“This is a disaster,” I muttered, already feeling a headache coming on.
The opposite of how I’d wanted my night to go. A dead body that was probably a vampire. If that didn’t scream “look at me”, I didn’t know what would.
Connor’s face was sympathetic, but that was only because he wasn’t the one in the hot seat. He didn’t have to face an upset Liam. I did.
“Maybe we could tell Thomas instead,” I suggested, feeling a bit of hope.
I didn’t care if it made me seem cowardly. An unhappy Liam was no one’s idea of a good time.
Yes, I could tune out his fussing, but that always led to more nagging.
“Liam will only be angrier when he finds out later,” Connor said. “And hewillfind out.”
I slumped at the knowledge that nothing ever got by that man. Not when it pertained to the safety of his city or me. He was like a Venus flytrap. All information eventually made its way into his maw.
“Thomas would call him in as soon as he got off the phone with you,” Connor continued, crushing the last vestige of my hope.
Of course, he would. Liam was his right hand, after all.
All paths led to my ass being cooked. No pun intended.
“That looks painful,” Natalia said with a whistle as she exited the bar.
Her presence reminded me of something very important. I turned to stare up at the roof. “Natalia—your harpies.”
They’d been there earlier but weren’t there now. I didn’t know if that was because they’d wandered off or if they were a victim of a different, more bloody reason.
A bird-like hiss erupted from her throat. Her glamour shredded, peeling back to reveal features that looked a lot more avian than before.
A gasp from the bar’s entrance alerted me to Jenna’s presence.
I looked over to find her gaze locked on Natalia’s wings right as the harpy shot into the sky, whipping Jenna’s hair into her face.
“Go back inside, Jenna,” I ordered, knowing it was already too late. The damage was done.
I might as well not have spoken. Jenna remained frozen in place, her eyes wide and horrified.
“Jenna!” I barked before softening my tone. “Inside, please.”
The words jogged her out of her fugue, leaving her gaze free to wander the parking lot. I knew the instant she spotted the body.
“We need to call the cops.” Jenna’s gaze jumped to mine, a thread of hysteria trying to take over before she controlled it.
Of all the times she had to be brave.
My expression went blank. Connor’s too.
We both knew what had to be done next. Jenna had seen too much. There was only one solution.
Memory wipe.
“I should be the one to do it,” Connor said. “She’s your sister. It’ll be harder on you.”
“That’s exactly why I have to be the one.”
She was my responsibility. Not his.
If someone was going to tamper with her mind and take the memory of this night, it would be me. I owed her that.
