“You’ll be meeting Natasha’s contact in Minneapolis before heading to New Asche,” Abra said.
“Why can’t we just go straight to the town and check things out?” Liam looked at Emil. “Can’t you open a portal directly there?”
Natasha narrowed her eyes at the werevamp. “Do you never learn? Just because that area is mainly humans doesn’t mean the vampires in the Twin Cities won’t consider it a slap in the face if we send you traipsing around their territory.”
“We need to exercise caution,” Doran said. “At this point, we don’t know what prompted the attack or who’s responsible.”
“What about the Ab?” Saxon asked.
“This takes priority, I’m afraid,” Abra said. “When it comes down to actual lives lost versus potential lives, we need to prioritize.”
“If the vampires are worried enough to call us, it’s not a good sign,” Natasha added. “My kind always prefer to handle their own issues without outside interference.”
“Not so different from werewolves in that regard,” Purvis added.
“For once, can’t a target location be controlled by angels?” Liam asked. “They’re far less territorial.”
“You’d find a reason to complain about that too,” Saxon said.
Liam slumped in his chair. “Fair enough.”
“There’s a coven of witches that reside outside the city in Wayzata,” Abra said. “If you have a problem or need assistance, there’s a hotel there called Belle Fleur. Go there and tell them you need turmeric for your curry. Someone will help you.”
“Do we know anything about the attack?” Saxon asked. “Number of casualties?”
The elders exchanged glances. “We aren’t aware of any survivors,” Doran said.
A lump formed in my throat. They weren’t kidding when they said this wasn’t sightseeing we’d enjoy.
“How soon do we leave?” Saxon asked.
Emil flexed his fingers. “As soon as I’ve had my afternoon coffee.”
Nita grimaced. “Ooh, about that. The coffee machine is broken again. Jonas is tinkering with it now.”
Emil splayed his hands on the table. “How can we be the most feared supernatural agency in the world, but we can’t get that damn coffeemaker to work more than five days in a row?”
“One of the wonders of the universe,” Liam said. He pushed back his chair, ready to bounce. “I have time for a snack, right? I know Callie wants one. She eats more than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
“What can I say? Pretzel bites are my passion.”
“I’ll see you all on the rooftop in an hour,” Emil said. “Don’t be late. The portal waits for no one.”
Chapter Eight
Minneapolis was larger and greener than I expected. Although the city wasn’t as big as Baltimore, it felt far more sprawling. Emil’s portal delivered us to a sculpture garden in the middle of the city, just as he intended. I was glad the experienced fae was the one handling our portals. It sounded like anyone with lesser skills could transport us to the middle of the ocean and I wasn’t the best swimmer.
“We need to find the blue cock,” Saxon said. “That’s where we’re meeting Natasha’s contact.”
Liam’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously?” He surveyed the rest of us. “Come on. Nobody’s going to laugh at that?”
Evadne brushed past him. “We’re not all twelve-year-old boys, Liam.”
“Let me get past my nausea first and I’ll help you look.” My system was still adjusting to travel-by-portal.
“I think I see a blue cock.” Tate pointed at a sculpture in the distance.
“Is it next to the blue balls?” Liam slapped a hand over his mouth, unable to control himself.
As we approached the giant blue rooster, a shadowy figure emerged from behind the sculpture. His head was bald except for a strip of bright blue down the middle. He wore black, ripped jeans and an ankle-length leather jacket that billowed in the breeze.
“You make quite a racket for a group of operatives. A herd of elephants would’ve been less intrusive,” he said.
“Natasha sent us,” Saxon said, stepping forward.
The vampire wore a deadpan expression. “No kidding. I’m Howard. Welcome to Minneapolis.”
“Sorry, did you say Howard?” Liam asked.
The vampire snarled. “That’s right.”
“You don’t look like a Howard.” Liam turned to me. “Does he look like a Howard to you?”
“Are you going to be our escort to New Asche?” Tate interrupted in an effort to take the spotlight away from Liam’s big mouth.
