I clenched my hands into fists.
All of that, and we still didn’t get her!
Even more frustrating, even if the Cloisters couldn’t charge her, technically, Tutu could go after Gisila. There was enough suspicion that the dragon shifter would be well within her rights to attack her sister. But for whatever reason, so far Tutu hadn’t done more beyond strengthening her defenses.
Maybe they’re in cahoots and this is all an elaborate insurance scam. Except Tutu’s reputation would be ruined, so that makes no sense.
“All of the mercenaries have been arrested,” Considine said.
“W-what happened to my team?” I cleared my throat and wished I had water.
“Ah, yes. That.” Considine leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. “Apparently, they entered a human apartment building using an alleyway entrance. They’re fine.” His voice dripped with disdain and an anger I didn’t understand, but I was glad Brody, April, and Tetiana were okay.
“Gisila…she saw your face,” Considine said.
I flinched remembering how the werewolf had yanked my mask off. “Yeah.”
Considine tilted his head back, his red eyes glowing in the low light. “She’s going to come directly for you.”
I sighed. “Yeah.”
“What will you do?”
I glanced over at the vampire. “I’m not sure. I’m more concerned about whether I’ll make it out of this room alive.”
Considine blinked. “You think I’ll hurt you? When I went through the trouble to drag you here?”
“You’ve beaten me up before.” I said. “Badly.”
He shrugged. “Not recently.”
“You’re Considine Maledictus.”
“And you’re Jade O’Neil of the O’Neil slayers,” Considine said.
I wasn’t sure if that was a threat or if he was being factual, but his expression was too neutral to give me any kind of clue.
He glanced at me, then heaved his eyes up. “I’m not going to beat you up when you’re helpless like this. First, where’s the fun in that? Secondly, I will repeat, I have gone through a great deal of trouble to get you here and voluntarily signed myself up for new sources of aggravation in the process. I’m not going to waste all that effort.”
“Why?” I asked.
Considine leaned back in his chair again, and I saw a flash of metal on his belt—of course, he had a weapon on him. That was just my luck. “Why, what?”
“Why go through all the effort to bring me in?” I struggled to sit up in my bed. My muscles protested, but it also felt good to move again.
He shrugged. “I’ve said it from the beginning: You’re entertaining.”
Entertaining. Right. And I have a pet unicorn.
He had to have some other motive. Entertainment was rare for a vampire—particularly as they grew old and apathetic towards living—but it wouldn’t be enough to make a vampire of his caliber pretend to be a young vampire and let himself get dragged around to festivals and cafes, live through potential baking hazards, and act like…
Friends.
It hurt to even think it. I really had let Connor in—deeper than I’d been aware.
Stay focused. This is a dangerous situation, no matter how benevolent Considine is acting. I can cry later.
Spooked by the realization that I was going to cry over this—later, once I knew I was safe—I cleared my throat. “You knew who I was from the start?”
Considine studied me for a long few seconds, and I wondered if I’d gone too far. “No,” he finally said. “I figured it out after our fight with the snake.”
“Ah,” I said. When I shifted in my bed, my hand hit plastic. When I looked down I saw a remote that had labeled buttons that controlled my bed, the TV, and a button to call the nurse.
This is a very nice hospital.
“I assume that was approximately when you realized I was Considine?” he asked. “That was roughly when you became even more cautious when facing me at night, anyway.”
There can’t be any harm in telling him, right? I don’t think he can use it against me.
“Yes,” I said, slowly, as if I was afraid to part with the word. “I saw you turn into a bat, then did some research into what vampires are old enough to have that power and are still awake.”
“That would make it rather easy,” Considine said. “Although I am disappointed with myself. I was sure you hadn’t seen that.”
“I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t a slayer,” I admitted.