doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger.”
“And how do you know so much about it?”
Ronan looked away. “I’ve been researching.”
Shay opened her eyes. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the infirmary. You… passed out. Can you tell us what you were doing outside?” Coira asked.
She blinked slowly. “Him. I was going to him.”
“Who?” Ronan asked.
She looked puzzled. “I don’t know.”
“The vampire is trying to lure her to him,” Ronan said.
“What on God’s green earth do they want with her?” Coira asked.
“I don’t know, but we’re not going to let them have her. We’ll have to do it here,” Ronan said. “And it will have to be my blood.”
“Your blood?” Shay asked, her voice groggy. “What are you doing to me? I want Cody.”
“We’re going to give you blood,” Coira said.
“I’m O-pos—”
“O-positive, I know,” Ronan said. “All warriors are.”
“I’m no warrior,” Shay whispered.
“Aye, you are,” Ronan said. “Well, you most likely are.”
She slumped against the bed. “Cody lied to me again.” She passed out.
“Do it fast,” Ronan said, watching Shay’s breathing grow more shallow. “I’ll take responsibility.”
***
“You say she had red hair?” Cody asked. He’d run into Nick’s friend at the police station when the guy came to see if there were any new leads in his friend’s murder.
“That she did,” Nick’s roommate said, “but I couldn’t say what she wanted with him. Seemed all secretive like.”
“Was the woman young?” Sorcha immediately came to mind, but Sorcha wasn’t the only red-haired woman in the world. Maybe for Duncan…
“That’s what was so noticeable. She wasn’t young at all. She was old, and her hair…” the guy held his hands out over his head, “like the color of… you ever see a baboon’s nose?”
It couldn’t be. Cody tilted his head. “Nick didn’t mention her name?”
“No. Just said he was playing Cupid. He was a good bloke. We roomed together for a year. Treated me like a brother.”
“I’m sorry. Can you tell me what the woman was wearing?”
“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.
