Midnight Marked (Chicagoland Vampires 12)

“He thinks he’s invincible.” His voice was measured, still edged with fury. “He thinks he’s untouchable. None of that will change if we go along to get along. If we wait for someone else to do the dirty work. Nothing will change until someone calls him out.” He looked at me. “If we don’t do it, who will?”

“I don’t disagree with you. But he’s powerful, well protected, and very savvy.” I looked at Ethan. “He plays games with people, Ethan. He did it with Celina. He did it with the vampire pretending to be Balthasar. That’s who he is. He’s a narcissist, an opportunist, and a criminal entrepreneur. But maybe most of all, he’s a psychopath. He likes to torture people, take advantage of their vulnerabilities. Their insecurities. We have to be smarter than that. We can’t just play into his hands.”

“I should have listened to you. I didn’t, and I should have. I may be wise in the ways of supernaturals, but you’re better with humans.”

In fairness, I’d been one about four hundred years more recently than him.

“Now you’re just kissing my ass,” I said.

“I am trying my damnedest.” He paused. “Is it working?”

“No.”

He glanced at me, reached out to push a lock of hair behind my ear. “You know I lost my family once. You are my family now, Merit. I will not lose you.”

“I still have a family, Ethan. They certainly aren’t perfect, but I won’t lose them to a man like Reed.” I looked at him. “And I won’t have them used.”

I could practically see his frustration rising again. “It was one phone call,” he said. “Your father owes you that much and more.”

“That was my decision to make. Not yours.”

“As you reminded Jennifer Jacobs, no one forced him to do as I asked.”

I nearly punched him. Right then and there, I nearly plowed a fist into that gorgeous face for turning that around on me. Even if he was right.

Ethan started the car, backed onto the road. “Be angry with me if you must, Sentinel. I can bear it. But Adrien Reed will not lay a hand on you.”

• • •

It was past midnight when we rolled back into the Cadogan garage.

Ethan went to his office to update Malik and Luc.

I went upstairs to update my ensemble. The gown had done its part, whatever that part might have been. I placed it on the bed, where laundry or dry-cleaning elves (or a vampire directed by Helen, more like) would attempt to clean and repair it.

I changed into jeans and a navy T-shirt with CADOGAN in white block letters across the front to head back to the library.

My phone beeped as I was closing the door. I found a message from Jonah: HEARD ABOUT ARREST. CALL IF YOU NEED TO. AND PHOTO NOT FAMILIAR.

Word of our near incarceration had apparently spread. Jonah hadn’t been in a hurry to get back to me about the Rogue, and I hadn’t thought to follow up. But I’d have to deal with him and the RG’s baggage later.

I made it down the flight of stairs before my phone buzzed again, this time with a phone call. I pulled it out but didn’t recognize the number. “This is Merit.”

“Hi, Merit. It’s Annabelle—the necromancer. You told me to call if I found something alchemical.”

My heart began to pound with anticipation. “Hi, Annabelle. What did you find?”

“I’m not entirely sure. But you might want to get here sooner rather than later.”

My phone beeped again, signaling the receipt of an image. I scanned the screen and the photograph she’d forwarded—and the dozens of alchemical symbols pictured there.

“We’ll be right there,” I promised.

Once again, the library would have to wait.

• • •

Ethan was Master of the House and one of the twelve members of America’s reigning vampire council.