Without waiting for a response, I rushed to the next corner and crossed the street, then stopped outside Bar.
Caitlin didn’t offer any sarcastic comments about me taking time for a drink. While she had to be even more confused than I was, she obviously realized the Square was more than it seemed, enough to let someone who’d spent time here take the lead—even if that someone was her annoying little brother.
“I’d like you to come in here with me too. I don’t want us to split up. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I have a bad feeling.”
“Bad feeling? You think? We got two hurt parents and a kidnapped sister. Glad you’re catching on. And I’d like to see you try to go in there without me.”
“All I meant was… never mind.” I reached for the door, then paused again. “There’s a werewolf with a pretty mouthy attitude inside. Please don’t pick a fight.”
In response, she pushed past me and flung open the bar’s door.
Actually, Farvin probably wouldn’t throw up too much of an attitude with Caitlin, as pretty as she was. His girlfriend was the one I needed to worry about, unless they were looking for another three-way partner again.
Caitlin halted a foot past the entryway and turned to me, addressing me in a mock whisper. “A glass-block bar with red backlighting? Could it be any more cliché?”
“Thanks for taking my warning seriously, Caitlin.” Automatically, I stepped toward Schwint’s and my favorite seats and halted. I’d never been in here when Marina wasn’t behind the bar. In her place stood a beautiful man—tall, blond, and muscle-bound. Obviously werewolf. Looking away, I gave a quick, cursory glance around the bar. Only three other people sat there, all huddled together in the back corner booth. No Marina. No Farvin.
I brought my attention back to the werewolf behind the bar. Unlike Allison, he clearly wasn’t the slightest bit afraid of me. However, he obviously recognized me as easily as she had.
He let out a low, deep growl. Not threatening, but not kindly either. “I know who you are. If I were you, I’d be getting the hell outta the Square and get your queer ass to the Cathedral.”
“Where’s Marina?”
“None of your fucking faggot business.”
Caitlin stormed up beside me. I could feel the blast coming. Nobody called her brother a faggot. Except her.
I put out my hand, stopping her. “No. Let me handle it.”
The wolf never took his eyes off me.
“What about Farvin? Where is he?” I glanced past him toward the rear of the bar. “Is he in the back room?”
He snorted. “Can’t believe he even lets you know his name without ripping your throat out.”
“Where is he? Are he and Marina alive?”
He blanched at that. “Of course they’re alive. Why the fuck wouldn’t they be alive?”
“I just heard Hazel is dead. Is that true?”
Some look passed behind his red-rimmed eyes—whether reproach or anger, I couldn’t tell. “Yeah, she’s dead. Farvin and his bitch aren’t stupid like her.”
I thought I knew what that meant, but I had to make certain. I wasn’t sure how genuine it was, but I’d begun to count Marina as a friend, even Farvin by the end, although I doubted he would use the same qualifier. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t slit my throat if given the chance, and for Farvin that probably counted as friendship. “So they’re alive? They’re okay?”
Again, some emotion darkened his face. “Yeah. They’re fine.”
My shoulders slumped. “Thank God.”
We studied each other, the wolf and I.
“You’re not going to give me any other information, are you?”
He shook his head.
I started to leave, but then a thought crossed my mind. As much as I’d hated that damned voice in my head, now that I needed to have some contact with the vampires, it would have been helpful if it would show up for a moment or two.
“I’m leaving for the Vampire Cathedral today. You’ll let them know?”
