by AE Jones
My stomach unclenched. “Where’s Jean Luc?”
Dalton replied this time. “He went back to the office to run the list of names Doyle gave us.”
“What’s going on in here?”
“Doc was just going over the lab results on the bullet.”
“What have you figured out?”
Doc set the report down. “The bullet itself was silver. It was designed to break apart like hollow-point bullets. Inside was a compound of pure iron and salt.”
“Why that particular mixture?”
“I think whoever designed it thinks it’s a deadly cocktail for all supes. Silver for the shifters and vamps, iron and salt for the demons.”
I shook my head. “Misha eats salt all the time.”
“Salt has been believed to be a weapon against demons for centuries,” Doc said. “However, demons who live on earth are not susceptible to it. But pure iron would definitely hurt us.”
“What about those in the demon realm?”
“Iron would affect them like the demons on earth. Salt would also hurt them. I just don’t know if it would be strong enough to kill them.”
“So they weren’t gunning for us,” I said.
“It doesn’t matter.” Doc scowled. “The bullet still could have killed either of you.”
“I think the truck would have taken us out before the bullets. If it hadn’t been for Misha’s telekinesis, Dalton would be dead.”
Doc took a step toward me. “What did you say?”
“Hey, I was surprised, too, to discover he could move things. He’s never mentioned the power to me before, but I’m not going to complain.”
Doc stared at me pointedly. “I think both you and Dalton shouldn’t discuss this with anyone else until you can talk to Misha further.”
“What’s the big deal?”
“There’s obviously a reason why Misha hasn’t told you about this power before now. It’s not my place to explain the ramifications.”
“Fine, Cryptic-Girl, I’ll ask him myself. Can I go check on him?”
“Yes. He’s down the hall, third door on the right. And no badgering!”
My eyes widened in mock innocence. “I would never badger. Cut me some slack.”
I glanced over at Dalton, who had the nerve to roll his eyes. Another party heard from. I marched down the hall and opened the door slowly, slipping into the room. Misha was back in human form. As I stepped closer to the bed, his steady breathing calmed me down. He was sound asleep. The questions Doc had triggered would have to wait.
I stood for a couple of minutes watching him sleep and then tiptoed out. As I headed back to the morgue, loud, unfamiliar voices echoed down the hallway. I jogged the rest of the way back to find Doc and Dalton standing toe to toe with three very large men.
The tallest of the three seemed to be doing all the talking, or rather commanding.
“Where is he?”
Doc answered him. “He’s resting in a room down the hall.”
“What’s going on here?” I asked.
They turned toward me in unison, which would have been amusing if their faces hadn’t all been so belligerent.
“I am here to see Misha,” Mr. Master and Commander announced.
“And you are?”
His ice-blue eyes looked me over, as if gauging the necessity of explaining anything. “I am Boris Chesnokov, the Shamat clan leader, and I will be taken to Misha. Now.”
I perused him slowly. Well, well, well. I finally got to meet Grand Poobah in the flesh. He was around the same height as Misha, but with brown hair and a rugged face. He was wearing a killer suit which I’m sure cost more than my entire wardrobe. I could actually feel the power radiating from him. He clearly was used to getting his way. However, his arrogance annoyed the crap out of me.
“I don’t care if you’re the Tsar of Russia, you aren’t getting into his room unless Doc says it’s okay.”
Doc nodded. “Fine, but only one of you at a time. He’s still recovering.”
We headed down the hallway en masse. When we reached Misha’s room, I stood in front of the door for a second, blocking the way. “He was sleeping when I checked on him earlier, so take it easy when you go in.”
Boris stalked into the room, shutting the door behind him. The two barbarians accompanying him stood on either side of the door, casing the hallway. Their expressions showed no emotion, reminding me of the guards at Buckingham Palace.
After a couple of minutes, Boris came out and closed the door behind him. He seemed much calmer. “Please explain what happened. I’m still unclear about the events.”
Since he said “please” I decided I would enlighten him. “Misha took a bullet, saving Dalton and me from being mowed down by a truck.”
“But it’s not a life-threatening injury for us. Why is he still in bed?”
“The bullet contained pure iron,” Doc volunteered, “which started to poison Misha’s system.”
“But you got it all out, yes?”
“Yes, I believe so,” Doc answered.
Boris clenched his jaw. “Who would do such a thing?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Dalton interjected.
I butted in. “Misha came to you and asked about the drawings of demons we discovered. Have you been able to identify them?”
Boris’s expression slammed shut. “I will be speaking to Nicholas today. Our clan takes care of its own.”
“Are we going to start beating our fists against our chests and grunting next?”
His eyes narrowed on me. “I do not care for your tone.”
“I’ll drop the tone if you drop the superiority complex. We’re all trying to accomplish the same thing here.”
“And what would that be?”
“To figure out why an angel felt it was necessary to chop off a vamp’s head in front of human witnesses. Something bad is coming, and we need to be prepared. This is not just about your clan. It’s about all of us.”
