“We need to confirm whether this really is Sotiris.” Nico raised a hand when two of the others immediately argued that it obviously was the damn sorcerer.
“It’s him,” Maeve said.
“Why?” Nico asked intently.
“He always came to the lake house alone, but when I interviewed to work for him, we met at an office in New York that I assumed was his. It could have been anybody’s, I guess. I never saw him anywhere but the house after that. But that’s not the point. When we finished, it was dark, and he had his driver drop me at the train station on the way to wherever they were going. The driver was a big Hispanic guy. He didn’t say much, but he definitely had an accent.”
“There are a lot of big Hispanic guys in the world,” Nico commented mildly.
“Come on, Nico,” Gabriel protested again. “It’s one more piece of evidence added to what’s already a big pile. Why don’t you want to believe this? Is it the Raphael connection?”
“Hell, no. It’s just. . . . Fuck. We’ve fought this asshole three times in as many years, and he’s still out there. I want to kill him as much as the rest of you, but . . .” He sighed. “You’re right. Maybe I just want to enjoy this moment of victory, all of us back together at last, for a few more days, before we’re back at war again.” He rubbed his face. “Okay, let’s do it. Gabriel, any reason you need to be back in California right away?”
“The opposite. Raphael wants these killings stopped, and whoever’s responsible found. I’m headed to Mexico with or without all of you.”
“I think I’m insulted,” Damian quipped. “You need me, at least.”
“Why you?” Kato drawled. “Anyone can handle a gun. What he needs is someone who knows magic.”
“Oh, God. Someone get a ruler,” Grace said in mock disgust. “This could take a while.
Maeve, meanwhile, was trying to decide whether she and Dragan really had a role to play in all this. After all, he’d done more than his time with Sotiris.
When Gabriel’s cell pinged softly, he held up one finger in a “just a minute” pause, and started to read. “Update,” he said without looking up. “Vincent made the trip north to the affected villages and interviewed witnesses himself. No one says ‘no,’ when a vampire lord asks personally.”
That last was a low mutter, but it was loud enough to have Nico rolling his eyes, in what seemed to pass for restraint from him when it came to vampire lords. From what Maeve had observed of Nico thus far, he was almost completely the opposite of Sotiris in personality and behavior. Nico’s irreverent attitude must have driven the other sorcerer to distraction. Especially with Nico routinely defeating him in battle, according to Dragan. Losing would have been bad enough, but losing to the beautiful boy-man Nico must have been would have been the worst kind of insult. She bit her cheek to keep from smiling at that image.
“What are you thinking?” Dragan whispered in her ear, reminding her that he, at least, was no boy. He never had been. His instincts had been honed by centuries of torment spent learning how to deal with cruel people who saw him as nothing but a tool to be used for their own purposes. He was an abused child who’d learned how to survive, and those children were sometimes the best at reading the people around them.
She stretched up, intending to kiss his cheek, but he turned, catching her mouth instead. “Later,” she murmured against his lips. She would have grabbed another kiss, but Gabriel had apparently finished reading his text. He typed a quick reply, then looked up.
“Message was from Jared. Raphael’s lieutenant,” he added for anyone who didn’t know. “Vincent got several descriptions of the mystery box Sotiris used. They vary slightly, but the particulars are all the same. One of the witnesses even admitted he snagged a photo. Jared says the quality sucks, but he’s sending it anyway. Raphael believes the photo’s distortion is the result of whatever magic Sotiris is using, but it still shows enough detail that it might be useful.”
“I doubt he phrased it that politely,” Nico commented in a dry voice.
“Jared doesn’t say,” Gabriel replied blandly, but Damian snickered.
“Send the file to Lili,” Nico said. “She’ll clean it up and send it back to us.”
Gabriel nodded and tapped his phone a bit. Clearly, Nico was the one in charge, while the guys treated each other just like the brothers Dragan had claimed they were.
Kato stood suddenly. “We’re out of here,” Grace announced as Kato pulled her to her feet. “There’s a beautiful tub for two waiting in our room, and it’s calling my name.”
“TMI!” Damian’s mate, Casey, called playfully, but murmured a soft, “Don’t get too hot,” when she leaned in to exchange air kisses with Grace.
“You have a hotel?” Nico asked, when she and Dragan stood with the others. “You can stay here. There’s plenty of room.”
“You can stay with us,” Grace said. “Or, I mean, at our hotel. I’m sure there are rooms available, and it’s very nice. Oceanfront.”
Maeve gave the other woman a grateful smile. She was sure Nico’s guest rooms were lovely. The house was beautiful and right on the water. But she was also sure he’d keep Dragan up for hours, wanting to catch up on their years apart. But it had been a long day and night. She needed time alone with Dragan to absorb everything that had happened, everything they’d learned, and discuss what might happen next. And what their role was, what her role was.
“Let me call,” Grace offered, but Maeve waved away the offer.
“No, no. I’ll do it. What’s the hotel?” she said, pulling out her cell phone.
“Marriott in Fort Lauderdale. It’s only about ten miles from here and right on the sand. Beautiful view, if you get the right room.”
“Got it,” Maeve murmured when Grace came to stand next to her. “They have rooms. Let’s see. Any recommendations?”
The other woman pointed. “That’s what we have. Big tub.”
Maeve laughed, but tapped her phone screen a few times, then looked up with a smile. “And done. The magic of modern technology.”
Grace laughed. “We can have breakfast together in the morning.”
“It’s already morning,” Hana said with a yawn. “Dinner is more our speed.”
“Yes, yes, we know,” Grace said, arching one brow. “Though I still don’t believe it takes hours for the two of you to get showered and ready.”