“As far as I know.” She tapped her lower lip. “I haven’t seen anyone else. You’ve met her, haven’t you? A female vampire—I think she’s Unclaimed…”

I briefly closed my eyes as I tried to organize my wild thoughts. “I have to go.” I grabbed my katana from the chair I’d balanced it on and tore out of the kitchen, pounding down the hallways.

I needed to find a vampire—there was something I had to confirm. Because if I was right, there was a vampire who was allowed through all the layers of security at Drake Hall without suspicion and didn’t belong to the Drake Family: the vampire with the blood delivery company.

Chapter Nineteen

Hazel

“Celestina? Josh?” I shouted, cursing under my breath when I remembered they had left well over an hour ago for their meeting.

I didn’t know who else was here, and I still didn’t have a cellphone, so it wasn’t like I could phone Celestina up.

Desperate, I flung open the front door, nearly colliding with Rupert, who was coming up the front stairs, having parked his car in the turn around.

“Rupert! I need your help.” I grabbed the front of his suit with my free hand, ignoring the possibility that he might maim me for it—this was too important to let him go, even if he was a jerk.

Rupert reared his head back and went to cover his nose for a moment—from the stench of my blood probably. “What?” he snapped, his hair more of a gold color than red in the yellow cast by the driveway lights. “Can’t you do anything without Celestina or Josh around to protect you?”

“I’m serious!” I yanked hard on his jacket. “Tell me—do all of the local vampire Families use the same blood delivery company?”

Rupert tried to extricate his jacket from my grasp without actually touching me. “Of course. There’s only one major company that services the Midwest. There are a few smaller local brands, but here in Magiford blood distribution is a contract awarded by Killian.”

“Then it’s possible.” I let Rupert go and slapped my hands on my head as if I could forcibly keep my whirling thoughts under control. “Depending on her route, she could have access to everyone…including—the meeting!” Reacting entirely on instinct I jumped down the stairs, sprinting for Rupert’s car.

“Call Celestina!” I shouted over my shoulder. “Tell her the murderer is there!”

Rupert strolled after me. I couldn’t see his face in the darkness of night, but I was pretty sure he was scowling. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I opened his car and slid in the driver’s seat, tossing my katana into the passenger’s seat. “To the meeting!”

“What?!”

I slammed the door shut and, thankfully, the keys were already in the ignition. I turned the car on and slammed from park to drive, already rolling forward as I hurriedly buckled my seatbelt.

“Stop—you stupid rat-blood!” Rupert howled.

I ignored him and drove the car down the driveway. When I glanced in the rearview mirror it looked like Rupert hadn’t bothered to follow me—hopefully he at least thought to phone Celestina.

I reached the gate that divided off Drake lands and peered up and down the fence-line, but I didn’t see any vampires on duty. I rolled a window down and shouted into the shadows of the night, “Hello?”

There was no response.

This made a string of expletives drop from my lips as I’d been planning on snagging one of them and driving to the meeting as they contacted the other Drake vampires.

I bit my lip and impatiently tapped my fingers on the steering wheel.

It was a very real possibility the murderer was going to the meeting. Celestina said she’d made arrangements for a fresh blood delivery. If the delivery vampire had a new target…

I set my jaw and floored it, making the sharp turn and speeding down the abandoned country roads, driving for the city like a bat out of hell.

I hadn’t been this frightened since the night Mason threatened Felix—not when I was thrown off the roof, not even when the fae monster nearly killed me. My palms were clammy and itched as I tried to recall the exact way to the city.

“Why didn’t you give me a cellphone!” I shouted at Killian—who obviously couldn’t hear me. “You’re dripping with cash! But nooo, can’t give the wizard a phone—even though we’ll happily give her a freaking sword!!” I glanced over at my chisa katana. “Sorry—I mean, I love you a lot, but I could really use some backup right now!”

The tires squealed when I took a turn too quickly, but I could see signs of civilization in the distance.

It took too long to reach the Curia Cloisters. I circled around to the back to the staff parking lot, my heartbeat doubling when the car’s headlights lit up a familiarly colored blood delivery van.

I abandoned Rupert’s car in the middle of a parking row and ran inside, clutching my chisa katana to my side.

“Excuse me, no weapons,” a secretary shouted from the information desk.

