Page 11 of Beautiful Madness

But I knew one thing without asingle doubt. “I won’t stop looking for him.” I walked to Eli and got in hisspace. “I will find him, and I will bring him home. If he dies and I find outyou’re withholding information because you’re a petty motherfucker, Iwillkill you.”

I felt Joe, silent and grim, atmy back. He was big and bad and he’d killed his share of the enemy, but in afight against Eli, he would lose. I worried for him constantly, but he was inmy world now, and I could not shut him out. What I could do was return withmore people so Joe wouldn’t face the wolves alone if I had to fight Eli.

My phone vibrated in my pocket,but I didn’t look away from Eli. It was probably Remy Simon again, wanting totalk about daywalkers—I’d sent him a brief text on my way to Shadowfield,telling him that Zach was on his way to hunt but that I would be delayed.

“I’m coming back with my crew,”I said, when the big beta remained silent. He didn’t move away from me either.“I need answers, and they start here, whether the pack will talk to me or not.And I want to see Lennon.”

“Not happening,” he said.

I laughed. “We’ll see.” ThenJoe and I strode from the room, and my back itched all the way to my car. Eliwasn’t a bad guy, and I hoped he’d get his head on straight soon and realize Iwasn’t the enemy.

“I’ll drive,” Joe said, and Itossed him the keys without arguing.

My phone vibrated again and Ianswered it, but it wasn’t Remy calling. It was Saul. I spoke with him as Joedrove us to meet up with Remy and Zach.

“Do you have any updates on thedaywalkers?” he asked.

“No,” I told him. “I can’tcatch their scent. I don’t…” I huffed out a breath, reluctant to admit I washaving trouble. “I don’t know how I’m going to track them, Saul.”

“Have you spoken with thecounty master?” he asked.

“Yeah, last night. He said noneof his vampires are missing, but if they were turned, he wouldn’t necessarilyknow that—especially if they were smart enough to hide it.”

“They are extremely careful,”he said. “They don’t want to lose their sun and they most certainly don’t wantto find their afterlife. They do want to increase their numbers, andunfortunately, there’s no one to stop them.”

“Yeah.” I stared through thewindow as cars sped down the street, carrying clueless humans into their days. Thosehumans had no idea at all that vampires were watching them. It had begun tosleet, and I would have given much to have snuggled up in a warm bed,preferably with the alpha’s arms around me. I needed sleep, but sleep would bea long time in coming. “Detective Moreno told me there’s been an uptick indisappearances during the last couple of weeks, but they’re not finding anybodies. The daywalkers must have a place they’re taking the humans to feedbefore they dispose of them.” The thought of what those bleak and gruesomedumping grounds would look like made my stomach hurt, and I regretted eatingsuch a huge amount of food. I was happy I’d managed to work some of it off inthe woods.

“I told you I see things,” Saulsaid.

“What did you see?”

“A way for you to pick up thedaywalkers’ scent. I believe I know how you can track them.”

“Well,” I murmured, “I canalready tell I’m not going to like it.”

“You won’t,” he agreed. “You’llneed to meet with the vampire you took from the council. Farrow. Even thoughshe has returned to her former state, she was once a daywalker, and the magicof it will linger inside her. She will hold the scent you need.”

“Okay,” I said cautiously. “SoI need to…what? Sniff her?”

“No. You need to bite her.”

“That shit is not happening,” Isaid flatly.

“The daywalkers grow morepowerful every day, Kaitlyn. Their numbers are increasing. They are quietlykilling humans even as we speak. And you will do what you must to stop them.”

“There has to be another way.I’m not biting a fucking vampire. I’m not drinking her blood.” I took a deepbreath, forcing down the nausea that rose at the thought. “I won’t do that,Saul.”

“In the end, you will always dowhat you have to do,” he said, then completely changed the subject. “You askedme for protection against the angel who is after your blade.”

I was glad to stop thinkingabout sinking my teeth into Farrow. “You created something?”

“I did. It won’t protect you fromthe angel, but it will protect the blade you carry. The spell will hide it fromevery nonhuman you meet.”

“Saul,” I breathed.“That’s…thank you.”

“Of course,” he said. “You needthat blade. It may be the only thing that will destroy the daywalkers.”

The blade rested in the sheathat my side, and I reached down to give it a caress. “How do I get the magic?”