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I took a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. "My sister went missing a few months ago," I said, my voice shaking. "She was a witch like me, and I thought maybe she had stumbled upon your coven and gotten into trouble. I was just trying to find out what happened to her."
"That's random." He leaned forward. "What else can you tell me about your sister?"
"You visited my aunt's shop before she died. You knew her well maybe. Mistress Naima ring a bell."
"She never liked me," he whispered. "I don't know why. It wasn't my fault that all of her precious orphans kept coming to me instead of her.”
"What do you mean?"
"Your Aunt Naima had a thing for picking up strays," he said.
I shook my head. "Cats?"
Nostro burst out laughing. "Humans. Not animals. Although I've heard you witches have allied with werewolves. My orphanage sits on the outskirts of town. It ismyorphanage. I built it decades ago and I pay all of the bills. That’s something your aunt never understood.”
"Your orphanage?"
"Yes." He sighed. "I own an orphanage. I may be known as a ruthless mafia in the city, but I push more than products known to give someone a quick temporary fix. I have a kind heart too. No one should be homeless. No one should be without kin. So, I pick strays off the streets. So what? The ones I take in aren’t better off alone. Not in this world. Trust me. I never force the bite upon anyone. I only offer to those whom I see potential in."
"So you collect orphans with no family just to turn them?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "That is not true. You weren't listening. I said I offer those with potential the bite."
"It's a dishonest way to take advantage of an orphan's unfortunate fate," I said.
He frowned as it seemed he didn't like being ridiculed. "They are adults and are well aware of the consequences. But you didn't come here to talk about my endeavors, did we? Your sister. Was she an orphan?"
"No. When you visited my aunt's shop you were particularly interested in a specific artifact. A dagger." I closed my eyes briefly, trying to create a visual for him. "It was rusted. Very old. Caked in mud. There might have been a symbol or two on it."
"I remember. Your sister is the treasure hunter, isn't she?"
I nodded. "You pursued her and now she's missing."
"Oh, wait a minute there. How do you know I pursued her?”
"In the vision, you told my Aunt Naima that you would go after her to find out where she got the dagger."
Nostro scratched his chin. "And I did. Why not ask your aunt about all this?”
I swallowed. “Because she is dead.”
Nostro caught my gaze. He seemed astonished. “How?”
“A fellow witch killed her.” Sadness laced my voice and the pain that overflowed my heart was a reminder that I would never get over her death.
“You witches are…spiteful to each other,” Nostro grunted.
“I am not spiteful.” I leaned forward. "When did you last see Sydney?” My hands were cupped and I was ashamed of myself for begging the vampire lord for this information.
He leaned back in his chair, spreading his thighs wide. His brows furrowed deep in thought. "I found her late the next evening. She was digging for clues, I think. I found her near an old mining sight."
"A mining site?"
"Yes, I asked her why she was digging in the dirt because she was so muddy and she nearly blasted me into a centuries-long slumber. She wields mighty power. She is very dangerous, that one." He shuddered, and then rose from the chair.
"What did you she say?"
"After I begged her not to stake me, you mean?"
