Sun Broken (The Wild Hunt #11) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,62
another chair.” He stood, brushing past them to the desk with the laptop. He pulled the chair over beside me, then motioned for Raven to sit down. With a sigh, she did as he asked.
“I’m afraid, Master Trinity, you will have to stand.”
Trinity shrugged, remaining silent.
I glanced at Raven, then at Trinity with a questioning look. Raven shook her head.
“Since we’re all here, let’s begin. I’m Eldris, and I’m the manager of Fire & Fang. You are Yutani, once known as Yutani the Fire Walker, but you left that last name behind.” He turned to me. “Ember Kearney, I believe, the consort of Herne? Raven BoneTalker, the Daughter of Bones. And Master Trinity, Lord of Persuasion. So why are the Wild Hunt and the Ante-Fae prowling through a vampire sex club? What are you looking for?”
He was polite, I’d have to give him that.
I let out a sigh. “We have no clue what…Trinity, is it?…is doing here. But how did you know about us?”
“How wouldn’t I know? You come in, bearing talismans that we phased out last year. My guards who are monitoring the surveillance cams run everyone who isn’t a vampire through a facial recognition program. Ember and Yutani, you’re well known in this city to those who have the right information.” Eldris leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over another. “I approached you earlier, hoping that you would reveal yourself, but you chose to play it close to the bone, so to speak.”
Leave it to the vamps to be as high tech as they could get. I glanced at Yutani, wondering just how much we should tell him, at least in front of Trinity. I had no clue who he was or what he wanted.
“Herne sent me to watch over her,” Trinity said, pointing at me. “I suppose you know about that, as well?”
Crap. Of course he did, because it was like Herne to do that. I grumbled under my breath but stopped when Raven touched my knee.
As I fumed, it suddenly occurred to me that the vamps wouldn’t want to be associated with a serial killer, even if it was just by a way of them entering his club. It would bring scrutiny onto Fire & Fang, which Eldris was unlikely to welcome.
“All right. If we tell you, will you help us?”
Yutani glanced at me. “You aren’t…”
“I am. I believe that if Eldris knows the score, he’s likely to cooperate with us. And having his cooperation would make life a whole lot easier.” I cleared my throat. “We believe that a serial killer may be operating through your club, using it to find his victims.”
Eldris shifted. Only slightly, but enough to tell me that I was right. He tilted his head, his long hair skimming his shoulders, a golden halo around his head. Even without using his vampiric glamour, he was absolutely gorgeous. His eyes, which had still been bordering on crimson, were back to their piercing blue.
“Are you serious?”
“As serious as I can get. We have reason to believe that someone’s preying on members of the Spooks. Five victims so far. And all of them have two things in common. They all work with death magic and they all belonged to the Spooks.” I leaned forward. “You wouldn’t want that getting out, would you? I somehow think that the cops would stop looking the other way at some of your more questionable activities if they thought a killer was connected to your club.”
Eldris narrowed his eyes. “I see your point. So that’s why you charmed my bartender. You wanted information.” He ran his gaze over me again. “Leannan Sidhe. I should have known. And yet, you’re not full-blood. Tell me, what other blood do you possess?”
I hesitated, then shrugged. “Autumn’s Bane. My father belonged to the Autumn Stalkers.”
Eldris chuffed like a tiger. “Really? Then Herne must have himself quite a playmate. And an efficient huntress. All right, tell me more. Are you positive that the killer has been operating out of my club?”
Yutani frowned. “Not one hundred percent, but it’s the only connection we can find. The killer has a thirst for pain. I don’t suppose you have a list of regulars here?”
“Of course we do, but you’re not getting it. I somehow think you’d be dismayed by the names you’d recognize on it.” Eldris paused. “And you, Raven. You were scoping out the Spooks, were you not? I can smell death on you like a perfume, clinging to your body and soul.”