entrance?”
Finn went cold, then hot as the impact of Keira’s words hit him. “The council was behind this?”
“No.” Tobias stared at Caladh. “They weren’t.” He glanced at Keira. “Were you working for the council at large? Did Deoul have Caladh ask you to do this?”
She shook her head. “It was just Caladh. He said he wasn’t sure who on the council he could trust, so we were to keep this between us.” She bit her lip and then whispered, “I trusted you.”
“I told you not to trust anyone.” He seemed pleased with himself, an odd attitude to take considering he was so outnumbered. Tobias still had a look of bloodlust about him, and Finn looked ready to strangle Caladh with his bare hands.
“You put Keira in danger for nothing?” Finn took a step forward. “Why the pretense? Why hide behind Liuz?”
Caladh didn’t respond.
Finn thought he understood. “It kept everyone’s focus on Liuz, and off you.” He narrowed his eyes. “That’s it, isn’t it? You let him manipulate people, use them, but all the while he was only a marionette dancing to your tug of the strings. Did he even realize you were using him?”
Caladh chuckled. “He was such a stupid little shit. Of course he never realized he was merely another cog in the wheel. He thought he was the wheel, turning and shaping events to bring in a new world order.”
Finn took a deep breath and held it a moment while he sorted through his racing thoughts.
“What are you up to, Caladh?” This from Tobias, whose face had darkened as he came to realize the extent of his coworker and friend’s perfidy. “What exactly didn’t you want anyone to see?”
“His bid to take over the council,” Keira answered. “You killed Deoul so you could be moved into the position of president. Start with the regional council, then work your way out to what? Setting up a national council? Or a worldwide one?”
“That would presume my ambitions are limited to the preternatural community,” Caladh said.
Finn noticed he didn’t deny killing Deoul.
“And they’re not, that’s what you’re saying?” Nix’s lovely face creased in a frown. “Oh, for God’s sake. Don’t tell me this is a ploy to take over the world.” She rolled her eyes. Finn was happy to see she was still as snarky as ever, and not only with him. She hadn’t let a little thing like being turned into a vampire change her for the worse. She propped her hands on her hips. “Couldn’t you come up with something more original than that?”
“You watch your tone, Ms. de la Fuente.” Caladh’s face blackened with a scowl.
“Or what? You’ll fire me? Oh, you can’t do that, ’cause I don’t work for the council anymore.” Her scowl matched his in ferocity. “And it’s Mrs. Caine now, thank you very much.”
“Enough!” Finn took a step forward. As much as he enjoyed watching Nix cut the selkie down to size, they had to get moving. “We need to disable that machine and take him”—he jerked his chin toward Caladh—“to council headquarters. Let them sort out what to do with him.”
“Are you sure none of them are involved in this?” Keira asked.
Finn looked to Tobias, who shrugged. “I have no idea,” the vampire said. “But we have to start somewhere.”
Finn started toward Caladh. The councilor drew a pistol from behind his back. “This is loaded with silver bullets, for the werewolves. And I have enough iron mixed in to cause any fey extreme discomfort. Of course, they won’t do lasting damage to a vampire, but one of these will put a vamp down for the count for a while. And if it stays in the body long enough, werewolf or fey, you will die.”
“Neither silver nor iron is poisonous to demons.” Finn stopped and stared at the selkie. “You’d better have good aim, brother, ’cause you’ve only got one chance before I rip your heart out.”
“And here I thought you were going to take me in.” Sarcasm dripped from his words like poisoned honey.
“That was before you pulled a gun. So make it count.” Finn watched as the gun started to swing toward Keira. Without thinking, he drew on his chameleon abilities and shifted into a vampire, vaulting through the air to crash into Caladh, deflecting his aim.
Being the slippery seal he was, the councilor rolled to his feet and ran down the mine shaft.
Finn took off in pursuit, the others charging behind him.
“We don’t have time for this,” Caine called out.
“You go