Kiss of the Vampire(81)

“Things are happening, getting out of control…” He paused.

When he didn’t go on, Tobias thought maybe the call had been dropped. “Will?” he asked. “You still there?”

“Yes. Yes, I’m still here. I just… I really didn’t want to go over this on the phone. It’s not secure.”

“Well, I won’t be back in town for another…” Tobias glanced at the dashboard clock. “It’ll be at least an hour and a half before I hit the 202.”

“Maybe I can meet you somewhere.”

“Will, what is this all about?” Tobias frowned and glanced at Nix.

MacMillan slid forward and leaned his arm against the back of Tobias’s seat without making a sound.

“Are you alone?” Braithwaite asked him. “Is anyone in the car with you?”

“You’re free to speak, Will.” Tobias waited. As long as Braithwaite didn’t realize he hadn’t actually answered the question, he’d be all right.

“I’ve made some poor choices lately, Tobias,” Braithwaite said. “Decisions made in a misguided attempt to garner more power for myself on the council. And they’ve come home to roost. People are dead, our own people and now a human. The council hasn’t been completely forthcoming with you.”

He saw Nix mouth the words “That’s a surprise” and grimaced in agreement. “Forthcoming about what?” Tobias asked.

The other vampire cleared his throat. “You know we sent Dumond undercover to infiltrate a group of dissenters. What you don’t know is that this group has been opening a small rift between dimensions and sending radio transmissions through. We wanted Dumond to find out who the leader is so we could deal with him.”

Nix’s hand came out and gripped his thigh. Braithwaite had just confirmed what Lucifer had told her.

“And you didn’t feel this had any bearing on our current investigation? Especially after Dumond’s identity was confirmed?” Tobias clenched his jaw. Damn, but the council was made up of slippery bastards.

“Some of us felt you should know. But the majority ruled.”

“Majority meaning how many?” Tobias checked his mirrors, keeping an eye on traffic around him and trying to process what Braithwaite was telling him.

“Eight. Five of us voted to let you know about the transmissions. We were uncomfortable with keeping it hidden.”

“You were one of the five?” Tobias asked.

“Yes. For all the good it did.”

“Did Dumond find out who the leader is?”

“Not to our knowledge. On that I’m sure,” he added hurriedly as if he were afraid Tobias would question his truthfulness.

“Okay. Let’s say I believe you,” Tobias said, partly to keep the councilor off balance and partly because he wasn’t sure he did believe that Braithwaite had been in the minority. The vampire council member was clearly a minion of Deoul, and Deoul had never bothered to hide his disdain for humans. Tobias had no problem believing that the wily elf was in this up to his eyeballs. Where Deoul went, Braithwaite usually wasn’t far behind. “Why did the others want to keep it a secret?”

“I can’t say.”

“Can’t? Or won’t?” Tobias couldn’t keep the distrust from his voice.

“Can’t.” Braithwaite sounded sincere. It was difficult to tell when someone was lying over the phone because you couldn’t pick up visual clues. There was no opportunity to sense elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate or sweating. It was even more difficult to tell when vampires lied because they had no physical changes at all to give themselves away. For the time being, Tobias would believe him. Braithwaite went on. “The first two murders seemed unrelated. They still seem unrelated from what I can tell. But Novellus and Dumond had a commonality, as frail as it might be.”

“The rift,” Tobias murmured.

“Exactly. But I’m the newest one on the council. I’m not included in a lot of discussions that go on behind closed doors. There are machinations behind the scenes to which I’m not privy.”

Tobias pondered that for a moment, then asked, “Do you suspect that any of the council are involved with the group of dissenters?”

Braithwaite’s sigh was heavy. “All I know is that powerful people are involved in this, Tobias. I don’t know who, but I know they have influence. If they find out we know about it, our lives won’t be worth spit. You know there’s a tenuous peace between humans and prets right now. There are those who believe true peace only comes through chaos.”

That shot a chill through Tobias. What Braithwaite just said had a familiar ring to it. “Will, who—”