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“Are you going to tell me about it?” he growled. “Honestly, this time? Or should I suit up the entire goddamned team with high-powered tranq rifles and sight-restraint collars so we can bring him down and drag him back here to shackle him downstairs? What’s it going to take to get one of you to fuckinglevelwith me about what’s been going on?”

I winced, but, like Black, my focus remained on Nick.

It was a good question.

Something told me Nick realized it was a good question, too.

He didn’t get angry. Instead, his face went nearly slack. He combed a hand through his hair, making it stand on end, and looked Black right in the eye.

“I don’t know,” he said, sounding defeated. “I really don’t. I would tell you if I did.”

“When did it start?” Black asked.

“About three? Four months ago? I can’t be sure exactly. It wasn’t much at first, just little things. Unusual mood swings, occasional disappearances––”

“Disappearances?” My eyebrows rose. “For how long?”

Nick looked at me, his expression tired. “It varied. Usually only a few hours. They’ve gotten longer lately. His denials have gotten more crazy, too. He refuses to admit he’s doing anything strange. I don’t know if it’s fear, or––”

“Could he be blacking out?” I found myself remembering that strange way that Jem’s face and eyes changed, right before he left our session. “Could it be he reallydoesn’tremember? Maybe he’s covering up more than you know.”

Black, who clearly felt and saw my memory right then, looked to Nick for his answer.

“I don’t know.” Nick shook his head, frustrated. “I really don’t.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you come to me with this?” Black growled angrily. “Jesus fuck, Nick. This really mightnotbeJem. Someone else could be doing this to him. Someone could be controlling him for their own reasons. Or did that really not occur to you until now?”

Nick’s jaw hardened more.

He stared sightlessly at the copper-colored carpet.

“Honestly, I thoughtIwas doing something to him,” he admitted. “I stopped feeding on him weeks ago, and that pissed him off, too, but I was worried it was me. I thought it might have something to do with my venom––”

“Or someone else’s venom,” Black cut in darkly.

Nick looked up at him, his crystal eyes now swimming with scarlet.

“Youstillthink this could be Brick?” Nick asked, his voice suddenly a lot harder. “Even with everything Miri said? She wasn’t wrong, you know. About any of it.”

Black’s voice turned coldly sarcastic.

“Do I still think it could be Brick?” he retorted. “Let’s see. Has the thought crossed my fucking mind? Yes, Nick. It has. Maybe Brick found some way to do it so that no one would notice. Maybe they found a way that evenyouwouldn’t notice. Maybe Rucker’s implants were the business Brick came here to deal with, and he’s using Jem and the girl to get what he wants. MaybeJemhas a fucking chip in his head, Nick… did you consider that? How would we even know? It’s not like we ever thought to look for one. Maybe the vampires and Prometharis are already in bed together…”

I frowned. Fuck. Of course.

This couldn’t all be a coincidence.

These things had to be connected in some way, didn’t they?

“Where was Brick, last you knew?” Black folded his own arms and stared at Nick. “Before you saw him here. Before he came to San Francisco, where was he?”

I looked at Nick, too.

According to the truce, we were all supposed to stay away from the vampires, and especially away from Brick. That said, I knew Black had Nick keeping tabs on them, anyway. He didn’t let Nick get very close, but Black wanted to know where they were. He wanted a rough idea of what Brick might be up to, at least in the larger sense. He also wanted eyes on whatever location they might be operating from.

It didn’t bother me.

There was exactly zero chance Brick wasn’t doing the same with us.