He grimaced. “And yet Misha was the one injured. Who will be there to protect him going forward?”
I stared deep into his eyes and did not like what I saw. “What are you really upset about? The fact Misha took a bullet, or that he took a bullet protecting humans?”
“Kyle,” Doc hissed.
Boris’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re Kyle? Misha has told me much about you.”
“He has told me very little about you. I don’t understand why your clan is so secretive.”
“We do not want humans knowing about our world.”
“Well, I am not like most humans.”
Boris had the nerve to smirk at me. “No, you are not.”
Misha’s door opened, and he stepped hesitantly into the hall. He was pale and gritting his teeth. I had only seen him pissed once or twice before, and it was never pretty.
The two guards jerked to attention.
Misha glared at Boris. “Enough.”
Boris responded in Russian. Misha shook his head.
“Do not insult them by speaking in Russian, Father.”
My mouth fell open. “Father?”
Boris started swearing in Russian. Over the years, Misha had taught me all the juicy Russian curses, and Boris was grumbling a few choice ones.
“I need to speak privately with my father for a moment. Doc, would you please join us?”
The three of them walked back into Misha’s room and shut the door.
Dalton’s fingers wrapped around my arm and he dragged me down the hall, away from the guards.
I shrugged out of his grasp. “What the hell are you doing? I don’t need another Neanderthal in the mix right now.”
He practically growled at me. “Would you just chill for a minute?”
“What’s the big deal?”
“Stop pissing the guy off, already. At the rate you’re going, he’s not going to want to talk to us at all.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I hope we’re done talking.”
Dalton let out a harsh breath. “Did you get a good look at the list Doyle gave us?”
“No, why?”
“Because Boris was number two on the list of supes with enough money to buy Hampton’s head.”
“Great.”
“Yeah, and right now he’s not exactly feeling cooperative.”
I stared down the hall at the closed door. “I can’t believe he’s Misha’s father.”
“Misha has never talked about him before?”
“No. I thought his father must be dead.”
The door opened and Doc stepped out. She motioned to us. “Kyle, Misha wants to see you now.”
I walked toward the room, Dalton close behind. Doc held out her hand and blocked his progress. “You need to stay out here with me, Joe.”
“Play nice,” he muttered to me.
I stepped inside. Misha was back in bed. His father was standing at the foot. I walked over to Misha’s side.
“What’s up, Mish?”
“I have declared you my sestra.”
“Sounds ominous.”
“It means you are Misha’s sister…a member of our clan,” Boris offered.
My throat tightened and I swallowed hard to clear it. “Why?”
“Misha explained you saved his life. He is beholden to you and has asked that you be adopted into our clan.”
“But I’m not a demon.”
“No, but we have adopted other non-demons into our clan when it is merited.”
I started to protest, but Misha reached for my hand. “Please, Kyle, it would be an honor.”
I met his gaze for a second. “Okay, as long as I don’t have to drink demon blood or anything like that.”
Misha laughed. “No, nothing like that. You just need to say ‘yes,’ and it’s official.”
I squeezed his hand. “Yes. Now, you’ve had enough excitement today. You need to rest a while. If you’re a good little demon, I’ll bring you some pastries later.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I glanced over at Boris. “I’ll leave you two alone now.”
I stepped out into the hallway. Dalton waited for me.
“Where’s Doc?”
“She went back to the morgue. She told me what was going on. So…you’re a demon clan member now?”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean we can ask Boris some questions?”
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
Chapter 17
Boris sat in a chair with both guards flanking him. It seemed a bit over the top. Kinda reminded me of The Godfather, but demon-style.
“How may I assist you?” he asked.
I glanced at Dalton who nodded for me to proceed. “When Misha was attacked, we were collecting information from a source.”
“And what did this source tell you?”
“It’s not a secret in the supernatural community that Hampton’s head is missing, and that apparently someone is willing to pay a lot of money for it. We’ve compiled a list of supernatural community members who have the money and connections to offer this type of reward. You’re on the list.”
Boris shrugged. “It makes sense, since I do have both the money and the influence, but it is not me.”
Dalton interrupted, “Why would someone want his head, anyway?”
“Misha asked me if it was possible for a demon to extract memories from a dead vampire.”
“And?” I coaxed.
“And, I don’t think it’s beyond the realm of possibility.”
I stared at him for a moment. “Are there demons on earth with this kind of power?”
“There shouldn’t be, no. But that doesn’t mean someone from the demon realm with that kind of power is not here right now.”
“Misha also mentioned a demon might be able to harvest another demon’s powers.”
Boris leaned forward. “Yes, but it is not advisable. That demon would be beholden forever to the demon who lent him these powers. He would become a virtual slave.”
“Have you heard anything about what Hampton might have known that would cause this much trouble?” I persisted.
“No, we have not heard anything about what specific knowledge they might wish to extract. May I ask who else is on the list?”
Since I had not had a chance to look at the list, I turned to Dalton, but he hesitated.
Boris smiled. “If you are reluctant to say, perhaps I could tell you who should be on the list and you can tell me if I am correct.”
