not looking at Andreas. Damn, she didn’t want to carry around the guilt for what happened to Marcus and Gordon.
“Aren’t we getting carried away? This is all kind of far-out theory. And it still doesn’t tell us why someone picked Riverdale. Or why somebody would go to such efforts to control a vampire.” Ryan stopped in exasperation.
Andreas and Ari exchanged a look. If you could program a vampire to do your bidding, take control of his supernatural powers, the potential for misusing the magic was tremendous. And if you could program several…well, Ari didn’t even want to go there.
Ryan caught their silent exchange, thought about it. His next words were subdued. “Yeah, I guess the control stuff is obvious. Nothing good, that’s for sure.”
“The formula’s not perfected yet,” Ari reminded them. “We’ve still got time to stop this. I just don’t know how. Or where to start.”
She was relieved when her phone rang, delaying the inevitable admissions from her partners that they didn’t know either.
Ari smiled when she heard Brando’s voice. “I thought you were out of town. How was the trip?”
“It was good. Got home this evening, and Claris told me about your drug case. I might be able to help.”
“Really? What do you know about Fantasy?” Ari shrugged as Ryan and Andreas turned to look at her. Stunned, she listened while Brando presented a huge break in the case. Five minutes later, she relayed the information to her partners.
“Brando heard this wizard, Daniel Dubrey, speak at a conference. Um, I think he said three or four years ago. Anyway, Dubrey’s work was based on combining chemicals and magic. He was doing lab trials on medicines enhanced by spells and potions. Brando says it’s really specialized stuff. One of a kind. And here’s the kicker—he lives near Toronto, Canada.” She gave a double thumbs-up. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
Ryan broke into a grin. “So there’s our starting point. Whether he’s the manufacturer or not, he’s got to know something. You should go to Canada. Talk to this wizard, and while you’re there, see if Molyneux’s been around.”
“You think Molyneux is in Canada?” Andreas asked.
“We know he is. Sorry, forgot you hadn’t heard.” Ryan told him about the border crossing. “Don’t ask me how they missed our BOLO.” He turned back to Ari. “While you follow the drug trail, we’ll keep searching for the pack.”
“Nobody wants to come along?” she asked.
“My department won’t approve a trip without consulting the local PD in Toronto. And that takes time.” He glanced at Andreas. “Unless I’m mistaken, his travel is defined by the sun. You can slip in and out without anyone being the wiser. Besides, this wizard is more likely to talk with a witch than either of us.”
“You are the logical choice,” Andreas said. “It might be a good idea for you to be out of town for a day or two to confuse whoever has been tailing you. While there, don’t approach Molyneux on your own. He will be among friends. The same goes for Sebastian, the vampire prince. He is a brutal dictator and no friend of Prince Daron.”
Ari brought her chin up. She hated it when someone told her what to do. Or even worse, what she couldn’t do. “You keep forgetting I can take care of myself.”
“So you’ve said before. But it would be better to stay out of situations where you might have to prove it.”
When Ryan didn’t come to her defense, Ari realized her partners had found something else they agreed on. “Hey, no ganging up. I’m not going to do anything stupid. I’ll visit Dubrey, and if I have any time left, I’ll see what the locals say about Molyneux and Sheila. But I’m not going after the wolf or some evil prince. Satisfied? ’Cause that’s the best you’re going to get.”
With Ryan’s threats of dire consequences ringing in her ears if she wasn’t back the next evening, they parted near the steps of the Magic Hall. Wondering if her elusive tail was watching, Ari headed for the airport.
Chapter Twenty-One
Modern air travel made Canada just a short nap away. At 6:35 a.m., Zoe Vesper, one of six Guardians assigned to Toronto, stood outside baggage claim with a placard and a wide grin. Ari soon learned that was typical Zoe. The woman was tall and lanky with short, brown, bouncy curls and eight ear piercings. But most interesting to Ari, she was half witch. Her witch clan had bred with elves, accounting for her nearly