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“I know you said you didn’t get a good look at them, but is it possible these guys were human?”
Everyone in the room reacted physically to the question. Mac was the most vocal, with a loud snort.
Brooks crossed his arms and leaned back. “I didn’t think of that before now, but you might be on to something. It took four of them to hold me down, which seemed weird at the time. I mean, I’m not exactly muscular, you know?”
“Yeah, but you’re a fae. That means you’re still stronger than an average human male,” Giguhl observed.
“Here’s what I don’t get: Lavinia has access to magical vampires,” Georgia said. “Why would she bother with humans?”
Zen cleared her throat. The vamp cringed. “No offense.” The voodoo queen nodded and turned her attention back to the conversation.
“Maybe they’re humans who serve the Caste,” Mac offered. “What with the robes and chanting, they sure sound like a secret society to me.”
Adam’s eyes widened. “Wait a second. Were they wearing any symbols?”
“Oh, yeah,” Brooks said. “There was an eye symbol on the hood— right here”— he pointed to the middle of his forehead— “above a pyramid, you know like on a dollar bill?” Everyone nodded. “And then on the right breast of their robes was a kind of crest thingie. I didn’t get a good look before they blindfolded me, though.”
“Do you remember any details about it?” Rhea asked.
“There was a fleur de lis, I think. Maybe a moon, too.”
Something tickled the back of my mind, a smoky tendril of memory. “Was there a key?”
His shoulders drooped as he shook his head. “I should have paid better attention, but …..”
I shot the fae a sympathetic smile. “Not your fault.”
Adam’s solemn gaze met mine. I knew he was recalling the same thing I’d remembered. But I wasn’t ready to voice my suspicion yet. Not until I had more proof. I grabbed a piece of paper from the desk and scribbled the symbol from memory. I’d only had a couple of brief glances at it, but I think I managed to get the gist. “Like this?”
He took the sheet and lowered the sunglasses just enough to peek at it. What I could see of his eyes made my heart clench. Capillaries crossed the white of his eyes like tiny red webs. He lowered the glasses more for a better look. “That’s it, I think. You’ve seen it before?”
My teeth clenched so hard my jaw cramped. “Unfuckingbelievable.”
Adam took the picture from Zen. “How’d we miss this?”
Giguhl grabbed it from Zen. “Oh, shit!”
“Guys?” Rhea said. “Talk to us.”
“We know who’s been feeding Lavinia our locations,” Adam said tightly.
I crossed my arms and shook my head as my brain went back over my theory to check for holes.
“Well?” Mac said, her voice dripping with impatience. “Who?”
Adam raised his eyebrows, I nodded, perfectly happy to let him take lead on this. Maybe they’d believe it more coming from him. “Alodius wears a tie pin with this symbol.”
Zen let out a frustrated breath and leaned forward. Her expression said she wasn’t buying it. “You’re jumping to conclusions. New Orleans has a long tradition of fraternal orders and benevolent societies. A fleur de lis and crescent moon? Name one building or sign or T-shirt in this city that doesn’t feature one of those symbols. Hell, even keys are everywhere.”
“How about the fact that two major incidents happened right after we visited his shop?” I counted them off on my fingers. “First Stryx shows up right after our first trip to buy blood. Then the vamp attack after Giguhl and I went in.”
Adam piped up. “And I went there last night to get Sabina some blood.”
I nodded. “Did Alodius say or do anything strange while you were there?”
“He was pretty curious about what you were up to. Even asked specifically what we were doing last night. I lied and told him we were taking in the show at Lagniappe. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, since he’s always so damned chatty. But what if he was trying out if the coast would be clear for the attack?”
Mac snorted. “Jesus, you guys are unbelievable. Alodius is a nice old man. Why would he do something like that? He’s friends with these two.” She nodded toward Zen and Brooks.
I turned on the werewolf. My conscience nagged at me that she might be right. We were going on assumptions, not real proof of treachery. But I couldn’t just let the coincidences slide without investigating. “Adam told him we were all going to see the show last night. They didn’t expect him to be here.”
“Her,” Brooks whispered so low I barely heard it. I shot him a look, but Zen jumped in.
“Tread carefully here, Sabina. I overlooked your accusations about Georgia because I knew she and Mac could handle you. But Alodius is a human, and until you have real proof, I won’t allow you to harm him.”
“Look, we’re not saying he’s directly responsible,” Adam said. “But the evidence so far dictates we at least have a conversation with him.”
“Right,” Mac sorted. “I’ve been on the receiving end of one of your ‘conversations,’ and I’d put cash money on your chat with Alodius getting physical real fast.”
I speared her with my gaze. “What do you want us to do, Mac? Ignore this? Overlook what happened to Brooks and Elvira? Both attacks were ordered by the same person— Lavinia Kane. How long do you think it’ll be before she sends someone after Georgia? Or you, for that matter?”
“What?” Brooks shouted. “What happened to Elvira?”
Mac shot me a glare that promised a slow, painful death. “She was attacked, too, honey. She”— Mac swallowed hard— “she didn’t make it.”
Brooks’s head fell into his hands as the dam broke. Mac’s chin raised and her eyes hardened as she looked at me. “I take care of my own.”
My conscience prickled for upsetting Brooks, but now wasn’t the time to go soft. I crossed my arms and nodded toward Brooks. “You can’t be everywhere, Mac. They were attacked at the same time.”
She tensed to lunge at me. “Maybe I should save your grandbitch the trouble—”
Her body froze midspring. “Oh, hell no!” Giguhl’s voice cracked like a whip. Mac dangled from one of his claws like a puppy from his mother’s teeth. “Someone needs to teach you some manners, werebitch.”
