“It was capable of great magic, so yes, it is possible. When our victim was killed, there was a flare of magic—likely from a spell performed at the time. I tracked that magic and was going to investigate the scene when you showed up.”
I supposed the story worked. And the flare of magic described the crazy symbol inside the victim’s chest. There was no way I’d be letting my guard down, though. “You have no idea what this necromancer is after?”
“No.”
“Why haven’t you looked for him, then? Why give me clues?”
“Because you’re competent and skilled and will get the job done. Leaving me free to spend my time on other things.”
“Like?” He’d better be trying to solve this damned murder, too, if I was going to trust him.
“I’ve been hunting the necromancer here in Guild City.”
“Caught him yet?”
“Sadly, no.” His voice had a wry lilt that I liked. “But there have been flares of dark magic at the churches surrounding Guild City. Ones in the human realm.”
“That’s strange that he would be in the human realm.”
“Not that strange. Many supernatural live and work there. You’ve just never seen them.”
“Right. Say I believe you. Say you have nothing to do with this at all. Where do we go from here? Do you have any clues for me?”
“I was rather hoping you’d have some for me.”
“I did find something.” I hesitated.
He moved nearer, his steps slow, as if he wanted to avoid startling me. I thrust out a hand. “No closer.”
“Nervous?”
His mind control power didn’t work on me, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t afraid of him. “You’re a vampire, for God’s sake. With fangs and maybe even super speed.”
“Yes to both, but I don’t attack unarmed women.”
“Armed ones?”
“Rarely. And only if they’re out for my head.”
“I suppose that’s fair.”
He shrugged. “I’m a feminist vampire.”
“Vlad the Impaler is a feminist?”
“Searching for history?”
“I don’t even know your name. Everyone just calls you the Devil.”
“If it fits….”
“It does. But I’d like a name.”
“Grey.”
“As in shadows?”
“As in Gardens.”
My jaw nearly dropped at the joke. He could joke? “Grey Gardens?”
“Of course as in shadows.” He leaned against the desk. “Now, do you trust me enough to tell me what you found in the body?”
I dug my mobile out of my pocket and pulled up the picture so that he could see it. Maybe he would know more than Mac had. “His heart was missing. And this symbol was burned inside.”
A small smile stretched across his face, a smile of pure satisfaction.
“You know what it is?” I demanded.
“Not exactly. But I know we can use it to track the killer.”
“Couldn’t we have used the spiral-shaped burn mark to track him?”
“No. That’s a generic mark of necromancer magic. Small and untrackable because it contains so little magic.” He pointed to the phone. “That is evidence of powerful magic. Big enough to leave a stain on the victim and the murderer. The Sorcerers’ Guild can perform a spell that will locate the person who also bears this mark on their soul. That will be our killer.”
“Holy crap, we’re close?”
“Perhaps. Would you like to come with me?”
“To the Sorcerers’ Guild?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “For a price, they’ll track our killer.”
“You’re paying?”
“Of course.”
“Okay, let’s do it.”
He nodded, another satisfied smile stretching across his handsome face. Somehow, I felt trapped, the first course of this vampire’s dinner.
15
The Devil
Satisfaction roared through me when Carrow agreed to visit the Sorcerers’ Guild at my side. I’d told her the truth about the necromancer and his likely goals—but I didn’t like hearing that the entire police force was after her. It roused a protective instinct in me I’d thought long dead. Guild City was a fine place to live, but being unable to return to London would make it a cage.
“Come.” I strode around her, inhaling her scent as I passed.
Lavender.
And something intrinsically her that I liked very much but couldn’t identify. Both scents were so faint that I drew in the aroma more deeply just to get the barest taste of it. Oh, how I wished I could smell her better. It made me feel more alive, somehow. Reminding me that I’d only been existing these many years—not truly living.
Ice man.
The strongest urge surged through me to turn around and pull her into my arms. I resisted, moving toward the door without looking back at her. She found my intense attention uncomfortable, and I needed to remember that. For now.
Not to mention, every second I spent with her, I wanted to bite her. I hadn’t wanted to bite someone in centuries.
But her…
Yes.
I shook away the thought as best I could and strode down the hall.
Her footsteps caught up to mine, and she joined me, shoulder to shoulder.
“You have a contact at the Sorcerers’ Guild?” she asked.
“I have contacts everywhere.”
“What now? Do we walk up and knock on their door?”
“Not quite. But we will walk there.”
“Yeah. No cars in town, right?”
“Just motorcycles.”
“You don’t ride?”
“Who needs a ride when I can turn into a bat and fly?”
She choked. “You…what?”
“Joking.”
“I didn’t think vampires had a sense of humor.”
I shrugged. “We are enigmas.”
She huffed a dry laugh.
The club was busy as we passed through, but the crowd parted before us. It was a perk of owning the place. Of owning the whole town, actually. People got out of my way.
We passed the hostess stand, and I leaned closer to Miranda.
“Yes, sir?”
“If I’m not back by closing, see that the shifters come to the Sorcerers’ Guild. They’re to find Carrow and get her out.”
She nodded. “Consider it done.”
“Thank you.”
The night air welcomed Carrow and me, the moon shining bright over the city in front of us.
“What was that about shifters?” Carrow asked.
“The shifters are my bodyguards, though I don’t bring them with me often. And the Sorcerers’ Guild doesn’t . . . like me. If it doesn’t go well there today, the shifters will rescue you.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be dead.”
She stumbled, and I stopped to meet her gaze. I raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“You’ll be…dead?”
“It’s highly unlikely. But if we do run into trouble, I’ll get you out of there or die trying.”