Tessa swallowed hard, her face full of remorse. “I didn’t know about that. We were told…”
“That Immortal Guardians killed her,” Seth said.
She nodded.
Nicole studied her thoughtfully. “Could Gershom have sent Reed on an errand?”
“The more I think about it, the more I think he must have,” Tessa said. “Anyone who didn’t return on time was… retrieved. Gershom teleported us to and from home base. And the few who missed curfew never missed it again after Gershom caught up with them. If Reed wasn’t there, it must have been because Gershom wanted him elsewhere. Especially since Reed expressed no fear when he told me he needed to see Gershom.”
Sean spoke. “Maybe Gershom tasked Reed with contacting the buyer’s representative.”
David nodded. “A buyer in whose ear Gershom had already been whispering.”
Zach grunted. “We all know greed is a powerful motivator.”
“If it weren’t,” Seth said, “we wouldn’t have had so much trouble with mercenaries in recent years.”
“And,” David added, “this is an avenue Gershom knew we wouldn’t suspect.”
Nicole’s gaze ping-ponged between them. “A drive in the private sector to be the first to create an immortality serum that actually works?”
Cliff nodded. “And works for everyone.”
Sean motioned toward Becca. “Reed must have struck a deal with the buyer. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have tried to nab Becca.”
Tessa nodded. “He also seemed determined to carry out his last orders, whatever they were. He was pretty desperate to contact Gershom.”
Seth sighed. “That was likely a result of mind control. Gershom excelled at such.”
Tessa nibbled her bottom lip. “I don’t know about that. Gershom was mind-controlling me, and it wore off pretty quickly once I was away from him.”
Jared spoke softly. “Because hating and harming others is not your nature.”
Nick scowled, his hands curling into fists. “It sure as hell was Reed’s.”
“And Gary’s,” Seth added.
Kayla clasped one of Nick’s hands and twined her fingers through his.
Some of the darkness in his expression eased.
“Well,” Nicole said again, “I’m willing to continue posing as Becca. I don’t think the goal here is to hurt her. It’s to use her as bait so they can get their hands on Nick. I probably wouldn’t have been injured when Gary took me if I hadn’t tranqed him.”
“Not necessarily,” Zach responded. “If those who want him know Nick is immortal and are aware of all he’s capable of—”
“Do they know what he’s capable of?” Becca asked. “Remaining forever young doesn’t mean he has superior strength, speed, or other special abilities.”
Cliff shook his head. “If they’re working with vampires, they know about his enhanced speed and strength.”
“What about his ability to shape-shift?” she pressed.
All eyes returned to Cliff.
“Most vampires don’t know about immortals’ special gifts, because they rarely survive encounters with you all.”
Tessa nodded. “I didn’t know anyone else in Gershom’s army had gifts. We never talked about it.”
Nicole studied her curiously. “Why?”
She shrugged. “Habit, I suppose. Plus, Gershom always exuded so much power that the little things we could do seemed inconsequential.”
Seth sighed. “At least we may have that in our favor. If they thought capturing an immortal would enable them to gain eternal youth and special powers…”
Zach grunted. “They’d cause as much trouble as the mercenary outfits did.”
And the mercenary outfits had caused mountains of trouble, all in a quest to create an invincible army they could hire out to the highest bidder for billions.
“Our primary lead,” Seth continued, “is Becca.”
And Chris seemed set against Nick posing as her.
“Then I’ll continue my ruse,” Nicole said.
“No,” Sean insisted. “If Nick can’t do it, let another shape-shifter do it.”
Though she was loath to admit it, Nicole didn’t trust Nick not to screw up again and kill their only lead. That had completely caught them off guard.
“I can do it,” Aidan volunteered. “But I’ll need to spend a week with Becca first to get her appearance, voice, and mannerisms down.”
A week? Nicole glanced around the table. “Can we afford that kind of delay? If the vampires go missing for a few days, the bad guys might blame it on insanity. But if Becca disappears for a week, they may suspect we’re onto them and become even more covert in their actions. If we can’t identify and track them now, how much harder will it be if they go dark?”
“I agree,” Seth said.
“As do I,” David added. “But if Nicole continues to pose as Becca, she should only do so until Aidan can replace her.”
“Why can’t Aidan replace her now?” Sean protested, and glanced at the Celtic immortal. “You’re an ancient. Would it really be that hard for you to pretend to be Becca?”
“Harder than you might think,” Aidan responded honestly. “I usually shift into the form of animals. I haven’t assumed the form of another person in”—he thought on it a moment—“at least a couple thousand years.”
Seth nodded. “If Becca were a man, it would be easier. Aidan wouldn’t have to alter his height as much. Adopting and maintaining a smaller form for long periods is always more challenging than going bigger. He also wouldn’t have to speak in a higher voice, conceal his accent, or walk like a woman.”
Sean’s brow furrowed. “Could you do it? Or Zach?”
Seth shook his head. “We’re needed elsewhere too often.”
Leah chimed in. “I would do it if I were better at shape-shifting. I wouldn’t have to change my accent or my walk. And speaking in a higher voice wouldn’t be a stretch. But this is all still new to me, and I haven’t had enough practice. Most of my attempts to impersonate others are hilarious.”
Seth grinned. “She has difficulty holding the shape, so her features often fluctuate.”
Leah laughed. “It’s creepy as hell. Like something out of a horror movie.”
“Then I’ll do it,” Nicole repeated. “I’ll pose as Becca again.” When Sean immediately opened his mouth, she turned to him and held up a hand. “It’s just temporary. Last time, it took two weeks for them to attempt another snatch-and-grab. So I doubt anything will happen before Aidan replaces me.”
Tight-lipped, he stared at her for a long moment before turning to Seth. “She’s not doing it unless I pose as her boyfriend.”
Nicole scowled at him. “What?”
Sean didn’t care. She had just volunteered to place herself in danger. Again. “You heard me.”
“How can you pose as Becca’s boyfriend? You already pretended to be mine the night I took Becca to the bar.”
“And Reed was the only one who saw me with you.”