“Look, he likes you,” Wyatt teased. “Little does he know you eat wishes and dreams for breakfast.”
Wyatt touched his thumb to his nose, wiggling all his fingers. The boy stuck out his tongue in response, making Wyatt laugh.
Shepherd lowered his hand and turned away, giving me a pensive look. “What did Darius whisper in your ear before he left?”
I swallowed thickly, my eyes skating between them. “Christian’s dead.”
Chapter 16
“What do you mean, he’s dead?” Viktor bellowed, his voice reverberating off the stone walls of the gathering room. The news was a grievous blow to the team, and most of them sat in quiet disbelief.
The gathering room was separated from the dining area by a stone wall with small archways down the center. The ceiling was high, and the stained glass window on the left side of the room was exquisite—images of people, flowers, and wolves tangled together. With the window behind me and the crackling fireplace to my left, I had a direct view of a grand bookcase on the opposite side of the room that was filled from top to bottom. Viktor had been pacing since learning about Christian’s fate. The lines on his forehead were pensive, his hair unkempt.
Blue kept talking, trying to placate him. “Can you give us any information on where we can start looking? What was the last thing Christian said to you?”
He stroked his beard repeatedly, speaking in words I didn’t understand.
“English,” Gem said gently.
Viktor took a detour to the other side of the room and stopped in front of a liquor cabinet below two stained glass windows alongside the fireplace wall. They overlooked the courtyard, colorful glass creating a mosaic masterpiece of light across the stone floor. He lifted a decanter and filled a short glass with a clear drink, then swallowed half. “I sent him to dispose of the body and vehicle.”
“But that was two nights ago,” Blue said cautiously. “If you had mentioned this to us, we would have searched for him.”
He refilled his glass and then ponderously crossed the room. His accusatory glare made me shift in my seat. The girls sat on the couch to my right, with most of the men standing, except for Niko, who sat on the armrest of the sofa.
Viktor raised his glass, using one of his fingers to point at Blue. “Do you know why I said nothing? It would take the full night to complete the job, so I did not expect his return so soon. In our last conversation, Christian agreed to do this one thing for me and then he was temporarily stepping away. He was conflicted about the recent changes in the house and expressed doubt that he could trust a crossbreed who has devoted her immortal life to killing the very Breeds she’s made from.”
A hush fell over the room.
“So that is why I have said nothing,” he continued. “I just assumed he was taking an immediate vacation. Christian was very upset. It is not the most convenient time, but I would rather he step away and gather his thoughts than make an impulsive decision. I am not negligent; I was simply misinformed.”
Blue put her head in her hands. “Now what?” she said to herself.
Viktor leveled me with his eyes. “How did Darius connect you to Christian? Even if he somehow captured him, Christian would have never talked. Why did he say this to you?”
I uncrossed my legs. “I asked him if he was missing a guard—to make him paranoid. Before he left, he asked if I was missing a Vampire. Darius said he wasn’t sure if I knew anything about it until he saw my reaction. He threatened my life, and I didn’t want him to think he was talking to an amateur.”
“You are an amateur,” Viktor ground out. “Now he’ll know us all.”
Blue spoke up. “Darius only noticed her with Shepherd. He’s not a very astute man, from what I could tell.”
Viktor waved his hand dismissively. “Raven is a baneful influence. I thought I could trust you.”
“You can!” she argued. “I did what you asked.”
Viktor approached the couch and cradled her head in his hands. “I do not know what I would have done had I lost you. The goal was to follow him for information; you were not prepared to fight against him in broad daylight, cornered in a shop with all his men and so many witnesses. I believe you when you say you had no part in confronting him, but maybe you should have called me or led the team away before Darius showed up. I care for each of you like family. You must never go against my wishes.”