“Yes?”
“We expect another report tomorrow night after you meet with this Tristan. Also from Alexis on the Persephone situation.”
“Right,” I said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Alexis added.
“And, Slade?” Rhea said. “Let us know if you make any headway with the Undercouncil.”
“Will do.” The vampire grinned into the camera, charming as ever.
“All right,” Rhea continued. “I know this goes without saying, but everyone be careful out there. Cain’s still waiting for you to let down your guard.”
We all fell silent as this sunk in. I’d been so busy scrambling I’d almost forgotten that Cain could jump out from any dark shadow I passed.
“Let him try it,” Alexis said, all bravado as usual.
“Oh,” Giguhl said. “You can bet your sweet ass he will.”
Alexis and Erron returned about an hour later. One second, Adam, Giguhl, and I were poring over a map of the Spanish Steps and the next they appeared in the living room.
Alexis wore her trademark black leather pants, a black bustier, and knee-high stiletto boots. Hardly proper attire for any situation, but especially not for the chilly Italian February. But before we addressed that issue, there was the little matter of her green complexion to deal with.
“Bathroom,” she barked.
Adam showed her to the bathroom. A few seconds later, the gut-clenching sounds of gagging echoed through the penthouse.
“Virgins,” Giguhl muttered.
I shot him an annoyed look and went to Erron. “What took so long?” I demanded. They’d been gone almost an hour on an errand that should have taken five, ten minutes tops.
The mage dropped a paper bag onto the couch. “We made a pit stop to get some bagged blood. I figured you wouldn’t want Alexis feeding off the tourists in the lobby.”
I pulled back and relaxed my shoulder. “Oh. That was smart thinking. Thanks.”
Erron nodded. “I’ll just go put it in the fridge. She’ll probably need some to help recover from the stress of the trip.”
Alexis came out of the bathroom then. Her skin was paler than usual, but she wasn’t green anymore. “I’d rather be stuck in the back of a plane with three squalling mortal babies than repeat that magic-travel shit again.”
“Ah, c’mon,” Giguhl said. “It’s that bad?”
I shot him a look. “Please. You screamed like a girl your first time.”
Giguhl’s complexion took on a decidedly red cast. He adjusted his sweatpants carefully and avoided all our gazes. “That must have been the wind whistling in your ears.”
“Whatever,” Alexis said. “Anyway, I’m here. What now?”
I stifled a huge yawn. The horizon was already pink and yellow, indicating the sun’s imminent arrival. “Now we sleep.”
I’d like to say that after my declaration of bedtime, we’d all docilely turned in. However, an argument ensued until the sun’s inevitable rise forced a decision. Which is how, at five p.m. the next evening, I woke with Alexis Vega’s arm draped across my midsection. Her face was only a few inches from mine, so when she murmured Slade’s name, I got a blast of vampire morning breath.
I pushed her until she rolled over and got out of bed with a disgusted sigh. I couldn’t muster up too much indignation, though. At least I didn’t have to sleep on the couch like Adam.
The night before, Alexis had refused to share a room with a demon and a mage. I couldn’t really blame her. I wouldn’t want to share a room with those two either. But for Alexis, the discomfort came from an inherent mistrust in all magical beings, which was bred into every full-blooded vampire from birth. Adam had tried to suggest Alexis take the couch instead, but I nixed that idea. With the bank of windows facing east, she would have been fried while she slept.
And that’s how I ended up sharing a bed with Alexis and the mancy got the couch. He could have slept with Erron and Giguhl, but he flat-out refused to subject himself to Giguhl’s randy nocturnal activities.
After I grabbed a quick shower, I rudely woke my bedmate and told her she had thirty minutes before it was time to head out. Then I left her and went to join the others. Erron sat on the couch plucking away on his guitar. I greeted him as I passed, but he seemed lost in the song, so I continued to the kitchen. Giguhl and Adam were at the table, drinking coffee.
I grabbed a mug and had just settled in when the demon leaned across the table like a conspirator.
“So… is it just me or did anyone else pick up some major sexual tension between Alexis and Slade last night?” Giguhl said.
“Totally.” I nodded. “Alexis said his name in her sleep last night, too. Not surprising really. They totally did the deed in New York before we left.”
Adam’s head jerked up. “Really?”
I shrugged. “Yeah.”
“And you’re not upset?”
