The Sweet Scent of Blood

deaths and mutilations of two humans?’

‘No,’ I yelled. Fuck, that hurt. It felt like something had physically ripped the word from my heart. I shuddered and rubbed under my breast. I’d only had that happen twice before, but it didn’t get any better.

For a moment I thought she was going to hit me, or cry, or maybe both. Then she turned away and snatched up a newspaper and a brown envelope from the window sill. She strode back to Finn and he caught the envelope as she slapped it at him. ‘See this? This is what your precious sidhe’s been up to.’

He opened the envelope and flipped through its contents.

She turned to face me, straightened her shoulders. ‘As a senior representative of the Witches’ Council, Ms Taylor, I am to inform you that in light of your involvement with the local vampire community, the Council has taken the decision to sever any association with you.’

The sick feeling roiled back in my stomach. I wanted to tell her she couldn’t do that, but of course she could.

She threw down the newspaper.

The headline read LOVE AT FIRST BITE? Underneath it was a picture of the Earl and me. Both of us were smiling.

She carried on, ‘Your employment contract with Spellcrackers.com has been terminated with immediate effect.’ She swung back to Finn. ‘I also have to inform you, Mr Panos, that should you decide to employ Ms Taylor after you have taken over the franchise, the franchise will revert and all monies paid will be retained in lieu of damages.’

I stared at her, stunned.

Finn jumped down from the counter. ‘They can’t do that, Helen—you can’t let them—’

‘Copies of those were sent to every council member.’ She pointed at the envelope.

‘So what? Doesn’t Gen get a hearing, a chance to defend herself?’ He pointed the envelope at her. ‘Can’t they see it’s a set-up?’

Inspector Crane half-raised her hand, then let it drop. ‘There’s nothing I can do about it, Finn,’ she said quietly. ‘Not now.’ She turned, pulled open the door and left.

I listened to the sound of her shoes clicking down the stairs, getting fainter and fainter.

Finn stood for a moment, staring after her as if he couldn’t believe what she’d said. He wasn’t the only one. I’d always known it was a possibility, but to have it actually happen—

Finn turned to me, his face determined. ‘Gen, I’ll talk to her. She’s got a lot of influence. We’ll get it sorted.’ He glanced at Hugh as he left to follow her. ‘Don’t let Gen do anything stupid.’

Chapter Thirty-Four

I hugged my arms around myself and gave Hugh a shaky smile. ‘Looks like I’m out of a job then.’ And out of my home, I added silently, looking around with regret. No way could I afford the rent without the witch subsidy working at Spellcrackers gave me.

Hugh picked up his notepad, tapped his pen on the front. ‘The two bodies were not human?’ His voice was raised in question.

‘What—? No, they were revenants. I thought you’d picked up on that.’

‘They are a type of vampire.’ He made a note in his pad. ‘Someone wants you out of the way.’

I laughed, a short sharp burst that I cut off before I couldn’t stop. ‘You could say that.’

Hugh’s forehead creased into concerned cracks. ‘The revenants attacked you?’

‘I’m okay, Hugh, really.’ I gave his shoulder a reassuring pat then held my arms out. ‘See, all in one piece.’

‘Well, you don’t look quite as skinny as you usually do.’ He got slowly to his feet, knocking his head against my amber pendant.

I smiled at his diplomatic compliment.

‘What I meant, Genny’—he brushed a hand carefully over his black hair and shifted away from the tinkling crystals—‘they wanted you to be out of the way physically. The bodies were left where they could be found quickly and easily. The dog-walker, the one who found the blood, said that wasn’t his usual route.’

‘Mind-locked,’ I said.

He nodded as if I’d confirmed something. ‘Inspector Crane wanted to take you in for questioning, and that would have meant you off the street for at least forty-eight hours. Now, thanks to Finn’s intervention ...’ He paused. ‘This vampire—the one who mind-locked the dog walker—is he the one who killed the revenants?’

I hesitated, realising I’d just confirmed to Hugh I’d been hanging around with a vampire. Still, after the Earl’s front page news—

‘Yes, it’s the same one,’ I said, ‘but why try and frame me up like that? He couldn’t have known what was going to happen, unless—I know he didn’t want me involved with this, so maybe this is his way of keeping me out of it.’ I frowned as something else odd hit me. ‘But then he also sent me an invitation to the Blue Heart.’

Hugh nodded thoughtfully. ‘You were under the witches’ protection, so sending you an invitation was the correct way to contact you. It’s standard practice between the witches and the vampires; that way they meet under the old rules of hospitality.’

Of course! The hospitality thing. That was why Malik had healed me. He’d seen it as his responsibility to make sure I got home safe and unharmed, although it still didn’t explain why he’d invited me in the first place.

‘As this vampire killed the revenants, then there is no need to investigate their deaths.’ Hugh continued with his note. ‘I’ll order the blood tests, and once they’re confirmed the bodies will be burnt and the case closed.’

I nodded, understanding why. When they’d reclaimed their legal rights, the vamps agreed to abide by human laws, but only when it came to humans. They still kept their own judicial traditions, including destroying any vamps that turned feral or were considered a danger, without resorting to human law, and without fear of reprisal—and the two revenants qualified as dangerous in anyone’s book, never mind mine.

I shuddered. It was the same justice Malik was planning to follow in destroying me, or rather, the feral Rosa me, my Alter Vamp.

‘S’cuse me?’ called a child’s nervous voice, and a hand edged through the half-open door, dropped a white paper carrier bag on the floor and disappeared.

I blinked for a moment, baffled, then realised the bag was Finn’s lunch order from the Rosy Lee. Briefly I wondered why Katie hadn’t delivered it, but shrugged the thought off—it was Sunday, and what with the tourists and the Witches’ Market, the café was probably busy. I’d check on her later.

‘You want anything to eat, Hugh?’ He shook his head and I put the bag on the kitchen counter moving the inspector’s brown envelope as I did. I tipped it up and slid out the contents: four ten by eight photos. The two of the Earl bending over my hand weren’t the problem. Like the one in the newspaper, it was obvious we were in a public place. They could be fobbed off as a chance meeting, something the witches probably wouldn’t object to. But the one of me kissing Rio, and the other where I was sitting astride her on the floor ... well, even I had to admit the Witches’ Council were probably right to think the two of us weren’t discussing the weather.

I handed Hugh the pictures, trying not to wince. ‘You can say I told you so if you want.’

He took them from me. ‘Yes, I have seen them. There is also a video on the internet of you with this vampire.’ He held up Rio’s picture. ‘That is what seems to have antagonised the Witches’ Council the most, from what I can gather.’

My day was just getting better and better.

Hugh slid the photos back onto the counter. ‘Apparently, some of the younger witches think that segregation from the vampires is the wrong way to go, particularly in the current climate. The council feel that if they don’t make a stand with you, it will set a bad precedent.’

Damn. Finn with his shining-knight complex might think he could get Inspector Crane to help me, but he had more chance of carrying soup in a sieve.

‘Finn knows.’ I looked up at Hugh. ‘He knows about the 3V. He wants to try and help me.’