“Oh. Right. Sorry. Anyway. So was your now-deceased client. And, EJ, I hate to tell you this, but so was Londyn.”
Into the silence of the car, I murmured, “Double ewww.”
“Sorry, kiddos,” Alex said.
“Yeah. Me too,” EJ said stiffly. “I have to do deeper, and more consistent, background checks on my partners.”
I frowned at my brother. That was…smart. And sad, that we both had to be that cautious. Caution was a big part of why I was celibate.
“Or,” Alex said, “Walter couldbleed and readthem for you.”
“No,” EJ said, a half beat before Walter’s equally pointed, “No.”
It took a lot more blood and time to roll a human since theChange, and the sharing of that much blood tended to result in sex on steroids. “Dinner” with my ex had been mind-blowing.
“Fine,” Alex said. “I’m creating a list of human donors and sex partners, other vamps who were either or both, and running backgrounds on them. Sending you a pic. You know this guy?”
A familiar face appeared on the unicom. “Yeah,” I said. “That’s Konstantin. He was an on-again, off-again part of Asshat’s court, but never slept the day in the lair. Always left before sunrise, all business and making money. Boring guy. I don’t remember his last name. Why?”
Alex’s voice changed, sounding hesitant. “Well. He’s a…he’s supposed to be true-dead, at the end of the war.”
A sense of icy certainty swept through me. Iknewwhat he was going to say as my precog kicked in. Iknew.
“Konstantin was a Rus witch,” I said, ice water running through my veins.
“Yes. One who claimed to be a direct descendant of Prince Oleg. And he’s been, uh, staying over lately.” Alex paused. “Sorta having…sexual relations with your ex too.”
“Oleg…” The word was strangled. My mouth was suddenly dry, my throat aching. It hurt to talk as fury blossomed through me. “There was a Rus witch. A demon monger. Visiting in my home, during the war. And I didn’t know. Yeah. Now some things are making sense. Konstantin brought the ????? ? ??????? that Londyn used.” Fury and fear knitted together. “We’re up against a Rus. And he’s sleeping with Asshat.”
I let all that information settle inside me.
EJ reached over and took my good hand. His felt like a furnace.
Just as gently, Alex went on. “Walter. Willim Danil Yorath IV has been there as well.”
Walter’s face was impassive in the car’s interior lights.
I thought,All of our enemies. The queen’s enemies. Demons. In one place at one time. Except…I said, “What if the attack was supposed to be at the queen’s soirée and for some reason didn’t happen? We were all there except Walter. Alex. Is Edmund still in town?”
The quiet on the other end lasted too long, but I knew already. I waited. Silent. I glanced at EJ, who canted his head in understanding.
Alex finally said, “This was ‘need to know.’ You know he’s here? As inknowknow?” He meant, with my precog.
“I—Yeah. I know.”
“This complicates things.”
And it did. Because if I knew, then any enemy with a seer could know too.
Cop cars rolled up silently behind our vehicle. No lights. No sirens. Villetti got out of his car and came to Walter’s window. He tossed a bag into the back seat at me. “Jacket.” But he didn’t look at me. His cop eyes were on Walter. “Off the record. How many of you went inside?”
“I was alone,” Walter said. “I can show you exactly where I went and where I stepped.”
“Are you still under the queen’s banner?”
“Theoretically, yes.”
“Good.” The cop looked at EJ. “Hope those battle castanets have some leftover energy. Grab your bags of witchy and tech.” One hand made a twirling motion to include us all. “Let’s go. I need to know if this place is safe for humans. I need witch eyes inside. Ange, if that stick has any Merlin abilities, now’s the time to use them.”
