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“And I hear there was a murder this morning. I would’ve thought you’d be busy, but I suppose mortals have to eat.” Carmichael crossed his leg over his knee and sipped some blood through a straw.

My fork clanged against the bowl as I fought to control my anger. “And exactly how did you know about the murder?”

Carmichael smiled, mouth coated in blood. “You’d be surprised what I know about the goings on around here. Perhaps you’d like to pick my mind for information, my dear. We could get together later in private—”

“The name is Dr. Devaux,” I said, cutting him off. “And that won’t be necessary unless you feel like confessing.”

Carmichael hissed and set his feet on the ground to lean forward into my personal space. His breath smelled of copper and iron as he fixed his pale blue eyes on my hazel ones. “You really should meet privately with me, Doctor.”

The heart-shaped charm I wore beneath my blouse warmed against my chest. Zoe had created it for me, and it worked against glamour.

“I think you’d better leave,” I said.

Carmichael’s grin turned into a sneer. “She’s impervious to glamour?”

“Leave,” I said again, putting magic behind the word.

Carmichael set his glass on the table and spun to go with such gusto I thought he ought to be wearing an actual cape. I watched out the window as he stopped abruptly at the bottom of the steps and froze. He glanced back at the door, and the red in his eyes seen clearly from this distance had me shrinking back in the chair. Behind him, a familiar face approached, distracted by her cell phone. The petite cadet I’d met when I’d first come through the portal to the island with Julian. Jensen, I believed.

She bumped right into the vampire in front of her, and Carmichael spun around to grab her by the shoulders. I gasped as I watched her aura flare orange and connect with a sudden burst of black that looked like it had come off her attacker. I’d never seen any hint of aura on a vampire before. What was that? Was he doing something to her?

After a pause that felt like minutes, though I was sure it was only seconds, he released his hold on her, tugged his turtleneck away from his throat, and walked away, out of sight, leaving the poor girl with a look of shock on her face.

Chapter 3

Holding Court

“You should be careful who you reveal yourself to,” Julian said, bringing my attention back to him. “Not that I didn’t enjoy every second.”

“If he knows everything that goes on around this island as he says, then he’d hear soon enough.” I took another bite of Murphy’s amazing stew as the chimes at the door jingled announcing Jensen’s presence. A glance confirmed that she’d shaken off the vampire’s behavior and was ready for lunch.

“I’d suggest interviewing him as a possible suspect, though I doubt he’d be forthcoming anyway,” Julian said, reclaiming my attention and playing with the wilted celery in his drink.

“I thought you were convinced it wasn’t a vampire?” I challenged, shoveling food in my mouth.

“You made a good point about a vampire covering his or her tracks, though I sincerely doubt Carmichael would stoop to committing the crime himself. Certainly not on the base. But that isn’t to say he doesn’t know something.”

I clutched my copper mug, now half empty, and thought about it.

“If he didn’t kill Maryanne, he’s still guilty of something. He sets off all sorts of psychic alarm bells for me. I even saw Carmichael’s face overlapping the monster that turned my father after he bit my hand at the estate.” It still felt awkward to talk about it, and the fact that Julian was a vampire made it that much stranger. I buried my nose in the drink until I felt Julian reach across the table to touch my arm.

“You saw that?” he asked gently.

“It was the night he bit me. While we were in the midst of helping all those drugged vampires and I was using so much magic. I’m sure it was my brain equating the two moments.” My smile felt strange as I set my empty mug down.

Julian’s eyebrows lowered, but he said nothing.

“We should probably pay and get to work,” I suggested. It was a shame to leave even the small amount in the bowl, but I couldn’t take another bite, and Mama wouldn’t hear of eating leftovers.

“Murphy will put it on the base’s tab.” Julian stood and flashed around to pull my seat out for me.

“This isn’t the 1700s, you know,” I commented as Julian continued opening doors for me all the way to the vamp mobile.

“There are old-fashioned ideals I’m glad to see buried. But behaving with courtesy is not one of them.” Julian started the car.

“Courtesy?” I giggled. “I’ve seen you behave otherwise, especially with the bad guys.”

Julian smiled, and it sent an electric jolt to my core. “Courtesy to those who deserve it then.” He sped off toward the forest.