after his mythological hissy fit. We think Dominic has somehow been inside Seth for centuries, and they got split apart when the Maleficium was triggered. Seth has the scar to prove it.”
“And he had no idea?”
“Not as far as we can tell. Personally, it sounds like Dominic may have been the little red devil that sat on his shoulder and told him to do naughty things, but Seth’s accepting responsibility for now. Which is kind of a nice change.”
“No kidding. It’s definitely usually the other way around. What did Seth have to say?”
“He wants to help us deal with Dominic as part of his atonement. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any idea how to go about doing that. What about you? Might there be anything in your shifter encyclopedia about that?”
“We don’t have an encyclopedia. We’re more of a storytelling people. But I’m not aware of a fable on bat-winged, parasitic dudes who feed off mayors. Although that would have explained a lot of Chicago’s political history.”
“Sad but true. I’m heading out to see Mallory. I’ll ask if she has any information. Oh—and another weird one. The mercenary fairies at the gate think Dominic and Claudia, their queen, are going to have a meet and greet. While you’re researching him, look for any connection with the fairies.”
“Will do.”
“I appreciate it. And Jeff, how’s Fallon?” I felt like I hadn’t heard anything about Gabriel’s sister—and Jeff’s newish flame—in a while. I wasn’t sure if that was because things were going well, or because they weren’t.
“She’s good. She’s…” He sighed. “I think she has things to figure out.”
That didn’t sound good. “What kinds of things?”
“What she wants in life and in a man. There’s a lot of pressure growing up in the Apex’s family. I think she’s still sorting out who she thinks she is versus who she thinks her family expects her to be.”
“That’s tough. Anything I can do?”
“Just stay in play as my backup.”
I nearly swerved the car off the road. “I’m sorry—your backup?”
“You know, in case it doesn’t work out with Fallon.”
“And what about Ethan?”
Jeff chuckled. “I just figured he was your backup for me.”
Of course he did. “Good night, Jeff,” I said, and hung up the phone.
Boys.
Traffic was horrible, and the drive to Ukrainian Village took exponentially longer than it should have. Even as late as it was, and with a clear sky above us, traffic on Lake Shore Drive had slowed to a crawl, and the freeway wasn’t any better.
Even Little Red was packed, every spot outside the bar filled with a motorcycle, and a cadre of shifters stood just outside the door, smoking and chatting one another up. Sure, there was a deadly angel on the loose, but there were cigarettes to be rolled and whiskey to be drunk.
Supernatural man drama was making me grouchy.
I parked two blocks away and thought about leaving my sword in the car. But since Dominic was on the prowl, I decided not to take chances. My next visit to the sunlight prison might not have such a happy ending.
I dodged drunken revelers as I headed back toward the bar, and I was full-on ready to argue about whether the guys outside the bar would let me in with a sword at my side. But no one paid me any mind.
The bar was overflowing with shifters. Berna was back at the bar, helped by a young woman with deep-set eyes, dark hair, and a very snug T-shirt. I pushed through bodies and mildly intoxicated magic to reach them.
“Upstairs,” Berna said, without looking up.
She was busy, and I was smart enough to stay out of the way. I walked through the back room, the table again empty of shifters and card players, and up the stairs.
The door to Mallory’s small bedroom-slash-prison-cell was open, and I could hear people chatting. Since I already had one black mark for snooping this week, I decided to actually announce myself.
I knocked on the doorjamb and peeked inside.
Mallory sat cross-legged on the bed. She looked thin and tired and still oddly blond, but she looked more like Mallory than she had in a long time. Her eyes were clearer, somehow. The knot of worry around my heart unclenched a bit.
She wasn’t alone. Catcher stood nearby, arms crossed and a frown on his face as he stared at the third person in the room, who was new to me. He was older, probably in his late fifties or early sixties. Average height, round belly, and a thick head of