Page 59 of Tin God

The basement had been converted into guest quarters for Katya’s people, so there were locked, reinforced doors, and a large fridge stocked with stored blood and bottles of blood-wine along with plenty of frozen red meat.

Carwyn was cooking something on the stove. “Did you talk to her?”

“She finally turned her phone on. I tried to track it on the network and called Gavin right after I got off the video call, but he said the most he could narrow it down to was the area around Seward. He said towers are pretty sparse around there.”

Buck was sitting at the counter and drinking something with steam. Not coffee; Ben would have smelled that. “The Kenai Peninsula isn’t massive, but it’s not small either.”

“Yeah, I looked at the map.” He sat next to Buck. “They found a survivor from one of Zasha’s raids.”

Carwyn froze. “When?”

“Earlier tonight. Well, he was found two nights ago, but they went out tonight. I think Brigid was still on the boat on the way back. Tenzin flew the guy to get medical care.”

“Who was it?” Buck asked.

“An old man who was living in a vampire compound with his family. His grandson was married to a water vampire named Rachel.”

Buck cursed. “Jennie knew Rachel. I met her. Quiet gal. Dammit, this is awful. That woman never hurt a soul. She was…” Buck swallowed hard. “And her whole family? Damn it to hell. I know roughly where she was—it’s around Seward—but she was real private. I’ve never seen her place.”

Carwyn frowned. “I’m surprised there was a survivor at all. Based on that site we found the other night, I wouldn’t expect Zasha’s people to leave anyone alive.”

“A couple of wind vampires dropped the old man and his daughter in the ocean,” Ben said. “I imagine they didn’t think he’d survive the swim back to shore. His daughter didn’t.”

Buck set his mug down. “That’s weird though. The raid out here being just a few days ago and then one at Rachel’s place the next night?”

Ben shook his head. “Tenzin said the raid on Rachel’s place actually happened a couple of weeks ago.”

“Still,” Buck said. “That’s all over the place. Where are they coming from?”

“The middle,” Carwyn muttered. “They have a base between the two places. A central location.”

Buck shook his head. “Central between Kenai and the Alexander Archipelago is open ocean, my friend.”

Carwyn was staring at something in the distance. “What did Brigid find out from the survivor? Was he speaking? If he was, she would have questioned him.”

“The old man said they came in on a Zodiac.”

“They’re on a bigger boat.” Carwyn and Buck spoke at the same time.

Ben nodded. “That’s what Brigid thinks. So we just have to find the boat where Zasha is hiding.”

“Find a boat,” Buck said. “No problem.” He muttered, “Too bad it’s a big fucking ocean.”

Carwyn knockedat Ben’s door when Ben was starting to feel sleepy. The night was still dark, but his body wanted rest. He could smell the earth vampire on the other side of the door, and he pulled it open.

“How was it?” Carwyn asked. “Seeing her?”

“I was pissed.” He opened the door wider and motioned Carwyn inside. “But Tenzin taking off is not exactly a surprise. She hasn’t done it since we’ve been back together, but when I was still human, she’d run off and I wouldn’t see her for six months sometimes.”

“Before you were mated.” Carwyn sat in a chair near the old boxy television in the corner of the room.

“Yeah.” Ben sat on the edge of the bed and combed his fingers through his hair. “It’s harder to be away from her now.”

Carwyn smiled a little bit. “You know, not long after we mated, Brigid took off to America. Hopped in your uncle’s damn plane and flew over to Los Angeles. I had to follow her in a boat that time too. I’d pissed her off somehow. Don’t even remember what it was at this point.”

“Tenzin told me about that. She thinks it’s hilarious when you fight.”

“She would.” Carwyn sighed. “This feels different though.”