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I released a somewhat shaky breath. “This really does sound more like Directorate business than anything I could help with.”
She gave me that face. The one that said I’d better do what she wanted or die. And yet I don’t think her muscles even twitched—it was more an odd sort of darkness that crept into her eyes.
“We believe this creature—whatever it is—might have come through when the first gate was opened. The timing is suspicious.”
I shoved away the useless surge of guilt. There was nothing I could do now except get to the other two keys and prevent them from being used. Because if they were, then it really would be hell on earth.
“So where are the bodies?”
“The first four victims have already undergone their final deaths via sunlight, as was their wish. The fifth, however, still lies in state at his home.”
Meaning vampires made wills, like the rest of us did? That was something I hadn’t realized, but I guess it did make sense. Even vampires didn’t live forever—though I guess they could, if they were lucky enough. Or unlucky enough, as the case might be. “When was he murdered?”
“He was found an hour ago.” She paused, studying me. “Why?”
“Because if the thing that killed him did come from hell, then it might have left behind some sort of resonance that we could use to track it down.” According to Azriel, most demons and whatnot that broke through the hell portal left such a trail. I added, “But it would dissipate with time.”
“Then you’ll need to get there ASAP. But I would advise you to go to Dark Earth immediately and talk to the manager, Brett Marshall.”
Which wasn’t a very vampire-sounding name, but then, the newer vamps tended to have regular monikers. “Why so urgent?”
“Because he is a friend, and I wish you to talk to him first.”
“And?” There had to be another explanation, because I wasn’t buying the first one at all. From what I’d seen, Hunter wasn’t the type to have friends. And even if I was totally wrong, she didn’t seem the type who did favors for them. She was more of a “what’s in it for me” type of vampire.
“And because,” she said, “Dark Earth is no place for a non-vampire to be after dark.”
Fear quickstepped into my veins. “Meaning?”
“Meaning,” she said softly, “that even the presence of your dark angel could not guarantee that you’d walk out of that club alive.”
Chapter 3
The sick sensation of fear settled deep in my stomach. “So how is going to this club in the daylight any safer?”
“The bar will be almost empty, and Brett is powerful enough to control the few who are there. He has guaranteed your safety this afternoon.”
Which didn’t mean I would be safe. Not if the place was as dangerous as Hunter was making it out to be. “What about viewing the body?”
“I’ll send you his name and address. He lived alone, so you can choose your own time to go there. He will lie in state until his maker arrives to officiate his final death in a few days.”
Makers officiated the final deaths? That was something I hadn’t known. “Have autopsies been done on all five victims?”
“On what remained, yes. Results will be slow to come, though, as we need to keep this private.”
Which suggested the autopsy was being done in-house via high council resources rather than through the Directorate. “And what, exactly, do you expect me to find at this bar?”
She shrugged—an oddly elegant movement. “Talk to Brett. Look around the bar. You may see or sense something that the Cazadors—who don’t have your psychic skills or your knowledge when it comes to the gray fields—wouldn’t be capable of.”
Given that they had Cazadors capable of astral travel, I actually doubted they’d have any less knowledge of the gray fields than I did. Although I guess astral travelers were restricted to this plane and weren’t able to travel on the fields themselves. “I’ll give you a call once I’ve gone there.” And gotten out alive.
“Be sure that you do.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to retort that it really didn’t matter if I did or not because she’d get the report from the Cazador who’d been assigned to follow me around anyway. But I resisted the urge. Right now, it was better if Hunter didn’t know I knew about my follower.
I signed off without bothering to say good-bye and shoved my phone back into my purse.
“There goes your afternoon nap,” Ilianna commented darkly. She’d expressed her opinion about my working for Hunter more than once, but had finally stopped harassing me about it. She knew, like I did, that there was no real choice given that half the council currently wanted me dead.
