"Apparently not, considering I'm still suspended."
Stephan gave Mary a look that quickly silenced any other questions she might have had, and then he leaned forward, interest bright in his green eyes. "Why was the clone attacking you?"
"I don't know." She glanced up as an autocook unfolded from the ceiling, and a large silver tray began to descend. "But the clone was a vampire, and it had every intention of killing me."
"A vampire?" Stephan glanced at Gabriel. "When did Kazdan become a vampire?"
She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You know Jack?"
"Know of him." He regarded her steadily for a minute, his green eyes intense. "Was Kazdan a vampire before he disappeared?"
"No." There was something in Stephan's manner that reminded her of Gabriel. Maybe it was the way he leaned back in his chair, casual yet on guard.
"Interesting." He glanced at Gabriel again. "That means Kazdan was cloned after he turned."
"It would appear so," Gabriel said quietly.
"That's not possible." Martyn's voice was scratchy, almost harsh on the ears. "To produce a clone the same age as Kazdan in two and a half weeks, they would have had to use a tremendous amount of accelerant. So much so, the clone would soon have aged past Kazdan, and be of no use."
"Hang on." She frowned at Martyn. "Why does the clone have to have been produced after Jack was turned? Couldn't it have been turned, same as Jack?"
"In theory, yes. In practice?" Martyn hesitated, shrugging a thin shoulder. "There have been government trials, all unsuccessful. No one can figure out why."
Why in hell would the government be spending money trying to turn clones into vampires? Then again, why in hell was the government trying to produce the perfect clone at all? Wasn't it enough that they were able to make all the spare parts humanity could ever need?
"Anyone would think you men actually believe her clone story." Mary shook her head. "A clone has the same genetic makeup as the original but that's it. No one's ever found a way to imitate the workings of a human's mind." Mary hesitated, staring at her for a moment. Anger radiated from the woman, a wave so heated it was almost visible. "If she thought it was Jack she shot, then it was. A clone would not have had the same behavior patterns. She would have seen a difference."
For some reason, her shooting Jack mattered to Mary. And if Jack was connected to this Sethanon, as Gabriel suggested, then maybe he'd better start investigating Mary. "There was no obvious difference, believe me."
The silver tray settled on the table. The rich aromas of fresh breads, spicy curries and fresh vegetables filled the room, and while she would normally have dug in, right now, her stomach turned. She really didn't feel like eating. The feeling of wrongness was growing, gnawing at her like a dog with a bone. She just wished she could figure out what, exactly, was wrong.
Lyssa and Mary reached for plates. Martyn produced a small flask from inside his jacket pocket, and then poured a viscous, dark looking liquid into a wineglass. Blood, she thought, a chill running down her spine. If he was also a vampire, why hadn't she sensed it? And why had Gabriel said two of his friends were a shapechanger and a human, when what she was sensing suggested one shapeshifter, and possibly two vamps? She couldn't even begin to guess what Stephan was, but if he was part of this Federation of Gabriel's, it was possible he was also nonhuman. So who was the human? Her gaze swept the lot of them. She had no idea, and yet she doubted Gabriel was lying.
Her gaze came back to Mary, and her confusion deepened. Instinct still insisted that this woman was a vampire, but the fact that she had a plate loaded with food, and was in the process of devouring it, meant she couldn't be. Vampires couldn't eat food — or at least, couldn't keep it down. Another myth that had proven to be true.
What the hell was going on with her? Why was she sensing things that were obviously wrong?
"Curry?" Gabriel asked.
His sudden question made her jump. He frowned, but otherwise made no comment.
"No thanks," she said. "I think I'll stick to vegetables." The way her stomach was churning, she didn't dare try anything spicy.
He nodded, and handed across the platter of vegetables instead. She spooned a small selection onto her plate and put the platter back onto the tray.
"How long have you known Jack?" Stephan asked, breaking the brief silence.
She glanced at him. There was nothing in his tone but polite interest, but something in the intensity of his gaze suggested he was judging her. Because she'd come here with Gabriel? Because she'd obviously gained his trust enough to meet his friends? Obviously, Stephan had no idea just how little Gabriel really trusted her.
"We became partners just over five years ago."
"And you knew him well?"
"Yes." Or she thought she had. But the dawning of every day seemed to bring out more and more she hadn't known.
Mary snorted softly. "We all heard the news reports. They were lovers, for Christ's sake. Of course she knew him well."
Lyssa shifted on her chair and angrily speared a piece of meat off her plate. The sudden viciousness behind the movement left Sam with no doubt that Lyssa was not the gentle soul she looked.