“Now that was bloody odd. Purple, and another thing…” he leaned closer, as if imparting national secrets. “She had cleavage.”

Matilda.

***

“They found what?” Cody had just returned to the castle when Sam caught up to him in the corridor.

“The neighbor, Lucy Bell, the bones belonged to her, but the fire didn’t kill her. She was already dead. Just wanted to give you a heads up that they’ll probably have some questions for Shay. Honestly, I think they suspect Ellis killed her, but you’d better use that super mojo you got and solve this thing fast. There’s some weird stuff going on.”

If Sam only knew.

“If anyone owes you favors, now’s the time to call them in. The cops are getting nervous about talking to me. If my superiors find out what I’ve done for you, I’m toast.”

Why kill an old woman, unless she interrupted something she shouldn’t have, like someone searching for a stolen book? A neighbor who lived behind Shay claimed she saw a man near Shay’s house the night before the fire. Maybe the fire wasn’t to lure Shay into a trap, but to hide a dead body.

Sam left to make some phone calls, and Cody went toward the infirmary to check on Shay. He’d spent the whole day tracking and following leads. He was fairly sure Nina and Matilda had something to do with Nick and those phone calls.

Coira met him at the door. “Cody, you’re back.” She darted a glance inside.

“What’s wrong? Is it Shay?” He hurried inside. She was in bed, attached to a tube. An iron fist closed around his heart. “Why are you giving her blood?”

Ronan lay on a table near her. He looked pale. “Bree had one of her visions. The mark on Shay’s arm is from a vampire. Her blood is tainted.”

“A vampire? Bloody hell! Why didn’t you call me?”

“We had to work fast,” Coira said.

“Is she okay?” If something happened to her, he didn’t know if he could live, but she actually looked healthier than she had in days.

“She’s doing much better,” Coira said. “Her color is improving by the minute.”

Ronan watched Shay, his expression growing soft in a way Cody didn’t like, and then Cody saw the gauze on Ronan’s arm.

“Whose blood?” Cody asked.

“Mine,” Ronan said.

“She has your blood?” A warrior’s blood was powerful. He’d seen transfusions create bonds between warriors, give them a stronger sense of brotherhood than they already had. What would it do between male and female?

Faelan walked into the room, catching the last of the conversation. “Bree said Shay had been marked. It might be why she was sleepwalking outside. Who knows what the vampires can do? Track her. Summon her.”

Ronan started to say something, but stopped. He looked so pale Cody wondered if Coira had taken too much blood.

Cody touched Shay’s forehead. She didn’t have a fever, and she looked much better. “It should’ve been my blood,” he said, stroking Shay’s hair as Coira removed the tube.

“I know,” Ronan said quietly. “But in this case it had to be mine.”

“Why?” Would he have to fight Ronan for her now?

“I have immunities you don’t have.” His jaw clenched. “I was bitten by a vampire.”

“During the battle?” Cody asked.

“Not at the castle. Two years ago, and I suspect a vampire killed my brother, Cam.”

“Oh my,” Coira said, putting gauze on Shay’s arm.

A harsh breath sounded at the door. Declan stood frozen, staring at his twin. “A vampire? You think a vampire killed Cam? And you didn’t say anything?”

“You knew there were vampires two years ago? Why didn’t you warn the clan?” Faelan asked.

“I didn’t know it was a vampire, then. Nobody believed vampires existed in this day and age. When we saw the vampires at Druan’s castle, I knew I’d made a mistake.”

“Mistake? How could you not know you’ve been bitten by a vampire?” Faelan asked.

“Cam and I were hunting. We destroyed four demons. Something attacked our camp that night. I’d gone to take a piss when I heard Cam scream. The night was so black I couldn’t see what it was, but it was fast and strong. I attacked it, and I don’t know what happened. When I woke up, Cam was gone. I saw the blood where it dragged him off, but the trail disappeared.”

“You never found the body?” Cody asked, slipping his hand over Shay’s. He felt her pulse throbbing softly under his finger. It must be his imagination, but he thought it sped up.

