Andreas’s smile broadened. “He has little memory of what happened to him. Probably a blessing. It has made his recovery easier than Gordon’s. Marcus will make a fine head maitre d’ when the time comes.”
Ari look at the younger vampire again. With his dark good looks, Marcus would be quite a hit with the ladies. He greeted guests with a quiet formality that would someday match the elegance of the man seated across from her. Ari’s lips curved in a smile. It was easy to identify Marcus’s chosen role model.
She brought her thoughts back to the table. Andreas had returned to brooding, his shadowed gaze focused on the flame of their table candle.
“Are you ever going to clue me in?”
Andreas’s eyes popped up to hers, and the corners of his mouth curved. “Run out of patience, madam witch?” He steepled his long fingers. “I am sorry to be so inattentive tonight. This latest development has been particularly hard for me to comprehend. We intercepted a courier last night. A vampire running information back and forth between Riverdale and Sebastian in Toronto. Unfortunately he did not reveal his local contact.” Andreas’s jaw tightened. “But the courier was here, in my club. And I fear I know who the contact may be.”
“Who?” Ari leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Somebody on your staff? A member of the inner court?” Most of the vampire community hung out here from time to time, so she wasn’t surprised the contact had been in the club.
Andreas’s face clouded. “Forgive me, Arianna. But I hesitate to make such a serious accusation, even to you, until I am certain. Be patient for one more day. By tomorrow night my suspicions will be confirmed or refuted.”
Ari frowned at him, tempted to push for a better answer. But how could she fault him? The community was teeming with suspicion and a mob mentality. A false allegation overheard in the club could be lethal. If waiting a few hours made Andreas feel better, she’d go along—unless she got an opportunity to quiz him in private.
She shrugged in tacit acceptance. “And the courier, are you going to tell me what happened to him?”
“No, probably not.”
Better leave it alone, she thought. Vampires had their own idea of justice…and matching interrogation techniques. Someday she might try to change his mind. But to be honest, she didn’t have much interest in the fate of some traitorous thug. She was more curious about the suspect, who could be Sebastian’s candidate for the next Riverdale prince.
She studied her dinner companion. Now there was her candidate for prince. But he wouldn’t make Sebastian’s list. She almost smiled imagining Andreas as anyone’s puppet.
No, Sebastian’s choice would be someone weak, who only looked strong. She didn’t know a single vampire who fit that description. She’d like to suspect Lucien, simply because he was a prick, but he was too arrogant to let Sebastian take control.
“I can’t figure Sebastian out,” she said, thinking aloud. “If he has the wolves and some hand-picked prince on the scene, why the drugs and the mind-control experiments?”
“A tough question. One I have thought about for days.” He signaled the waiter to refill their wineglasses. When the young man was finished, Andreas continued. “Perhaps Sebastian hoped to keep us from seeing the bigger danger. Keeping the community in an uproar while he worked quietly behind the scenes. You have to admit it was effective.”
“Well, maybe.” She looked unconvinced.
“Or perhaps he fantasized about his own army of robot vampires. Whatever he envisioned, it is hard to believe even Sebastian would be foolhardy enough to want a drug perfected that controls vampires. A drug that could be turned against him.”
“A good reason for him to have the wizard killed. Maybe Dubrey was close to success, and Sebastian finally realized how dangerous it was. I wonder what Sebastian’s thinking now. Knowing we suspect him, what will he do?”
“Unpredictable. I am not even sure who is running the show. Master or puppet. Sebastian’s pet may have struck out on his own.” Andreas leaned back, picking up his wineglass. “Vampire ambitions have few boundaries.”
And what were Andreas’s ambitions? Ari wondered. When this was over, assuming they all survived, would he be content as a lieutenant forever? Somehow she doubted it.
* * *
Ari settled down to sleep early that evening. The short nights had taken a toll. She had a dull headache, and the wine had made her sleepy. As she waited to doze off, she tried