Angry at the vicious acts, at the continued mockery of a Guild that had given her a family when her own had thrown her out like so much trash, she felt her mind calm, her brain chill. “Forensics lab?” Even if she hadn"t had that conversation with Raphael about possible trace evidence on Noel"s battered body, she"d have intuited the Refuge had such a lab. Because while angels might look like beings out of myth and legend, they were, for the most part, ruthlessly practical. She wouldn"t be surprised if they had a central DNA bank.
“The body"s being processed,” Galen said, “and I"ll have people go over the scene one more time, but I predict we"ll find nothing of value, just as with Noel and Sam.”
“The only clue was the dead vamp"s scent,” Elena said, knowing that that was why he"d died. It was disturbing to know her talent had signed his death warrant, but then, hadn"t he done that himself the night he decided to help brutalize a child? Her jaw tightened. “Do we know who he was?”
“He looked to Charisemnon,” Raphael said. “A midlevel vampire seduced by the promise of more.”
It was such a human motive that she knew he was right. Because vampires had once been human after all. “Are there still only three possibles?”
“Nazarach, Dahariel, and the Princess herself,” Illium confirmed.
“Any of the three like to live in the past?”
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“No.” Illium again. “Anoushka keeps a court like her mother, but she also owns a chemical plant that manufactures poisons. They"re all aware of modern forensic techniques.”
“Then we go back to basics, watch them until they make a mistake.”
“Nazarach,” Raphael said, “has been under constant surveillance since the attack on Noel, but that doesn"t prove his innocence. Dahariel is Astaad"s, and will require more care.”
“Even with what was done to Sam?”
The answer was that of an archangel. “Dahariel is as integral to the smooth running of Astaad"s territory as Nazarach is to mine.”
And Anoushka was Neha"s daughter. “You can"t go after them without risking war.”
“Dahariel appeared disgusted by the attack on Sam,” Raphael said, his expression impenetrable,
“but his home is filled with vampires who all but whimper at the sound of an angel"s wings.”
Elena"s mind shot to the last—and only—time she"d seen Holly Chang. The woman had turned hysterical at the sight of Raphael"s wings after the trauma of having been forced to witness Uram"s atrocities. What was Dahariel doing to elicit the same reaction from almost-immortals who"d lived hundreds of years?
Illium extended his hand as a stiff breeze lifted the snow into the air. But it couldn"t erase the lingering spoor of murderous violence. “The medallion that led us here.”
Taking it, Raphael traced the lines of the metal sphere as if searching for something. She knew he"d found it when his fingers went still. “This could"ve only been acquired through the death of one of Lijuan"s men.”
“Do you think she"s involved?” Elena asked.
“No. She"s too busy playing with her reborn.” He closed his fingers around the medallion even as the hairs on the back of her neck rose at the reminder of Lijuan"s preferred form of amusement. “Elena—the trail?”
“Snow"s melting,” she said, frustrated. “Trail"s history.”
“Patience, hunter,” Raphael said with the confidence of a being who"d seen centuries pass. “He made a mistake in killing one of his own men—fear will loosen tongues.”
“Then I guess we hope that he—or she,” she added, remembering Anoushka, “continues to strike out at his own people.” She stared at the fountain. “At least they"ll die a cleaner death than if we catch them.”
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The scent of the wind, clean and harsh. I’d say you were losing your innocence, but your nightmares tell me you lost that a long time ago.
Yes, she admitted, giving him a glimpse of the most secret corner of her heart. There was so much blood that day. I could see it on my skin even at the funeral.
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IXX
The next day brought an unwelcome surprise. With the scent trail having grown cold, and Raphael"s people working the other facets of the hunt, she"d returned to getting her body back in fighting shape—the angel who"d already harmed two of Raphael"s own wouldn"t find her the easy target he seemed to assume she was. She had every intention of thrusting a Guild dagger right between his ribs when he came after her.
Unfortunately, she"d forgotten that Dmitri had returned to the Tower.
“You"ll be dead two seconds after you run out of bullets if that"s your sole means of defense.”
Galen swallowed up her gun in his hand, his pale green gaze about as friendly as your local grizzly bear"s. “Secondary weapon?”
“Knives.” She"d never admit it in a million years, but she was already starting to miss Dmitri"s wicked brand of humor.
“If you"re going to be using knives,” Galen said as she entered the training ring, a simple circle of beaten earth in front of a large wooden structure without windows, “then you need to learn to draw them without nicking your wings.” He picked up what looked like a rapier from the table, though the guard was far simpler than the intricate ones she"d seen in another hunter"s collection.
Handing it to her, he said, “I need to see what you"ve got.”