Last Blood

done.

No wonder the Castus were scared of this little monster they’d created. Lilith was unlike any creature that had ever existed. A nightmare made flesh. With the mind of a child.

Tatiana swallowed. The Castus expected her to provide them with the solution to their problem. She almost laughed. To think she was relying on Mal to help her. All she’d really done was sentence him to death.

Maybe both of them.

The sound of beating wings preceded Annika’s arrival. She dropped into step beside Creek as he walked patrol through the neighborhood around City Hall. “We’ve got another death.”

“Another human?” Creek shook his head. “This is getting serious.”

“No, this time it’s a vampire.” She tucked her wings into her jacket. “An employee at Seven. Pretty high up. A woman named Katsumi Tanaka.”

“Who’d she kill?”

“She was the victim.”

His brows lifted. “Really? Someone must have had a serious issue to take her out. She’s Dominic’s right hand from what I know about her. Noble, too. He resired her a short time ago. Navitas or whatever they call it.”

“Yes, navitas. She was the wife of a Yakuza boss when she was human and since coming to work for Dominic, she’s made a name for herself running fighters through the Pits and now heading his comarre operations. There are a lot of people who might want her dead.”

“But not that many who could take on a noble vampire.”

Annika nodded. “So let’s narrow it down.”

“The mayor’s a possibility.” And he knew the KM were looking for a reason to remove her from office. “She’s noble now, so she has the strength and ability and being Paole means she has the advantage of stealth. Katsumi being involved in the comarre operation could mean the mayor might want to take her out as revenge for the death of her daughter, Julia.”

“Good. Who else?”

“This new vampire, Luciano. He’s Dominic’s nephew. He might see Katsumi as a threat to his succession at Seven. Plus, he’s a loose cannon. We don’t know much about him.”

Annika scanned the streets as they walked. “Any others?”

He thought for a moment, wondering how much leeway she’d give him. He had his suspicions, but the KM was a tight group. They tended to protect their own pretty strongly. He shrugged. “I’m sure there are.”

“You’re thinking of a name. Who is it?”

“One I shouldn’t say.”

“Why?”

“Because you won’t like it.”

She paused, making him stop too. “Who?”

Nothing about her expression said she was going to let this go. “Octavian.”

She didn’t react. “Why would he kill Katsumi? It hasn’t been ordered.”

“Katsumi was part of the crew that went into Corvinestri to bring the vampire baby back. If he was at Seven, she could have recognized him, could have threatened to blow his cover.”

“But why? What would she have to gain?”

He lifted one shoulder. “She’s known for her ambition. If she could make it work for her, she would.”

Annika started walking again. “He wouldn’t kill her without an order to do so, and she’s done nothing out of line to cause that to happen.”

“Then it wouldn’t hurt to ask him a few questions. I’m sure he’s got nothing to hide.” Actually, Creek thought Octavian had a lot to hide. Getting Annika’s okay to dig might help him prove that.

“It’s not your place to question a superior.” She let out a gruff sigh. “Keep it casual, understood?”

If casual meant no excessive force, he could do that. In theory. He nodded. “Understood.”

Chapter Twenty-seven

Hi, Pete. Sorry, Chief Vernadetto. I know you’re here on official business.” Fi gave him a big smile, despite her nerves. Doc had briefed her on the ride home, so she’d been anticipating the chief’s questions since she’d arrived.

“Good afternoon, Fiona. It’s okay if you call me Pete. We’re friends, right?” His smile didn’t quite erase the sadness in his eyes.

“Absolutely we’re friends.” It was nice to know he still thought of her that way. She sat across from him, glad she’d been able to shower and change. There was something about an expensive dress and killer heels that gave her a real boost of confidence. Killer heels. She almost laughed. “How are you?”

“Fine, fine.”

“Are you?” She looked at him closely. “Have you thought any more about what we talked about? You know, I have a lot of othernatural friends. If you want, I could ask around, see if any of them might know what you—”

“No, no, I’m good. I’m okay with not knowing too much, really.” He lined his stylus up parallel to his tablet, even though it was already parallel. “How are you with everything that’s going on?”

She didn’t buy him being okay with not knowing his bloodlines, but for the moment she’d let it drop. “I’m dealing. I got a little freaked out when Remo attacked me, but other than that, I’m dealing.” She leaned in. “I know you’re here to talk to me about the fight with Heaven, but can we have a few moments off the record, just you and I?”

He nodded, seemingly grateful for the chance to take his police hat off. “Sure, what’s on your mind?”

“You know how I asked you to do a little digging on Remo? I was just curious if you found out anything about him.”

Pete frowned. “Unfortunately, due to this case, I can’t say much about that.” He sighed and tapped the stylus on the table. “I can tell you that Remo’s record isn’t spotless.” He looked toward the door before going further. “He’s got a pretty long rap sheet of minor run-ins, most of which his father has made go away. All small stuff, though. Fights. A DUI. A possession charge. Disorderly conduct. The typical bad boy who likes to party.”

“What about pride issues? Those wouldn’t be recorded in police records, would they?”

“No. Pride law is a separate thing unless it involves a legal issue. And each pride keeps its own records. What are you thinking?”

She held a hand up. “I’m not in any way trying to do your job—”

“I know that.”

“What about possession of powdered silver?”

Pete went quiet, but kept tapping his stylus on the table. Then the tapping stopped. “Is that against pride rules?”

“They treat it like a drug or a poison. Possessing more than an eighth of an ounce without a legitimate reason—which I don’t think there are any—is grounds for a small fine and seizure of the powder. Second and third offenses have much more serious consequences.”

Pete seemed to be mulling something over. “You think he might have tainted that sand himself then?”

She shrugged. “Not really, but he might have been involved in it.”

“Why would he do that? Heaven was his sister.”

“Whom he admitted he never got along with. Maybe he knew if Heaven was out of the way, it would open up a chance for him to come to the States.”

“But why? That would be like a prince leaving his kingdom. Remo’s father is one of the most powerful men in all of Brazil. Why would Remo want to put so much distance between them?”

Fi traced a circle on the table top. “Remo’s the third born. I know that much about him. There was no chance he’d ever inherit that throne.” She stopped drawing. “And Doc’s a nobody to him. Maybe he thought he