led.
“I call shenanigans,” Conrad said.
“You’ve been calling shenanigans all week,” I said. “Why stop now?”
“But I want to know how he did it.” He turned to Grant. “You’re in on it, right? You had the other half in your pocket the whole time.”
“If you’ve already decided what to believe, I can’t possibly convince you otherwise,” Grant said.
“Mr. Grant is full of mystery, isn’t he?” Anastasia said, her tone stinging. “Really, Mr. Grant, tell us—are you a ringer? Are you here as one of us—or for another reason entirely?”
I rolled my eyes at the conspiracy. “Oh, please.”
But everyone else was looking at Odysseus. Tina, who’d been suspicious of him since the hypnotism; Jeffrey, who couldn’t see his aura; the others, who simply didn’t know what to think of him. Once again, it would make great TV.
“This is going to go all Lord of the Flies on us, isn’t it?” I wondered if that was the idea. I shook my head. “We’re better than that, people.”
That broke the tension, or rather broke it enough for us to stop glaring at each other.
Ariel stood. “It’s late. I think I’ll head to bed. So, good night, everyone. We’ll all feel better in the morning.”
Jerome and Lee followed. Then Conrad. Then Tina and Jeffrey, glancing at those of us remaining as they went to the stairs, frowning.
Anastasia and Grant didn’t look away from each other. Epic staring match.
“Anastasia?” Dorian said.
“It’s all right. You and Gemma go on.” Dorian touched the younger vampire, and the two of them walked arm in arm to the basement. “Gordon, you’re probably tired. Why don’t you call it a night?” And amazingly, the PA listened to her, wandering to the back room and leaving the front of the house without a camera operator.
“Kitty, would you give us some privacy, as well?” Anastasia said. Hint hint.
“Oh no,” I said. “Somebody’s got to stick around and keep you guys from killing each other.”
Her lips flickered a smile. “You really think you could stop us?”
She was right. Both of them could knock me aside, werewolf or no. “I’m not leaving,” I said, no matter how unable I was to back up my bravado.
Didn’t matter; she proceeded to ignore me.
“Odysseus Grant,” the vampire said, in the way of a judge preparing a verdict.
The magician met her gaze, didn’t flinch. Shocking, astonishing—vampires had power in their gazes. Grant didn’t seem to care. Her gaze didn’t affect him.
I didn’t necessarily want to be here for this. They faced each other in some kind of silent, telepathic battle.
“You’re going to ask me about Roman,” Grant said finally. He started pacing, a few steps one way, then back. Calculated, intimidating. “Has he contacted me. Am I working for him. Will I report to him about you. Will I finish you for him.”
“You can’t finish me.”
“The difficulty is, I have some of the same questions about you. What are you working for?”
“Not who am I working for?” she said, her voice smooth as silk. He nodded, the barest inclination of his head. “So, are you working for Roman? Has he sent you to kill me?”
“Why should I answer your questions when you haven’t answered mine?”
“You guys are idiots,” I said. They both looked at me like they’d forgotten I was there. Or like they’d expected me to stay polite and quiet. To merely witness.
Didn’t they know me better by now?