They all seemed to figure that out pretty quickly. “She’s not a problem.”

Annika’s mouth curved in a not entirely unpleasant smile. “Good. I’m not unsympathetic to a man’s needs. So long as she doesn’t keep you from your work.”

“Understood.”

Annika nodded. “I’ll be going.” She walked toward the door. “Talk to the comarré immediately. I’ll expect an update soon.”

Which he took to mean she’d be returning in a day or so. He walked with her. “Will do.” He hesitated to say more, but curiosity got the best of him. “So you’re a dragon like Argent?”

“No.”

His brow furrowed as they reached the door. “What are you, then, if you don’t mind me asking?”

She pushed the heavy metal back with one hand and turned. “Basilisk.”

He shook his head. “What is that again?”

“Like a dragon but with a stone gaze and a few other abilities.”

“A stone gaze?”

She stepped back into his home, her gaze aimed at the ground. “There.” She pointed at a palmetto bug scurrying toward them along one wall. She stepped into its path and crouched down. “Watch.” She tapped one of the screws on the side of her glasses, which he now realized was a button. The shades flipped up.

The palmetto bug turned gray and stopped moving. Before facing him, she touched the button again, lowering the shades. With a few steps, she retrieved the bug and tossed it his way.

He caught it, surprised at the weight and smoothness. She’d turned it to stone. He took a step back. “Stone gaze. Got it.”

With a nod, she exited, unfurled a pair of wings, and took off. Creek watched her disappear into the night sky, hoping like hell that questions about Argent’s disappearance never caused her to look at him any closer.

Chapter Nineteen

Get your hands off me,” Chrysabelle snarled to the SWAT member holding her. The humans around her stared, stepping back as they realized she wasn’t one of them.

The man’s hands stayed on her biceps, keeping her back while Mal was chained to the posts a few yards away. “Ma’am, you can’t approach the prisoner.”

“He’s not a prisoner, you idiot. He volunteered for the job.” She could easily toss the guy aside, but that would just draw more attention to her. Already the confused and troubled citizens surrounding her thrummed with an unwelcome vibe.

Police restrained the murmuring crowds at the square’s edges while a few more officers directed a black sedan. The mayor. Wasn’t watching this chaos on the holovision enough for her? Rage bloomed in Chrysabelle, causing her muscles to tremble. And this woman wanted help getting her grandchild back? She shook her head at the thought. Not the best way to go about it.

The sedan parked and the mayor got out, escorted by Luke Havoc. How could a shifter work for the mayor after this? He stayed at her side as she walked toward the cluster of cameramen and reporters who’d headed for the sedan the moment it had come into sight.

They held their microphones up as she began to speak. “As you can see, we’ve had a change in plans. The varcolai who violated the curfew has been released and his place taken by another othernatural.” She raised a hand toward Mal. “Before you, citizens of Paradise City, you see a real, live vampire.”

A gasp went through the crowd.

“Fools,” Chrysabelle muttered. Were mortals still so blind? Or had it just been the mayor’s confirmation of what they already knew? Either way, it did nothing to endear the masses to her.

The mayor waited for the crowd to hush, then continued. “The cameras will be granted access all night, until the vampire’s release before dawn. If you’re not law enforcement or carrying a press card, we ask that you go home and watch from your holovisions.” More noise from the crowd, this time less complimentary. She nodded. “I understand, but my first concern must be for the safety of my citizens.”

Chrysabelle snorted. “What does she think, that he’s going to break free and start killing people?”

The officer holding her glanced back at Mal. “Have you seen him? I’m surprised he hasn’t snapped someone’s head off yet.”

She stared into the officer’s eyes, unable to control the anger building up inside her. “Maybe he’ll start with you.”

The officer grimaced. “You threatening me?”

“I’m done with this.” She yanked her arms free and disappeared into the crowd as much as someone dressed in white could. People stared as she pushed toward the mayor, fear shining in their eyes at the sight of her.

“Othernatural,” one whispered.

“No,” she answered. “I’m human.” She moved quickly away, pulling her hair down around her face to hide her signum.

Her anger at her own stubbornness boiled up. Why did she hold so tightly to her comarré ways? She’d been disavowed. There was no reason to cling to them. Had she given them up and adopted more ordinary clothing, she could have blended in much better.

Her mother had understood. She’d kept her signum hidden with makeup and had made a normal life for herself.

This life was not normal.

A few more yards and she came as close to the sedan as the police would allow. She pushed to the front of the crowd and stared at Luke, desperate to get his attention.

At last he looked her way. She motioned for him to come over. He nodded slightly, then spoke into his collar. A few seconds later, another security officer took his place while the mayor continued to answer questions.