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My response was equally soft. “He took off after he saw his brother was okay.”
She took me by the arm and hustled me around the corner and out of sight of the hotel. “You lost him?”
“No. He’s on his way back to Brooklyn.” I pointed east with my switchblade.
I didn’t even question the lie this time. My entire being was focused on one goal: Protect Zaq from my alpha.
Her cobalt eyes glowed in the darkness like a Siamese cat’s, the rims a paler, vampire-blue. “You let him leave without you?”
Something about her tone sent a chill chasing up my spine. I squared my shoulders. “Yeah. He’s been straight with me. And he knows his brothers’ lives are on the line—he’s not going to try anything funny.”
“Give me the address of the room you rented.”
My mouth went dry with fear. “In Brooklyn?”
She hissed in irritation. “Yes, of course.”
“Can I ask why?”
“Because as of now, you’re off Operation Angel. I’ll handle Zaquiel from here.”
I lifted my chin and somehow managed to reply calmly. “That’s not necessary. I’ve got this.”
“No, you don’t. You’ve been here for over a week now, and Karoly Kral is still standing. In fact, he’s won a few more primuses to his side with his story about Zaq’s kidnapping.”
“Zaq tried to get to Karoly and couldn’t.” Another lie, but I didn’t care. “He’s gone dark, and you know yourself Karoly’s been out of the city half the time.”
She made an impatient sound. “I don’t have time for this. Clearly, Zaquiel either can’t or won’t contact his father, and you’re too close to him to think straight. Now give me that address.”
“He trusts me—”
A flash of silver. “Zaquiel’s location.” She touched a switchblade to my throat. “Now. That’s an order, slayer. The Krals have been a pain in SI’s ass for too damn long.”
I moistened my lips. “Bedford-Stuyvesant. Second floor.” I gave her an address on Atlantic Avenue where I’d once stayed.
She retracted the blade and jerked her chin for me to leave. “Report to your lieutenant. He’ll tell you where to go next.”
“Yes, Alpha.” My hands were shaking. I pressed them to my sides to hide it.
I’d lied to my alpha. Again.
And this time I wouldn’t get away with it. I’d gone rogue, a death sentence for a slayer.
My mouth had made the decision before my mind caught up, but I was all in now. For Zaq.
“And Reaper?” Crow stepped back. “You’re lucky I’m not writing you up for insubordination. Now get the fuck out of here.”
“Yes, Alpha.” I retracted my switchblade, stepped back into the shadows—and took off for Times Square and Zaq.
28
ZAQ
Times Square isn’t actually a square, it’s a bow tie, with triangles on the north and south, and the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue at the center. I dropped out of the shadows at the bow tie’s south end. The video walls lit the seething carnival of humanity with an eerie radiance.
I pulled on my human glamour and dodged through the crowd, keeping an eye out for Kral vampires. Times Square after midnight is prime hunting ground. And yeah, the vampire-human treaties say we’re not supposed to feed on unwilling humans, but it’s not hard to find a willing human when you’re beautiful and filthy rich.
I didn’t seen anyone I knew, though. The call must have gone out to get to the Hotel Garnet.
