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“Yeah, I didn’t stop for anything on the way home. Bellingham is a long drive from here on an empty stomach.” She let out a long sigh and leaned forward, eyeing the table. “Plate, please?”
Hanna handed her a bowl and Nerissa filled it with chili and sprinkled cheese on top, then piled three biscuits on the border. She slid into the empty chair next to Delilah and tucked her napkin in her shirt collar. Nerissa had expensive tastes and she was wearing a designer silk shirt—there was no way she was going to chance spilling anything greasy on it.
As she began to shovel the food in her mouth—my girl liked to eat—I glanced at the clock. “There’s a Vampires Anonymous meeting tonight. I have to go. Honey, I know you’re tired, but Roman wants…he asked if you’d come with me.”
Nerissa tore her gaze away from her food to stare at me for a moment, but I kept my mouth shut and gave her a short shake of the head. I didn’t want to discuss Roman’s obsession with watching the two of us in front of everybody. I’d fill her in before we left, in private.
I looked around at the others. “Delilah, Camille…would you and Morio and Smoky come with us? Last night I met Roman on the Dream-Time and he said he’d ask around about Andrees. With any luck, he might have some information for us tonight.”
Nerissa groaned. “I hoped we could just stay home.” I winced as she added, “But since you have to go, of course I’ll come with you. Let me take a quick shower first, after I eat, and change into something more comfortable.”
“Don’t show too much skin,” I muttered.
She snorted. “Right, go to a VA meeting decked out for clubbing? I don’t think so.” And then, before I could say anything, she plunged back into her food.
After a moment, she stopped. “You know, the convention had a lot of people there but I did notice something, now that I think about it. There was one man—the first day I was there, every time I turned around, he seemed to be staring at me, but I didn’t think anything of it. Guys do that to me. But when I think about it, he was at every meeting I had that day. I can’t remember much about him except that he seemed nondescript. He wore glasses, had short hair, average height. About my age. If anything, he made me think of a librarian, but I was so busy focusing on the speakers that I didn’t really pay much attention.”
“Did he ever speak to you?” Morio leaned in. “Did he touch you? Touch anything you were carrying?”
Nerissa spooned another bite of chili into her mouth and tapped her biscuit on the side of her plate as she thought. “You know, now that I think about it, he did. There was one point later in the day, where I got into the elevator and he crowded in, too. It was full—there must have been ten people in there—and he scooted next to me and then, he lurched a little and caught himself on my shoulder. He apologized, and I didn’t think anything of it, except that I was glad he hadn’t grabbed my butt.”
“Ten to one, he’s spying on us and was scoping you out.” Morio glanced over at Shade. “They’ll be gathering as much info on us as we are on them. They being Gulakah’s forces.”
“I think you’re right,” Shade said. He turned to Nerissa. “You say you only saw him the first day of the conference?”
“Yes. I guess I thought he was only there one day. Like I said, I would never have noticed him if he hadn’t been around me so much. In fact, I thought it was odd that he didn’t introduce himself.” She polished off her food and Hanna carried the bowl to the counter.
“He probably wanted to make sure you weren’t meeting with other allies there. After the first day, he probably figured out it was just a conference, and not some clandestine plot.” Shade leaned forward, resting on his elbows as he folded his hands together.
“You’re probably right. Why do you think he was watching me?”
“Because you’re aligned with us. You’re Menolly’s fiancée.” Shade paused. “But he had to know enough about you and Nerissa to know she’d be at the conference.”
I frowned. “Good observation. Who knew you were attending?”
She shrugged. “A lot of people. Everybody at the FH-CSI. You guys all knew. And a number of my friends. And of course, the conference organizers and anybody who had access to the attendee list.”
“Hard to trace through, then.” I was about to suggest Camille try scrying when the doorbell rang. Since everybody else was busy eating, I answered it. Lindsey Cartridge stood on the porch. By the looks of her flat tummy, she’d had her baby.
“Lindsey—we haven’t seen you in several months. Come on in.”
Lindsey was the director of the Green Goddess Women’s Shelter for battered women, and she was also the high priestess of an FBH pagan coven of witches. While the magic of full-blooded humans differed greatly from magic like my sister and Morio used, it was still be a powerful force, and Lindsey was an advanced practitioner.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt your meal,” she said as I led her into the kitchen. In the brightness of the overhead lighting, she looked tired. In fact, I’d never seen her looking so worn out.
“No problem.” Camille jumped up. “Here, sit down.” She motioned to the rocking chair. “Are you all right? I heard you had your baby—how’s everything going?”
Lindsey smiled and gratefully sank into the chair. “Everything at home is fine. Little Feddrika is growing like a weed. She’s almost two months old now and is healthy and happy.”
“Little Feddrika?” I grinned at her, making sure my fangs were reined in. I didn’t like intimidating friends.
“Yes.” Lindsey ducked her head, a silly grin on her face. “I sincerely hope that Feddrah-Dahns doesn’t mind, but we kind of named our daughter after him since he provided the charm that helped me get pregnant.”
The fact that she’d named her daughter after a unicorn prince made me laugh. It just seemed so par for the course in our life. I clapped her lightly on the shoulder. “I don’t think he’d mind. Do you, Camille?”
Camille had the same grin on her face. “No, Feddrah-Dahns would be pleased, and we’ll tell him next time we see him. But what brings you here on such a rainy night? I get the impression this isn’t a social call.”
I had the same feeling, and a quiet sense of dread began to slip over me.
