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Then again,all is not the same as when I first got locked in here. Having slept, I feel amazing. I must’ve gotten at least a few additional hours of rest. Leaping to my feet, I whip out my sanitizer and wipe down every part of me that touched the floor.

Wow, my mind is sharp as a diamond. No wonder I couldn’t solve the case earlier. After months of sleep deprivation, I was a shadow of myself. I resist the urge to smack my forehead. Why did it take me so long to kick vampire blood? Given my work with insomniacs, I know better than anyone that lack of sleep can lead to impaired thinking, memory problems, and eventually even death.

Here’s how bad my memory had become: I’d forgotten about my lockpicks. I still have them in my pocket from when I broke into Bernard’s apartment. My hand slaps my pocket—yep, still there. I dash over to the rusty padlock on the door of my cell.

Oh yeah, I can handle this. Hopefully.

The lock puts up a small fight but eventually yields. I slide open the bolt on my side and open the cell door. Now what?

If I’d done this before I realized Hekima was the murderer, I would’ve had to escape from a heavily guarded castle and elude Enforcer vampires for the rest of my life—a venture with almost zero chance of success. But now, armed with my new discovery, I only need to locate someone from the Council and tell them what I know.

Assuming Hekima doesn’t stop me.

And assuming they believe me.

Still, better chance now than before.

I take a dozen hurried steps down the corridor before Filth rounds the corner, beady eyes locking onto me.

Puck. The last thing I need.

“I figured out who’s been killing the Councilors,” I say quickly. “It’s Hekima. He—”

“Don’t care.” Filth smiles nastily, and his eyes turn into mirrors as his voice shifts to glamour mode. “Freeze, stupid blood bag.”