Part 19 (1/2)

That was the scary thing about the drug we'd found Dominique using on unsuspecting humans. It was as if combining a date rape with an auto-hypnotic effect. Once administered the victim could be programmed to steal, or kill, or do all sorts of actions they never would have done otherwise, and then have no recall of what they'd done. But using the same kind of drug on an unsuspecting preternatural could easily multiply the fallout. A Were or fae on the rampage was twenty times as deadly as a human.

His words slammed against me as the repercussions sank in. ”This wasn't an accident then.”

”You know your brother best. ”

I did and I knew he would not do what I saw him do a little over an hour ago unless he was being forced to act, which is exactly what that drug we'd discovered Dominique testing accomplished.

”So Vaverek, or someone working for him, used Van as a test?”

He looked at me then, pain bracketing his eyes. ”Isn't this exactly what Dominique had been doing? Showing her potential buyers the effectiveness of the drug over a series of incidents?”

”Yes.” I'd been playing down the whole involvement of his cousin, after all it was because of what she'd done that she'd ended up in a position where my actions had led to her death. Now here I was doing exactly what Bran had tried, and failed, to do-protect his family member from being a victim. ”So you're saying Van might be used again?”

”Him or another like him.” Bran turned away from me, which gave me some breathing room to still my nerves. Van turned into a killing s.h.i.+fter had only one possible outcome-his death. And most likely after he'd killed others.

”Wait.” Something had been niggling at me from an earlier thought. ”We were at that park because I'd tracked the man, the doctor, from the soiree. Was that a coincidence?”

He shook his head. ”I wouldn't say so.”

”Which means Cheverill's death could be tied into Vaverek and the possibility of Van and this drug?”

A small smile tweaked his lips. Not a happy smile but a watch-out-someone smile. ”If these three individuals are tied together it then means we know a fourth one who can lead us to Vaverek.”

”The doctor.”

”Exactly.”

I jumped off my chair, energy surging through me to do something rather than just sit and theorize. ”Then let's go.”

”Where exactly?” Bran remained stationary and eyed me like a primed bomb.

”It's time you met Ling Mai in person.”

”Is she anything like you?”

I shook my head, feeling my own version of a dangerous smile. ”Oh no, she makes me look easy to get along with.”

CHAPTER 40.

Walking into the Hotel Le Meurice with Bran at my side was a whole different experience than when I'd entered with Jaylene and Mandy flanking me. I looked almost the same, though Bran had brought me a change of clothes, including shoes. Leave it to a dress designer to get the sizes right. They were clean and not frou-frou but I still felt like something the cat drug in, but Bran is eye-candy and has that I-own-the-world walk down. There were so many women, and a few men, who were giving Bran the come-hither look I wanted to jump up and down and wave my arms just to see if they noticed me at all. Have I mentioned that restraint is not my middle name?

By the time we reached Ling Mai's suite we were more in my territory, not his, and I realized I liked returning to the IR team fold. Not that I'd admit that aloud, and there was still snarky Mandy, but even in the best of families there's always some friction.

I had called Ling Mai earlier, to let her know we were coming and to make sure bringing Bran to her was okay on her end. She knew who he was, based on our last mission, but the two had never formally met. He'd also met Vaughn and Jaylene, but didn't really have a chance to have more than a pa.s.sing acquaintance with them, if you didn't count the period where he'd just killed a Were, his first one, in front of them, as close bonding.

So when we entered Ling Mai's suite, which still looked s.p.a.cious in spite of the whole team being there, and did the intros, Bran was the one giving me the what-are-we-doing-here look. That one you get when you're out of your comfort zone.

Which surprised me because I thought Bran could feel at home anywhere. Showed you how little I knew of the man.

I was the one who cleared my throat and gave a quick overview of what had happened over the last twenty-four hours. I stood closest to the door at one end of the long rectangular living room area. Ling Mai was in a chair in front of the fireplace on the west wall, Vaughn, Kelly and Jaylene on the couch which was long enough to hold several more. Mandy and Bran had both taken chairs grouped around a coffee table, Bran facing me and Mandy giving me her back, which did not surprise me in the least.

