Page 129

Nick had gone from thinking Brick was definitely behind this, to thinking Brick was definitely behind this, but he was probably working with those fuckers at Prometharis.

There’s no way they were controlling Jem through vampire venom alone.

It had to be one of those goddamned implants.

Nick tried not to think about the possibility of someone drilling a hole in his mate’s skull, putting an implant inside that Brick could then use to turn Dalejem into a murderer and a slave. He tried not to spend time being even more furious with himself for not noticing, and not realizing something was really fucking wrong until a few weeks ago.

When had they implanted him?

Whencouldthey have implanted him?

Had it been the afternoon when Jem came in with a bloody cut on his scalp, claiming he’d gotten it surfing with the neighbor, Bill, laughing as he described how he’d miscalculated a wave and his board whacked him in the head? Had it been when Jem told him he’d gone to see Holo at Black Industries, and let him do a biopsy on a strange lump he’d found under his skin, partly just so Holo could practice?

Had one of those times been when they’d put it in him?

How had Nick not noticed?

Why hadn’t he checked to see where Jem had really gone those days?

He tried not to think about some worse possibility.

He tried not to remember the fact that Brickspecifically referencedDalejem murdering Dorian in San Francisco, pretending all was forgiven.

Of course that was bullshit.

Of course Brick would never have “forgiven” Dorian’s murder, and not only because Brick considered the entire seer race his mortal enemies.

Jem murdered Brick’s favorite psychopath, and the most loyal of all of Brick’s lieutenants. Brick wouldneverlet that go. That Jem had done it to keep Dorian from kidnapping Nick was irrelevant. That Dorian tried to kill Jemfirstwas irrelevant. That Nick would have killed Dorian himself, and had, in fact, been actively trying to do so when Jem shot explosive arrows into Dorian’s chest was alsoentirely irrelevantfrom the vampire king’s point of view.

Jem killed Dorian.

It was Jem who owed the vampire king the blood debt.

Hell, Brick would never forgive Dalejem forNick.The fact that Jem killed Dorian toprotectNick likely only incensed Brick more.

Nick felt his fangs extend as he stood there, remembering all of this.

Really,thathad been the sin that Brick would never stop trying to reverse. How much did Brick really care about his minions? Not a lot, as Brick didn’t care much about anyone, whatever their race. Brickdidcare about his pride, however.

He also had a highly-attuned sense of ownership.

He cared very much about the resources he personally collected to keep his coven (and, of course, himself) unassailable. Brick had very specificallycollectedNick. He’d seen him in the window and gotten it into his head that he wanted him, and therefore that he owned him. He would never forgive the slight that Nick had chosen Dalejem over him.

Nick swallowed down the thought, feeling sick.

How had he not realized all of this from the beginning?

Wishful thinking, most likely.

He’d wanted to believe that Brick would, if not forgive him, then at leastforgetabout him in time. He’d hoped Brick would decide Nick was too much trouble and move on, find someone new on which to focus his bizarre fixations, find other, more interesting vampires fill the holes he and Dorian left behind.

Well, and hopefullynotthe way he’d acquired Nick.

Most of all, Nick had wanted to believe the vampire king would hold to the treaty he’d negotiated with Black. Nick managed to convince himself Brickwouldhold to it. He told himself that, at base, Brick was practical. He’d do it just to keep Black and the other seers off his back, and to stop them from hunting vampires.

Nick should have known better.

He should have known Brick better.