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“Is it that bad?”
“It’s not out of the question for a vampire as old as Sig to take some time to himself, but it’s not like him to vanish without a word. He always tells someone where he’s going so we can coordinate accordingly.”
“How long has he been gone?”
“About four days.”
Four days for a two-thousand-year-old vampire wasn’t all that long, but in terms of being a Tribunal leader and arguably one of the most important vampires in the world, it was concerning.
“What about Ingrid?” Ingrid had been Sig’s daytime servant for the last seven-hundred-some-odd years. She
was still human, but her connection to Sig kept her young and beautiful, as if she were a vampire herself. She took care of Sig’s business during daylight hours, and if anyone knew where the big guy was, it would be Ingrid.
“No one has heard from her either, but we assume she’s with him. It’s not like him to go anywhere without her.”
“It would have been nice to be able to ask her, though.”
He gave a solemn nod. “This isn’t some spur-of-the-moment decision, Secret. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it was vital to call you in. You and Sig have a connection, and whether or not you want to acknowledge it, I think you’re the right person to find him.”
The connection Holden was referencing was a blood bond that had become more complicated now that I was human. Sig was my father’s grand-sire, and my father’s blood had been given to me in utero to keep me and my mother alive. It’s what had made me a half-vampire half-werewolf once upon a time. That blood was still a part of me, even though I wasn’t a vampire anymore.
Sig was, and would always be, a part of me.
If I was being honest with myself, Sig’s interest in me had been more than a little unnerving. He’d favored me when I’d been nothing but a grunt working for the council, and he’d done things in the time I’d known him that made me think he might even love me.
What that love meant to him, I didn’t know. Was I family? Was I something more? It was impossible to understand what someone so old and powerful was thinking. I learned to accept that Sig would be a part of my life in whatever way he chose.
Holden wasn’t out of line thinking I might be the best choice to find him, though. If there was anyone Sig might come out of hiding for when he wanted others to leave him alone, it would be me. He’d come all the way to the Canadian border to drag me home once.
“This isn’t the greatest time,” I protested.
“I already heard you tell the lanky detective you would be coming home.”
It was amusing that Holden still referred to Tyler as a detective, which was the role he’d had—or pretended to have while actually working for the FBI—when we’d both lived in New York still.
“You shouldn’t listen in on other people’s conversations, you big snoop.”
“Then you shouldn’t loudly have those conversations outside an open door when you know full well I can hear you.”
“Bah.”
“Do you need to stop at your house for anything, or can we go directly to the airport? Your husband was kind enough to give me the use of the pack’s jet.” Ah, so he hadn’t even needed to get a special flight. Desmond’s plane was outfitted the same way as the supernatural-friendly airlines, as Des had found it financially beneficial to have a plane he could rent to the vampires from time to time. I wasn’t aware the Tribunal was included in his frequent flyers club.
“You talked to Desmond?”
“For once he seemed more than happy to help me with something.”
I’m sure he was thrilled, considering it meant bringing me back to the city earlier than expected. That poor jet was getting a lot of mileage on it in recent months. The nice thing about using I plane I owed was it meant I didn’t need to explain bringing my sword along with me. Bonus.
“I can’t believe you plotted with my husband to get me back to New York. Is Sig even missing, or are you in cahoots with his plan to make me move their permanently?”
Holden rolled his eyes. “Yes, Desmond and I are known for our incredible capacity to craft sneaky plots together. As if I could keep you there after you learned the truth about our lie, anyway.”
He had a point. Dammit.
“So Sig is really missing, and Desmond was just kind enough to give you our plane for free?”
“I suspect his motives might have been to get you home a few days sooner than usual, but he knows this is a business call. I believe he suggested I keep my cold, dead hands to myself.”
