“I’m going to need armed guards to follow me around.” My hands shook holding the treasure.
“You don’t need guards. You have me.” He attached the bracelet around my wrist and waited for me to put on the earrings.
At least they had screw backs, which made them feel more secure. Short of someone ripping them out of my ear?—
“Stop. Darling, you yourself could fight off any ne’er-do-wells. If you require backup, though, I imagine eight vampires would be enough.”
“Okay. I’m being stupid.” I looked in the mirror. “Are we sure this isn’t too much?”
“We’re sure.” He took my hand and led me back into the bedroom. “Let’s take a look into Thi’s head and see why she wants one of us dead, shall we?”
Clive took off his suit coat and we sat on the sofa. I closed my eyes, still holding his hand in both of mine, and I sought out the little green blips that meant vampire. Other than the three near me, the rest were clustered together in the nocturne.
Linking with Clive was second nature now. When we’ve tried this before, Godfrey couldn’t hear you, but we don’t know if Thi has any special gifts, so I don’t want you to say anything once we get started, okay?
Of course.
When you’re in her mind with me, squeeze my hand, so I know you’re hearing and seeing what I am.
I will.
Here we go.
Sorting through the nocturne vamps, I found Russell, Godfrey, and Audrey right away. I had to mentally touch on each of the others to find the one I was looking for. I’d visited Thi and her assistant yesterday, which helped me recognize their mental signatures today.
I wrapped the coil of my magic around Clive and pulled him into my candy-coated brain. Did that description sound stupid? Yes, but it’s how I visualized it, and it worked for me, so back off.
Once I had Thi’s blip located, I let my consciousness spread out, engulfing her blip, and then quietly seeped in. I was much better at this than when I first tried to do it last year. I used to stab my way in, but the older, more powerful vamps felt the intrusion. Now? Not so much.
I heard her voice but had no idea what she was saying to the assistant I had listened to last night. Clive squeezed my hand. Okay, good. I let him listen for a bit and then pushed an image of myself from last night into her mind. The tone of the conversation changed. Clive held my hand firmly throughout. Eventually, he tapped my hand twice and I pulled us out.
When I opened my eyes and turned to him, Clive was already watching me.
“You’re truly remarkable.” He kissed me and I lost my train of thought. He finally pulled back and said, “At first, it was nothing. A conversation very like our own—what are you wearing? When you pushed your image at them—and you are far more beautiful than you think you are—the conversation changed. Thi asked if Mai noticed anything special or dangerous about you after Thi had gone into the library. Mai said that after Godfrey had deposited them in the lower level, she’d come back up looking for you. She knew you were in the study and that you were getting your hair done, but she didn’t hear anything being said.”
“Did she mention that text I saw in her memories?”
“Of sorts,” he replied. “Mai said she didn’t understand why Chaaya had texted that you weren’t what you seemed to be.”
“Anything else?”
He shook his head. “That doesn’t mean there wasn’t more to the text, but they didn’t mention it.”
“I could try to find the memory again,” I volunteered.
He checked his watch. “We don’t have time. When you go into memories, you’re often in there for hours. But there is one more thing I’d like you to do, if you’re feeling up to it.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to go into Joao’s thoughts like you did Thi’s. There’s something off there. It could be nothing, but I want to make sure that he, too, didn’t get a message from someone in Budapest. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’d feel better if we knew if he was plotting against us.”
“I don’t like spying on people if I don’t have to. It feels creepy. If you think he’s a threat, though, I can do it.”
He pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it. “Thank you, darling. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think it was important.”
I went through the process again, pulling Clive along with me. Joao wasn’t talking with anyone. He was texting someone, though. Clive squeezed my hand, so he was on the job. I zoned out while Joao continued to text in what I assumed was Portuguese and then finished getting dressed.
When it seemed like he wasn’t doing much, I pushed an image of myself into his brain. He slammed the closet door closed and then started texting again. When Joao finally left his room and started down the nocturne stairs, Clive tapped my hand and I pulled us out.
