“Neither can I,” I sigh, rolling out of bed.
“You should begratefulto have an opportunity to serve Hecate,” says a stern, familiar voice. Merlin jumps in the air, squawking at the face that just appeared in my scrying mirror.
“Lavinia, you could at leastringfirst,” I grumble, pulling the silkhair cap from my head and picking up the mirror. The disapproving face of my High Priestess is reflected in the glass.
“Hi Amara!” says a cheerful voice. Callista’s face materializes beside Lavinia’s. “How is the mission going?”
“It’s…going. These vampires are even worse than you would think.” An image flashes in my mind of Celine staking that vampire right in front of me, and I have to suppress a shudder. It’s horrible, but it’s not relevant information for Lavinia or Callista to have. They already know how dangers my position is, and the consequences if the vampires catch me spying.
“Did you discover anything?” Lavinia asks.
“I think I saw Oana Ionescu,” I report. “She was coming out of one of the hotel rooms. #813, on the eighth floor.”
“Are you sure it was her?” asks Callista. “Wouldn’t she be underground?”
“I’m pretty sure. I went into the room and there was a ton of blood in the bathroom. It could have been another vampire, but I saw her red cape, and I’m fairly sure I recognize her.”
“Did you see her progeny?” Lavinia asks. “Young, long dark hair?”
“I didn’t see anyone with her.”
“Interesting.” Lavinia purses her lips. “Did you find out anything else?”
“Not really. One of Tudor’s progeny had a meeting with another vampire. I think their families are feuding. But it was difficult to make out what they were saying.”
“Was it Lazarus Gray? Or Cedric Ducharme?”
“I don’t know, he didn’t say. He was old, though.Veryold.”
“Amara,” says Lavinia sternly. “We need to know exactly what Tudor and his progeny are planning. If they’re hiding Oana, that confirms our suspicions. They could be plotting against us, against the Triple Council! We have to be on high alert. We can’t allow them to make the first move.
“You’ve got to get closer to them. Ingratiate yourself. Dowhateveryou have to do.”
I bite my lip. “I don’t know, Lavinia…”
“We can’t take any chances, Amara. Think of the peace we’ve built. Our young witches don’t have to be raised in a time of war and terror.They can live, study, and practice magic without fear of an oncoming attack.Youare the reason they can be safe. You have to find out what those vampires are planning.”
Her words tug at my heartstrings.
“You’re right. You’re right,” I sigh, as the faces in the mirror fade away.
But it doesn’t make it any easier to pull on my silk red uniform.
Before I leave, I slip my wand up my sleeve.
I try not to feel resentful as I start my shift. Lavinia is right, it’s important to keep the peace and maybe this undercover mission is going to prevent more conflict and bloodshed. If I can discover what Tudor Thornblade and his progeny are up to, maybe we can stop it before anyone gets hurt. I think of the young witches in my coven: Naomi, Priya, June...I’ve known them since they were born. This is a small price to pay for their safety.
“Hey Amara,” says Nova, the security guard I met on my first day. They lean casually against the bar.
“Hi Nova, aren’t you supposed to be watching the door?”
“It’s fine, it’s a slow night.”
I’m glad to have someone to chat with. I pour them a whiskey neat, their drink of choice. Then I pour a glass of red wine for myself. At least this workplace is pretty relaxed. I hate to see a nice vintage go to waste. Nobody ever orders wine down here.
“How are you finding things so far?” they ask.
“Well, it’s not like anywhere else I’ve ever worked,” I reply, taking a sip from my glass.
