Page 9

“The view is definitely more scenic up here,” she says with a laugh, then nods toward the closed office door at the side of the room. “And you can head right in, Cleo’s already inside.”

Thanking her, I step forward and grasp the handle with a deep breath and a roll of my shoulders. Confident, calm, collected, my internal mantra plays on repeat as I step inside.

Cleo sits in front of Blair’s desk, and they both rise to greet me as I enter. She gives me a small, restrained smile, fully in the professional mode I’ve come to know so well since I started contracting with the Bureau. In this room, I’m a paid operative first, Cleo’s sister second.

“Director Blair,” I say, striding over to his desk and offering him my hand. “Nice to see you again.”

He takes it, skin dragon-warm and grip firm. “Likewise. Please, take a seat.”

Settling next to Cleo, I do my best to put on the attitude I always like to take with clients. Confident. Capable. Ready for whatever crazy shit they’re about to throw at me.

“I hear you’ve got an assignment for me.”

“We’re tracking some news out of Boston,” Cleo says. “Vampires. A few rogues, apparently, causing trouble in the city.”

The fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “Really? That seems… hard to believe.”

Most of the vampires in Boston are organized into covens. Ancient, powerful covens where order is rigid. Even though I was always careful not to ask questions or know too much about it, I know enough to be aware this is… strange. The covens don’t draw attention to themselves. Not like this.

“Exactly,” Blair says. “It’s hard to believe anything like this would happen without the coven leaders’ knowledge.”

I murmur my agreement.

Blair starts to speak again, but Cleo cuts him off. “What I’m about to say doesn’t leave this office.”

I nod, a slow trickle of dread seeping into my stomach.

“We have reason to believe it may be a deliberate effort to stir up trouble ahead of the elections this fall,” Cleo says.

“What makes you believe that?”

“Some very opaque intel from a few of my contacts back east. One in particular you might still be in touch with.”

I can’t help my grimace. “Cassandra?”

“Bingo.”

My friendship with Cassandra was… unlikely, considering how everything went down with me and Marcus and how quickly he moved on from me to her. But handsome, arrogant vampires aside, we used to run in a lot of the same circles. I knew Cassandra from college, and it was a surprise for both of us to discover our shared connection to the paranormal world of Boston. Me through Cleo, and Cassandra through a demi-fae childhood friend.

Cassandra sought me out after that night on the rooftop, scrambling to apologize. I hadn’t wanted to hear it. She’d done nothing wrong, I’d stepped out of that world entirely, and she seemed ready enough to let bygones be bygones. But even if thetwo of us had been quick to bury the awkwardness of that night, things weren’t ever quite the same.

We’ve marginally stayed in touch through infrequent interaction on social media and even more infrequent texts, but it’s been years since I saw her in person.

Though it sounds like that might be about to change.

Blair’s golden gaze bounces back and forth between Cleo and I. “Care to elaborate?”

“She’s someone I used to be… friendly with. While I was living in Boston during college.”

Cleo chuckles. “Someone we used to party with more like.”

That, too. Cassandra was always a wicked good time.

“And she’s got some sort of connection to the Boston covens?” Blair asks.

“Yes,” I say. “With one of the most prominent. I’ll start with her and see where I can get with any information about who might be behind this, and why.”

The words come out with more confidence than I feel.