Dark Debt (Chicagoland Vampires #11)(51)
Author: Chloe Neill

“Sad, but true,” Ethan said. “Let’s follow up with the Masters, Sentinel.”

I nodded, and we said our good-byes and turned to walk back to the House.

“And how are you?” he asked. He moved to lift his hand to my back, but dropped it again, as if remembering my flinch. That sent a new wave of guilt through me, but I pushed it down. This wasn’t the time for Balthasar.

“At the moment, frustrated. My grandfather gave me a pep talk, but I don’t know that it helped. The perp could have given us a good lead about the Circle.”

“He might have,” Ethan agreed. “But more likely, he’d simply have refused to talk. The Circle does not continue to exist because its members snitch, and I’d surmise there are serious punishments for those who break the rules. Likely rewards for those who stay quiet. The CPD will have blood from the dagger, fingerprints from the Taser. That will likely give them as much as they might have gotten out of the man.”

I nodded. “That helps. Thanks.”

“Anytime, Sentinel.”

I caught a glint of something in the grass, stopped, and glanced across the grass until I saw it again.

“What is it?” Ethan asked.

“Give me a second.” I nudged it with the toe of my boot, then bent down. There in the grass, near the spot where Nadia and the man had fought, was a gold coin about the size of a nickel. Inscribed in the top was a circular symbol, a kind of ouroboros—a snake coiled in a circle, the tail in its mouth. In this case, there were three snakes composing the circle.

“It’s a coin,” I said, and handed it to Ethan.

“Chuck,” he called out, after he’d looked it over, and my grandfather walked toward us.

“What’ve you got?”

Ethan handed him the coin, and my grandfather nodded. “The Circle’s calling card,” he said. “Your perp must have dropped it. And I believe that confirms the reason for this particular visit.”

He pulled another evidence bag from his jacket pocket, dropped the coin inside. “Navarre’s debt has come due, and it appears the Circle intends to collect.”

*   *   *

We joined the vampires again, headed inside Navarre House to discuss the specifics of the response. This time, the House’s lobby was stuffed with vampires in trendy clothing and obvious nerves, their magic peppering the air. Morgan waved us past the guards, who still watched us grimly as we passed, as if certain we were the cause of the trouble outside, instead of the ones who’d handled it.

Morgan passed them in silence as we followed him to the staircase, his Novitiates’ gazes on the group of us as we moved, the city’s Masters together. It was odd, I thought, that he didn’t address his vampires. But if he wasn’t going to talk to them, it certainly wasn’t our job. I wasn’t even sure how much they knew about the Circle, although Will’s and Zane’s absences and Nadia’s attack should have at least tipped them off that something big was happening.

“What’s going on out there?” a vampire called out. “We need some answers, Sire.”

Morgan stopped on the staircase, hand on the banister, and turned back to look at them. We moved out of the way to give his vampires a look at him.

“Something happened here today,” he said, his eyes dark and somber. “Something that was set in motion years ago. It is the result of many years of selfishness and superficiality and, yes, malfeasance. Of greed and short-term thinking. We are investigating the problem, and looking for a solution. That solution may not come today, but when it comes, it will undoubtedly require a change to the way in which we do things here.” He looked around at the marble floors, careful lighting, expensive furnishings. “We may have to examine who we are and what we wish to be.” His voice was soft, wistful, with a heady dose of regret in it.

After a moment, Morgan looked down at them again. “Stay in the House tonight. Don’t leave, even with an escort.”

There was an outpouring of argument, a volley of questions, a few arrows of accusation. Morgan stood there, took the brunt of it, and I caught Ethan’s mild but curious glance.

What are you thinking? I asked him.

I’m wondering if he intends to sacrifice himself for her, and despite all that she’s done to him, and to them.

I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, that he wouldn’t fall on his sword for a person so unworthy. But Celina’s cult of personality was powerful, and if he thought Navarre needed to believe in her, I wouldn’t put it past him to sacrifice the king in order to save the queen. Vampire politics: chess with more fangs.

Morgan lifted his hands to get their attention, and even then it took several seconds for the noise to quiet. “I’ve issued my order, and I’ll update you when I can. Until then, I expect you to behave like Navarre vampires.”

With that, he turned and walked up the stairs.

Yet again, I didn’t envy Morgan Greer.

*   *   *

Irina and Malik were still in the conference room when we arrived, laptops still open, although the pile of papers around them had grown since my last visit. Juliet still stood at parade rest in the corner, her gaze on the Seconds at their work.

As the Masters arranged themselves around the table, I glanced around the room, scoping out a drink cart or refrigerator. I was parched, and hadn’t had a thing to drink since my running tour of Streeterville. I walked toward Irina, who looked as perfect as she had two hours ago, from her golden hair to her ruby lipstick. I could easily imagine her and Celina as friends or, since it was difficult to imagine Celina having true friends, as confidantes. She was light to Celina’s dark, both of them fashion-forward and gorgeous.

Irina slid her gaze toward me as I approached, clearly unhappy about the interruption.

“Sorry to bother you, but could I get something to drink?” I asked her.

Irina gave me a full up-and-down appraisal before gesturing to the door. “The kitchen’s down the hall.”

I was apparently neither highly ranking enough nor Navarre enough to merit her going to any trouble.

“I’ll take you,” Juliet said quietly, moving near me and gesturing toward the door.

I didn’t want to leave the room without Ethan’s okay, so I waited until he made eye contact, nodded, then followed Juliet out the door again.

“She’s a piece of work, isn’t she?” I whispered as we walked down the hallway. It was empty, but magic and sound from the drama below still filled the air. Navarre’s vampires were very, very unhappy.