is, not yet. But I’ve got a good lead.” She dropped her hands to keep from rubbing her arms again. Even from this distance, Andreas’s intensity was distracting. She tried to ignore it and went on. “Another young vampire is missing and his nest mates may know what happened.” She repeated her conversation with Rita, including Gordon’s story about Marcus, reminded him of the Canadian wolves’ connection to Angela’s murder, and related her own suspicions about the other violent incidents.
“Molyneux’s pack is involved,” she said. “I know Gordon’s nest mates could help me prove it, if I could find them. I’ve looked everywhere.”
“Why didn’t they come to me with this story?” Andreas asked, running his hands through his hair. “We have lost so much time.”
“Rita says they’re scared. After the attack on Prince Daron, they don’t know who to trust. Or who’s part of the conspiracy.”
His eyes snapped to her face. “They thought I might be aligned against Daron?” He took a deep breath. “Well, there is a lot of suspicion going around. I’ve been plagued by my own.” He bent his gaze on her. “And you, madam witch? Why did you delay so long?”
“You know why. But I’d like to put that behind us. I’ve got an idea to help us both…unless you really believe I’m the enemy.” Ari held her breath. Everything depended on what he said next.
When he didn’t respond right away, her heart sank.
Andreas crossed his arms. “The angry things I have said to you, the accusations, arose from frustration. They were inexcusable. I offer my sincere apology. And, to clear the air, I do not hold you responsible for whatever happened to Marcus.” He hesitated. “Or even the death of Lawrence.”
Surprised, Ari held her breath and waited for him to finish.
He dropped his arms, leaned bonelessly against the white brick wall. His hooded eyes grew even darker in the shadows. “Nevertheless, that does not entirely answer your question. There is a dynamic between us that lends itself to hasty words and misunderstandings. I am a vampire, madam witch, and you obviously are not. Doesn’t that make us natural enemies? Getting beyond that point is not easy.”
Ari paled, numb with shock. Natural enemies. She’d struggled with the concept of friendship with a vampire, but it never occurred to her that Andreas might be just as worried about trusting a witch. She was kind of embarrassed by her self-absorption. She wondered if the problem was insurmountable. She needed his help. Badly. Beyond that, she wanted…what? “I don’t know what to say.”
She watched his long fingers rake through his hair again. He glanced at her, looked away and back again. “You remind me so much of someone I once knew.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
He shrugged, barely perceptible in the dark. “Despite the obvious pitfalls, I find myself unaccountably willing to listen and consider your proposition. If you still want to present it.”
“Do you mean that?” She saw the flash of white teeth from his smile. “Here’s the deal. We both need help. Let’s make this a joint investigation. You know, work together. Share data. As partners.”
Andreas straightened from the wall and burst into laughter. One hand on her hip, she frowned at his less-than-desirable reaction.
“Pardon me,” he said, the moment of amusement wiped from his face. “But this proposal is more outrageous than the last.” His forehead crinkled in mystification. “Whatever gave you this idea?”
Ari struggled with her temper. If they rubbed each other the wrong way, it wasn’t always her fault. He wouldn’t have been her first choice as a colleague, but she needed his access to the vampire community. If not, she’d be tempted to kick his ass about now.
“It makes sense,” she said stiffly. “You want to rescue Marcus. My job is to find out if a crime’s been committed. Working alone, we’ve gotten nowhere.” Encouraged that he hadn’t interrupted or started laughing again, she continued. “The two vamp witnesses need to be interviewed. If you can get me into Gordon’s nest, they’ll talk to me because I’m the Guardian. Not on either side of the rumored conspiracy. We both gain added credibility.”
“Now that I know who to ask, I have the means at my disposal to obtain the information without you.”
“Oh, sure. You could scare them or bully them, and they’d probably tell you,” she said dryly, “if you don’t mind making people more suspicious. Confirming they can’t trust you.”
Andreas's brows drew into a sharp crease. “I did not have torture in