Drown Under Earth - Shadows of the Night 3

Chapter 23

Hi!

I hope your weekend was as good as mine. So, here's the next one, which was (again) fun to write! I think most of you will be surprised... Let me know what you're thinking!

Lara

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Chapter 23

Great. Another dead end. All three coven leaders had presented their covens as being whiter than white. Each coven had at least one vamp that could have been our killer. At least one of the covens had to have skeletons in their closet. The question was: Which coven leader was lying?

I watched Cole’s retreating back with a frown. I had given him a sharp look before he left. If the ex CIA agent kept placing bugs, he had to do it in a subtler way. If I had noticed him fumbling in his pockets, repeatedly, the vamps had too. Sooner or later Zack would smell a rat. Cole was good, but not that good. If he wasn’t careful he was going to get himself (and by circumstance also me) into major trouble.

Besides, he hadn’t called me about what he had recorded from the other coven houses so far. With Alexander keeping me busy with the Bloody Warden and the Raven on the loose, I hadn’t pressed him on that one. Looked like Cole and I had some talking to do. Asap.

I fell in step with Zack, eyeing him from the side. He’d started walking towards my car without saying as much as a word. Had he noticed? I did a mental headshake. No way of finding out without alerting him. He’d been unusually quiet and it was making me edgy.

I started fishing for my cellphone, trying to cover the growing unease. Andy said he’d text me – and wasn’t that just another problem in my bag of mysteries? Ever since I agreed to more training with him, we’d practiced three times. He never went easy on me, pushing me to my limits and far beyond. When I didn’t live up to his expectations or messed up, he would get that weird look on his face – hardened steel and bone. It was only a matter of time until he’d text me about the next training session and I had no idea if I’d be able to make it.

I didn’t understand why Andy was acting the way he was. I might not be as good as he was, but I could take care of myself.

I sighed when I found the cellphone, pulling it out with an angry jerk.

Zack was already beside the car, crossing his arms in front of him. The gesture was probably his way of reminding me that he wanted to get back to… whereto? Alexander? The Blood Line Hotel? I hadn’t asked. Not that I really cared.

I ignored him and flipped open the phone, my eyes widening as soon as I saw just who had texted me. Alexander.

“What the hell?” I said. I shook my head, scrolled up and started to read over the message again. “Zack?” I said, my eyes still on the lit screen.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you. Alexander needs you to come to Ryon Club on Friday. Ten p.m. He told me it’s important,” the vampire said.

“I know I had two weeks off after the incidents in Michigan and everything, but don’t you think that letting me know two nights beforehand is a bit near-term?” I muttered. I didn’t know whom I was talking to in particular: Zack, Alexander, or the cellphone. I opted for the cellphone. It was most likely not to disagree with me.

I looked up. Zack was giving me a blank stare that had just enough touch of “innocent” to make me suspicious. The longer I knew him, the more I felt I’d been wrong about him. I’d dismissed him as Alexander’s second without a second thought. He had the lightest green eyes I’d ever seen. Paired with the auburn hair, it made him stand out. He was a little heavy on the muscles, but I was pretty sure a lot of women went for him just because of that.