“No. We looked, Declan and I, and a lot of others, but there was no trace of him. At first I didn’t notice the marks on my neck. They were small. When they started burning, I thought they must be scratches from a demon.”

“Damn it! Why didn’t you tell me at Druan’s castle?” Declan asked, face tight with anger.

“I wanted more information first. I think that blond is important. He can give us answers.”

“Why would being bitten by a vampire make you better suited for Shay’s transfusion?” Cody asked. “Isn’t getting bitten a bad thing?”

“I think if you don’t die, you develop immunities to their poison,” Ronan said. “I don’t understand it, but there’s more to it than just draining a victim’s blood. I think I got stronger afterward. My eyesight and my hearing seem sharper.”

“You’re my bloody twin, and you’re just now telling me?” Declan slammed his fist against the wall and stalked out, passing Jamie on the way in. He wasn’t moving fast, but he looked a lot better than he had before.

“What’s wrong with Shay?”

“Jamie Waters, what are you doing out of bed?” Coira hurried over to him and checked his bandage.

“Sorry, Coira, I remembered something I needed to tell Cody.” Jamie walked to Shay’s bed. “Is she okay?” When he saw Cody holding Shay’s hand, his jaw tightened, and he looked away.

“She had what we thought was a scratch on her arm,” Cody said, pulling his hand from Shay’s. He didn’t want to make things harder on Jamie than it already was. “Bree said a vampire marked her. Ronan gave her some blood.”

“A vampire? She’s marked by a demon and a vampire? Is she okay?” Jamie asked, worry shadowing his eyes.

Coira nodded. “Much better.”

“What did you want to tell me?” Cody asked.

“I remember where I heard the name Anson Masters. He was Renee’s client.”

“Are you sure?” Cody asked. “The police didn’t mention it.”

“Yeah. I called Renee a few days ago, to see how Shay was doing. She sounded uneasy. I asked if she was okay. She said she had to deliver a chair to a client, Anson Masters. She didn’t say anything else. I figured she was just in a rush.”

“What do you want to bet he’s the client she didn’t like? Shay thought Renee said something about ‘faster,’ but she could have been trying to warn Shay about Masters.”

“I think so. I checked the invoice for the table. It was in my wallet. His name was scribbled on the corner. I think she was trying to give us a clue,” Jamie said. “She probably sent the table to me because she knew I had a top-secret job. She thought I was military. She probably figured the table would be safe with me.” Jamie gave a humorless laugh.

“She didn’t know you’d be guarding it from vampires,” Ronan said.

Sam stepped into the room. “Did someone say vampires—” She broke off, staring at Jamie. Her eyes flared and she looked away, her cheeks growing pink.

“Uh, we were just talking nonsense,” Cody said. “Sam, Jamie Waters. Jamie, Samantha Skye. You met the others already.”

“You’re Sam?” Jamie asked, eyebrows cocked. He and Sam nodded in greeting but didn’t attempt to shake hands.

“Jamie says Ellis’s boss, Anson Masters, was a client of Renee’s,” Cody said, watching Sam’s blush fade. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her blush.

“Now that’s interesting,” Sam said, pulling her gaze from Jamie. “He left out that little detail. I haven’t been able to find him and wondered if you had anyone you could spare. This guy’s harder to track down than Osama bin Laden.”

He could be Osama bin Laden, for all they knew. Cody was pretty sure Osama was a demon. Some of the wickedest rulers in human history were either demons or minions. “Jamie, think you’re up to helping Sam?” He looked much stronger than he had before.

Coira planted her hands on her hips. “Cody MacBain, what kind of foolishness are you putting in this boy’s head? He needs to rest a couple more days.”

Jamie patted Coira’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine, Coira. You know I’m a fast healer.”

“I know you’re hardheaded; that’s what I know.”

He glanced from Shay to the mark on Cody’s neck. “You’ll take care of her?” he asked Cody, and something passed between them, like a final changing of the guards.

“I will,” Cody said. “You have my word.”

