“Had an entire chocolate drawer,” she said.
My blood ran cold. “What do you mean, ‘had’?”
“Quinoa,” Mallory said by way of explanation. “He took the rest of it to the Ombudsman’s office for the communal candy dish. It’s all chia seeds and whole grains in there now.”
“That bastard,” I gritted out. In truth, I had only myself to blame for losing all that lovely chocolate. I should have taken it all with me when I moved into the House.
She cast a sly glance toward her husband. “I need to go sneak this into the car. Wanna go on a secret mission?”
“Candy-related missions are my favorite type,” I said as she handed the loaded bag to me. I caught Ethan’s glance on the way out the door. I’ll be right back.
He nodded, slid his gaze back to Catcher.
With Mallory in the lead, car keys in hand and walking in a fast shuffle, we walked out of the House and through the gate. Catcher’s sedan was parked right in front of the House.
I glanced at her, my brow cocked. “How’d he get this prime spot?”
“Said we were on an urgent mission. Which the guards bought, because it was the absolute truth.”
“Did I mention I love your nail polish?” I asked.
“You did not, but thank you. Times like this, you gotta have a bright spot. You gotta have something to lighten the mood.” She shrugged. “Catcher’s homemade waffles and enormous dick usually do the trick. But a little paint and color never hurt.”
I had no idea how to respond to that. Or what I could say that wouldn’t encourage her to go into details. I decided on simple agreement. “Paint and color never hurt.”
She popped open the car’s trunk, moved aside a blanket, a spell book, and an enormous ceramic vessel the color of bone.
“Is that the crucible?” I asked, putting the bag in the trunk and smirking while she covered it with blankets.
“It is.” She tucked in the bag like it was precious cargo. “I think I’m going to distill something. Try to make a salt, which doesn’t really mean what you think it means.” She sighed happily. “Oh, alchemy. You’re so wonderfully wacky.”
She might have appreciated the alchemy, but she wasn’t nearly as careful with the ceramic crucible as she was with the bag of snacks.
“Mallory, you know I love you, but I wonder if going to this much trouble to keep some candy from Catcher is a bad plan.”
“What he doesn’t know won’t kill him. I just need a new hiding place. I’m thinking a cabinet in the basement, but then the spiders might get in there.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to make light of this Reed situation, but honest to God, we have apocalypse-level spiders. Spiders big enough to operate motor vehicles. If the world ends, it will be because they’ve stolen tanks and challenged the president.”
“Nope.” I held up a hand. “Nope. Nope. I do not want to hear about revolutionary spiders.”
“You truly don’t,” she said. Having secured her goodies, she slammed the trunk closed.
I turned to head back to the House . . . and that was when I saw him.
A lean man about forty yards down the sidewalk, looking up at the fence and stone behind it. Pale skin, thick hair. He wore jeans, dark shoes, a dark jacket, and a black skullcap.
It wasn’t the first time I’d seen someone staring up at Cadogan. Gawkers and tourists visited all the time, as did paparazzi, hoping for a million-dollar shot. There were even tourist buses that carted humans down the street for a look.
The man shifted, situating his face in the light of the corner streetlamp and revealing the thick beard that made him all too recognizable.
He wasn’t just an onlooker.
He was a vampire—the vampire who’d killed Caleb Franklin. The one who’d gotten away from me in Wrigleyville and was now standing in front of Cadogan House.
My heart began to race, my blood to pound with need, with fight. “Get in the House, Mallory.”
“What?” Her smile faded, and she looked around, sensing my sudden caution.
“Get in the House, right now. Tell Ethan to close the gate and lock it down.”
“Merit, I’m not—”
I looked at her, and whatever she’d seen in my eyes must have convinced her.
We might have started this journey together, unsure of our steps, unfamiliar with the kinds of darkness we’d come to see. But we knew it now—how to react, how to protect. Her gaze steeled, and she slid her glance slowly, casually, to the vampire who I didn’t think had yet realized we were watching.
“He works for Reed,” I said. “I’m going to approach him. He’s going to run, and I’m going after him. I’m not going to stop until I get him.”
Ethan would be pissed that I was doing exactly what I lectured him not to do—taking Reed’s bait—but it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t just let the vampire go. Not when we’d made a promise to Gabriel. And not when Caleb Franklin deserved better.
Fear crossed her eyes, but she put it away. “I’ll tell Ethan,” she said. “Go.”
I turned toward him.
He turned, I think, because he’d noticed my movement. And it took only an instant for him to recognize me, to see. We looked at each other, just long enough for me to confirm that he was the vampire I’d wanted . . . and for him to confirm that it was time to go.