“Are we close?”
“Not close enough to be heard,” I said, lowering my voice. “Maybe if we destroy that thing, that’ll break the spell or whatever this is.”
I thought again about Lenore burying me. I’d never seen it coming, not from her. Not from a higher authority member, despite her past. She had too much to lose now, and it seemed uncharacteristically reckless. Lenore hadn’t just wanted me dead—she had wanted me to suffer in that coffin, gasping for breath without any clue as to why.
“Niko, do you think we’ll get out of this one?”
“As long as you stay focused and do not give in to fear. That’s when people make poor choices. Remember the beam I made you walk?”
“How could I forget?”
A few days ago, Niko and Shepherd had temporarily set up an elaborate maze in the gym with high beams. Some were narrow, some slanted down. He wanted me to walk the entire length of it, which seemed simple enough. Until he turned out the lights.
“You never know when your life may fall out of balance,” he said. “You assumed I would leave the lights on, but I wanted you to learn that you can’t rely on your gifts, even something as simple as sight. Never overestimate your ability to handle any situation. You never know when you’ll be thrown in the dark and have something you took for granted stripped away.”
“Like now.”
“Precisely. Now isn’t the time to panic, nor is it time for bravado. Have you tested your gifts this morning?”
“A little.”
“And what of your deficiencies?”
“Aside from not being able to change clothes?”
“Be aware. Dismiss nothing. They could be constantly evolving, and you’d never know unless by accident. Always know your limitations.”
I reached the curb. “We’re here. No sense in trying to sneak up on those fangholes.” I glanced around at the patchy snow, which only dusted parts of the grass and barely grazed the street. We’d had flurries off and on over the past week, but none of it stuck since the late-afternoon sun just melted it all away.
“Let me know how many you see.”
“None outside. Looks like a few people left their cars behind. The lights on the trees and house are still on. That’ll be one hell of an electric bill. Steps,” I said when we reached the front entrance.
Niko fell back and navigated slowly up the wide steps by using the toe of his shoe to find the edge.
I gave the door a rhythmic knock before swinging it wide open. “Hello, boys. Don’t bother getting up. Your master’s girlfriend sent me over to check on her house.”
Two Vampires were sitting at a round table in the room ahead of the grand foyer. It looked like a party from hell had taken place here. As we drew closer to the room that housed Lenore’s giant naked statues and pastoral paintings, I noticed they were engaged in a game of chess. They were still dressed in their sparkling blue suits from the party, one guy with tousled red hair and the other with no hair at all.
My boot heels clicked on the marble floor as I passed by the electric hourglass and neared their table. The fragrant roses still lingered, the festive lights twinkled, and flies feasted upon trays of uneaten food. “Looks like Melonhead is kicking your ass. You guys must be bored here all alone, surrounded by tacky art and dead bodies. If you don’t get those out of here soon, the maggots will take over. But maybe swatting flies will give you something to do.”
The russet-haired Vampire eyed me as if I were vermin. “Are you here to swear fealty?”
“To you?” I chuckled. “Only in your dreams. Oh wait, Vampires don’t sleep.” I drifted toward the hourglass. “Is it just you two in here? Someone could walk right in and rob Miss Parrish blind.”
“Not my concern,” the red-haired Vamp replied.
I ran my finger through the hourglass, and it crackled against my skin. “Has anyone come by yet? I’m curious after that big speech how many defectors you’ve got so far.”
“Three,” the bald man said tersely.
That took me by surprise. The partygoers were a mixture of leadership and the upper crust of society. Some were influencers, others had profitable businesses. Who in the hell had jumped ship so fast? Our situation wasn’tthatdire. At least not yet.
The redhead snickered. “That woman’s reaction when she came in late last night. Remember?”
Baldy tapped his sharp nose before moving the white rook. “I don’t know what could be so terrifying about seeing headless ghosts. She was out of her mind. Why would the master want someone with a weak stomach?”
“You heard what he said.” The redhead touched his bishop before changing his mind. “If they have the mark, he wants them.”
