Page 31
“Were you following me?” I ask. “Or do you spend all day waiting in hotel lobbies now?”
“Your BMW is easy to follow.”
“I’ll tell Sava you said hi.”
“We need to talk.”
Why does everyone suddenly want to talk to me?
He gestures toward the sofa where Julian sat a few nights ago. Kosta’s piercing pale-blue eyes look almost colorless in daylight, surrounded by fine lines that make him seem tired rather than old. His blond hair sits somewhere between polished and effortless. His gray suit makes him look like a lawyer, but he’s not.
He’s Ordo Morituri. A necromancer who chose the path of righteousness, whatever that means. Bullshit, mostly. They like to describe themselves as guardians of balance in the city. Not the police, exactly. They don’t care much when supernaturals kill one another, unless it gets to weird numbers. They take more care of humans. Somehow, they have this moral code in them that doesn’t allow them to just walk by.
“I know you sold stardust to Julian,” Kosta says.
“Selling stardust isn’t illegal, as far as I know.”
“For now.” He smiles. I give him my pity face.
“I’m looking for Julian,” he says.
“Get in line. Apparently, everyone is looking for the baby vampire prince. Why does everyone suddenly need him so badly?”
“He wasn’t random. Marcus searched for a long time before choosing someone to turn. He looked through all influential families, old money, old bloodlines, human connections. He wanted someone special.”
“So ask someone who hates vampires. Go to the wolves. They seem pretty happy the kid is gone.”
“I don’t think it was the wolves.” Kosta looks toward the window, where the city glints through pale afternoon light. “Julian was different. He represented the promise of a new beginning. He cared about his human family and took the Von Batten legacy seriously. He wanted to bring a new future for this city, with vampires, wolves and others. To build together, not to destroy.”
“A vampire with morals. Spare me.” I laugh.
“Julian didn’t drink blood,” Kosta says. “He lived on stardust.”
That shuts me up.
“What? I saw a dead girl here.”
Kosta’s expression sharpens. “What girl?”
“Apparently she is, was, a blood witch.”
Kosta looks genuinely surprised.
“Why are you looking for him anyway?” I ask.
“Julian worked closely with us.”
“Really? I thought vampires were the biggest human abusers in the city.”
“They are.” He says it without flinching. “But they can control themselves when they want to. Marcus is too permissive. He lets the young ones run wild, dropping bodies wherever they feel like it. The city is growing. The Carusos are building everywhere, people keep moving in, and to vampires, that means a larger feeding pool.” Kosta’s jaw tightens. “Julian was supposed to help control that.”
“And now he’s gone.”
“Yes.”
I glance back at the spotless carpet. Then I remember Julian’s soft eyes on me. Was he a monster with a good heart? Or just another victim of his own innocence?
“This witch girl,” Kosta says. “Did you know her connection to Julian?”
