Nita waved her hands. “Whoa. I don’t want to risk the only evidence we have. What if we end up with another Houston on our hands?”
My gaze shifted from Nita to Saxon. “What happened in Houston?”
“It wasn’t what happened there. It’s what happened to the evidence we brought back,” Saxon explained.
“Magic happened.” Nita fixed Lloyd with a glare so harsh that even I winced.
Lloyd’s cheeks grew flushed beneath his white whiskers. “That was a freak accident. It could’ve happened to any experienced witch or wizard, even Abra.”
“You’re not getting your wizard mitts on my feather.” Nita spun on her heel and stalked out of the training room.
Saxon’s shrug was accompanied by a sheepish grin. “Sorry I asked. Are you two finished in here?”
The wizard flicked his fingers. “Go. Follow your dismal lead. Who am I to stand in the way of progress?”
I glanced at Saxon. “Is he whining? I don’t think I’ve ever heard a wizard whine before.”
“It sounds more like passive aggressiveness to me,” Saxon said.
I held up a finger. “Martyrdom.”
Lloyd scowled and shooed us away. Saxon and I scooted to the elevator to catch up with Nita, but she was already gone.
“Is there really a high risk of destroying the feather with magic?” I asked, as we stepped into the elevator. “I mean, what’s the point of having evidence if we can’t mine it for as much information as possible?”
“She can study it further without magic.”
“And there’s no chance of destroying the evidence with liquids or under a hot light?” I had no idea what her analysis involved, but I had to imagine it involved more than a microscope.
“I’ll speak to Abra,” Saxon said. “I think you’re right. It’s our only lead and we need to squeeze as much information out of it as we can.” He hit the button and the elevator doors opened. “I need to get off here. I’ll catch up with you later.”
He crossed the threshold and the doors closed, separating us. There was so much I wanted to discuss with him, especially after my session with Lloyd, but I knew we had to stay focused on the mission. Lothar was missing his amulet and a goddess was missing her soul. Then again, I seemed to be missing answers about—myself.
I sighed as the doors opened and I stepped into the lobby. However pressing they seemed, my issues weren’t the priority. I had to be patient. Unfortunately, patience wasn’t one of my virtues.
Chapter Seven
I scarfed down my morning snack, followed by a training session with Liam where he went through the strengths and weaknesses of a werewolf by demonstrating each and every one. It seemed more exhausting to watch him than if I’d actually demonstrated them myself. I was grateful when my phone buzzed, indicating the end of the session and, more importantly, lunchtime.
“Want to grab a sandwich?” he asked. “I’m in the mood for pastrami on rye.”
“No thanks. I need to run back to my room before our afternoon weapons session.”
“If it’s a power nap you’re after, I’ll happily offer up my room. It’s much closer plus the added bonus of Mr. Cuddles.” He hesitated. “Not that you’re allowed to touch him. He’s off limits to everyone except me.”
I smiled. “As tempting as that is, I need to go back for my phone. I forgot it this morning.”
“I don’t know how you can forget a phone. It’s like leaving an arm behind.”
“I was distracted.” I was distracted a lot lately, although it seemed understandable given all that was happening. Mystery fangs. Dream walking. I was lucky to be able to string a sentence together without succumbing to my thoughts.
I made it back to Salt in record time and retrieved my phone, intending to return to Pride headquarters for a quick lunch. I made it as far as the main casino floor when Alyssa intercepted me. The vampire was the pit boss on this floor and we’d interacted a few times, usually when I was on the verge of being trapped in a corner by Oren. Apparently she was a vampire loyal to the Potestas family, but also a woman loyal to other women.
“Mr. Halpain would like to see you now,” she said.
My stomach rumbled with hunger pains. “Now, as in right now?”
Her sympathetic smile revealed bright purple fangs. “Afraid so.”
“Any chance he’s serving lunch? I have somewhere I need to be and precious little time to eat.”
“I’m sure he can accommodate you. Mr. Halpain is very generous to those he likes.”
“Ooh, and I qualify?”
Alyssa tilted her head. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”
“Tell him I’m on my way, but I expect a sandwich to be waiting for me, preferably one with corned beef on pumpernickel bread.”
“I’ll pass along the request.”
I hurried to the other elevator bank, where there was a private express elevator to Ingemar’s office. The security guard there seemed to know I was expected because he waved me right through without demanding ID.
As I walked into his office, I was hit with the smell of corned beef. The vampire was good. Really good.
“Miss Wendell, so glad you could join me on such short notice.” Ingemar stood beside a small table by the window that overlooked the ocean. In a pinstriped suit and no facial hair, the dapper vampire looked like he stepped straight out of a time capsule from the 1930’s, slicked back hair included.
“I don’t have long.”
“Alyssa informed me that you’re hungry, so I had lunch brought up for you.” He gestured to the chair and I crossed the room to sit.
“You know how to please your guests; I’ll give you that.”
“I took the liberty of ordering you a bottle of water as well as a coffee that you can take with you.”
“Someone’s been paying attention.” I sat and admired the sandwich before lifting it to my mouth for a healthy bite. Delicious. Pumpernickel bread was inarguably the work of the gods.