“We’re not going straight to New Asche,” Howard said. “It’ll be too dark by the time we get there.”
Evadne shot Saxon an annoyed look. “Then why didn’t we wait to come until morning? I don’t need to hang out in a lame city for no good reason.”
“You’ll want to hear the report before we go,” Howard said. “In the meantime, the enclave will take good care of you while you’re here.”
Liam touched his hair. “No haircuts. I like mine the way it is.”
Howard ignored him. “Follow me. The car’s waiting.”
We exited the sculpture park to see a black Escalade idling on the corner. The doors opened and Howard gestured for us to get inside.
“At least this is roomier than the white van,” Tate said.
I found myself sandwiched between Saxon and Evadne and tried not to focus on Saxon’s thigh pressed against mine.
“Where are we going?” Tate asked.
Howard slid behind the wheel and started the engine. “To dinner. I assume you’re hungry after your journey.”
“It’s a portal,” Evadne said. “It’s not like we took a bus.”
I shushed her. Now that my nausea from the portal had worn off, I was ready for a meal. “That sounds great.”
“You’ll be dining with key members of the Gebiss family,” Howard said. “I suggest you remember your manners. It isn’t often that we agree to entertain guests outside of our species.”
“It’s your loss,” Evadne said. “There are lots of interesting supernaturals in the world and newsflash—most of them aren’t vampires.”
Liam leaned forward from the backseat. “Exactly. Some of them are both vampires and werewolves.”
Howard's gaze shifted to the rearview mirror. “Is that so? Which of you are hybrids?”
“You can’t tell?” Evadne asked. “And here I thought vamps were meant to be intelligent. I must get my brains from my wolf side.”
“Actually they’re from your zombie side,” Liam said.
In the reflection of the rearview mirror, I saw Howard roll his eyes. “I hate when they assign me to babysit.”
Minneapolis seemed to have fared better in the post-Plague world than Atlantica City. The buildings were in good shape and the people we passed didn’t seem to be suffering or fearing for their lives.
“Where will we stay tonight?” Tate asked.
“Justin owns the best hotel in the city,” Howard said. “We’ve arranged rooms for you there.”
“We’ll be dining at the restaurant there,” he continued. “I hope you brought a change of clothes.”
“Why?” Liam asked. “Is it punk attire only?”
Howard sneered at him in the rearview mirror. “Actually, it’s formalwear only.”
Tate turned to look at us. “I can take care of that,” she whispered.
Saxon nudged me. “Can you do clothing magic?”
“What kind of question is that?” Evadne asked. “You’ve seen the way she dresses.”
Liam chuckled. “I can’t decide whether that comment means yes or no.”
“Clearly not,” Evadne said.
I shot the tri-brid an aggrieved look. “Gee, thanks.”
The Escalade pulled into an underground parking lot where two valets awaited us. Howard slowed to a stop and a valet stood on either side of the vehicle and opened the doors.
“I
t’s a big hotel,” Howard said. “I don’t recommend wandering off. Not everyone knows that Justin is expecting guests. They might mistake you for a snack.” His lip curled in a way that suggested he was imagining just such an occurrence.
We followed the vampire into a side door of the hotel and down an employee-only corridor until we reached the lobby. The architecture had a strong Scandinavian influence and I was surprised by the presence of so much wood. I would’ve thought vampires would avoid wooden beams and exposed timber.
“No need to check in,” Howard said. He produced two sets of keys. “There are two penthouse suites assigned to your group. How you divide them is up to you.”
“Thank you.” Saxon took both sets of keys before Liam could swipe them.
“Dinner is in half an hour,” Howard said. “I suggest you’re punctual. Justin strongly dislikes tardiness. He sees it as a sign of disrespect.”
“Sounds like your grandmother,” Liam whispered to Tate.
Howard motioned to his right. “Elevators are that way.”
“Please tell us you’ll be joining us for dinner,” Liam called as we headed for the elevators. “It won’t be the same without you.”
