A knot forms in my throat. I can’t tell Jaxson the truth, but he won’t help me if I say nothing. My week is almost up.
“Do you promise to keep it a secret?” I ask.
Jaxson offers me his pinky in a childish gesture that makes my heart ache with nostalgia. It’s what we did as kids, Jaxson, Wilder, and me. “I promise.”
I gesture for Jaxson to lean in closer to me. He does. “Someone summoned Balam to kill Vane and Vyvyan the night of the blackout.”
“Fuck. Are you serious?”
I scan the restaurant for signs of eavesdroppers. Satisfied that no one is listening, I say, “Yes.”
“Who knew they were leaving the Nest?”
I shrug. “The Council.”
Jax is silent for a moment, his eyes distant. “Then why are you asking me about Alden?”
“Because Balam’s daemon signatures were paw prints.”
He considers my words before realization widens his eyes. “You mean, like wolves.”
“Wolves and vampires have been enemies for hundreds of years. The conflict escalated when Vyvyan refused to challenge the witches’ decision to force the vampires underground. Many vampires refused to comply and headed north into Lua, seeking refuge in wolf territory,” I state. Jaxson nods, his expression grim.
“The vampires’ encroachment on wolf lands heightened tensions. Fiercely protective of their territory, wolves saw the vampires as a direct threat. Skirmishes broke out, with both sides suffering losses,” I continue. “Wolves view vampires as unnatural, soulless creatures, while vampires see wolves as primitive, ruled by instincts. The cultural differences and territorial disputes have made peaceful coexistence nearly impossible.”
“But Alden was at Little Death the other night. Did something happen?”
“Alden got caught wandering the tunnels, heading into the Nest. I think he was trying to get to Vyvyan to finish the job.” While my voice rises with excitement at the possibility of being right, Jaxson is shaking his head.
“But Alden wasn’t in town during the blackout. His train got in days later. Maybe the tracks you saw were from a large dog?” My jaw hardens at Jaxon’s statement. “Alden didn’t sneak into Corona, make his way down to Borealis, attack Vyvyan, timing itperfectly with a blackout, then make it back to Lua, only to arrive as if nothing happened a couple of days later.”
It does sound absurd when he says it like that, but I was so sure it was Alden.
“How else would you explain the prints?” I ask.
Jaxson clicks his tongue. “I think someone is trying to throw you off their scent.”
“Like whom?”
“Someone on the Council?”
I groan. He sounds like Vyvyan. “There are sixteen members on the Council, including Leigh. It’ll be like finding a needle in a haystack.”
Bennett and a few other councilors were at Little Death the other night. Other than Bennett’s terrible reaction to the Allure, he seems harmless. My brother has told me a little about him. How he is Leigh’s ex, how he betrayed her with Eos, only to win her and the country back with a heartfelt apology. He may be slimy, but he doesn’t seem to be the type to risk his life or job by raising daemons to hurt Vyvyan and Vane.
What motive would he have?
“Desiree? Earth to Desi, anybody home?”
I blink. “Sorry?”
“What do you want to eat?” Jax lifts his gaze. The server’s expectant eyes are on me.
I open my menu, pointing to what I want. “The blood we have on hand tonight is B positive. Does that suffice?” the waiter asks.
“Sure.” To me, blood is blood. I’ve yet to have any that has rocked my world.
I glance at Jaxson, wondering what his blood type is. Would it taste sweeter because it’s him? My mouth waters, a dull throb pulses through my gums. Jax winks. I quickly glance away.
