The first genuine smile bloomed across Sunday’s face since the accident. “Is that so? And do we all just get to pick which Norse god we’re related to? Is that what you did?”
Cashel cleared his throat, killing the mood with a single annoyed glare. “If you’re quite through.”
“Are you sure you and the priest aren’t related? Cousins maybe? You sound exactly like him. You know, without the leprechaun thing.” I grinned. “Are you hiding a pot of gold somewhere, Caleb? Maybe a box of cereal?”
“Feck off.”
“Thank you for proving my point.”
Sunday shot me a stare that said I needed to shut up before she shut me up. I’d make her pay for that later. Loudly. So everyone remembered how much she loved me and my dick. “Continue with your plan, oh mighty vampire king.”
Cashel sighed. “Natalie Goode.”
“Cousin Silas’s mate?” Noah asked. “But she hasn’t practiced magic since I was a child.”
“If it means the difference between your child living or dying, she will.”
Olivia nodded her agreement. “There’s no doubt she’ll come to our aid. Let’s summon her now. The sooner she gets here, the better.”
The vampire’s expression softened as he glanced at his wife. “Right.”
The Blackthornes and their staff filed out after that, but before the bedroom door was fully closed, a cranky little witch stormed right in.
“What the hell? I go to sleep, and you guys throw a party without me? I’m hurt.” Moira skidded to a stop. “Why is there a dead guy in the bathroom?”
“Long story short, someone on the Vampire Council sent him to off me. Caleb took care of it. I didn’t die.”
“Sunday Amadeus, where is your bracelet? This is exactly why I gave it to you. No one should be able to sneak up on you.”
Sunday winced. “I took it off before I got in the tub.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t want to ruin it.”
Moira’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “It. Is. Protected. What do you think I am, an amateur?”
“No, you ass, but it’s special to me, and I was trying to keep it safe.”
“Well your wrist is still naked. Where is it?”
“I put it with my necklace and clothes.”
Alek disappeared into the bathroom, likely so Moira didn’t have to step over the decapitated body in her search. He wandered back out with a necklace dangling from his finger. “This was all I could find.”
“Someone fucking took it?” I growled.
Noah strode into the bathroom and began rifling through the assassin’s pockets. “Nothing here.”
“Why? Who else would do that?” Alek’s question made me unsure if I gave him more credit than he deserved. Maybe the Norseman really was a big dumb Viking after all. “Unless there’s another person here who means her harm.”
Never mind.
Alek continued his stream of consciousness with more things we already knew. “The fae used shadow to cloak themselves until the last moment. Could they have snuck in while the Council mounted their attack?”
Noah sighed. “At this point, who bloody knows? But it’s clear we need to be on high alert at all times.”
Sunday’s lower lip quivered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I loved that bracelet, Moira. I should have taken better care of it.”