The most like Merit of anyone, as a matter of fact.
While he looked for directions to the Magic Shoppe, I checked in with the House, found the crew safe and Ethan ensconced in his office, which was fine by me. A slightly overworked vampire was a safe vampire in my book.
We were en route when my phone rang. It was Ethan, which made my heart stutter with nerves. I answered it immediately.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he said. “But I need you back at the House.”
I felt Jonah’s gaze snap to mine, probably because of the spike of magic I’d shoved through the car. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing yet,” Ethan said. “But I expect that may change. Darius is in Chicago.”
* * *
Jonah drove me back to the House. In addition to the patience-melting stop-and-go of Chicago’s traffic, we debated the possibilities that awaited us at the House—and I interrogated Jonah just as Ethan had requested.
“By coming back to Chicago, you think he means to challenge Ethan?”
“That would be the obvious reason,” I said. “Have you heard anything about his intentions? Any rumors about GP activity against the House?”
“Not a peep,” Jonah said. “And I hope you know that I’d tell you.”
He had a point. He’d tell me—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t kill me in transit. I gripped the armrest as Jonah stopped short to avoid hitting the minivan in front of us. The cabbie behind us honked furiously.
“Sometimes,” Jonah said, glancing into the rearview mirror and staring down the cabbie, “I wish I had a message board on my car—like the scrolling ones they use for stock reports. I’d tell this ass**le I’ll eat him for lunch if he doesn’t lay off the horn. I have got to start taking the El.”
“According to the Canon, Darius could challenge Ethan to a duel,” I said. “Or a battle of wits.”
“Like, they play bar trivia for the throne?”
“I guess,” I said, wishing it would be that simple. I hadn’t been to Temple Bar, the official Cadogan House watering hole, in much too long. I’d much rather squeeze into a booth with Ethan, Darius, and a gin and tonic than watch them square off with weapons, winner take all.
The thought of it made my stomach ache. It was the note, I thought. That goddamned note that Ethan wouldn’t tell me about.
Jonah pulled in front of the House. “I’ve always liked the look of Cadogan,” he said, gaze on the building. “Always thought it had good bones.”
“It does. And good vampires. And hopefully they’ll still be safe and sound at the end of the night.”
“You want me to come in?”
I appreciated the gesture, but if Darius and the GP had turned their wrath on Cadogan House, I didn’t want that spilling onto Jonah and his friends.
“Better not,” I said, climbing out of the car. “But I’ll keep you posted.”
“Do,” he said. “I’ll call your grandfather, tell him about the Magic Shoppe. The more I think about it, the more I suspect they’ll want to do that part of the investigation themselves. Warrants and legalities, and all that.”
“Good thought. And thanks for that.”
“That’s what partners are for. Take care, Merit.”
I nodded and closed the door, and Jonah drove off into the night.
Chapter Seven
DATE NIGHT!
Fear sitting over me like an ominous storm, I didn’t take the time to make nice with the guards, but ran through the gate, into the House, and to Ethan’s office.
The door was open. Luc, Malik, and Ethan were in the sitting area, tense magic in the air between them. Ethan had removed his tie and his jacket, and the first button of his shirt was undone. His hair was down but tucked behind his ears, and worry had tightened his forehead.
“Sentinel,” Ethan said. “Come in and close the door.”
It was times like this that could drive a vampire to drink, I thought, which explained why all three of them had glasses in hand.
“Scotch?” Luc asked, holding up his glass. Scotch floated over cubes of ice and a curlicue of lemon zest.
“No, thanks,” I said, taking a seat beside Ethan on the tailored leather couch.
“Your trip?” he asked.
“Successful. Swords came from a place called the Magic Shoppe. Jonah’s going to tell my grandfather.”
Ethan cocked his head. “How can you tell?”
“The tsubas. Colored enameling, which is rare, and they’re stamped ‘MS’ on the edge. The store orders them that way.” I didn’t bother with a segue. “Why is Darius coming to Chicago?”
“We aren’t entirely sure,” Ethan said, and began to lay it out. “Victor Cabot called a short while ago.” Victor was the Master of New York City’s Cabot House, one of the nation’s oldest, situated in a grand dame of a building on the Upper East Side.
“Darius was in New York but didn’t advise Victor. He was at dinner, happened to look out the window and see Darius across the street.”
“Well,” Malik said, crossing his arms. “I bet that’s not something Victor sees every night.”
“No, it isn’t,” Ethan agreed. “And he and Victor are friends, I’d say, which makes it even more curious. Victor followed him a bit, feigned a random meeting.”
“On turf he’d probably already scoped out,” Luc said, then glanced at me. “Victor has a history in, let’s say, international espionage.”
Vampirism took all kinds. I nodded, looked back at Ethan. “And what did Darius say?”
“Apparently very little. Their interaction was very brief, but Victor said he was acting oddly. Seemed, he said, dazed.”
“Dazed?” Luc said. “What does that mean?”
Ethan lifted his hands. “I’ve no idea.”
“Were any other GP members with him?” Malik asked.
In addition to Darius, there were five remaining members of the GP: Dierks, Danica, Edmund, Lakshmi, and Diego. Ethan counted Lakshmi and Diego as allies. Edmund had helped Harold Monmonth attack the House, so he was clearly an enemy. I didn’t know Danica and Dierks to be enemies per se, other than because they were members of the GP. Which was probably enough.
“None, Victor said.” Ethan crossed one leg over the other. “Nor was Charlie with him.” Charlie was Darius’s majordomo, and usually his travel companion. “But he had muscle. Three solid men.”