrested me,” Doc finished. He’d given Fi the whole rundown on his evening at Fritz’s, which had turned into a day at the police station answering questions, making a statement, then filling Vernadetto in on what had happened.
Fi shook her head. “Unbelievable. I knew something was up when you didn’t come home and I couldn’t get a hold of you. It was nice of Pete to call me and let me know you were okay.”
“Yeah, Vernadetto’s not a bad guy.”
Fi got a strange look in her eyes. “No, he’s not. He’s a really decent man, actually.” She sighed. “So, any idea who the guy at Fritz’s was?”
“I couldn’t see him. He was average build and average height. Nothing much to go on, except he was varcolai. Jaguar.”
“How many jaguars in the pride?”
He shook his head. “Probably several hundred.”
“Crap,” she muttered.
“Exactly. And when the cops showed up with their flashing lights, I just didn’t get a good enough look.” Whoever it had been, they had not wanted to be identified.
“But you cut him.”
“Yeah, but by now he’d be healed. They weren’t that deep, and it’s been too long.” Doc shrugged. “Vernadetto promised he’d send some guys down to talk to Fritz, see what they can find out. Hopefully we’ll hear something soon.”
She snuggled against his side and turned the holovision on. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
He kissed her head. “Thanks, baby.”
“Did you see Barasa and Omur when you were there?”
A local news station flickered to life. “No. According to Vernadetto, they’ve already taken them to the detention center. The lawyer says they’re charging them with homicide.” He let out a long, unhappy breath. Damn it. Things couldn’t get worse.
“It’ll be okay. We’ll figure something out.” She grabbed the remote and started running through the channels.
He gave her a squeeze but said nothing. They both knew her words were empty. An hour into whatever movie she’d picked that he couldn’t concentrate on anyway, the phone rang. A minute after it stopped ringing, Isaiah came in.
“Excuse me, Maddoc, but that was Police Chief Vernadetto. He’s on his way up.”
Fi turned the holovision off and twisted to face him. “I hope he found out something good from Fritz. Not that Fritz has any reason to help us, but he wouldn’t lie to the police after you tried to help him, would he?”
“No idea. Never got to know the man. He quit a few days after I became pride leader.”
She frowned. “I wish there was something I could do to make this all better.”
“Me, too.”
The private elevator chimed and Isaiah soon brought Vernadetto in. He nodded in greeting. “Fiona, Maddoc. May I sit?”
“Please.” Fi patted the seat beside her, then scooted over closer to Doc.
Vernadetto sat where she’d indicated, adjusting his gun belt as he did. “I sent my best investigators over to speak with Fritz about the incident and see what he could tell them about this situation with Heaven.” He inhaled. “Fritz was gone. A few things were missing, enough to indicate he’s in the wind.”
Doc leaned forward. “We’ll find him. The pride has ways of tracking its members.”
“Be that as it may, right now Fritz is a dead end.” He held up a finger. “However, the officers searched the apartment. They found a wooden box with silver dust in it. Not enough to be measurable, but that’s definitely what the container held.”
“Are you saying you think Fritz is involved in Heaven’s death?” Doc shook his head. “I don’t buy it. Fritz was Sinjin’s man. He wouldn’t have hurt Heaven.”
Vernadetto shrugged. “People do a lot of things you wouldn’t suspect. Maybe he was just the supplier. We’re pulling his financials, digging through his computer, looking for anything to indicate a connection.”
“To Barasa and Omur?” Fi asked.
“To anyone,” Vernadetto answered.
So much for that, Doc thought. “What about the intruder?”
“No prints on the broken glass other than Fritz’s. Unless you think you can work with a sketch artist, we don’t have much to go on there.” Vernadetto stood. “I wish I had better news, but until something new comes along, that’s all I’ve got.”
“Thanks, anyway.” Doc stood to walk him out. “How much would it help if you could talk to Fritz?”
“Hard to say. Depends on how much he’d give up. But it’s kind of a moot point with him being gone. Until we find him…” Vernadetto shrugged.
“Understood.”
After the elevator doors closed, Doc leaned his head against them. He had to find Fritz. But the regular trackers the pride used would take time. Time they didn’t have. And if Fritz had left the city, Doc would need someone with a broader scope of influence. There was one person who could access that kind of information. The more Doc thought about it, the more he knew it was the way to go. Sure, he might have to work an angle or two to get the help, but there was a time in his life when he’d been all about angles.
The sounds of the holovision drifted out from the living room. He lifted his head. “Babe?”
“Yes?” Fi called from the other room.
“I have to go out.” He grabbed his jacket and tugged it on. “Back as soon as I can.”
Lola wrapped herself in a blanket and stayed there as the plane took off, but nothing seemed to stop her body from trembling. Over and over she saw Octavian being killed before her by a woman Malkolm claimed was her granddaughter.
How was Malkolm alive? She’d seen him die on the holovision. Obviously, that had been some kind of trick. What was he doing
in Corvinestri now? And why was it such a secret that he was there? Was he in league with her granddaughter?
No, not her granddaughter. A monster. The two didn’t mesh in her brain. The images of the infant she’d expected to find and the grown woman she’d seen were so diametrically opposed that there was no way she could reconcile the two.
That couldn’t be her Mariela. That… horrific creature was not the sweet, innocent baby Julia had given birth to. “Please,” she whispered. “Don’t let it be her.”
She shuddered again, remembering the red eyes and vicious fangs. There was no way she wanted anything to do with that hell-born thing, even if it was her blood kin. Which it couldn’t be. No, this whole thing had to be some sort of… game. Octavian must have set her up. Or Malkolm had, to get his revenge on her. She huddled farther into the darkest corner of the plane. Despite the shades being drawn, she could feel the sun on the verge of rising.
Maybe Preacher would know what to do. Maybe she should confess her sins to him and tell him everything that had happened. Or maybe… she should keep this whole business a secret. One she’d take to her grave.
Covering up with the blanket, she let herself drift into daysleep. It was the only way she knew to forget.
“Bloody hell,” Mal growled. “No way you’re KM. That’s a lie to save your skin.” Kill kill kill. He shut the voices out enough to hear Kosmina’s response.
“No, it’s not. I swear.” She shook her head. “I can prove it.” She looked at Chrysabelle. “Your patron, Algernon, he was a KM agent. Did you know that?”
“Yes. That’s how he came to have the ring of sorrows.” Chrysabelle caught Mal’s gaze. “If she knows that…”
Mal shook his head. “If Algernon was KM, why didn’t they come after you? Wouldn’t they have thought you had something to do with his death?”
Kosmina shifted uncomfortably. “After a while, the KM knew Chrysabelle wasn’t responsible for that.”
“After a while?” Chrysabelle asked. “So you were watching me?”
Kosmina shrugged. “The KM has eyes everywhere. And as you know, Octavian belonged to them too. We worked together. He brought me in to replace him as head of staff when Tatiana turned him. I’m the reason Tatiana thought he was dead. I covered for him. Otherwise she would have flayed him alive.”
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