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I sighed deeply. But perhaps this was a good opportunity to do things ethically for once. “What were you wanting help with?”

“Tittwell wants to find more psychics to talk to and help. Intel shows there’s a new one in Sedona, Arizona that MorningStar is going after.”

“You want me to get to them first? Isn’t that…Lieutenant Carver’s job?” I asked suspiciously.

Titwell’s giant eyes lit up as he bounced, making his white lab coat skim back and forth on the surface of the desk. “Yes! But the lieutenant has informed the general he is unable to execute the extraction or risk his cover.”

Alarm bells blared in my head as a dark shadow fell over Titwell. Reigning in my temper, I took my time speaking. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Tittwell’s pointy ears flattened against his head as I towered over him, even on the desk. His fingers twisted in his coat as he contemplated me. “The lieutenant asked the general not to send the good doctor. But Tittwell thinks she’d be perfect for the job.”

So Julian didn’t want me in on this. And he’d be around if he was working with MorningStar and trying to keep his cover intact. A smile spread over my face, and I wondered if it looked evil or more like Mama’s all-is-well mask.

“I think you’re absolutely right, Tittwell. I’ll take the job. Send me the details.” Then I spun on my heels and took the elevator to my own office.

Chapter Eight

Talk About Creepy Vampires

The last thing I expected was to find the general waiting in my office when I arrived. I’d never seen him anywhere other than the massive, football-sized command center and Daphne’s basement when it was a murder crime scene. His enormous form hunched almost comically in one of my visitor chairs. I suppressed the amusement and met him with a serious face as I took my place behind my glass desk.

A glance showed me that my computer terminal was still asleep and locked, and I got no psychic impressions that he’d messed with it at all. Not that he needed to stoop to that route if he wanted to spy on me. I was sure he had access to everything and everyone here.

“General, how can I help you this morning?”

“I want to follow up on the report concerning the illegal experimentation Dr. Orpheus was running. You are the only one named on the paperwork who I haven’t spoken to as of yet. I trust you are sufficiently recovered from the ordeal.”

The formality of the words was far from a question concerning my well-being, so I nodded and folded my hands before me, waiting.

The general cleared his throat. “What was your business on base after hours the other night?”

I’d expected these questions and had read over the reports Sam and Daphne had sent me copies of the day before. “I had a vision while at the beach with my sister. I reported it to my superior and the relevant shifter sect liaison. We immediately headed to the base with the hope of intercepting anything currently happening and letting you know, especially with the understanding that children might be involved. Unfortunately, you were out, despite your habit of being on base at all times.” I smiled politely and batted my eyelids for good measure. After all, it was happening right beneath his nose. Either he knew and sanctioned it, making this all pretense, or he was ignorant of a major operation mere feet away.

“And what led you to Orpheus’s office?” he asked, ignoring any inuendo on my part.

“The elevator. It only takes you where you need to be, so we knew we needed to be there.” The general dealt in crisp, no-nonsense facts, so I didn’t elaborate with the rage I felt, knowing something so horrible was happening on base.

“How did you break the wards?”

I paused. To my knowledge, no one had told him there were wards on the trap door. Though I supposed it was a foregone conclusion. I decided to go the safe route. “I come from a family of witches, General. Simple wards are a snap for anyone who knows what they’re doing, whether wielding strong magic or not.”

Grunting, the general stood and wrapped on my desk a couple of times with his massive fist. “I’ll let you know if I have any further questions.”

“Have a nice day,” I said with a little wave. But he didn’t move.

“There’s another topic we need to discuss. Are you aware the vampires have chosen a new leader? Silas Bentkirk. One of the ancient ones. Older than Carver by quite a few centuries—maybe millennia. He wants a meeting with you and has agreed to let us examine the crime scene, or what’s left of it. Go down there today.”

“Will do,” I said, standing to see him to the elevator.

The moment it disappeared, I leaned back against the wall of windows with a sigh. So much for keeping me away from the mansion. Not that I planned on staying away anyhow. Silas Bentkirk… I rolled the name around in my mind, and it elicited a cold trickle down my spine. Before going down there, I needed to find as much as I could on my father’s mysterious benefactor from SHADE’s database. Cracking my knuckles, I went to work.

By lunchtime, I had exactly nothing of use on Silas Bentkirk. Not even a picture. Just plenty of filler about his philanthropic efforts with a whole host of random non-profits. It seemed Mr. Bentkirk didn’t have a particular cause he cared to support, just plenty of old money to throw around to make himself look good. I tried checking into the old vampire angle, too, seeing what info there was on ancient bloodsuckers. The older, the stronger, seemed to hold true, as did the concept of less sensitivity to things like daylight and silver.

I was expected today, but I had one stop to make before I went down to the vamp’s side of the island. It was the best place for lunch anyway, aside from the Rusty Shifter pub. Mama would have plenty of leftovers in the fridge while Zoe loaded me up with charms. And I could make sure everyone else was working on finding leads to the location of the missing kids.

* * *

It was strange standing in front of the door to the vampire estate without Julian at my side after Mabel, the island ghost taxi had screeched off. It wasn’t like the ghost of a murdered witch tied within feet of her daisy covered VW bug could act as backup. Not that I needed anyone. I was fine on my own, and I had the official title of SHADE investigator to keep me safe.