I swore under my breath. Seth Tate was the former mayor of Chicago, deposed after we'd discovered he'd been running a drug ring.
Tate was also a supernatural with an old, unfamiliar magic, one that had lifted the hairs on my neck more than once.
Unfortunately, we knew nothing else about his powers.
" 'This morning' was hours ago," Ethan said. "Why are we just learning this?"
"Because we're just learning it. We aren't employees anymore, so Kowalcyzk didn't feel the urge to fil us in. Our new mayor has decided Tate was framed, in part because one of the individuals alegedly kiled at his residence was spotted outside Cadogan House earlier tonight."
"That would be you," I whispered to Ethan.
"And no thanks to Tate," Ethan said. "Do we think he's looking for the Maleficium, too?"
"We don't know for sure," Catcher said. "He was pardoned by Kowalcyzk, so the CPD didn't feel they had the authority to folow him, even if they had the resources. And we're short staffed today."
"Short staffed?" I wondered. There were three unofficial Ombuddies, as I liked to cal them, in addition to my grandfather:
Catcher; computer wizard Jeff Christopher; and the admin, Marjorie. None seemed like the type to miss work.
"Jeff caled in today. Said he had some things to take care of. Which is only fair since he's not an employee and isn't actualy paid to be here."
Logical, sure, but it stil seemed weird. Jeff was uncommonly reliable, and he was usualy planted in front of his very large computer. Of course, if he'd needed our help, he wouldn't have been shy about asking for it.
"We can't be sure he's looking for the book," I said, "but I wouldn't be surprised to find him in the middle of the action. After al, he was the one who told me about the Maleficium."
He'd been clearly intrigued by the magic, and it wasn't hard to imagine he'd cash in on an opportunity to grab it. It was too bad I hadn't brought along my worry wood, a token of magic from my grandfather that gave me protection from Tate's more subtle forms of magic.
"No argument there," Catcher said.
"In the unlikely event Tate causes problems in Chicago, you can cal Malik," Ethan said. "He can raly the rest of the Cadogan guards."
Malik was the official Master of Cadogan House, Ethan's second until he'd been kiled and stil in charge until Ethan was officialy Invested as Master again.
"You can also cal Jonah," I offered, but the offer was met with silence. Jonah was captain of the guards of Chicago's Grey House, and he'd been my substitute partner while Ethan had been gone. Although neither Catcher nor Ethan knew it, Jonah was also my official partner in the Red Guard, a secret organization dedicated to keeping an eye on the vampire Masters and the Greenwich Presidium, the British council that ruled us.
"We'l cross that bridge when we come to it," Catcher said.
"For now, I need to wrap this up. I'l cal you if I learn anything else."
We said our good-byes, and Ethan switched off the phone.
"He seems to be holding up," Ethan said.
"He doesn't have much of a choice. He loves her, or I assume he stil does, and she's out there head over heels in danger, and he can't do a damn thing about it. For the second time."
"How did he fail to see what she was doing the first time
around?" Ethan wondered. "They were living together."
Malory had set Chicago ablaze in her attempt to make Ethan a familiar. She'd made the magic in the basement of the Wicker Park brownstone she and Catcher shared.
"I think part of it was denial. He didn't want to believe she was capable of the mess she put the city through. And she was studying for exams—and taking them, apparently—the entire time. If Simon didn't suspect anything, why should Catcher?"
"Simon again?"
"Unfortunately. And that's not the end of it. Catcher thought she and Simon were having an affair. Not a romantic one, maybe, but they were becoming too close for his comfort. He was afraid she was going to take Simon's side—the Order's side—against Catcher."
"Love does strange things to a man," Ethan said, his voice suddenly distracted. He tapped a finger on the dashboard.