Tainted Blood: A Generation V Novel by M.L. Brennan Page A

also turned and left.
    “My, how deliciously awkward,” Chiyo said. Gleeful amusement fought with exhaustion on her face, and momentarily won out. “No wonder Matias passed over the brother. That one has no love for the vampires, and he’s not bothering to hide it.”
    “It’s a difficult day for deference, Oka-san,” Midori said, with a bit more compassion. “If someone killed you, I would be pretty angry if I was robbed of the chance to rip that person’s belly open with my own teeth.”
    Her mother gave a flashing smile. “Another reason to be grateful that we are kitsune, then, and not some half-rate were.” That brought a round of smug agreement from the other foxes. I hoped desperately that the bears had all been occupied and not bothering to listen—apparently Suze came by her attitude of superiority honestly.
    We all slipped out of the beige house together, past the grim-faced
metsän kunigas
who once again filled the living room.
    Outside, I took a deep breath, grateful for the cold air after the stifling emotions roiling inside. The sun had set while we were inside, but the
karhu
had been a fan of those nice little outdoor solar lights, and the curb and driveway were lined with soft blue glows. Suze gave my sleeve a tug, demanding my attention. Looking down, I could see from her expression that my brief struggle for control in the kitchen had not gone unnoticed. After a considering moment, she let it drop, and instead said, “If you’re going down to see your mother, Fort, I’ll go with them over to the ghouls.” She nodded to her family members, who were walking very slowly in our wake. “I’m probably a better driver right now.”
    Chiyo and Midori expressed their happiness with the plan. Takara was still a bundle of sleeping fox, and had no opinion. Suze walked with me to where the Fiesta was pulled to the curb, and made a show of leaning against the car while I reached inside to fish out her duffel.
    “So, what are you thinking?”
    “Gil seems pretty set on the Ad-hene theory,” I noted. “What do you think?”
    “The last time they got the attention of the Scotts, Prudence eliminated twenty percent of the remaining full-blood population. If I were them, I’d think twice about doing something that might bring the one-woman extinction event knocking on my door.” Suzume’s eyes gleamed. We’d both had a front-row seat when Prudenceripped the head off Shoney, a creature who’d been old during the Bronze Age.
    “No one has ever accused the Ad-hene of being reasonable. I’ll get in touch with Lilah and see if she’s noticed anything.” After our encounter with the Ad-hene had ended with bodies on the ground, I’d made a battlefield appointment of the half-elf as the official liaison between the Neighbors and my family. I considered what we’d learned so far about the murder. “All you smelled was bear?”
    “Nothing but.” Speculation was clear in her face. “Thinking that it might’ve been one of his loving subjects? The daughter looked broken up, the nephew was pissed off, but that niece was cold as ice.”
    “Definitely something to keep in mind. There wasn’t even an attempt to cover this up, and the Ad-hene might be crazy, but they aren’t stupid.”
    Suzume snorted. “Life is always easier when your opponents are idiots.”
    We exchanged good-byes and parted. I turned on the Fiesta and headed south for Newport.

Chapter 4
    I arrived at my mother’s mansion just before nine, and a bit of a surprise greeted me. All of the outdoor lights were on, and the parking area was absolutely cluttered with cars. I stared for a moment, the Fiesta idling loudly, and wondered what exactly was going on.
    A sharp rap on the window startled me, and I saw the comfortably weathered face of James, one of my mother’s staff.
    “Quite a to-do tonight, Mr. Scott,” he said with a broad wink. He’d known me since I was in diapers, and every time he looked at me, I had the impression that