I dashed across the street and ran down the sidewalk, searching for Blue. There wasn’t any sign of commotion going on, just people having a good time. I asked five or six people who looked like they’d been out there a while if they’d seen anything, but it wasn’t until I reached a corner that a man directed me to the right. I shoved through crowds of young people pouring in and out of the bars. Finally, away from all the people, I spotted a man hunched over by a brick wall. A familiar pair of boots stuck out from the person sitting in front of him.
Matteo looked over his shoulder at me, a few small braids mingled in his long hair. He was crouched in front of Blue.
“Is she okay?” I asked, out of breath. “Blue, are you hurt? You can shift in the alley. Help me—”
“No,” she cut in. “I can’t shift.”
Matteo gave me a grim look. “The Relic poisoned her.”
“What the hell are you even doing here, Chitah?”
He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t have to be insulting. I wanted to ensure Blue is safe.”
“And where’s Graham?”
“He got away,” Blue said, her voice barely audible. “I can’t shift, and I can’t run. I think he gave me twice the dosage. It’s not just chest pain and a headache, but my muscles are weak.”
I knelt beside her. “What happened?”
“He confessed everything. It’s not a virus, Raven. Thank the fates for that. It’s just a personal vendetta because of a childhood trauma involving bullies, and he’s taking it out on alphas.”
“I shouldn’t have sent that message. I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter. He poisoned me as soon as I sat down. He had it all planned. I tried to hold him, but I didn’t have the strength. He said if we go after him, he’ll give the ingredients to a buyer. They’ll use it on every Shifter—not just alphas. I think he has the file on his phone, because he threatened to send it to his contact.”
“Then I need to find his ass for the cure.”
When I stood, Matteo seized my wrist. “Blue doesn’t have to die. If you do nothing, he’ll call with the antidote.”
I yanked my arm out of his grasp. “Sure he will. That’s what guys like him do: stay true to their word. He’s not a Chitah. His word isn’t his bond, and he’s already killed countless people—including children. Do you really think he cares what happens to her?”
Matteo locked his fierce eyes on mine. “He’ll call. He has to.”
I turned my attention to Blue, deciding she needed to make the call. “What do you want me to do?”
Blue sighed and rubbed her chest. “Go after him. He went to the subway.”
“You can’t.” Matteo looked up at me pleadingly. “Then he won’t give her the antidote. Blue will die, and you’ll be responsible for what is unleashed.”
I pulled a dagger from my belt. “I have an effective way of charming men. No Vampire needed.”
“And if you fail, you’ll have her blood on your hands.”
“He’s not going to call. We’re not getting a cure sent to us by a messenger boy.”
“He stands to lose more if he lets her die.”
“I want you to find him,” Blue snapped. “No one will care if I die. I don’t work for the higher authority—I’m a nobody. But don’t let my death be in vain. He’s going to murder people regardless, so we need to stop him. You’re a Chitah. You can scent his trail.”
Matteo flashed his canines. “I’m not leaving you to die alone. I won’t go!”
I tossed Blue her phone. “Then I will.”
Ignoring the law, I flashed toward the subway. Most of the bystanders were drunk and would probably blame the alcohol if they did see anything. I needed to catch up before Graham got on a train. When I reached the station, I bounded down the stairs. A couple blocked me, and I almost slipped when passing them. Then I sprinted down a long tunnel, forced to run human speed since there were people around.
No wonder he wanted to meet in a busy section of town. He knew we wouldn’t be able to use our powers or weapons around humans, and that would give him a better chance of escaping if needed. Niko had once told me never to let an enemy choose a meeting place because they would always have the advantage by selecting a familiar location. But I couldn’t have imagined that Graham would be the enemy.
The end of the tunnel opened into a mezzanine. People entered from different directions and headed downstairs. Even though Viktor had given us metro cards, I didn’t have time to fumble with my wallet, so I jumped the gate. When I reached the lowest level, past the murals, I wound up on the platform. The trains usually came by every fifteen minutes or so, and I hoped it wasn’t too late. A homeless man strummed on his guitar, a hat tipped upside down with a few bills inside. I stood behind a pillar and searched both sides of the track.
Gotcha.
On the other side of the tracks, Graham was sitting on a wooden bench, his shirt drenched in sweat and a phone in his hand. His face was beet red, and he was panting heavily.
Dammit. I picked the wrong side to enter.
I needed to cross over, but there was no rush. Even with the tracks between us, it wasn’t as if the man could outrun me. He looked ready to keel over, and I also had the advantage of being a Mage.
Instead of a sneak attack, I strutted alongside the track and stopped directly across from him. “How were the hot dogs?” I asked loudly. “I’m a big fan of the cheese dog. Don’t bother getting up.”
Color drained from Graham’s face when he noticed me. Phone clutched in hand, he stood but didn’t run. He was too smart for that. And too tired.
“You won’t escape,” I said, putting my hands in my coat pockets. “No matter what you’re thinking of doing, you won’t walk away. I’m sure you counted on Blue saving herself, but you don’t know what that woman’s willing to die for. Are you going to make this easy or hard?”
“One call and everyone dies,” he said sharply, finger swiping the face of his phone.
“She told me why you targeted the victims. I don’t think you feel that way about everyone. You’ve spent your entire career helping these people, and nobody wants that much blood on their hands. Not even you. I’m willing to bet you don’t even have a buyer.”
“I’m calling.”
“Great! And then what’s your plan?” I jumped onto the track, ignoring the lady who gasped. Carefully stepping over the tracks, uncertain if they would electrocute me, I climbed the wall and dusted off my pants. “Put him on speaker. I’d like to say hello.”
Graham hesitated, and I knew immediately it was all a ruse. He thought the only way to keep us off his tail was to spin an elaborate threat that no sane person would risk.
No one ever said I was sane.
“Did you ever get back at the boys who picked on you?”
Graham’s eyes became slivers. “Picked on? Picked on? My family line is severed because of what they did. Centuries of inherited knowledge—gone!”
I could only guess what they had done to him. “You killed a bunch of innocent people. I’m just curious if you ever got the ones who hurt you or if you’re just another sadistic serial killer.”