“And Hunter in a snit is something I really don’t want to face – even if only on a phone.”
“If you don’t answer it,” Azriel said, “it will only antagonize her further. That would not be wise.”
No, it wouldn’t. I made to jump off the table, but Azriel motioned me to stay, then disappeared. A heartbeat later, he returned and handed me my vid-phone. I hit the Answer button and Hunter’s image appeared on the screen. Her face held no expression, but her green eyes promised death.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner,” I said, before she could say anything. “But things have been kind of crazy —”
“I do not care about your current problems,” she cut in, her voice so devoid of life it sent chills down my spine. “And you certainly will be sorry. I have warned you, Risa, about the consequences of inaction.”
Fear chased the chills down my spine. I swallowed heavily, trying to ease the sudden dryness in my throat, and croaked, “What do you mean?”
“You know full well what I mean,” she replied, still in that same emotionless tone. “I’m sick not only of your manner and attitude, but of the delays when it comes to the keys. I had hoped my actions with the Jorõgumo would convince you of the need to take me seriously, but it appears that is not the case.”
The Jorõgumo had been a spider spirit stupid enough to kill Hunter’s lover. She’d tasked us with tracking it down and, when we had, she’d proceeded to kill it – by consuming it. Flesh, blood, and soul.
It had been a horrifying demonstration of just what Hunter was capable of – and how far she would go to get what she wanted.
“For fuck’s sake,” I all but exploded, despite the fact I knew anger wasn’t the best option right now, “you’re not the only one after the keys, and the others are not only not of this world, but they can do a hell of a lot more damage —”
“Perhaps,” she cut in coldly, “but I am the one who lives in this world, and I am the one in close proximity to all that you love. Only there is now one less to love.”
And with that, she was gone.
Leaving me to suddenly wonder who the hell she’d killed.
Chapter 5
“What’s wrong?” Tao said. “You’re as white as a ghost.”
“Hunter has killed someone,” I said. “Do you want to ring Ilianna, and make sure both she and Mirri are okay?”
He swore vehemently. “I was just talking to her five minutes ago. Surely she couldn’t —”
“This is Hunter, so anything is possible.” My voice was harsher than necessary. God, what else could go wrong? “If Ilianna is still at the Brindle with Mirri, tell her to stay there until further notice.”
Surely even Hunter wasn’t crazy enough commit murder inside the ancestral home of the witches.
“I would not be too sure of that,” Azriel murmured.
“I’m not.” I glanced at my phone, said, “Aunt Riley,” and watched the psychedelic patterns swirl prettily across the screen. It seemed to take forever, but finally, Riley’s image popped onto the screen. I released the breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. She was safe. Alive. Although even if Hunter was crazy enough to attack someone in the sanctity of Brindle’s halls, surely even she wouldn’t touch anyone in the Jenson pack. She might not fear Riley or her twin brother Rhoan, but surely even she wouldn’t want to draw the ire of Riley’s mate, Quinn. Not only was he a very old vampire, but he was also a former Cazador, and part Aedh.
“Risa,” she said, her warm, mellow tones echoing the relief I could see in her expression. “You’ve obviously resurfaced from your drinking binge.”
My smile felt tight. False. “Is everyone there okay?”
She frowned. “Yes, of course. Why?”
I hesitated. She had no idea I was working for Hunter, and that’s exactly how I wanted to keep it.
“I had a premonition that someone close to me was in danger,” I said, glad we were talking on the phone rather than in person. I might have the benefit of super-strong nano microcells – which were the successor of nanowires, and, like them, designed to shield the wearer from psychic intrusion – inserted into my earlobe and heel, but Aunt Riley was one of the strongest telepaths out there, and the microcells were never designed to fend off someone like her. Hell, even Hunter could catch the occasional thought – and usually at the wrong time, like when I was mentally cursing the bitch. “I just wanted to make sure you were all okay.”
“Well, it’s no one in my pack. You know I’d sense it if it were.”
I did know, but it was still a relief to hear it said. Riley wasn’t clairvoyant or anything like that, but besides being a very strong telepath, she was also a twin. She and Uncle Rhoan had a connection deeper and stronger than any psychic talent, and the two of them always knew when the other was in trouble. That bond, over the years, had extended to Liander, Rhoan’s mate. And Riley and Quinn were in constant telepathic contact. If any of them were in trouble, she’d certainly know.
