Creek nodded as he lifted his phone to get a few pictures. The varcolai understood perfectly.

Lola tipped her head back as if searching for an answer in the air. She sighed heavily before looking at John again. “For your information, Dominic didn’t turn me. And I don’t think the vampires will be all that happy to have me on their side after I did away with one of their own. Not that I’ll be taking sides anyway. I’m looking to be a better leader. I told you that.”

John stared at her for a long, uneasy moment. “I thought I knew you once. I thought we were… friends.”

“We were. We still could be. You were like family to me. You saved my life, John.”

Disgust angled the corners of his mouth. He put his shades back on. “Whatever that was worth. You gave it away to a vampire.”

Lola went toward him a step. He didn’t retreat, just put a hand out in front of Valerie. The move didn’t go unnoticed by the mayor. “You think I would hurt her? Valerie has been with me as long as I’ve been mayor. Since I was a councilwoman.” She tapped the space over her heart. “I’m the same person I’ve always been. Becoming a vampire hasn’t changed me.”

“I bet Preacher would disagree with you.” John snorted and looked away. “You have a lot to learn. Speaking of Preacher—”

“John, I’m serious. I want things to be the way they were. I want you to come back to work protecting me. Luke too. The curfew will be dropped and we’ll work on keeping peace in this city. Just having you working for me again would go a long way toward showing that varcolai and vampires don’t have to be enemies.”

“Do you mean it?” Valerie asked.

“Yes.” A spasm of emotion caused her vampire features to move across her face. “I swear on my abuela’s grave I do.”

A spider crawled across Creek’s hand, but he didn’t move. Neither did the trio inside. They just stared at one another.

Finally, John spoke, nodding reluctantly. “Okay. But do one thing that goes against that promise and you will have the wrath of the varcolai upon you like a plague.”

She held out her hand to him. This time he shook it. “Welcome back, John.”

“Thanks.” But caution masked his face. “You really do need to talk to Preacher as soon as you can. He hears what’s going on, that he’s being left out of decisions concerning his daughter, and you’ll have a whole new set of problems to deal with.”

“Understood. I will take care of that, I promise you.”

“Good.” John looked unconvinced.

Lola smiled at Valerie. “Let’s get that announcement drafted. The sooner this curfew is dropped, the sooner we can move forward.”

John stepped out of Valerie’s way as she came out from behind him. “Why such a change of heart? After everything you did, this doesn’t make sense.”

Lola sat on the couch, Valerie beside her. “I was led astray by a dark influence. A man whose only agenda is destruction. A man who is this city’s enemy.”

Creek lifted his hand and watched the spider pick its way across his knuckles. He tipped his hand so the creature could find a leaf.

“And that man is?” John asked.

Lola’s hands fisted. “Thomas Creek.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Unfathomable sorrow scored Tatiana’s bones, immobilizing her with the sucking loss of her child. What had just happened? She staggered to her feet, blind to the disarray swirling around her. She stumbled toward the door after Moreau and his comarré. Blood scent mingled with the fading brimstone, bringing her anger up like acid.

She would prove the Castus wrong. She would get Lilith back from them.

Leaving the chaos behind, she caught sight of Moreau’s long black coat disappearing around a corner. She took off after him. A couple of drops of blood here and there confirmed that he was following his comarré.

Good. She would kill them both.

“Guards,” she yelled. “With me!”

The sound of fringe obeying her was all she needed to push harder after Moreau. Her silk slippers had no traction. She kicked them off. Barefoot, she picked up speed, closing in.

Downward into the belly of the estate they descended. He was always a hallway or stairwell ahead. She’d catch a door swinging shut, just missing him. Still, she ran, Lilith’s face melding with Sophia’s. She would not lose another child. She would kill Moreau and his blood whore and prove to the Castus that she was capable of protecting Lilith. They would give her back. They had to give her back.

The slap of her bare soles against the hall’s marble floor echoed in her ears. The fringe guards had fallen behind, unable to keep up with her. So be it. She’d take on Moreau alone. He had no idea who he was up against.

“Moreau,” she yelled ahead. “I’m going to flay you stem to stern.”

Laughter bounced back, infuriating her. Charging her onward. How dare he spin his tale about going after the comarré when he’d been in league with his own blood whore to work harm against her. The House of Tepes would be better served by his ashes than his lies.

The marble changed to concrete. They were in the servants’ section now. Lower yet and the lighting dimmed to the minimum used for storage areas.

Voices ahead. A woman. The comarré by the blood scent that mingled with the damp and dirt.

Tatiana slowed until her steps were soundless. The fringe came running up behind her. She put a hand out to quiet them and eased forward to get a look around the corner.