“Do you know why I named this place Salt?” Ingemar asked.
“I assume it’s because of the ocean,” I said, still chewing.
He glanced out the window at the view of the water. “Come now, Miss Wendell. You’re smarter than that.”
I wasn’t convinced, but I tried to drum up a better answer once I swallowed. “Alchemists used salt to represent the human body and vampires love to feed off humans?”
His mouth formed the slightest hint of a smile. “As a mage, I suppose you know a bit about alchemy.”
“My dad knew a lot about it. He tried to teach me what he knew.”
This time he actually chuckled. “Tried?”
I took a swig of water. “I wasn’t as interested as he was.”
“You’re on the right track with salt as a symbol.” He adjusted his cufflinks as he glided across the floor; his movements were more graceful than other vampires I’d met. He reminded me of a dancer in a business suit.
“Salt as a symbol,” I repeated. “Are you talking about magical protection?”
He peered out the window at the blue horizon. “Salt does, indeed, have significance in many rites and rituals.”
“More specifically, it sanctifies and protects magical places.” I put down my sandwich. “But Salt isn’t a magical place. It’s a vampire-run casino.”
“Salt is valuable and it protects us from harm.” He cast a sideways glance at me. “Did you know that it was once used as currency? The word ‘salary’ originated from the Latin word ‘salarium,’ which translates to salt money.”
I wolfed down half my sandwich. “Why are you telling me this?”
He clasped his hands behind his back. “I’ve been thinking about your presence here, Miss Wendell.”
“Oh?”
“You work for Pandora’s Pride, yet you choose to remain at Salt. Why?”
“Is that so odd?”
“For Pride agents, yes.” He returned his gaze to the ocean. “They prefer to live together in
that wretched building.”
“It’s not so wretched inside. Only the exterior looks like it endured an apocalypse and a tsunami in the same week.”
“If it isn’t so wretched inside, then why stay here?”
I considered my answer. “Because I don’t really feel like I belong there. And I like being able to come and go from here and not be scrutinized.”
“You must know you’re under observation.”
“I know you have a lot of surveillance equipment in the casino and that Oren probably keeps his own stash for binge-watching.”
Ingemar cleared his throat and I got the impression he was trying not to laugh. “I don’t mean the casino. I mean the Pride.”
“You’re the one who hooked me up with them. Now you’re saying they’re stalking me?”
“I’m not saying they’re doing anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “We all tend to keep tabs here. It’s a way of life. Of security.”
I swallowed the last of my sandwich with a regretful sigh. “What’s your point?”
“I’d like you to work for me.”
I nearly spit out a mouthful of water. “That was our original discussion, remember? When we first met. Then you pawned me off to the Pride.”
“I try to do favors when I can, especially where the Pride is concerned.”
“So you can call them in later.”
He gave me a dismissive look. “Obviously. What other reason is there?”
“Well, I appreciate the offer, but I have a job now and it’s kind of a big deal.”
“I’m not asking you to leave the Pride. I’d only like to have you on retainer in addition to your services there. If you’re nearby during a situation, I’d like to call on you rather than alerting the Pride.”
“You think I can handle it on my own?”
“I believe you are more than capable of handling the occasional nuisance demon, Miss Wendell. Don’t you?”
I contemplated the offer. A side job meant more money to sock away for my eventual return to the mountains. “This isn’t a favor thing, right? I won’t owe you.”
“This is a simple exchange of coin for services rendered. I’m willing to offer a retainer fee.”
I joined him at the window with my cup of coffee. “Can I ask you something?”
“No, I will not pay you in buffet coupons.”
“Oh, I want the coins. I’m saving for a rainy day. I want to ask about Elliott Rosemont.”
He looked thoughtful. “Ah, yes. The man to whom your father’s killer owed a debt.”
I wagged an impressed finger at him. “Good memory. Yeah, Canute’s chip.”
Ingemar’s gaze drifted to the poker chip on my necklace. “Do you not mean your chip?”
“It’s mine now, debt-free, but I’d like to know more about this Elliott.”
He arched a well-groomed eyebrow. “I believe you were informed that he died two years ago.”
“Yeah, I know. I’d like to know the details like how and where.”
“If I recall correctly, your father’s killer…”
“Canute.”
“Canute was in a Baltimore prison at that time. Upon his release, he fled to the Rocky Mountains where he encountered your party.”
“Obviously I don’t think Canute killed Elliott Rosemont.”
“What makes you think anyone killed him? Perhaps he died of lung cancer.”
My brow lifted. “Did he?”
“No.”
“Then how?”
“Are you finished eating?” he asked.
I motioned to the empty plate. On cue, a member of staff entered the office and swept away the items on the table.
“The official report claims he died from a heart attack.”
“That could mean anything. Who inherited his estate?”
“That I do not know.”
“Come on, Ingemar. You know everything.” I bumped him playfully with my elbow. “And what you don’t know, you can find out.”
“You have an entire organization at your disposal. Why not ask them?”
I blew a raspberry. “You know how they are. They’re so busy hunting demons, there’s no time for a little casual research.”
