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Looooooong story, negotiations with Vampremacy reopened. T says you can come to dinner tonight if you want.

I wait a few seconds, but that’s all, so I send back a yes to dinner and then go downstairs to find Pierce. Maybe he’ll know what’s going on.

Pierce knows nothing, and we both wait impatiently for Tristan to get back, though in Pierce’s case, it’s hard to tell. Is the whole constipated-control thing something that comes naturally to vampires, or do they learn how to do it after they’ve lived for a century?

Tristan doesn’t get back until after five, and my plan to eavesdrop while he updates Pierce is thwarted when he chivvies me out the door and into the car. There’s a vampire behind the wheel who I vaguely recognise from the party last night, and as Tristan slides into the back seat with me, she turns her head and asks, “Maria Barale’s house in Kingsford?”

“Yes,” Tristan confirms before I have time to panic. She wasn’t talking to me.

“You’re coming to my grandparents’ house?” I check as the car pulls smoothly into traffic.

“Dropping you off,” he corrects. “I’ll pick you up later. Your grandmother assured me that the house has adequate security, but for the next few days I don’t want you travelling without a vampire in attendance.”

“You talked to my grandmother?” Holy hell, the hits keep coming.

He looks at me as though I’ve said something stupid. “Of course.”

I leave that alone, because there are more important things on my mind. “So what happened today? Adrian said negotiations with Vampremacy have reopened.”

Distaste flashes across Tristan’s face. “That name is ridiculous.”

“So are they,” I point out. “We humans don’t have many advantages over vampires, so we have to take our wins where we can.”

He shakes his head. “Negotiations have reopened,” he confirms. “Shortly after I arrived at the DeMartes’ home this morning, Geoffrey called. He claims that after we left the party last night, he went to Steven’s lodgings to confront him, saw the trophies he’d taken from the attack victims, and killed him.”

I squint as I try to reason that out. “Huh?”

“Exactly,” Tristan says dryly.

“Start from the beginning. Why’d he go to confront Steven? Geoffrey doesn’t care if humans get attacked—that’s the whole philosophy of Vampremacy.”

“He doesn’t. In fact, he said that at first he didn’t believe that Steven had attacked you at all, and he went to hear his side of the story. According to Geoffrey, it’s implausible that Steven would have fled when he heard me approaching, especially if he had my feeder in his grasp.” Tristan’s voice is dangerously close to a growl as he finishes, but I’m too busy absorbing what he said to notice… much.

“He didn’t believe Steven attacked me? But—” I stop as Tristan’s gaze slices toward the vampire in the front seat. If Geoffrey thinks I was lying, then Misha didn’t tell him that he saved me. Which means it’s not likely that the whole attack was a plot. Or at least, if it was, Misha saving me wasn’t part of it.

“That bastard,” I say, trying to sound indignant. “As if I’d make up something like that!” Tristan obviously hasn’t mentioned Misha to anyone either, but now I desperately want to know why Misha stepped in. Is it, like Tristan thinks, just because he doesn’t approve of someone harming another vampire’s “possession”? Or is this part of another game, something we don’t know about yet?

“Indeed,” Tristan murmurs, and although it’s not evident in his voice, I see a gleam of amusement in his eyes. “He went to Steven’s lodgings, and although Steven at first denied the attack, when Geoffrey saw the trophies, he guessed Steven was lying and… applied pressure. Steven confessed that he’d attempted to frame me and had attacked you on a whim, and then Geoffrey ‘executed’ him.” He holds my gaze meaningfully for a moment, and then when realisation hits and my eyes widen, he adds, “He apologises on behalf of Blood Reign for Steven’s actions while he was associated with them and denies any knowledge thereof. He also apologised to the DeMartes for leaving Steven’s remains in their garden, claiming that he did so in the heat of the moment.”

My head spins. If Geoffrey had actually spoken to Steven, he would know about Misha. The fact that he doesn’t implies that Steven was already dead when Geoffrey went looking for him—if he even did. The whole part about leaving the head and ashes in the heat of the moment, then coming back hours later all calm and apologetic seems farfetched.

“At least this proves that you’re not connected to the attacks on humans,” I say to keep my end of the conversation up. I would bet real money that Misha killed Steven and left him at the DeMartes’ to muddy the waters. What I don’t know is why.

Or what Geoffrey’s agenda is now.

Chapter 30

I’m not sure what I was expecting my grandparents to be like. Maybe I had a mental image of an elderly couple who wear wire-framed glasses, conservative yet comfortable clothes, and keep a stash of mints in their pockets. They would dote on their grandkids, not understand how an iPhone works, and possibly need walkers.

I was so wrong.

“Go inside,” Tristan orders with a nudge to my back. “I’ll collect him at ten.”

My grandmother nods. “Thank you, Tristan. We appreciate you bringing him.” She reaches out to grab my arm and tow me inside. “Come on, Adam. Dinner’s ready.”

My grandfather closes the door, then glances through the narrow window beside it. A moment later he says, “He’s gone.”

“You’re the image of your father,” my grandmother says. “Except for the eyes. You have your mother’s eyes.” She shakes her head. “We’re so glad to meet you. I’m Maria. Your nan.”