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Rio poked her head out of the bathroom and said, “Breow?”
“Yeah, I’m all right. ” I wasn’t, but she was a cat. She didn’t need to hear about my problems. She bounced across the room and up onto the couch with me, rubbing her head against my hand, demanding I pet her. I scratched her behind the ears and under the chin.
The trilling sound of my phone came out of my purse near the door. I let out a groan and hauled my still-sore sack of bones off the couch to collect my cell.
“Hello?”
“Where the hell have you been?” Mercedes’s voice was high with panic but still managed to convey annoyance.
“It’s a long story. ”
The sound she made could only be described as a coughing growl. “You’ve been gone for three weeks. I’d say it would have to be one hell of a long story. ”
“Cedes, I promise I’ll tell you all a
bout it. Just not tonight. ”
“You can’t brush this off, not this time. You need to explain why I just got an unsolved homicide across my desk for Brigit. The NYPD doesn’t usually investigate the undead. ”
“She’s dead-dead,” I replied quietly.
“What?”
“Brigit is gone. Mercy killed her. ”
“Your mother Mercy?”
“I don’t know of any other homicidal werewolf bitches with that name. ” I rubbed Rio’s ears, focusing on the cat so I wouldn’t start crying again. After my experience in the mirror room, I wasn’t sure I even could cry.
“Oh, Secret…”
“Can you give me a pass now? I promise I’ll tell you everything. ”
My front door opened, and Rio tensed as Holden came in. The cat hissed and darted under the armchair.
“Cedes, I have to go. ”
“Secret, I—”
“I promise I’ll call you tomorrow. ” I hung up before she could protest.
“You should probably come outside,” Holden said.
“I don’t feel like moving. ”
“You should really come outside. ”
I climbed to my feet, my body protesting with each movement, and followed him out to the front street. Lucas was leaning against the side of a town car. Dominick stood a short distance away looking more serious than I was used to seeing him. Desmond himself was standing near the trunk, running his fingers nervously over it.
I stared at them all warily and said nothing.
“Are you…back?” Desmond asked. He’d been gone when I left Calliope’s, and now I knew where he’d been.
“I am. ”
He didn’t say anything, just gave a nod.
“Is she really gone?” Lucas asked, referring to Kellen.
