Part 20 (2/2)

Silence fell as the men reviewed the dirty beds before them. They consulted quietly as they walked around, crouched before, and pointed over the mattresses. I looked back at Mallory, who shrugged in response, neither of us privy to their conversations.

Catcher finally stood again, then glanced back at Mallory. ”Are you ready?” His voice was soft, careful.

She swallowed, then nodded.

I wasn't sure what she was going to do, but I felt for her, a.s.suming Mal was about to dive headfirst into the supernatural pool. Having taken that dive as well, I knew the first step off the board was a little daunting.

She held out her right hand, palm up, and stared down at it.

”Look through it,” Catcher whispered, but Mallory didn't waver.

The air in the room seemed to warm, to become thicker, an aftereffect of the magic that Mallory was funneling, of the magic that was beginning to warp the air above her hand.

”Breathe through it,” Catcher said. I lifted my gaze from Mallory's hand to his eyes, and saw the sensuality there. Vampires could feel magic; we could sense its presence. But sorcerers' relations.h.i.+ps with magic were something altogether different. Something altogether l.u.s.tier, if the look in his eyes was any indication.

Mal's tongue darted out to wet her lips, but her blue eyes stayed focused on the s.h.i.+mmer above her hand.

”Bloodred,” she suddenly said, her voice barely audible, ee rily gravelly, ”in the rise of the moon. And like the moon, they will rise and they will fall, these White City kings, and she will triumph. She will triumph, until he comes. Until he comes.”

Silence. It was a prophecy of some kind, the same skill I'd seen Catcher perform in Cadogan House once before.

Ethan glanced over at Catcher. ”Does that mean anything to you?”

Catcher shook his head ruefully. ”I suppose we shouldn't deride the gift, but Nostradamus was easier to understand.”

I glanced back at Mallory. Her eyes were still closed, sweat dampening her brow, her outstretched arm shaking with exertion.”Guys,” I said, ”I think she's about had it.”

They glanced back.

”Mallory,” Catcher softly said.

She didn't respond.

”Mallory.”

Her eyes snapped up, her biceps shaking.

”Let it go,” he said.

She nodded, wet her lips, glanced down at her hand, and spread her fingers. The s.h.i.+mmer of air disappeared. After a second, Mal wiped at her forehead with the back of her wrist.

”Are you okay?”

She looked at me, nodded matter-of-factly. ”Just hard work. Did I say anything helpful?”

I shrugged. ”Not so much helpful as super-creepy.”

”I think we've gotten everything we can get,” Ethan said, ”unless you've any other ideas?”

”Not much,” Catcher answered. ”Vague sense of fear, the suggestion of an animal.” He looked between us. ”I a.s.sume you got that?”

We both nodded.

”Nothing at all beyond that. Nothing else recognizable in the current, and I'm not sure the s.h.i.+fter was here when this happened. Maybe afterward. Either way, no sense that the media has discovered this place, at least not yet.” Catcher looked around the room, hands on his hips. ”Speaking of, should I call in a crew? Have the place stripped, cleaned?”

It hadn't occurred to me that the Ombud's office had the authority or manpower to erase the evidence.

They referred to themselves as liaisons, go-betweens. I guess they were a little more proactive than that.

”You can do that?” I asked.

Catcher gave me a sardonic look. ”You really don't talk to your grandfather very often.”

”I talk to my grandfather plenty.”

Catcher snorted and turned, led us from the room. ”Not about the good stuff. The city of Chicago has been keeping the sups' existence under wraps since before the fire, Merit. And that's not because incidents don't happen. It's because the incidents are taken care of.”

”And the city is none the wiser?”

He nodded. ”That's the way it works. People weren't prepared to know. Still aren't, for some of the shenanigans vamps get into.”

We headed to the stairs in the same order we'd entered the house.

”If they were prepared now,” Mallory said, ”we wouldn't be here. I mean, I know you guys have pennants and b.u.mper stickers and whatnot, but drinking in the dark in a dilapidated house doesn't exactly scream a.s.similation. And now there's that business with Tate.”

That stopped both Ethan and me in the middle of the staircase.

”What business with Tate?” he asked.

Mallory gave Catcher a pointed look. ”You didn't tell them?”

”Other business to attend to,” Catcher responded, hitching a thumb at the second floor behind us. ”One crisis at a time.”

Catcher continued down the stairs. With no other choice, we followed, the silence thick enough to cut through. Ethan practically trotted down the staircase. When we reached the front door, then the porch, then the sidewalk, Ethan stopped, hands on his hips. Mallory made a low whistle of warning. I prepared for Ethan's outburst, predicting quietly, ”And the s.h.i.+t will hit the fan in four . . . three . . . two . . .”

”What business with Tate?” Ethan repeated, an edge of anger in his voice.

I bit back a smile, glad Catcher was the one Ethan was about to light into. That made a nice change.

Catcher stopped and turned back to Ethan. ”Tate's staff has been calling the office,” he said. ”He's been asking questions about vampire leaders.h.i.+p, about the Houses, about the Sentinel.”

Since I was the only Sentinel in town, I perked up. ”About me?”

Catcher nodded. ”The General a.s.sembly agreed to forgo vamp management legislation this year in lieu of investigation, to ensure that nothing too prejudicial was pa.s.sed. But that wasn't too hard a choice,since greater Illinois doesn't have to deal with vampires in their midst-all the Houses are in Chicago.

The City Council's getting antsy, though. I know you and Grey talked to your aldermen”-Ethan nodded at this-”but the rest of the council has concerns. There's talk about zoning, about curfews, regulations.”

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