“Rumor has it you’d gone back to the underworld, back to the Dark Prince.” She sounded a little smug about it.
“Oh?”
“Yes, it’s all anyone can talk about.” Piper leaned in breathlessly. “So—tell me, is it true?”
Mimi didn’t answer.
“So are you…?” Piper asked.
“Of course not! That’s ridiculous!” Mimi scoffed. “We pledged our swords to Michael during the battle!”
Piper laughed. “Oh I know, I was just having a bit of fun.”
“Right,” Mimi said.
“So what’s up?” Piper asked again. “Everyone’s pretty anxious to feel useful. Hiding is terribly boring. Although, I think the Venators are up to something big. They’re supposed to have some sort of conclave in a few days, but they won’t tell the rest of the Coven what’s going on. Ever since their safe house burned down they’re being extra careful.”
“They’ve called for a conclave? Only a Regent or a Regis can do that.”
“You want to tell them that?” Piper smirked.
“When is this conclave? And where?”
“I told you, they’re not telling anyone anything. You have to be a Venator to know. They’re keeping us all in the dark.” Piper sighed.
“Is Kingsley Martin part of this?” Mimi asked.
“The Venator who worked the Duchesne case when Aggie died?”
“The very same.”
“Yeah. Of course. Kingsley is head spook now.”
“Do you know where I can find him?”
Piper shrugged. “Not right now. He’s supposedly back in town for the conclave.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “But he hasn’t been out much, which is too bad. Kingsley was a lot of fun before.”
“You don’t say.”
“Yeah, although to be honest, he seemed like kind of a mess. Drinking all the time, lots of girls. But then he was always that way. I heard you guys—?”
Mimi shook her head. “People make up so much stuff these days. Anyway, you were saying…?”
“I heard he woke up one morning with some sense of purpose that he refused to explain, and then he disappeared. Some of us were worried he’d turned, but so far there’s no evidence of it.”
“So far,” Mimi said. “That’s why I need to find him.”
“He always was a traitor. You can’t trust the Silver Bloods,” Piper said, loving the gossip. “Like I keep telling Deming Lennox…”
“Deming Lennox?”
“Where have you been? Deming and Ted got bonded. It was a twin elopement: her sister married his brother. Cute, right? But sort of icky too, if you know what I mean. Think they ever swap?” she asked naughtily.
Sam and Ted Lennox. Kingsley’s old team. Of course. They had to know where he was. “Where are they?”
“Who knows? Like I told you, the Venators keep their own counsel these days. They don’t tell us anything.”
THIRTY-TWO