Ingemar smirked. “If you’d like to take a day trip, Elliott Rosemont lived in Cape May for many years before his death. My secretary can provide the address on your way out.”
“You’re the best.”
“About my offer…”
“I’ll do it.”
He turned his gaze back to the window. “How wonderful. And I see dolphins. A clear sign of a good day.”
“Where? I want to see.” It wasn’t a pegasus, but a dolphin was pretty awesome all the same.
Ingemar pointed to the left. Sure enough, a half dozen dorsal fins crested the water before submerging. “I never tire of seeing them.”
We watched in companionable silence for a moment as the pod made its way across our line of sight.
“I believe our business is concluded for the time being,” he said. “I have another appointment and I believe you’re due back at headquarters.”
“Shit. You’re right.” I fled the office and bolted from the casino. I tried not to run too fast for fear of spilling my coffee.
Purvis caught sight of me on the boardwalk and waved. Although he smiled, the grief in his eyes was apparent even from this distance. I understood his feelings of loss all too well. Leto was his nephew and they’d worked together for years, not unlike my father and me.
“Callie, glad I caught you. There’s been a change to the schedule.”
“It must be Monday—or any day of the week, in fact.” Poor Jonas. All that wasted lamination.
“There’s briefing in conference room B. We need to head there now.” He held out a bag of roasted chestnuts. “Hungry?”
“What is it with you elders and nuts?” I asked. Not one to turn down food, I scooped a handful out of the bag and popped one into my mouth.
“Elders? In my mind, I’m still a young werewolf. It’s only when I look in the mirror that I see I’m past my prime.”
Together we walked back toward headquarters. “I don’t know that I’d say you’re past your prime. Werewolves don’t come with an expiration date.”
“Maybe not, but we do have one, unlike some of my immortal friends.” He crunched on a few chestnuts. “I used to envy them their eternal lives.”
“And now not so much?”
His expression softened. “Now I think a life well-lived is the best anyone can hope for, no matter how long it lasts.”
A seagull swooped down and snatched the bag from the werewolf’s hand, scattering chestnuts around us in the process.
“Those are the real pests.” Purvis shook a fist at the dive-bombing bird. “I think we should make seagulls our next targets after Plague demons.”
“Plague demons might take too long. Seagulls will have adapted and taken over the earth by then.”
Purvis chuckled, a welcome sound to my ears. “We need more fighters like you.”
“And Leto.”
His smile dissolved. “I never should’ve involved my nephew. He wasn’t equipped and I knew it.”
“How can you say that? He was a fantastic fighter.”
“He was only a werewolf. It was wrong to bring him to the Pride. I should’ve let him become an accountant and live a normal life.”
I stifled a laugh. “Yes, he would’ve been much happier living a mind-numbingly boring life.”
“He could’ve been an analyst like Nita. Now there’s a smart werewolf. She sits in an office all day, perfectly safe but still part of the fight.”
“I doubt Leto would’ve been happy in a role like that.”
“Maybe not, but at least he’d be alive.” Purvis lengthened his strides and reached the entrance before I did. He pressed his palm to the scanner and opened the door.
I could tell by his stony expression that this heart-to-heart was officially over. I suspected h
e wanted to put his game face on before joining the meeting. If it was obvious to me that he was hurting, it would certainly be obvious to everyone else at the Pride who knew him far better than I did.
“Oh, excellent,” Abra said, noting our entrance. “I was worried you wouldn’t receive the message in time.”
“The city isn’t that big,” I said. “I seem incapable of going anywhere without running into one of you.”
Purvis took a seat between Natasha and Emil, and I claimed the only empty seat left between Evadne and Tate.
“In that case, you’ll be happy to learn you’ll be spending a little time away from here,” Abra said.
Liam lit up like casinos at night. “Another road trip?”
“Down, boy,” Natasha said. “This won’t involve the kind of sightseeing you enjoy.”
“Let’s see. What kind of sightseeing do I enjoy?” Liam asked aloud. “I’m partial to red light districts. They elevate window shopping to an art form.”
A low snarl emanated from Natasha’s full red lips and Liam quickly fell silent.
“Something’s happened in Minnesota,” Doran said.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Liam quipped.
“Jonas was kind enough to provide us with a map,” Emil said.
“Because it’s his job,” Evadne muttered.
Abra turned on the whiteboard and a map appeared. “A town inhabited by humans has been, for lack of a better word, incinerated.”
“Incinerated,” Saxon repeated.
“From what we’ve been told, the entire town was burned to the ground,” Emil said. “Homes, offices. All the people. Gone.”
“Nita, what can you tell us about New Asche?” Natasha asked.
The young werewolf moved to stand beside the whiteboard. I hadn’t even realized she was in the room until now. “Pre-Plague, it was home to about thirteen thousand people, but numbers dwindled to about three thousand in the last few years. We don’t know what would have prompted an attack there. That part of Minnesota is mainly humans and they keep to themselves.”
“There are rival vampire enclaves in Minneapolis and St. Paul, similar to the ones here,” Natasha said. “I have a friend in each, which is where the report came from.”
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