He flicked a glance between the two of us, clearly sensing the tension. But after a moment, he continued. “Guest count is at capacity, bloodwine projections are tracking slightly above average, and the wait list is two hours long. I’ve already had three minor meltdowns from entitled fledglings, which I consider a personal record.”
“Thank you,” I said.
His attention dropped to the slim black folder. He hesitated, then stepped forward and offered it to me without a word.
I took it and began scanning the contents.
“What is that?” Juliette asked.
“A dossier,” I said, eyes still on the page. “Isadora’s background, her history, her former assets. As well as her family tree and their legal settlements.” I flipped the page. “And this here is her ex-mate’s history, including his fraudulent business, and their current relationship status.”
“You’re investigating her?” Juliette demanded, her tone that of disgust.
“I prefer to call it research,” I murmured, turning to the next page.
I reached the end of the summary and closed the folder with a quiet snap. The dossier confirmed a great deal—especially her visceral reaction to me using her ex-mate’s name today. She’d severed the mate bond less than a month ago, after a hundred years together. Thinking about everything Trystan had done to Isadora made my blood boil. To think of committing yourself to someone for a century, only to turn around and betray them in every way conceivable. In my eyes, he deserved far worse than Isadora had done.
“You realize what you’re doing is disturbing, right? You’re bordering on obsession, Lucien. This isn’t like you.”
My sister was both right and wrong. I did obsess, especially when it came to business matters. But I didn’t obsess over women. Until now, at least.
“She doesn’t even like you,” Juliette said, incredulous. “She wants nothing to do with you.”
“I know.”
“Then why?—”
Elias interrupted her by clearing his throat. We both turned. He stood at the window, his tablet lowered, his finger pointing at something beyond the glass.
“Lucien,” he said. “You need to see this.”
I crossed the room in three steps and followed his gaze out into the darkening skyline.
Elias pointed at the Luminara Clock Tower, which instead of the violet purple it’d glowed for the last few nights, now pulsed a deep crimson.
A color that hadn’t bled from the tower in nearly a century.
Juliette stepped up beside me. Her voice was quiet when she asked, “What does red mean again?”
I raised my glass and drained the last of it in one long, measured sip, the blood hitting my tongue like ash. Then I set the glass down with care.
“It means danger,” was all I said.
Chapter
Eleven
ISADORA
It was evening by the time Thorne and I returned to the bar.
“I’m just saying,” she said, licking sugar from her thumb, “if they don’t want people stealing their desserts, then they really shouldn’t leave them unattended.”
I raised a brow at her as I fished my key out of my pocket. “You distracted the server with your cleavage.”
“Exactly. That pie didn’t stand a chance.”
I slid the key into the lock, but when I turned it, the deadbolt didn’t move. Because the door was already unlocked. Odd. Had I forgotten to lock up earlier?
