I breathed a sigh of relief that Sparrow hadn’t sent his men back to the hotel. “Thanks. Is he going home?”
“Nyet. We have made arrangements.”
“What about Hunter?”
“We still have a dangerous situation. He will remain with your father until we have resolved this. There are captives under our watch, and we still have information to obtain from Sparrow.”
“I was just lying here wondering why Sparrow didn’t build a wall around his fortress. He had the power to close himself in.”
“Perhaps he thought it would make him seem weak, like he had no faith in his army. This man wanted a battle. He wanted a victory under his belt.”
I strode to my door and closed it. “Viktor, there’s something I need to tell you.”
He looked down at the lone candle in my fireplace. We were impervious to the cold, so lighting a fire seemed like a waste of wood. “You may speak freely.”
I pressed my back to the wooden door and took a breath. “Lenore was here. With Sparrow.”
His eyes flicked up.
“He removed the curse from her, so I know it’s reversible.” I paused, afraid of what his reaction might be. “She was with him. And I mean fully supportive of his plan. They came up to see me when I was in the cage. And by the way, you might want to mention if we have any other cages or torture chambers in the house. Anyhow, she came willingly. She wasn’t captured like I was.”
“Did Sparrow charm you?”
I folded my arms. “Yes. He wanted to know your plan, but I didn’t have it.”
Viktor put his hands in his pockets. “Then how do you know he didn’t implant that memory of her as a trick?”
“Why would he do that?”
“To force her hand. Perhaps he meant to set you free so you would tell us. Miss Parrish would be threatened by the accusation and might feel she had no choice but to go to him.”
I lowered my arms and pushed away from the door. “He never meant to set me free. Wouldn’t I know if I had a new memory implanted? I know what it feels like to have one removed—there’s a strange empty spot and headaches.”
“Blue was there. Did she see her?”
“No.” I knew Viktor didn’t want to accept this. It was betrayal on so many levels. “We killed all the Vampires, so now we don’t have them as witnesses. She had your brooch.”
“I am not saying it is not possible.” He paced toward the alcove where my arched windows overlooked the back of Keystone property. “But the ones we have in our custody are proven traitors. There is no denying. They are here and will face punishment. But where is Miss Parrish? If she chose to be with Sparrow, why would she leave?Howcould she leave?”
I sat at the foot of my bed and stared at the candle. “She knew about the secret passageway. Was anyone watching the garage? She had on all white. The wolves can’t scent her, so she could have easily slipped away. I don’t think she would have stuck around to see who would win if she knew there was a chance it might not go her way.”
Viktor looked out the latticed window contemplatively, watching the fires burn in the distance.
“She was spiking your drinks with sensory magic.”
He turned his head, revealing his profile. “Did you see her do this?”
“No, but I saw the bottle at her house. She asked me to get you that bottle of vodka, and it was already open. It’s just a hunch. I have no proof, and that’s why I didn’t say anything. But when I saw her here with my own two eyes, I knew I couldn’t keep this from you, even without evidence. It’s not an implanted memory.”
Viktor lowered his head, and my heart broke for him. Lenore was charming, beautiful, and so easy to want to like. Even I had fallen under her sway. What manwouldn’twant her?
“I’m not trying to turn you against her, and I’m sorry I put you in this position. I know you care for her. But you need to know who she is and what she’s capable of. You deserve that much even if I can’t prove it. I know slander is against the law, which is why I’ve been silent about this. There’s no evidence or proof I can give to you. All I have is my loyalty. I’m afraid she’ll come back and deny everything, and she’ll gain your support. That puts me in a difficult position. My loyalty is to Keystone, and now I see her as a threat. If it was a personal thing between us, that would be different. But she betrayed you, and she betrayed her oath—assuming higher authority take an oath. She’s no better than the lowlifes we’re holding downstairs. The only difference is she got away.”
He turned on his heel and sat beside me. “I began to suspect something at the hotel. My feelings for her changed, but I wasn’t certain if it was all the drama from the party and the position Sparrow put me in. During moments alone, it felt strangely distant between us. This new revelation worries me.” He interlocked his fingers, his knuckles white. “What secrets might I have told her? I assumed a higher authority member would honor secrecy. Part of my rules for joining Keystone are to not have relations with one another, but now it seems more dangerous to have one on the outside. Gem experienced a great loss, but betrayal is another reason we should not pursue the pleasures that others indulge in.”
Even with Christian and me, there was always a chance we could break up and be forced to leave. Even if only one of us left, would Viktor trust the outside party not to find out Keystone secrets? Love was a drug with dangerous consequences. For others, it might cost them money or heartache, but for us, it could cost lives.
“I’m sorry,” I said in earnest. “I’m sorry she manipulated you. But I’m not sorry that you put yourself out there. Maybe your feelings were drug induced, but I don’t doubt you felt something genuine. It’s hard to keep things casual when you find someone you really connect with.” I stared at the candle, thinking about how complicated our lives were. “It’s not easy to do what we do and go to bed alone. We all want someone to confide in. We have our partners and one another, but I know there’s a lot you can’t discuss with us.”
