those to him. Maybe the spot I'd stuck myself in was worse.
"So what did Prince Charming do this time?"
I lifted my gaze again. Explaining what had happened with Zeno was somehow more comfortable ground to be on. "He expected me to drop everything and move to London with him."
"He still doing that venture capitalist thing?"
"Yeah, that and real estate development."
Zeno was also chasing a lead on our kind. But even after nine years of friendship Gray didn't know what I was. I'd never fully explained, only showed him what I could do.
According the Kastio we weren't allowed to tell anyone about what we were because it would reveal the existence of the gods to the world, something about the world being unable to handle it. That was apparently an issue even in the already hidden Underground. So I had the lovely distinction of keeping my nature a secret from not one, but two different societies. It was a big reason why Zeno and I had been on again off again for so long instead of just off. He was one of the only people on Earth with which I could actually relax.
Gray poked at the topic of my love life just a little more, "Any new beaus?"
My stupid, stupid brain immediately jumped to Aiden's lovely smile. Kastio was going to rant at me for that one. "Nope," I quickly retorted. "And before you say anything, I'm completely okay with that. It means I don't have to clean the apartment."
Gray chuckled lightly.
I fixed him with my best professional expression. "So did we get the niceties out of the way? Can I say what I came here to say now?"
His cheerful expression instantly faded. "Why you always gotta do that?"
I'd half expected that response from him and waved it off as if it were of no concern. But I did address it. "Because you're just going to try to flirt your way into my pants if I let you continue. It's not going to work anymore than it did back then."
Gray made a cutting gesture. I'd made him angry. That wasn't a good way to start this conversation.
I inhaled slowly for courage and then blurted out, "Last night I killed one of yours."
He nodded soberly, knowing trouble with shifters would be the only reason I'd have come here out of the blue. That or I'd needed his help. He knew me well enough to know I didn't ask for help lightly.
"His name was Chet Nimpton," I continued.
Gray didn't so much as exhale at the name. I didn't know what that meant.
"He was keeping women hostage in a basement in Jamaican Plain and blackmailing a werewolf to bring them to him. I'd have liked to find out who he was working for but he shifted and attacked me before I could get it out of him."
"He was working for the Covens," Gray told me. "He'd gone rogue a long time ago."
There were few actual rules in the Underground. One of those few was that everyone had to belong to a faction. If you didn't, you got the distinction of being considered "rogue" and could be subject to harsh punishment. Technically I was rogue. Most of the Underground thought I was some sort of witch and the witches thought I was some sort of fae. Since no one knew what I was for sure, no one could demand I join a group.
"Oh, thank the gods." I practically cried in relief upon hearing that the guy I'd killed hadn't been one of Gray's shifters any longer. Gray was one of the only people I hated disappointing. If Chet had been a golden boy among the faction I'd have felt awful.
"I wish I could tell you which Coven but I didn't know any more than that," he added. "I do know that whoever it was has a place inside the Dungeon."
I nodded. "Yeah, I've figured that much out." With a grumbling tone I added, "It's basically all that I've figured out."
Gray's head tilted a little to the right. "How'd you manage that? It took us years to track down that information."
My lips thinned because answering him required me to remember something that infuriated me. "Someone set Jim's newest construction project on fire with him still inside. I tracked the Fire witch down
"So what did Prince Charming do this time?"
I lifted my gaze again. Explaining what had happened with Zeno was somehow more comfortable ground to be on. "He expected me to drop everything and move to London with him."
"He still doing that venture capitalist thing?"
"Yeah, that and real estate development."
Zeno was also chasing a lead on our kind. But even after nine years of friendship Gray didn't know what I was. I'd never fully explained, only showed him what I could do.
According the Kastio we weren't allowed to tell anyone about what we were because it would reveal the existence of the gods to the world, something about the world being unable to handle it. That was apparently an issue even in the already hidden Underground. So I had the lovely distinction of keeping my nature a secret from not one, but two different societies. It was a big reason why Zeno and I had been on again off again for so long instead of just off. He was one of the only people on Earth with which I could actually relax.
Gray poked at the topic of my love life just a little more, "Any new beaus?"
My stupid, stupid brain immediately jumped to Aiden's lovely smile. Kastio was going to rant at me for that one. "Nope," I quickly retorted. "And before you say anything, I'm completely okay with that. It means I don't have to clean the apartment."
Gray chuckled lightly.
I fixed him with my best professional expression. "So did we get the niceties out of the way? Can I say what I came here to say now?"
His cheerful expression instantly faded. "Why you always gotta do that?"
I'd half expected that response from him and waved it off as if it were of no concern. But I did address it. "Because you're just going to try to flirt your way into my pants if I let you continue. It's not going to work anymore than it did back then."
Gray made a cutting gesture. I'd made him angry. That wasn't a good way to start this conversation.
I inhaled slowly for courage and then blurted out, "Last night I killed one of yours."
He nodded soberly, knowing trouble with shifters would be the only reason I'd have come here out of the blue. That or I'd needed his help. He knew me well enough to know I didn't ask for help lightly.
"His name was Chet Nimpton," I continued.
Gray didn't so much as exhale at the name. I didn't know what that meant.
"He was keeping women hostage in a basement in Jamaican Plain and blackmailing a werewolf to bring them to him. I'd have liked to find out who he was working for but he shifted and attacked me before I could get it out of him."
"He was working for the Covens," Gray told me. "He'd gone rogue a long time ago."
There were few actual rules in the Underground. One of those few was that everyone had to belong to a faction. If you didn't, you got the distinction of being considered "rogue" and could be subject to harsh punishment. Technically I was rogue. Most of the Underground thought I was some sort of witch and the witches thought I was some sort of fae. Since no one knew what I was for sure, no one could demand I join a group.
"Oh, thank the gods." I practically cried in relief upon hearing that the guy I'd killed hadn't been one of Gray's shifters any longer. Gray was one of the only people I hated disappointing. If Chet had been a golden boy among the faction I'd have felt awful.
"I wish I could tell you which Coven but I didn't know any more than that," he added. "I do know that whoever it was has a place inside the Dungeon."
I nodded. "Yeah, I've figured that much out." With a grumbling tone I added, "It's basically all that I've figured out."
Gray's head tilted a little to the right. "How'd you manage that? It took us years to track down that information."
My lips thinned because answering him required me to remember something that infuriated me. "Someone set Jim's newest construction project on fire with him still inside. I tracked the Fire witch down
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