Before she could figure it out, Cole got to his feet and started to pace. “And Rhea? You said she’s missing.”
“Yes.” Cass set aside her water and wiped her damp fingers on her pants. “Your potential partners—would they resort to violence like this to gain an edge in the negotiations?”
Cole spun to face her, absently taking the tumbler Dana handed him. “No, that’s not their style.” He took a sip of his drink as she picked up the tray and took it back to the kitchen. “Why do you think that mess is related to me?”
“You are aware of the depth of services Pythia offers, right?” Cass watched Cole’s gaze turn guarded. “I may not be part of the company now, but that hasn’t always been the case.”
“Is that so?” He studied her carefully. “And what was your role?”
“Oracle.”
His eyebrows rose as he looked at Grayson then back at her. “I see.” He paced a few steps away, came back, then shook his head. “No, actually I don’t see. At all.” He set his drink down and folded his arms as he faced them. “You think I’m behind whatever happened.”
Dana came back to the living room, rounded the edge of the couch, and rubbed a comforting hand along Cole’s spine. “That’s ridiculous. We’ve been here together all day. We’re sorry about your parents, but it has nothing to do with us.”
The arrogant edge to Dana’s words set Cass’s back up and escalated the tension in the room. Cass started to stand, but Grayson stopped her with a simple touch and pinned a hard look on the other couple. “That’s not quite true. The mages hired to attack the Ambroses were paid from an account in Burton Entertainment.”
Indignation colored Cole’s face. “That’s bullshit.”
“It’s not.” Grayson’s unruffled denial stopped Cole’s temper in its tracks. “The account belonged to Tetra Pictures.”
“Tetra?” Cole repeated, rubbing at his chest. “That account’s been closed for a couple of years.”
“Then someone reopened it,” Cass pointed out unnecessarily, keeping her attention on Dana, who was watching the conversation with a strange detachment.
“Why?” Cole shot back. “What’s the point of going after Rhea and Elias?”
“Was the contract your only business with Pythia?” Cass asked.
Cole stilled, his eyes darkening, and his face paled. “No,” he admitted. “There’s another opportunity I was exploring with Rhea.”
“The council seat,” Grayson said.
Cole frowned. “That’s not exactly common knowledge.”
“No, but word gets around.”
Cole didn’t dispute him.
Unable to sit any longer, Cass got to her feet and felt Grayson do the same beside her. “Mr. Burton, Cole, what did my mother share about the council seat that would put a target on her and you?”
Cole cleared his throat and rubbed his chest. “There were signs that—” He gave a choking cough that bent him in half. It was followed by a series of harsher coughs that had him catching his balance with a hand on the coffee table as Dana took a step back.
Worried, Cass moved toward Cole. “Are you?—”
Before she could finish, Cole groaned and collapsed. There was a rush of movement from Grayson, but Cass was frozen in place as thick black vines erupted from the floor and wrapped around Cole. As they tightened their grip, the older man’s face grayed, and he began to seize.
“Cass! Help me.”
Grayson’s barked order snapped her free of the apparition. The vines were gone, but Cole was on the floor, his limbs spasming as if pulled by invisible strings. She got to Cole, grabbed his ankles and held his legs still.
Grayson forced his leather wallet between Cole’s teeth. “What the hell?”
Cass tore her attention from Cole, and her gaze landed on the whiskey glass on the coffee table. The amber liquid inside shifted to a putrid yellow then back to a warm burnt gold.
“Poison.” The word slipped from her.
“What?” Grayson asked sharply, shattering the vision.
