He continued. “Grégoire asked me to tell Jane that he came into possession of certain historical papers pertaining to the witches and Mithrans in the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, and the history of animosity between them.” Which sounded like a direct quote from Grégoire. “He and Leo have agreed that Jane needs previously proscribed information to understand what she’s dealing with in regard to issues with the witches’ magical artifacts.” Wrassler glanced down the table and pointed from one of Derek’s men, to the corner where a metal box sat on the floor, and to me. “Grégoire wanted to give you the documents himself.” Wrassler’s lips twitched as he restrained a smile. “However, since he’s indisposed, he asked me to present them.”
One of Derek’s men from Team Tequila, who went by the moniker Jolly Green Giant, stood and carried the metal box to me. With a heavy thud, he set it on the table in front of me, and I opened the lid. It was full of documents, some so old they were crumbling. I lifted one out only to see it was written in some kind of fancy old script, in a language I couldn’t read. “Thanks. This means a lot.” I pulled on the manners pounded into me by the housemothers in the children’s home and said to Wrassler, “I’ll, uh, convey my thanks to Grégoire for his generosity. And I’ll take good care of the documents.”
I sat down and Eli placed the box in an empty chair, then took the seat next to me. His timing suggested that he sat only after I did. That when I stood, he stood. That he was my, what? My right arm? Whatever the psychology of it, it worked. There was something different in the room tonight, and it had to do with what I was. Who I was. It gave me strength and authority I hadn’t known or used before. It terrified me.
But I could run screaming into the day later. I dropped my shoulders, lifted my head, and sat easy in my chair as if I had it all under control. Liar me. “I want any and all info about the EuroVamps known as Peregrinus, Batildis, and a human known as the Devil. Anyone?”
CHAPTER 12
I Haven’t Slept with You Yet
Del opened a pink file on the table in front of her. “Since you told me about the raptor tattoos, I’ve been refreshing myself on the Mithran named Peregrinus, and will begin with his sire, Le Batard.
“Le Batard is a third-generation Mithran, making him powerful and dangerous. He is on the European Council of Mithrans, and while he verbally adheres to the Vampira Carta, it is rumored that he still practices the worst of slavery, buying children and drinking from them. Until recently, most of his scions were younger than fifteen when they were turned.”
I smelled the reaction of the people in the room. Le Batard already had enemies. Good.
Her voice pedantic, Adelaide continued. “Le Batard turned Peregrinus, Batildis, and our Grégoire, and while Grégoire walked away from his maker’s cruelty, Peregrinus did not. It is said that he emulates his sire and still serves him. Le Batard seldom leaves France. Peregrinus and his sister—sister in the Mithran manner, being the children of a common sire, but partners and lovers—travel often, and are accompanied by the Devil, their primo blood-servant, and a swordswoman who has never been defeated in Blood Challenge. Wherever they travel, they leave in their wake a swath of death and destruction, and always a number of missing children.” I frowned and so did lots of others at the table. “They have come to be known as Satan’s Three. They have, purportedly, been looking for magical items for years, all over the world,” Del said.
I looked up at that one as quick thoughts tumbled over in my mind. Now it all made sense. I had magical items in a bank vault, which Reach would have known. I had thought about moving in here, but maybe that wasn’t such a good way to protect my client. If I was here, then all the attacks would be here. If I was out there, then Satan’s Three would come to me first, thinking me the easier nut to crack.
Del said, “After recent events, it is no surprise that seekers of the magical would show up here, in the States.”
I said, “We believe that Peregrinus and his cronies are here in Louisiana now, without Leo’s leave. We also believe that it was the human blood-servant known as the Devil who kidnapped and tortured the world’s best researcher on vamps while two vamps, a male and a female, looked on. Reach disconnected before I was able to get a description of the torturer, except it might have been female and it had birds tattooed on its arms. Her arms. Whatever.” Electricity seemed to race through the room as the words penetrated and they realized the importance of it all.
“Our best guess is that while the Devil worked on Reach, he or she got everything in Reach’s databases. That means my file, Leo’s file, and probably the file on everyone here at HQ. Reach was nosy and I don’t doubt that he had the security protocols, which is why Aardvark was only in hard copy. We’ve changed passwords and set up the one protocol that Reach couldn’t have, but it may be a case of too little, too late. The Three want something that they think I have or that Leo has.”