He stroked his beard repeatedly, speaking in words I didn’t understand.
“English,” Gem said gently.
Viktor took a detour to the other side of the room and stopped in front of a liquor cabinet below two stained glass windows alongside the fireplace wall. They overlooked the courtyard, colorful glass creating a mosaic masterpiece of light across the stone floor. He lifted a decanter and filled a short glass with a clear drink, then swallowed half. “I sent him to dispose of the body and vehicle.”
“But that was two nights ago,” Blue said cautiously. “If you had mentioned this to us, we would have searched for him.”
He refilled his glass and then ponderously crossed the room. His accusatory glare made me shift in my seat. The girls sat on the couch to my right, with most of the men standing, except for Niko, who sat on the armrest of the sofa.
Viktor raised his glass, using one of his fingers to point at Blue. “Do you know why I said nothing? It would take the full night to complete the job, so I did not expect his return so soon. In our last conversation, Christian agreed to do this one thing for me and then he was temporarily stepping away. He was conflicted about the recent changes in the house and expressed doubt that he could trust a crossbreed who has devoted her immortal life to killing the very Breeds she’s made from.”
A hush fell over the room.
“So that is why I have said nothing,” he continued. “I just assumed he was taking an immediate vacation. Christian was very upset. It is not the most convenient time, but I would rather he step away and gather his thoughts than make an impulsive decision. I am not negligent; I was simply misinformed.”
Blue put her head in her hands. “Now what?” she said to herself.
Viktor leveled me with his eyes. “How did Darius connect you to Christian? Even if he somehow captured him, Christian would have never talked. Why did he say this to you?”
I uncrossed my legs. “I asked him if he was missing a guard—to make him paranoid. Before he left, he asked if I was missing a Vampire. Darius said he wasn’t sure if I knew anything about it until he saw my reaction. He threatened my life, and I didn’t want him to think he was talking to an amateur.”
“Youarean amateur,” Viktor ground out. “Now he’ll know us all.”
Blue spoke up. “Darius only noticed her with Shepherd. He’s not a very astute man, from what I could tell.”
Viktor waved his hand dismissively. “Raven is a baneful influence. I thought I could trust you.”
“You can!” she argued. “I did what you asked.”
Viktor approached the couch and cradled her head in his hands. “I do not know what I would have done had I lost you. The goal was to follow him for information; you were not prepared to fight against him in broad daylight, cornered in a shop with all his men and so many witnesses. I believe you when you say you had no part in confronting him, but maybe you should have called me or led the team away before Darius showed up. I care for each of you like family. You must never go against my wishes.”
She placed her brown hands over his. “I would never do anything to jeopardize Keystone.”
He stood upright and glared at Wyatt and Shepherd. “I thought you were leaders and not followers. I’ve always been fair to each of you, and I care for you as one of my own. There are moments when you have to make quick decisions, and I try to support you where I can and teach you the right way. Raven killing the Mage was a decision forced upon her by circumstance, and for that reason, I had to accept it, just as I’ve accepted many of your actions. But this… this was premeditated,” he said, turning on his heel to face me. “It is not easy to have so many lives dependent on me, and now one is lost. If you deceived me once, you’ll do it again and again. I gave you a probationary period as a second opportunity to prove to me that you were willing to change, but you did not. For that reason, you must leave.”
I waited for the punch line that never came.
“But nothing happened. We just confronted him.”
“Nyet.You turned my men against me and devised a plan without my knowledge. How is that nothing?”
“If I hadn’t done it, you would have never known what happened to Christian. You would have just assumed he took off and left Keystone. Darius should know I’m watching his every move; sometimes that’s enough to make a man play by the rules. He’ll be too afraid of getting caught.”
Viktor folded his arms, never removing his eyes from mine. “Without a Vampire on site, I cannot scrub your memories of what little you know. I’m certain you won’t be waiting voluntarily for that to happen, and I do not wish to hold you by force and hurt you. I will reach out to an associate, and he will complete the task by nightfall.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell someone your secrets before then?”
“To whom? You do not have friends.”
Niko rose to his feet. “You can’t do this, Viktor. He’ll kill her. She doesn’t have protection, and without her memory, she’ll be a target.”
“She’s no longer my responsibility. I have opened my home to her and given her more opportunities than I gave to any one of you. I took a chance because of her uniqueness, but I am not willing to sacrifice this organization or any of your lives for an impetuous rogue. You are all gifted, but when it comes to choosing people for Keystone, I only want those who are willing to die for their brethren, not be the cause of their death.”
“Give it time,” Niko pleaded.
Viktor shook his head. “We have lost a good man. I’m out of time.”
I stood up, the welcome mat having been ripped out from beneath me. “No hard feelings, Viktor. Obviously I wasn’t cut out for this kind of work, but just so you know, if you send a Vampire to scrub my memories, don’t be surprised if he turns up missing. I don’t voluntarily give up anything that’s mine.”
