“It’s Salem. They excite easily. Hey, isn’t that your knight in shining armor?”
I switch my attention to the left, and sure enough, there he is, holding a bass guitar. “Yes, it’s him.”
Even though he’s not the lead singer, I can’t take my eyes off him. Tish wasn’t wrong. Heisattractive, plus he’s a skilled musician. I’m mesmerized by how he moves his fingers, and suddenly, I begin to imagine those fingers on my skin.Shit. What am I thinking?I can’t be having lustful thoughts about a stranger who’s not even supposed to be a snack.
“Oh my. He’s even more attractive on that stage, isn’t he?”
“What?”
Since getting stuck in her cat form many centuries ago, Tish lives vicariously through me. If I agree with her, she won’t leave me alone until I do something about my attraction. I’m not sure I trust myself with any male—human or vampire. I turn around and walk away from the dance floor and the stage.
“Hey! Where are we going? I was enjoying the show.”
“We didn’t come here to have a good time. We have work to do.”
“I don’t see why we can’t do both.”
I ignore her protests and keep walking, searching for anyone of the non-human variety. It doesn’t take long for me to find a group of people of interest. They’re human, but the concentration of power surrounding them tells me there are mages and witches in the group. Two women and two men in their early twenties are standing leisurely with their gazes trained on the stage. They seem relaxed until a third man joins them.
“Did you find out anything useful?” one guy asks.
He’s not bothering to keep his voice low, assuming that no one in the vicinity will overhear him over the loud music. They don’t know a vampire is nearby, more than capable of hearing them clearly.
“No. No one has heard from Hector in months.”
My entire body becomes rigid. Hector was the name of the mage I killed. Father said no one would miss him, but deep down, I knew that statement to be false. My father simply didn’t care.
“It’s not like him to disappear like that,” one of the girls says. “We should have made him come to Boston with us.”
“Do we know if he took a job before his radio silence?” the second guy asks.
“If he did, it was on the down-low,” the man who joined the party replies. “Dad is being extra careful now about the jobs guild associates can take.”
“Because of the fucking asshole vampires.” The first guy throws his plastic cup on the floor. “They ruin everything.”
“Sheesh, they really don’t like vamps,” Tish mutters.
“Do you think Hector took a job from a bloodsucker?” the second girl asks.
“If he did, he was an idiot. Everyone knows it’s not safe to work for vamps.”
“But it wouldn’t be the first time Hector did something stupid,” the second guy points out.
The third guy rubs his face. “If vampires are responsible for Hector’s disappearance, then it must be from Tatiana’s side.”
I bristle.It’s Queen Tatiana, asshole. And why would they immediately assume we’re behind it even though it’s true?
“You’re only saying that because Troy is dating the High Witch’s younger daughter.”
“Oh, they have tea,” Tish chimes in again.
“That’s not why,” the third guy grits out. “It’s a known fact. King Raphael doesn’t employ rogue mages.”
“Maybe not him, but I wouldn’t be so sure all his supporters follow that rule,” the first girl retorts.
“We shouldn’t be discussing this here. If something happened to Hector because he was stupid enough to accept a risky assignment, that’s on him,” the third guy says.
“That’s such an entitled comment coming from your privileged situation, Daniel,” the first guy snaps. “Work has dried up. It’s either take risks or starve. You know what? I’m outta here.”
