Easy for him to say. My heart was in my throat as images of my arrest and beheading whirled in my mind. Diesel and his men hadn’t been on our list, and the fact that we’d hidden their bodies made it a crime. It also didn’t help that I’d gone to extreme measures to kill all three. Even street fights didn’t always result in death.
“What are they talking about?” I asked quietly.
Though muffled, I could hear Christian’s voice. “Sit still and don’t talk.”
When one of the men peered through the windshield to look at me, I yawned, trying to look disinterested. Viktor handed him travel ID and other documents while the second man scribbled away in his notepad. Blue borrowed Viktor’s phone that he’d left in the car during our trip and made a quick call. I tried to read her lips, but she turned toward the snowy field.
Viktor swung his arm in my direction, still talking, and then turned away.
“Play it cool, Raven,” I whispered. “Just breathe.”
Eventually, the men in red coats got back in their car. Blue handed Viktor the phone and then tucked her hands inside the fur coat Crazy Joe had given her.
“They found the bodies,” Christian said loudly. “Who do you think was behind that? I buried those bodies where no one would find them.”
Was Christian implying Houdini could have done it?
“It might have been a tracker,” I said. “Gem said there are lots of Chitahs up here.”
“I’ll just go back to reading my magazine,” he said irritably.
The very idea Houdini could have tracked and followed us made me look out the window at the snowy landscape. He would have loved seeing me lose control and give in to my violent nature. Was that the kind of Vampire he wanted his youngling to be? If so, then why dig up the bodies for someone to find and risk my getting caught?
Unless he hoped Christian would take the blame.
You’re just paranoid, I thought to myself.
Viktor and Blue got back in the car. As we passed the SUV, Viktor held up his hand and waved. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “I do not know what happened last night, but Regulators are searching for Christian.”
“You didn’t tell them he was in the trunk?” I asked.
He flashed a thorny look in the rearview mirror. “And how would that look? A neighbor discovers the bodies and calls in a report. Joe explains we stayed there for the night, and they notice all the snow cleared away by the outhouse. Christian is no longer with us.” His words trailed off into Russian.
Blue twisted around to finish. “With him in the trunk, it would look like we’re trying to hide something, so Viktor kept his mouth shut and said we parted ways. Better if they think Christian went rogue than if we all were involved in a series of murders.”
“I’ll sort it out when we get home,” Viktor grumbled.
I wrung my hands. “Viktor, it was me. I’m the one responsible.”
He shook his head. “Christian should have told me. I could have been prepared.”
I gripped Viktor’s coat. “I’m the killer, and if you’re going to reproach anyone, then I’m to blame.”
“You do not need to shoulder the blame for your partner.”
“Those men snuck up on me when I was alone. They were the Shifters back at the airport who flew that girl to Newfoundland. Look, I’m sorry. It got out of control. Christian isn’t to blame. We were already under a microscope with Temple’s capture, so he buried the bodies to protect you.”
Viktor rubbed his beard with a gloved hand and sighed. “We’ll discuss this later. If you say they attacked you, then as your leader, I support what measures you took to protect yourself. But you cannot keep secrets.”
I leaned back in my seat. “Really? Because this whole vigilante outfit you created is filled with nothing but secrets.”
“Secrets of the past and secrets of the present are different,” he pointed out. “I understand you did this to keep us out of trouble, but next time, fill me in.”
“So you wouldn’t have minded if I knocked on your door to let you know about the bloodbath outside? I’m sure Joe would have lost his mind.”
Blue laughed. “Joe’s as harmless as a mouse.”
Chapter 35
We made it to Keystone before sunset. The first thing I did was take a hot shower, but I was too restless to sit around in my bedroom. So I got dressed, put on my leather jacket, and took a walk.
After scaling the roof, I found a nice peak to straddle. The snow had melted off the roof and driveway, but it still covered the rolling hills behind the mansion. Sunlight filtered through a thin haze of clouds, creating a gold-and-orange tapestry that sparkled like jewels against the ice. The setting sun warmed my face, making me long for the hot days of summer.
“May I join you?”
I turned around and swung my eyes up at Niko. “Maybe you’re safer inside. It’s a long drop if you lose your footing.”
“Just tell me if there’s ice.”
I turned to my side, sitting on the peak with my knees drawn up. “It’s all clear. Watch your step and go slow.”
Niko sat down, straddling the roof as if he were a jockey in a horserace. “I bet it’s a nice view from up here,” he said, squinting toward the sunset.
“Can you see it?”
“Sun is made up of more energy than you can imagine, so it’s uncomfortable to look at.”
“I wish I could describe the colors, but I don’t think you’d understand.”
“Sometimes I feel the same way about what I see.”
I tugged one of the thin braids mixed in with his straight hair. “I missed you. Anything new to report?”
He turned around so we were facing the same direction. “We located Temple’s home. I handled all the calls to the local authorities in Greenland. That’s where the ship was heading for its final destination. Temple has a home out there where he collects younglings like some people collect horses. He trained them and got them past the bloodlust phase to get the highest price from some of his affluent contacts who live there and across the globe.”
“He deserves to die for keeping them prisoner.”
Niko kept his hands at his sides, gripping the shingles beneath him. “On the contrary, none of the fourteen women were being held against their will. Though that doesn’t mean they weren’t prisoners.”
“They might as well have been. Where were they supposed to escape to? It’s Greenland.”
“A clever man can make someone a prisoner in their own mind. He needn’t use chains or walls to hold them. Loyalty crafted from fear will eventually turn on you, but manipulating someone’s mind to believe they have reason to trust you is what makes that person devout.”
“Sounds like a cult leader.”
“The characteristics are similar.” Niko rubbed his smooth chin and looked toward me. The wind kicked up some of his long hair, which blew across his face. “Your light is different.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not your emotions, but your natural light. I noticed pulses of ruby red and silver when you came through the door. Now that I see it again, it’s still the same. People’s light rarely changes unless something permanently changes you. I expected it after you returned from Fletcher’s captivity, but it was still the same. I suppose your having been through that torment before had something to do with it. Did anything significant happen on this trip?”