“It’s your fault,” Edden said as we followed Jenks down the wide, empty hall. “You should do something about it.”
“How is this my fault?” I took my splat pistol from my bag and tucked it in my boot top where everyone could see it. You get pinned by a vamp once, and you never put it at the small of your back again.
Edden smiled, his obvious pride surprising me. “Those in the know like things the way they are, I suppose,” he said. “Some of the vampires are following Constance. The ones who were loyal to Piscary, and then Ivy and you in turn, aren’t. It’s making my day unreasonably hard. After I get done here, I’ve got Were and vamp graffiti dueling it out on Twin Lakes Bridge. Someone chained a Volvo full of live rats to a pole in a mixed-species subdivision. A gas station was vandalized and set on fire last night.” He shook his head, glancing warily at the empty offices we were passing. “It was blue fire. I can’t put out blue fire, and the I.S. won’t even try. From what I can tell, it’s mostly Weres and what’s left of Piscary’s old camarilla resisting Constance, but a few witches have joined in.”
“Witches? Really?” I blurted, and Edden nodded. “I thought the witches hated me.”
“Not all of them.” He frowned. “Why am I not seeing people? I smell coffee.”
I could smell more than coffee. The floor hadn’t been empty for long. Minutes, maybe, and a bad feeling began to tighten my spine, one vertebra at a time. “You shouldn’t be down here,” I said, voice soft. “Constance is targeting my friends.”
“Nah. I’m small fish.” Edden slowed when Jenks distantly bobbed for us to stop. The corridor split, and he wasn’t sure which to take. “She’s targeting the Cincinnati factions who refuse to acknowledge her sovereignty. Funny how they all seem to be your friends, though.” He chewed on his upper lip, making his mustache bunch. “Are you going to do something about her soon?”
Crap on toast. Him too? My breath slipped out in a tired huff. “Like what? DC sent her here. She’s the designated master vampire.”
Jenks came back, his dust a brilliant silver. “And you’re the subrosa, Rache. If you want to be in the front seat, you gotta either drive or hold the shotgun.”
“Subrosa?” Edden glanced at me. “What’s that?”
I grimaced. “Demon mob boss who controls everything under the table. And I’m not the subrosa,” I added, louder, as Jenks grinned and dusted a cheerful silver.
“Left,” the pixy said, and Edden and I pushed forward. “And be careful. He’s hungry.”
“Who’s hungry?” I turned the corner, jerking to a halt so as not to collide with Pike.
“Me,” Pike said, his hand up to keep me from crashing into him.
My eyes jerked from the dull pewter band around his finger to his brown eyes. They met mine, and his pupils widened to an aroused black. Sensation plinked through me, and I almost lost my balance when Edden pulled me back. My air came in with a rush, and I felt warm. Two people were behind him, a woman with a clipboard, her black hair back in a tight bun, and a man with gray hair in a suit a size too big for him. Both were living vamps, both were unfamiliar, both looked . . . ill, as if they had been awake too long.
“Tink’s panties, Rache. Why don’t you take out an ad,” Jenks grumbled as he landed on my shoulder. His sword was out. I could smell his dust sparking on the metal.
“Wh-where is he,” I managed, chin rising as I shoved everything down. Pike was in a gray suit today, gray shirt, dark gray tie. I was a sucker for men in suits, especially tailored ones, and his was exquisite. “You have no right to hold Zack,” I added, and the two behind him lost their amusement in a quickly hidden flash of worry.
Pike’s clenched jaw eased, and the ring of brown around his eyes grew as he got control of his bloodlust sparked by my flash of fear. “Captain Edden. Ms. Morgan,” he said, and I jumped when Jenks poked my ear with his sword. It helped, and I exhaled slow and evenly, trying to find my cool. “Jenks,” Pike added, his lips twitching in amusement. “I heard you were in the building. Can I help you find the door?”
“Where’s Zack?” I said again, stiffening when his eyes came back to mine.
“Waiting to chat with Constance.” Pike smiled to show his small, pointed canines. One had a tiny chip in it. He hadn’t gotten it filed smooth and I’d be willing to bet he liked it that way—sharp and mismatched.
“Waiting?” Jenks snorted. “He’s locked in an office. You’d better check on him. He’s almost through the wall. Amazing what you can do with a busted chair and lots of testosterone.”
I pushed forward to get between Pike and Edden, knees wobbly. Damn vamp pheromones. “I understand the meeting wasn’t his idea. Let him go. I’ll get him home safely.”
Pike shrugged, his fingertips touching to make a cage right about where his chi would be. “He was given a choice. He decided poorly. Consider this a time-out to change his mind.”
Time-out? Eyes narrowed, I leaned in until Jenks darted off my shoulder, discomforted. “If there is so much as a scratch—”
Edden pulled me back with a gentle touch, his eyes flicking from Pike to the two vamps with him. “We’re here to escort Zack back to the dewar,” Edden said. “If you could take us to him, that would be very appreciated. Mr. Welroe.”
Welroe? That must have been hell in school, I thought. Welroe. Where’s my Scooby snack?
Pike’s eyebrows rose as if hearing my mocking thoughts, and I warmed. “Involving yourself in Inderland matters, Captain Edden? This is out of your jurisdiction.”
“It’s a city matter,” Edden said gruffly. “Half the city is human. I say that makes it my jurisdiction.”
“You do.” Pike’s voice was flat, but his eyes were going black again, worrying me.
“Hey!” I exclaimed, breath catching when he turned those dark pits to me. But years of living and arguing with Ivy stood me in good stead, and I used my anger to smother the fear he was trying to instill, and my smart mouth to distract him from his instincts. “Are you going to give him to us or not? I still have to clean my bathroom today.”
Pike’s bloodlust vanished in surprise. He hesitated, and then, with half of his mouth rising into a smile, he motioned to the woman behind him. Her red lips moved soundlessly as she spoke into a radio, and almost immediately, a soft commotion grew in the hall behind them.
Jenks’s wings rasped a warning when two more vampires in dull suits and shiny office shoes came around the corner dragging someone between them. “It’s Nash,” the pixy said, and my lips parted. His head was down and he appeared comatose.