I set down my coffee and looked him right in the eye. “Of course not.”
He held my gaze for a moment. “Good.”
I nodded. “Good.”
Giguhl sighed and made a clucking sound with his tongue. “Jesus, you two are idiots.”
“Hey!” Adam and I said in unison.
“I’m just sayin’.”
The demon was saved from a cutting retort when my cell phone started jumping around on the table. I picked it up and didn’t recognize the number. My heart picked up its pace. Was Tristan calling to cancel the meeting?
I clicked the button to answer. “Yes?”
“Sabina? It’s Georgia.”
Relief flooded through me. I’d totally forgotten I asked Georgia to check up on Nyx for me. “Hey, Georgia. What’s up?”
“I might have turned up something for you about Nyx.”
I sat up straighter. Adam and Giguhl watched me carefully, their expressions wary. “Okay, shoot.”
“None of the vamps in New Orleans have heard of her, but when I tried some friends in the old country”—the old country in Georgia’s case was France—“I got a couple of hits. Seems there was a vampire who came through Lyon about fifty years ago.”
“That’s a long time ago, Georgia.” Too long ago to be of any help now.
“Yeah, I was surprised, too, but my friend said he remembered her because she was extraordinarily beautiful, even for a vamp. Do you think it’s the same Nyx you’re looking for?”
I pursed my lips. Hadn’t Asclepius said the same thing, although in less gracious terms? “That jives with what I was told, too. Plus, Nyx isn’t exactly a common name. Did your friend give you any other info?”
She sighed. “Unfortunately, no. He said she was only in town for a week or two. Said she seemed real nervous, like she was on the run.”
I frowned. Asclepius hadn’t mentioned when Nyx had asked him to make the vest, but I had the impression it happened more recently than half a century ago. Although, maybe the reasons she was on the run tied into her need for the vest in the first place. “Hmm, well, if it was the same Nyx, she obviously headed to Italy sometime after your friend saw her.”
“I’m sorry, Sabina. I wish I could have turned up more. I even called an old friend in Florence, and she hadn’t heard of Nyx, either. It’s surprising because the vampire population in Europe is a lot smaller than in the States since the Dominae moved their power base to the New World.”
“Well, I appreciate the effort.”
“Does this mean you haven’t made any progress on your end?”
“Not where Nyx is concerned. But honestly, it’s probably fourth on my list of priorities right now.”
“How goes the hunt for Cain?”
Alexis chose that moment to make her appearance. “Hey, Sabina? You got any of that bagged blood Erron scored?”
I covered the mouthpiece to answer her, but Giguhl jumped up.
“I’ll grab it.” While he went to the fridge, Alexis took the last spot at the table.
I uncovered the phone to rejoin the conversation with Georgia. “Sorry about that. We’ve made some progress with Cain, but some new complications have popped up.”
“Who was that?” Georgia asked.
“That was Alexis, actually. You remember her from New York?”
“Yeah, I remember. She’s the bitchy one who worked for Tanith, right?”
My lips twitched at her accurate description. “Yeah.”
“Why is she there?”
I paused, weighing my answer. I’d told Georgia she couldn’t help with the mission because we didn’t need more bodies complicating things, but now I was about to tell her Alexis had joined the crew. “Queen Maeve and Rhea sent her to take point on a side errand they needed done.” I could have explained about Persephone, but that would have taken more time than I had once Georgia started asking the inevitable questions. Plus, the answer I gave was close enough to the truth with the added bonus of assuaging Georgia’s ego.
“Well, I hope you’re all staying safe. Or as safe as is possible when you’re tracking down a psycho.”
I chuckled. “We’re all okay. How are you doing?” I asked carefully.
“Better. I promoted Brooks to bar manager at Lagniappe.”
“That’s great, Georgia. He’ll be a huge help.”
She sighed. “It’s only until I figure out what to do next.”
“You don’t have to make any final decisions yet. It’s only been a few days.”
“It’s true. We’ve got Gender Bender night in a couple of days, so Brooks and the queens have been having dress rehearsals after hours.” She yawned into the phone. “I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to think about Mac.”
A couple of minutes later, I ended my call with Georgia. Before she hung up, she promised to keep trying to track down Nyx’s trail. While I appreciated her optimism, I didn’t expect she’d come up with anything useful. Whoever this Nyx really was she obviously hadn’t wanted anyone keeping tabs on her over the years.
