“We can confirmGisila hasn’t secretly ganged up with Tutu and is holding Considine within Tutu’s Crypta & Custodia.” Great Aunt Patsy O’Neil plucked the electronic pen from where she’d wedged it behind her ear and made a note on her tablet. “Just got word for the four team sweep we sent there to check during business hours. The only vampires they sensed were the ones on guard duty.”
Granny fluffed up her silvery white hair styled in a beehive. “Can we really be sure when Tutu’s vault system is so big? Slayer senses wouldn’t be able to reach the whole thing.”
“We can, in fact, be sure,” Great Aunt Patsy said with a hint of brogue to her words. “The Patels shared some fae potions for sense boosting.”
Pop-pop whistled. “Those are rare—and expensive.” He grimaced as he leaned back in his office chair and looked up at me. “Sorry, girlie. That’s gonna be costly for you to make up when it comes time to pay.”
“It’s fine.” I waved his concern aside as I looked up at the mobile smartboard my family had confiscated from the Department of Supernatural Law Enforcement—just because the department had no idea how to use smartboards didn’t mean slayers didn’t.
The smartboard displayed the map of Magiford, with active markers for all the slayer teams’ locations, and grayed out spots marking places they’d already searched.
I tapped the board, graying out Tutu’s. “Have them search Gisila’s properties again, particularly the empty factories and warehouses.”
“Even though we’ve confirmed he’s not at any of them?” Paddy asked.
I nodded. “All of them were staffed.”
“But not with any fae you recognized from the capture,” Nan pointed out. “And they already swiped a couple of theemployees, none of them knew anything about Considine, or had even heard of him.”
“I know…” I said, slowly. “But those were the only guarded properties Gisila owns. There must be a reason. Right?”
“Hey, Jade, don’t worry about giving us a reason.” Alex—my brother—stood up from where he’d been working with Great Aunt Patsy in receiving calls from the teams. “If you want us to search the properties again, we’ll do it.” He rested his hands on my shoulders. “It’s your stake. You’re the leader. But you should go rest. You’re burning the candle from both ends since you insist on reporting in for your task force shifts.”
“I know.” I scrunched my eyes shut. “But I can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something.”
“We’ve got it covered,” Alex said. “And we have so much backup and firepower, all we need is for that dragon hag to show up, and we’ll capture her.”
“You’re right. I’ll take a break.” I started shuffling backwards, heading for the cots hidden by some cloth dividers my family had hung to create a makeshift break area for the O’Neils and Carters to take turns resting. “Thanks, Alex.”
“We’ll get your vampire, Lass,” Paddy cackled. “You count on it. I’ve decided nothing would suit our family more than adding an elder vampire to the roster.”
I massaged my aching temples.Considine’s been missing for over five days. We’re in the danger zone, now, in terms of him needing to drink, not to mention we’re almost to the end of the lunar cycle. If we can’t find him before the lunar cycle… No. We’ll find him. I’m not giving up. Ever.
I was about to slip behind the cloth dividers, when I did one last visual sweep of the assembly hall and spotted Vale of the Winter Courts standing in a doorway.
I veered away from the break area and awkwardly raised a hand to greet him. “Can I help you?” I asked as I closed in on him.
The night shift had been a bust—the werewolves who’d jumped the dwarf weren’t home when the team dropped in.
Vale shook his head. “Just checking in between searches. I accompanied the day shift to several of Gisila’s properties—thanks for the list.”
“Of course. Did you see anything suspicious?”
“No.” Vale adjusted his sleeves—shifting the hidden daggers strapped beneath them. “The opposite. There were so many holes in the defense systems it seems unlikely Gisila is holding an oracle, or they’d be shored up.”
“Gisila is the best candidate, though, for holding an oracle,” I said.
“Yes,” Vale said. “And as a dragon shifter, a rarity like an oracle would be extra alluring to possess. Since she mentioned a prophecy, it’s only logical the oracle is under her control by now. Even if she didn’t find the oracle originally, she would have stolen them from whoever did.”
Why do dragon shifters have to be so powerful?I sighed and scrunched my eyes shut, trying to think.
“So whoever has the oracle, then, has to be stronger than a dragon shifter,” I said. “There’s quite a few possibilities in Magiford—Killian Drake and Hazel Medeis have compiled a list.”
“I saw the case update, but I don’t think there’s a good chance anyone on that list has the oracle.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Vale frowned. “Whoever initially found the oracle sold prophecies to petty thugs. A high ranking supernatural wouldn’t do that.”