She added, “Are you okay? You don’t look that great.”
“Drinking yourself under the table will do that.” I forced a smile. “It’s nothing a few decent-sized steaks won’t fix.”
“And the key hunt? How goes that?”
“It doesn’t.” Which wasn’t really a lie, because right now, it was going nowhere. “We’re finding nothing but dead ends.”
“Which is another reason for bringing Quinn and me in on the search. Maybe you need a fresh set of eyes on the evidence.”
Not a hope in hell. It was bad enough that I’d pulled Ilianna, Tao, and even Jak into the line of fire. There was no way I would endanger the two people I considered pseudo parents.
“Thanks,” I said. “But there’s actually no point because, as I said, we have no fucking clue where anything or anyone is.”
“But perhaps if we —”
“Aunt Riley,” I interrupted softly, “I love you to death, you know that, but right now —”
“I need to butt out,” she finished for me. Her voice was amused, but there was steel in her gray eyes. “You know that’s impossible for me to do.”
Tension ran through me. I couldn’t let her help me any more than she already had. I had lost my mom. I didn’t want to lose my other mom as well. “Look, I promise I’ll holler for help when I need it, but there’s really nothing you can do at the moment. Hell, there’s nothing for me to do.”
She considered me for a second, then said, “Is Azriel still helping you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll back off for the moment. But if you don’t holler, and go get yourself dead again, I will be madder than hell at you.”
I smiled, relief and amusement running through me in equal amounts. “I promise, on Mom’s soul, I will call in your help the moment I need it.”
She harrumphed. Meaning she undoubtedly caught the catch-22 in that statement – that I was never going to be desperate enough to call in her help on the key search – but all she said was, “Keep in contact regardless, Risa, or I will get involved, whether you like it or not.”
“Noted,” I said, and hung up. The phone rang almost immediately, and the tone told me it was Jak. I hit the vid-phone’s Answer button, and Jak’s image popped up on the screen. “Jak,” I said, voice a mix of relief and confusion. If everyone I cared about was safe, who the hell had Hunter gone after? “Are you okay?”
He frowned. “Of course I’m okay. I’m ringing you, aren’t I?”
“Well, yeah.” I hesitated. “Where are you?”
“At the office, like I said I would be.” His frown increased. “Are you okay? I mean, you look a little pale —”
That’s because death is reaching her sharp little claws toward one of my friends. I swallowed back bile and said, “Look, I’m fine, but I want you to go home right now. And don’t open the door to anyone but me.”
“Why, if I didn’t know better,” he said, amused, “I’d say you were worried about my safety.”
“I am, asshole. I mean, if anyone is going to kill you, I want it to be me. Now, cut the crap and just get moving.”
He chuckled, and airily waved a hand – a movement I only half saw on the small screen. “No one can get into the office, Ris. Not only is there security downstairs, but the entry into this area is thumb-coded. I’m actually safer here than at home.”
“Security doesn’t worry vampires,” I told him. “All they have to do is take over the mind of the guard and they’re in.”
Or, in the case of thumb-print security, cut off said thumb.
His grin faded. “And that’s what you think is after me? A vampire? Why?”
I took a deep breath, and released it slowly. “I’m not sure you’re the actual target,” I said, honestly enough. “But a vampire has threatened to kill someone I know, and I’m just warning everyone.”
“Warning heeded.” His voice was somber. “And I’ll be careful, I promise. Now, do you want to hear what I found?”
I did, but I wanted him safe, too, and I couldn’t escape the notion that he wasn’t, no matter what he thought. Hunter hadn’t made that threat idly. But maybe part of the torture was the waiting, the ever-tightening fist of fear, and the knowledge that sooner or later, one of my friends would be dead. The bitch would no doubt enjoy toying with me like that.
“I’ll listen, as long as you promise me you’ll go home, lock the door, and stay there until further notice.”
“Sounds a bit extreme,” he said, with a frown.
“Trust me, the bitch who made the threat is extreme.”
He studied me for a moment longer, then nodded. “I’ve seen too much lately to ignore such a warning. The minute I hang up, I’ll leave. That okay?”