Jamie nodded.

“I’ll take it easy on Jamie,” Sam told Coira, and this time Jamie blushed.

“I’m holding you and Cody responsible for him,” Coira said.

He gave one final look over his shoulder at Shay, his expression torn. “Lead the way,” he said, following Sam.

“When we’re in the car,” Sam said, “you can explain why you were really talking about vampires. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out Cody’s a creature of the night.” After they left, Shay coughed. Coira and Cody rushed to her side. She struggled to rise.

“Relax now,” Coira said.

Cody grabbed Shay’s hand. “How do you feel?”

“Betrayed.”

“What have I done now?” Cody asked.

“You lied to me,” Shay said, after the others fled the room.

“How did I lie?”

“I’m a warrior? Ronan had to tell me.”

Damn.

“You said you’d stop.”

“We weren’t sure you were a warrior.”

“But I might be?”

“It’s possible.” He sighed. “I think you probably are. The Watchers thought so at one time, and they’re usually right. I wasn’t hiding it from you; there’s just been so much going on.”

“So I’ve found out I’m a warrior a year before I have to retire?” She sat down on the bed.

“You can always choose to remain active. That’s what Anna plans to do. So does Ronan.” That distressing thought had him so troubled he almost missed what she said next.

“What you said about the demons using the book to kill warriors when they’re born, do you think that’s what happened to me? I was left for dead as a baby, and someone is obviously worried enough about whether I’m alive to dig up my fake grave. And Bree thinks it’s an ancient demon.”

Cody sat down next to her. “God forbid. It’s possible that Malek believed your father had the book and left it to you. It’s all speculation. We don’t know anything for sure except that someone is after you, and someone stole our Book of Battles.” He reached for her hand. “Are you mad at me again?”

“A little.”

“I should have told you. I would have, but there’s been so much happening. And subconsciously, I probably didn’t want to put another burden on you. I love you. I want you safe.”

“I know. I kept secrets too, but we have to stop,” she said, leaning her head on shoulder.

“Shay, I have some bad news. There’s no good way to say it. Lucy is dead.”

Shay’s mouth tightened, and her eyes teared up. “The bones?”

“Aye. I’m sorry.”

“How?”

“She didn’t die in the fire. She was already dead.”

“Was it Ellis?”

“The police suspect him, but they may need to ask you some more questions.”

“Everyone around me is dying. If we don’t stop this thing, everyone I care about will be gone.” She gripped his hand and linked their fingers.

“I’ll fix it,” he said. “I promise.”

***

“Coira wants to know how Jamie’s doing,” Cody said into the phone. Sam and Jamie had been gone only for a few hours, but Coira was like a mother hen with the warriors.

“He’s good,” Sam said. She sounded breathless, making Cody wonder exactly what kind of good Sam meant.

“She said to make sure he changes the bandage and gets plenty of rest.”

“I will. We’re going to check out another lead I have on Anson Masters. Shouldn’t be so hard to find him with that streak of silver in his hair, but he seems to have vanished from the face of the earth.”

“Silver streak?”

“Yes. It’s quite startling, according to the guy at the police station. Why?”

Cody cursed and smacked his fist against the wall. Anson Masters was Malek. “Don’t try to find him. Do you hear me? Don’t. He’s too dangerous.”

“How do you know?”

“I know. Tell Jamie. Tell him that Anson is Malek.”

“Who’s Malek?”

“Jamie will know. Don’t touch Anson. Swear to me.” After she promised, Cody hung up, pissed that he hadn’t thought to get a description of Ellis’s boss. He thought his appearance with the letter providing evidence against Ellis had been a little too good to be true. Malek had posed as Renee’s client while his minion, Ellis, had posed as Shay’s, probably trying to discover her identity. Malek must have gotten the book from Bree’s ex-boyfriend, and Renee probably stumbled onto Malek’s plot and hid the book. Malek must have assumed Renee put the book in one of the tables and shipped it to Shay. How the vampires found out was a mystery, but it put Shay in the middle of a war between vampires and demons.