I ignored her and sprinted through the building, my shoes squeaking as I flew across the tile floor.

I made it all the way to the assembly hall, where I was pretty sure the meeting had to be held again. This time, however, there were armed vampires outside the doors. (So much for no weapons!) One wore armor that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a knight, the other wore a flowing robe—definitely not from the Drake Family.

“Quickly—you’ve got to get Celestina—or Josh—or Gavino!” My lungs ached, and I took such large gulps of air it hurt my throat. “They’re from the Drake Family!”

The vampire in the robes narrowed his eyes. “Non-vampires are not allowed through these doors.”

“That’s fine,” I wheezed. “Just go get one of them!”

The armored vampire shook his head.

“I’m Killian Drake’s pet wizard!” I shouted—hoping they might hear me inside. “Go get any Drake vampire! Celestina—Josh!” I waited, having finally recovered my breath, but the doors didn’t open.

The robed vampire peeled back his upper lip so his fangs showed. “Why do you have a sword?”

“That doesn’t matter—just open the doors! This is taking too long—” I froze when I felt a floral sensation brushing my senses, filling my mouth with the familiar rose-water jello block taste. “She’s getting started,” I said blankly. “She’s using fae magic!”

I stared at the doors in horror, when my memory kicked in, and I recalled the room had three floors—two for observation purposes. I turned on my heel and ran back the way I’d come, weaving around the walled-in room as I searched for the closest staircase.

I found it and went up it as fast as I could, taking two stairs at a time. The flowery feeling grew stronger the higher I went up, so I raced past the second floor and up to the third.

Sure enough, there weren’t any vampire guards on the third floor to stop me, so I sprinted down the hallway, rounded the corner, and slammed into the double doors. I hoped I was being paranoid and I was way off base on this.

I wanted to be wrong.

But every muscle in me tensed when I saw the blond, female vampire crouched a car’s length from the banister. A wood staff topped with a black crystal sat on the ground at her side, and a dagger with a metal dragon sculpted around the hilt was stabbed into the ground—the dragon’s glowing eyes seemed to be the source of fae magic that I felt.

I was right. The delivery vamp was the murderer—and she was here for her next mark.

“Killian!” I screamed. “Get down!” I tore across the landing, weaving around chairs as the female vampire rolled to her feet to face me.

I was vaguely aware that a shrill scream pierced the air from the lower floor before there was lots of shouting. Hopefully Celestina and Josh would stash Killian and then come back me up.

The delivery vampire smirked, and as I jumped a table I could see the blue shimmering cloud that marked out the large area around her—a magical barrier.

But I didn’t slow. I unsheathed my katana and pulled my little flicker of magic through my blood. I blew through the fae barrier—which closed up behind me. That took the smirk off her lips.

“Fae magic doesn’t work on wizards, idiot!” I snarled.

“Insolent rat-blood.” She made a grab for the staff, but I was close enough I was able to perform a serviceable overhead chop, which made her back away. I tried to kick the staff free of the barrier, but it got caught on a chair leg halfway there.

When I scrambled to kick it farther, she grabbed me by the hair and yanked me backwards.

I fell on my back, the delivery vampire kneeling next to me. My scalp burned, and she raised her free hand—her nails pointed and talon-like as more of her vampiric nature leaked through. I struck out with the palm of my hand, cracking her nose. I realized about then that she obviously was not up to the same caliber as the Drake vampires, and didn’t train. I’d never been able to get a hit on anyone in Drake Hall unless they purposely let me, so this was encouraging news. It meant I stood a chance.

Swearing, the vampire leaned backwards, her eyes watering in pain as blood dripped from her nose.

I rolled away, but I wasn’t quite fast enough. Even with her eyes pointed up at the ceiling, the vampire struck like a snake, her claws ripping through my workout clothes and slicing my side.

I ignored the pain as I grabbed the staff, intending to toss it through the barrier.

Bleeding everywhere, the vampire grabbed the end of the staff and yanked it from my grasp. I pivoted to face her, and was shocked to see a number of vampires—including Killian—standing outside the barrier.

The fae magic sparked angrily with the closeness of their presence, but while the other vampires hovered out of reach, Killian stood close enough that one of the sparks could easily brush him. Celestina stood just behind him, her lips moving fast in a hushed whisper as she gestured away from the barrier, but Killian ignored her.