The song ended, and Ethan dropped me into a dip, his smile mischievous and his eyes twinkling. The rest of the world came rushing back in a roar of sound as the vampires on the margins of the dance floor burst into applause.
Ethan brought me back to my feet, my ponytail bobbing over a shoulder. "And that, Sentinel, is how you impress a crowd."
My cheeks warmed as I waved a little at said crowd, acknowledging their applause.
But when I caught sight of Noah surrounded by the same black-clad vampires he'd been speaking to earlier, I realized my fun would be short-lived. There was no mistaking the distress in Noah's expression, or the fact that his companions kept sneaking anxious looks in our direction.
Delicately, I put a hand on Ethan's arm and leaned toward him, my lips just brushing his ear. It was a move the crowd would mistake for a show of affection, which was a perfect bit of sleight of hand.
"Something's up," I whispered. "Noah's surrounded by Rogues, and they look worried. They're at your eight o'clock."
In the guise of pressing a light kiss to my cheek, Ethan glanced over his shoulder. "So I see," he said, turning back to me again. "Can you get the gist of it?"
As predators, vampires had uniquely strong senses - hearing, sight, smell. But there were too many vampires in the crowd, and too much magical energy, for me to tell what trouble was brewing.
"I cannot," I said. "Perhaps an invitation to your office?"
"That seems wise," he agreed. He took my hand and, with smiles and waves to the crowd, stepped out of the spotlight.
"Keep the guests busy," he whispered to Luc, who nodded obediently and stepped into the middle of the dance floor.
"It's a party!" Luc said, clapping his hands together as a jaunty David Bowie tune filled the air. "Let's all dance."
With Luc's encouragement, vampires spilled onto the dance floor.
We slipped through the tent to reach Noah and the worried Rogues. Fear marked their expressions, and they radiated tense magic that made my skin feel tight from the contact.
"Is everything all right?" Ethan asked.
Noah glanced among his Rogues, meeting the gaze of a female vampire with cropped hair and small silver spikes above both eyebrows. Her look was edgy, but her tearstained eyes belied her appearance. She nodded at Noah, giving him approval for something. Rogue democracy at work.
Noah paused, as if weighing a decision. "Perhaps we could speak privately?" he asked. "We have a concern, and we'd appreciate your thoughts."
"Of course," Ethan said, gesturing toward the door. "Let's go to my office. We can speak there." He glanced across the group of Noah's friends. "You're all welcome to join us."
But they edged away like feral kittens nervous about being led indoors.
"I'll be back," Noah said to the rest of the Rogues, then supportively squeezed the hand of the spiked girl. Both of them followed us into the House.
* * *
We walked silently down the hallway, and Ethan closed the office door when we were all inside. Noah immediately headed toward the conversation area and took a seat in one of the leather club chairs there; the female vampire followed him. I took a seat on the opposite couch, and Ethan did the same.
"What's on your mind?" Ethan asked when all were settled.
"Two of my vampires have disappeared, and we're afraid they might be in trouble."
Ethan's eyes widened. "I'm sorry to hear that. Start at the beginning, if you would."
Noah nodded. "Last night we had a gathering - a meeting - that we hold monthly for Rogues in the city. Nothing formal, nothing official, just a chance for us to get together and chat. Some Rogues aren't interested in attending; some are. On average, we get thirty to forty vampires. Most of them are regulars, including a couple of kids named Oliver and Eve. They came up from Kansas City when the GP consolidated the Rogues down there into Murphy House. Living in a House wasn't their bag, so they moved up here. But they didn't show up at the meeting."
"Is that so unusual?" Ethan asked.
"Unusual enough," Noah said. "I can't recall a meeting they've missed since they came to Chicago."
"They broke pattern," Ethan said, and Noah nodded.
"Precisely. And that's gotten a few of our Rogues worried."