After the meal, while they all sipped coffee and I drank a chai with peri-peri peppers in it, I told the guys my theory about the Onorio Ka maybe beingu’tlun’ta, about maybe eating the Firestarter and being the same person, about Monique not being totally dead and my plan to draw outour traitor at HQ, about Shaun aligned with the Firestarter, and about Sabina involved with Grandmother. All my paranoid conspiracy theories. Except the paranoid were sometimes right. I finished with the information that Ayatas FireWind was heading here. The guys were silent for so long after I finished speaking that I got up and made a new pot of tea for me and coffee for them.
“Is this an official PsyLED trip?” Eli asked.
Aya had said he would arrange leave. “No. It’s... I guess it’s family,” I said, uncomfortable at that word referring to Aya.
“I’ll reserve him a hotel room,” Alex said, heading back to his desk.
“I’ll go back to the Council Chambers,” Bruiser said, rising and kissing the top of my head as if I were a child, “and begin the negotiations into the rules for the Sangre Duello that Koun will fight with Shaun or his champion.”
Oh. I had forgotten that part. A finger of shame wriggled around inside my brain, as he knew it would, hence the head kiss. But I knew Koun was by far the better fighter. If he died, I would lose a lot, and my friend would die. Even if Koun lost, I could negotiate safe passage for my people. If I died, things would suck. If I died, the whole city could lose.
Exhausted, the taste of roasted meat still on my lips and caught in my clothes and pelt, I left the table and the cleanup to others, crawled into bed, and fell asleep.
My last thought was the wedding.Dang.I hadn’t checked in on the repairs to the ballroom. Then I was gone.
***
Beast woke. It was night. Bruiser was not in Jane bed. Had not been in Jane bed. Beast smelled burned things and felt hot air through house. This meant humans with no pelt needed warmth. Beast rolled over and pulled Jane half-form-clothes off Beast body. Sniffed for scents. Listened for sounds with ears and sniffed with nose stolen from ugly-dog-good-nose, which Jane called bloodhound. Heard protectors outside house, walking. Smelled vampires in house. Alex in house.
Eli rose from bed upstairs and walked downstairs, feet silent to humans but heard by Beast. Something had wakedEli. Then heard very softtap-tap-tap.Was what waked Beast. Was what waked Eli. Eli would have white man gun, but Eli would not shoot Beast.
Beast stretched on good bed, front legs out. Then back legs out. Pulled on spine and neck and shoulders and hips. Shook pelt.
Tap-tap-tap.
Beast dropped from bed. Padded to front window. Raised up and shoved aside curtain with paw. On other side of window was...Leo.
Beast heart jumped into throat. Beast whirled and raced to door of Jane den. Could smell Eli on other side. With both front paws, scratched onto door. Eli opened door. “Be quiet; someone is—”
Beast rammed body at Eli legs. Eli cursed. Nearly fell. Beast raced through house, feet and paws slipping on wood floor and rugs. Sped to sidewall with many doors where cat door had been created. Heard Eli give warning that Beast was free and running. Said to shoot nothing. Knew Eli had not seen Leo. But Eli would not know Leo. Leo was body-changed.But was Leo!
Beast dove through cat door and into wet night, damp and chill. Night smells of New Orleans were strong. Urine, vomit, rats, stinky humans with no baths, much food, hot fat, smelly spices, much alcohol. And stink of burned vampire.
Sped across backyard to side yard to square block fence and leaped. Good Beast leap. High. Caught balance at top of wall. Fastpawpawpawalong fence. What Jane called cat balance. What Beast called best hunter. Dropped body down to ground in tiny space filled with big-leaf plants. Landed. Stopped beneath wide leaves. Hidden. Rain made loud noises, plopping on to leaves and ground. Was not hard rain. Was wet. Beast did not like rain and wet. But... Leo scent was on air. Was different Leo scent. Many dead burned flowers and burned paper smell. But deep inside scent was still Leo.
Wanted to scent deep but did not make flehmen response, did not make noise to smell. Belly-crawled to front of side yard. Could tell Leo was not at Jane den now but was still close. Followed stink of burned Leo on night air,shadow to shadow, car to car. Avoided street lights and house lights and drunk humans lying in doorways.
Turned toward river. To hill called levee. Then downstream. Following burned Leo smell like dog, snout in wind. Shadow to shadow. Silent.
Saw human-shape-form sitting on park bench. Sitting human form was Leo. Sleeping human lay on ground at feet. Smelled human blood. Stopped, smelled air, and watched. Leo had been dead. Head had been removed. Then time changed, and head wasalmostremoved. Beast had seen many things and beings die. Leo should not have survived, but Leo had drunk blood from great predator in HQ sub-five. Leo had healing bottle of special blood from lab-a-tory. Had been buried in blood of enemies, much magic healing blood and magic string tying head to body.
Beast thought hard, trying to think as Jane thinks.
Leo had been burned in graveyard fire. Leo had been taken from Leo tomb by... enemies? Friends? Yet Leo was alone. Had Leo killed thieves of Leo body? Leo was good hunter.
But. Trying to think like Jane.
Was possible Leo would not be same Leo.
Human at Leo feet breathed. Leo had fed but had not killed human. Beast smelled other humans nearby, humans with no den, what Jane called homeless. They slept under plastic and boxes in slow rain. Leo had fed from them all, and all lived. Blood was needed to make Leo strong. Leo neededmuchblood to heal. Yet Leo had not killed humans. Leo was not revenant. Was still enough of Leo to approach.
Beast dropped to belly and crawled closer to Leo.
“I smell you, my Jane,” Leo said. “You came to me.”
Am not Jane,Beast thought. Stopped crawling. Wondered if Leo wanted Beast blood.Would fight Leo. Beast is not prey.
“I dreamed of you while I lay in the blood of my enemies. I dreamed of the cavern where I was once trapped, a cavern with a tall domed ceiling and rising and falling columns of stalactites and stalagmites. I was chained there by silver that I could not break, and yet...” Leo was silent.His toe pushed at the sleeping human. Rolled human over, snoring. “Yet Jane set me free. Such strange dreams.”