Dalton nodded.
“Besides me, the most obvious choice is Josiah Akers. He is the head of the Pavel clan. Sebastian, as a Founding Vampire, would also be high on the list. He has both the power and the money. Since Hampton was one of his, he would also have added incentive to locate him if he was involved in Hampton’s dealings. Seamus Griffin is the head of a large contingent of shifters in the Midwest and East Coast. He also has the means. Was I close?”
“You got them all.”
“Yes, well, there is one other who should be added to the list.”
“And who would that be?” I asked.
“Why, your boss, Nicholas, of course.”
I flinched slightly, which I’m sure Boris noticed. “Why would Nicholas be involved? He’s the one trying to stop this.”
Boris shrugged. “The one thing I have learned about Nicholas over the years is you cannot always determine his motives or predict what he will choose to do.” Boris stood. “I will contact you if I hear anything that might help you. I will also have my elders work on the drawings Misha brought me.”
I stood as well and walked over to him. His change of demeanor was more than unnerving. “Thank you for helping us with this. I have to ask though, why the turnaround?”
“You saved my son’s life and he has declared you his sestra. So you are now my daughter.”
“And it’s as simple as that?”
He grinned, reminding me of Misha. “Yes. I will contact you with any information I find.”
“Thank you.”
I watched the three of them walk out. Dalton chuckled beside me.
“What?”
“You are blessed, woman. How you can go from pissing off the head of a demon clan one minute, to having him wrapped around your little finger the next is beyond me.”
“I am a master of diplomacy.”
“Well, Miz Diplomat, I think we need to talk to a few more people on this list.”
I smiled. “Ready when you are.”
Dalton drove back to the office. He took a corner a little too fast, as evidenced by the squealing tires. “Sorry about that.”
I shrugged. “No problem. Compared to Jean Luc you drive like an eighty-year-old grandma.”
“Thanks, I think. So what did you think of Boris’s story?”
“Since we don’t know why everyone wants the head, I can’t rule him out completely, but I just don’t feel he’s in on this.”
“What about Boris’s suggestion to add Nicholas to the list?”
“Nicholas would have the power and the means to pay for the head. I hate to sound like a broken record, but until we know what’s locked inside Hampton’s skull, we can’t rule anyone out.”
“I agree. I think it’s time for me to get to know Nicholas,” Dalton murmured.
Fifteen minutes later we parked and trudged up the stairs to the office. When I opened the door, Dolly popped up.
“How’s Misha?” she asked.
“He’s doing fine. Doc wants him to rest for the time being. Didn’t Jean Luc tell you how he was?”
“Yeah, but you know vamps, they never get worked up about anything. I needed to hear it from someone else.”
“He should be back in a couple of days. Why don’t you go home, Dolly, it’s late.”
Dolly walked back and fetched her purse from her desk drawer. “Jean Luc told me how you saved Misha’s life. If you were a man, I’d kiss you and tell you what a big pair you have.”
I laughed. �
�Thanks, Dolly.”
I walked around the reception area toward the back office with Dalton in tow. Jean Luc was nowhere to be found. The coffee pot was frantically calling my name. It was hard to believe Misha had been shot just this morning. It felt like a week had passed.
I held up the pot. The remaining dregs had turned to sludge. I dumped out the burnt offerings and filled the carafe at the sink, opened the cupboard and reached for a filter. An image flashed in front of me. It was a bracelet with heart-shaped charms dangling from my wrist. I stared at it for a second and then blinked. My wrist was bare.
“Kyle, are you okay?” Dalton asked.
Dalton and Jean Luc were standing next to me. I wasn’t sure when they had gotten there, or how long I had been standing and staring at the cupboard, for that matter. I lowered my arm to hide the trembling. “I’m fine. I think I just need something to eat.”
“When you called and told me you were coming back to the office, I ordered food from the Thai restaurant you like so much,” Jean Luc volunteered.
“Thanks. I haven’t eaten anything all day. While we’re waiting, why don’t you tell us about the supes on our list.”
Jean Luc flashed away and, within seconds, flashed back with his laptop, which he set on the table.
“I have taken the liberty of adding the names to the white board with notes under each.”
“We’ve already talked to Boris. He came to visit Misha.” I added.
Jean Luc asked cautiously, “What did he have to say?”
“You smug little vamp. I know Misha is Boris’s son.”
Jean Luc’s smiled. “I am glad you know the truth. Who told you?”
“Misha. He declared me his sestra.”
“Why do I always miss the excitement?” Jean Luc shook his head.
“It wasn’t very exciting. Misha asked me to be a member of his clan and I said yes. I did tell him there would be no drinking of demon blood.”
Jean Luc grimaced. “I should hope not, demon blood is bitter. When they induct you at their next clan meeting, you will only be naked for a short time before they clothe you in the sacramental robe of his people.”
“What!”
Jean Luc laughed. “You are delightfully easy to upset, Kyle.”
“Let’s get back to the list,” I snarled.