Evadne pushed the werevamp forward and out of Howard's line of sight. “Don’t torment the poor bastard,” she said, though she sounded amused.
We huddled in the elevator together and rode to the top floor.
“Do you think the four of you will be comfortable in one room?” Liam asked.
“Very funny,” Tate said.
“Oh? You mean you’d prefer me to stay with you ladies and protect you?” Liam placed a hand over his heart. “I’d be honored to provide such a chivalrous service, truly.”
Evadne cracked her knuckles. “I’ve got some pent-up aggression that needs relief.” She glanced at Saxon. “Permission to pummel, team leader?”
“Permission denied.” The elevator doors opened and Saxon was the first to exit. He handed Tate one of the keys. “I guess we’ll divide up the old-fashioned way.”
“By matching bits?” Liam shook his head. “The world has progressed beyond such rudimentary differences. You disappoint me, captain.”
“Nothing new there.” Evadne snatched the key from Tate and strode to the door. “I call the bed.”
“I assume there’s a bed for each of us,” Tate said. “This hotel hardly seems like the kind of place that makes you sleep on the floor.”
Evadne opened the door and we squeezed through the doorway together. The suite was easily over a thousand square feet with plenty of space for the three of us.
“We should hurry and get ready for dinner in case we have to wrangle the guys,” Tate said. She produced a hairbrush from her bag and handed it to me.
“I think you mean Liam,” Evadne said. “Saxon always does as he’s told.”
“You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.” I walked to the window to check out the view. Tall buildings spanned the horizon. I wasn’t a fan of cityscapes in general, but this one had a certain appeal. Kind of like sprouts when they’re roasted and covered in olive oil. I desperately wanted to try them with grated cheese, but my dairy intolerance prevented the experience.
“I like guys with an edge,” Evadne said. “Something Saxon is sorely lacking.”
“He’s a vampire-angel hybrid that can kill almost anything that crosses his path,” Tate said. “I’d say the guy has an edge.” She examined her reflection in the mirror. “How formal do you think this Justin expects us to be?”
“From the sound of it, I’m going to say floor-length dresses with exposed collar bones and slits that show our underpants…” Evadne’s lips curved into a sly smile. “Or lack thereof.”
“Then I think we should go with high-neck lace dresses and piss him off,” I said.
Tate chewed her lip. “I don’t think Natasha would like that. She wants us to play nice.”
“That doesn’t mean we roll over and play dead for the undead,” Evadne said.
“You don’t have any loyalty to vampires, do you?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Why should I? I’m not a vampire.”
“But you’re partly one,” I said.
“They’d never accept me. I’m a misfit supernatural.”
“Don’t say that, Evadne.” Tate seemed genuinely distressed by Evadne’s attitude.
“I don’t care,” Evadne said. “I don’t need to belong to a group. Just means I can focus on myself without any species guilt. No pack wants me either. Certainly no fae court. Hell, my own mother didn’t want me.”
I stopped brushing my hair. “What?”
She set her brown eyes on me. “You haven’t heard my tale of woe? I’m surprised they didn’t read you my file when I was still in quarantine.”
I was almost afraid to ask. “Your mother gave you up?”
“Sold me to be exact.” Evadne pulled her hair into a twist and pinned it to the back of her head. “Pathetic woman. She was a slave to her addiction.”
“What addiction was that?” I asked.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Blood. She was borderline feral; that’s how bad her addiction was.”
“What about your father?” I asked, although my mind was still reeling from her revelation.
“Some werewolf she humped for blood probably. They think he had the fae genes somewhere in his lineage. A mutt and an addict.” She broke into a smile that was heartbreaking beautiful. “And together they created a monster.”
“Evadne, don’t say that.” Tate took the brush from me to fix her own hair.
“I don’t mind the truth. Knowing makes it easier to deal with. Not knowing would be worse.”
“My mother died not long after I was born,” I said.