”And you're sure the s.h.i.+fter was your brother?” Stone pressed, a frown line drawing his brows into a deep vee. He was leaning on the couch arm nearest Vaughn. They made a formidable team and a killer couple.

s.h.i.+fting my focus back to Stone's question I answered. ”Yes. No doubts it was Van.”

He glanced at Ling Mai, who'd remained quiet so far. Now she raised her head and spoke to the group. ”Word has already spread through the media about a violent dog attack.”

”Which wasn't a dog,” I clarified in case anyone missed my whole explanation. ”And what we're concerned about,” I glanced at Bran to make sure I wasn't hanging myself out on this branch all alone. ”is that another attack will happen, with the loss of more lives, including Van's, if we don't find a way to stop it.”

”Let me get this straight.” Vaughn leaned forward, her hands pressed together in her lap, which meant she was still unsure about believing me. ”You're saying the Weres have set up this whole scenario to discredit s.h.i.+fters?”

I nodded. ”Yup, showing how unpredictable and dangerous s.h.i.+fters can be to humans that they are willing to attack in broad day light, revealing themselves to the human world, as well as thumbing their noses . . .”

”At the Council's authority.”

”How so?” Vaughn glanced up at Stone.

”By letting s.h.i.+fters sit on the Council and not Weres, this action, if not an isolated event will show that the Council are cowed by the s.h.i.+fters and that s.h.i.+fters are allowed to freely act with impunity,” Stone finished as if piecing a puzzle together.

”Thus if Ss.h.i.+fters can be discredited by Van's very public actions, fueled by the designer drug, the s.h.i.+fters stand to lose their position on the Council. They won't have any choice except to remove them and replace the seat with a Were representative.” I looked around to make sure everyone was with me.

”I don't get how Cheverill's death ties into what's happening with Van?” Jaylene asked. She too looked skeptical, not that I blamed her. This was a plan within a plan by someone very devious. And deadly.

”Cheverill's death leaves an opening on the Council governing board.”

”But doesn't that position have to be filled by someone of the same species?” Kelly asked, chewing her lower lip. ”So was Cheverill a s.h.i.+fter?”

”No.” d.a.m.n, I hadn't thought of that. ”I know there is a s.h.i.+fter on the board but from what Jaylene said in the kitchen the other night Cheverill was a druid.”

”Not just a druid, but the big kahuna of druids being an arch one,” Jaylene said to Kelly.

That made me realize something else as I speared a quick glance at Jaylene. ”How did you know who he was or what he was? The ident.i.ties of the Council members is not common knowledge.”

”I told her,” Ling Mai said, her voice calm and neutral.

I wondered how the director learned that information and Ling Mai answered as if I'd spoken aloud. ”It's part of my job, Alex, to know who currently sits on the Council and who is in line to take the next opening.” She sliced a quick glance at Bran but I had no idea why. He kept his expression very blank as she continued, ”Jaylene and Mandy were on an additional mission the night Monsieur Cheverill died, which is why they were privy to who he was and what he was.”

That made sense even if it stung a little. I thought a team was supposed to work as a team. Obviously, not all the time or only when it worked for Ling Mai. Talk about another mind that worked at Machiavellian levels.

I brushed the thought away to focus on why I brought Bran here. ”Through a spell I cast I tracked the man who was present at Cheverill's death as also being present with Van in the park. He's the one link we have between the death of the Council member, Van's erratic behavior and Vaverek.”

I noticed Stone crossing his arms, Vaughn wiggling just a smidge and Mandy's tightening of her back; all cla.s.sic signs of not being one hundred percent behind my conclusions.

”I know it's not hard and fast evidence,” I said, loosening my own shoulders that felt like ready to splinter. ”But I'm sure I'm on the right track.”