By now, Connor had abandoned the seat behind Nathan in favor of the one on the passenger side. He was quiet as we drove, lost in his own world.
“Honestly, I expected a little bragging,” I answered.
Nathan snorted. “A magician never reveals his secrets.”
“You’re not a magician, though.”
“I could be if I wanted. I’d make an excellent addition to their ranks,” Nathan grumbled.
Of that I had no doubt. He was a master at misdirection.
“You ever going to tell me why you had blood leaking out of your nose before I showed up?” Nathan asked.
I looked out the window to avoid the question.
“Come on, A. What’s going on?” Seeing my reluctance, Nathan crooned. “Tell your big brother, Nathan, all your little secrets.”
I couldn’t help smiling at his cajoling. “It’s nothing.”
“If you’re bleeding, it is.” The playfulness dropped from his face as Nathan turned serious. “Nose bleeds aren’t normal for us. You should know that.”
I shifted in my seat, a little uncomfortable. He was right. I did know.
With a sigh, I explained what happened in the restaurant. The pain. The voice afterwards.
Nathan listened carefully as he turned onto Goodale and headed toward the Arena District near the downtown area.
“That’s not nothing,” he said after I finished. “Someone able to breech your mind like that is a concern.”
“I agree,” Connor said from the back seat. “Your mental defenses are some of the best I’ve ever seen. I don’t know of anyone who could have done that.”
“You have to tell Thomas,” Nathan said, looking over at me. “You don’t have a choice. He needs to know.”
I stretched my legs out as far as I could and crossed them. “Don’t worry. I’m aware. Not even I would take chances with something like this.”
Thomas had way more experience in these things. If anyone could help, it was him. Or at least he’d know someone who could.
Besides, he owed me.
“I’m surprised Thomas sent you and Anton,” I said, changing the subject.
As enforcers they had better things to do than retrieve the Master of the City’s offspring for a small meet and greet like this. No one particularly important was supposed to be there. Just the Clan Matriarch’s and Patriarch’s. Along with a few vampires hoping to petition to start their own House.
All of them were well acquainted with my eccentricities. My absence would hardly be a surprise.
“Thomas didn’t.”
I sent him a surprised look. “Liam sent you?”
A grunt was all the answer I got.
I sank into thought, troubled by this new piece of information.
In addition to being my lover, Liam was the head enforcer for the Master of the City—and Nathan’s boss. He didn’t normally step into the middle of Thomas’s power games. For him to interfere like this meant something was up.
Something big.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