“Aw, we’re sharing. This is so sweet.” Evadne’s fake smile melted away. “Let’s change before we’re late and upset Sir Justin of the Lame Enclave. What does Gebiss even mean?”
“I think it means dentures,” I said.
Tate smothered a laugh. “I think it’s supposed to mean fangs.”
“What’s the verdict with our outfits?” Evadne asked. “Are we coloring in the lines or tempting fate?”
Tate’s gaze flicked from Evadne to me. “I’d rather play along. We have to remember why we’re here and it’s not to annoy the vampire who agreed to help us. New Asche is our priority.”
Evadne groaned. “You’re as bad as Saxon…or should I say as good as Saxon. So nauseating.”
Tate wiggled her index finger. “Be nice or I’ll dress you in candy cotton pink ruffles.”
Evadne’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Tate’s smile was as sticky sweet as the cotton candy she invoked. “Callie first.”
I looked down and waved goodbye to my comfortable outfit. Tate closed her eyes and began an incantation. The only word I understood was stola, which I knew was the traditional garment that women wore in Ancient Rome. If I ended up in some sort of toga…
Magic sparked from her hand as she touched my sleeve. The fabric rippled as it changed shape and color. I glanced in the mirror to see a plum-colored gown with a deep V-neckline.
“You’d make an excellent fairy godmother,” I said.
“I don’t have time for hair,” Tate said. “You have to do your own.”
“I already brushed it. Didn’t you see me?”
Tate pursed her lips. “Hmm. Maybe run it through one more time.”
I scoffed as I scooped the brush off the bed. “Wow. Said like the critical mother I never had.”
Tate transformed Evadne’s clothing into a tasteful black dress with ruffles along the plunging neckline.
The tri-brid glared at her when she noticed the ruffles. “You couldn’t resist, could you?”
Tate smiled. “A little reminder of my power, which you so often seem to forget.”
“They’re not too flouncy,” I said. “It’s not like a Kingsley garment.”
“By the goddess, I sh
ould hope not,” Evadne said. “That vampire dresses like a trophy wife. It’s insulting to powerful females everywhere.”
Tate’s own outfit morphed into a dark green dress with a tight bodice and a swirling skirt. “Ladies, I think we’re ready for dinner.”
“You need to conjure two suits for the guys,” I said.
“On it.” Tate opened the door to find Saxon and Liam poised to knock. They wore matching dark blue suits, except Saxon’s tie was purple and Liam’s tie was red.
“How did you swing those?” Evadne asked, peering over Tate’s shoulder.
“They were in the closet,” Liam said. “There were about twenty different sizes, all the same suit, and a choice of ties.”
Saxon’s gaze fell on my dress. “We match.”
“How adorable,” Evadne sneered. “A match made in…would it be Heaven or Hell in your case?”
Saxon flinched. “We should go. Justin doesn’t sound like the type to let a tardy guest off with a warning glance.”
We took the elevator together and found the restaurant not far from the lobby. The Scandinavian decor matched the rest of the hotel. A long wooden table took center stage in the restaurant and I counted five vampires already seated. A portly man at the head of the table rose to greet us. He wore a pin-striped suit with a yellow handkerchief tucked neatly into the front pocket. His thinning hair was slicked back and I noticed a dimple in his chin. Usually I found those sexy, but it only served to accentuate Justin’s baby face.
“Welcome, friends of Natasha.” He extended a hand to Saxon and they shook. “I’m Justin and these are my first-tier associates.”
He talked about his vampire buddies like they were members of the same law firm. Maybe they were.
Aside from Justin, there was Herb, Stan, Abner, and, of course, Howard. Yeah, I was definitely getting a lawyer vibe. Even Howard with his electric blue hair struck me as a real estate lawyer in a midlife crisis. Over the years, my father and I had accompanied several sets of lawyers through the mountains, usually to start work at a satellite firm in another city. They always paid well, but their company left a lot to be desired.
We took the available seats and I ended up on the end, adjacent to Justin. Saxon sat beside me and I was once again all too aware of his body positioned so closely to mine.
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