Gates of Paradise (a Blue Bloods Novel)

Have a cup of tea.

She was in London, after all.

The Ritz was a little too flashy, and all those shops at Harrods had too much tourist riffraff. Only Fortnum & Mason would do. The St. James restaurant, tucked away on the fourth floor, was sufficiently removed from the bustle of London to give her the feeling she was getting away from it all for a bit.

No sooner had she settled in with a pot of Assam tea and spooned a heap of clotted cream on her scone than a girl sat down in the empty chair across from her. “Excuse me,” Mimi said shortly. “Can’t you see this table is taken?”

“You really don’t recognize me, do you?” the girl asked. She had an American accent—curious. “It’s only been a few years. Forgotten the little people from high school already, Mimi?”

High school…It seemed like centuries ago. But she’d know the sound of that gossipy voice anywhere. “Piper Crandall?” she asked, incredulous.

“The one and only.” Piper smiled. “How the hell are you?”

“What are you doing here?”

“The same thing you are, duh. To answer the call?”

“What call?”

“You know, when the Venators summoned everyone here. Or hadn’t you heard?”

She hadn’t, at least not officially. But Mimi suspected it wouldn’t be in her best interest to admit that. “Right, I thought you meant something else,” she said. She realized that if Piper was acting so friendly, it meant, at a minimum, Kingsley hadn’t told the Coven that she’d cast her lot with the Dark Angels. Good to know.

“I know,” Piper said. “We’re a bit late to the party, but I had to convince Max it was the right thing to do. Besides, going underground was cramping our style. I’m so glad we came. Everyone’s here! It’s like a big reunion.”

Mimi nodded. Piper always did like to be in the center of the action.

Piper leaned in. “So—what’s going on? No one will tell us, but we know something big is happening.” For a moment, Mimi felt like she was back in high school again, with Piper waiting for the good dirt so she could go tell everyone. “Come on, spill. I know you know.”

Boy, did she ever, Mimi thought.

“I don’t know anything. I’m waiting—just like you,” she said.

“But you’re our Regent,” Piper pointed out. “Someone spotted you on the tube the other day, and sent me to check it out.”

“So this isn’t just a random encounter,” Mimi said. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Not in the slightest. I volunteered for the job—thought we could catch up. Besides, I didn’t believe what everyone is saying.”

“What are they saying?” Mimi asked with a raised eyebrow.

“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…”