Never wake a Dragon (on hold)

9. part II - orchid

Astrid threw the rest of her food in the bin and leaned back against the kitchen counter, looking very much at home. "When you've made up your mind you can ask for me at the Vampire Lounge." Her confidence bordered on scary. Adeem understood her sentiment but was far too aware of the stakes. Others had tried to strike the Council before, only to condemn themselves to death or imprisonment. The Council remained in power for a reason.

"I thought you stayed away from other paranormals," he replied. The Vampire Lounge was one of the few bars in the city owned and run by paranormals. It was the place where he'd met the bartender who had told him the news of the new Guardian. He hadn't been there since.

"I have nothing against vampires." She smiled at Nev, but the glint in her eyes remained cold and calculating. "I'll be expecting you."

Without waiting for a reply, she swept out of the kitchen area and disappeared into the hallway. If he'd been a decent host, he would have seen her out, but he wasn't feeling particularly generous.

Nev tapped his fingers on the table, looking over his shoulder every now and then until the front door opened and closed. The place appeared to brighten in an instant. "She's still frightening," Nev mumbled.

"She is."

"Do you think she was serious?" Nev asked.

Adeem slouched over the table, allowing the tension to drain from his shoulders. The clusterfuck was far from over, but he was exhausted enough to give up and resign—if only for a moment. "Yeah," he replied after a while. "I think she meant every word."

"Oh." Nev appeared at a loss for words, still tapping his fingers against the table.

"You didn't tell her about Denker's plans."

"What plans? He never told me anything," Nev replied, frowning.

The vampire had to be joking. Denker had told him about the plans to get rid of the Council when they'd last met. Surely, the werewolf must have told Nev at some point. Nev's reply also opened up an entirely different line of questioning.

"Why exactly did you join the Nighters?" That detail had always perplexed him. Nev wasn't a person who liked causing trouble, and the Nighters were nothing but trouble. With a big T.

Nev winced, crossing his arms. Clearly, it wasn't a question the vampire had wished for. The silence stretched while Adeem waited for a reply. He was sure it would come eventually, if only because Nev hated being under scrutiny.

"My coven."

"Your coven? Did they ask you to join the Nighters?"

"Yes."

"To spy?" It made sense, but he didn't like it one bit. The coven should have realized they were placing Nev in danger. There had to be better candidates for the job—someone who could lie with ease and fit in with that rowdy bunch. Nev had neither of those talents.

Nev shrugged, biting his lip piercing in a way that instantly revealed his mood. The vampire had a number of tells, all of them easily interpreted after spending more than an hour in his company. So yes, Nev couldn't lie.

"Well yes. Guess I didn't do a very good job if I don't know their plans."

"Denker told me about it that day when we went to their headquarters."

"He told you?" Nev almost sounded hurt.

"Yes, Astrid is right. They plan to attack the Council." Which also meant that it was fully possible that they'd also committed those murders. He tasted bile in his mouth when he thought about it. How could they have murdered Vincent in cold blood like that? Killing an innocent for the sake of a cause was disgusting. They couldn't possibly work together with the Nighters after this.