Page 89 of Viktor

“I agree,” Waverly said. “He also knew about Teagan.”

“Interesting.” Viktor steepled his fingers, his lips drawn tight. “Teagan goes missing. We’ve got this brotherhood of humans. They might be conjuring demons.”

“Or trying. I don’t know. It wouldn’t be easy for a human to conjure a specific demon on their own, but they could give a generic one a go,” Greyson said, keeping an eye on the game.

“It’s not easy but it’s doable. Nowadays it’s not like someone has to go searching far. There’re witches out there who practice dark magick, and they’re not all anonymous. They’ve got human clients.”

“I just have a feeling that this could be something bigger. The people at that facility trusted Adam, helped him do that to us. He wasn’t worried about being caught. The woman must have heard the commotion. I was screaming at him to let me go and no one came.” Waverly shrugged.

“To be fair, it could be argued he was threatened,” Rafe suggested.

“It could be argued we intimidated him but that’s a far road from attacking him. He’s a weak man. One who’s going to regret the day he ever met me,” Viktor promised.

“He wanted me.” Waverly’s voice lowered to a whisper. “I have a feeling whatever this is it’s dark. And Teagan—”

“Tell me again how you know Adam.” Viktor’s gut stabbed with an unusual sensation of jealousy, a foreign emotion.

“Not much to tell. Adam and I were grad students together. He loved art. I loved art. We spent a lot of time together. It wasn’t serious. He left to go to New York for a job. Teagan and I were roommates. So yeah. They knew each other, but they weren’t good friends. That I knew of anyway. But back there,” she paused in thought and took a sip of her water, “he knew something about her. He knew she was missing.”

“He could’ve read it online,” Rafe suggested.

“I mean, maybe, but I’m telling you the police didn’t even bat an eye when I told them I couldn’t find her. So many people go missing every year. They have bigger fish to fry than worrying about someone with no family or friends. They didn’t even want to hear about it because she’d been to the blood clubs.”

“Did you tell them about the needles?”

“I can’t remember. I don’t know. Maybe. But thinking back on it. Maybe they were using needles for their blood…to drink. I hate this,” Waverly said, her tone defeated.

“Now we’ve got to see Ilsbeth again.” Viktor shook his head. “Fuck, am I ever going to get away from that witch?”

“There’s always a silver lining,” Greyson laughed.

“No. No silver lining.” Viktor waved him off. “I told you from the beginning that I want nothing to do with that witch. You know better.”

“Nothing like having a psychotic high priestess for a mom.” Wearing a broad smile on his face, Rafe looked to Waverly and pointed his fingers up into the air. “Rad!”

“I can’t imagine,” she replied, coughing back laughter.

“There is nothing funny about your mother,” Viktor stated. “She’s as serious as a heart attack. Deadlier.”

“She looked fine as fuck last night though. That dress,” Greyson commented. “Hmm.”

“Why do you guys get involved with witches anyway?” Waverly asked Viktor.

“It’s complicated. Sometimes you’ve got to play with the devil you know to fly with the angels. We all need a little extra magick now and then.” He shrugged. “Average spells aren’t needed by vampires. But if you need help with a demon? A witch can help you. There’s always a price to pay though. Except for Samantha Macquarie. But she’s married to a vampire.”

“What about humans, a guy like Adam? Why are they getting involved with this?” Waverly asked.

Viktor looked to his brother who had far more experience within the human world. Greyson swung his feet onto the floor and sat up, looking at Waverly. “Our existence on this earth was born of humans. They are fragile. Usually easy to kill, if necessary. Rarely a threat. I’m not worried about him.”

“Rarely being the key word.” Viktor sighed, continuing to fiddle with the fleam. “Now that we know Adam’s involved, we’ll be better prepared to deal with his antics.”

Greyson reached over to a bowl of potato chips and selected one, holding it up in the air, gesturing with it as he spoke. “Humans want for things. Goods. Money. Power. And when they get a taste of power, the thirst for more never stops. It’s like a drug. Many a leader would sell their soul to Satan himself to get more, to keep the power.”

“And they do.” Viktor held the fleam up, light glinting off its blade. “And this Adam is surely up to something. This woman he was with. Was there anything special about her?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see her. But she had to have heard me. I was screaming for him to let me go.” Waverly took another sip of her water, pausing in thought. “I think she had an accent. French, I think. I can’t be sure.”

Viktor and his brother exchanged a concerned look. “It’s not her.”