Page 63 of Tin God

“Yes,” Tenzin said.

“Good. You should remember me.” Zasha’s voice had lost its amusement and stung with acid. “Brigid, I didn’t tell you to invite intruders into our little game. You’re not playing nice.”

“I’m not playin’ at all,” Brigid said. “I’m finding destroyed homes and dead bodies, Zasha. You think that’s a game?”

“I told them to clean up after themselves.” Zasha tsked over the phone. “I promise they’ll be neater in the future. Some of them are very excited.”

“So it’s hunts, is it?” Brigid sat on the edge of the bed and tried to picture the vampire in her mind.

Zasha was tall, well over six feet, and as elegant and deadly as a poisonous snake. They had a shock of red hair they did nothing to hide and eyes the color of volcanic soil. Unnerving from a few paces away, as it appeared that their eyes were black with no pupil at all.

“Back to Ivan’s old games?” Brigid asked. “Back to your sire’s hunts?”

“Who told you about my sire?” Zasha sounded genuinely curious. “Are you talking to my brother?”

“Which one?”

“There are so many,” Zasha whispered. “Oleg left so many alive. Not like Tenzin, huh?”

Brigid looked at Tenzin, but her face was a blank.

“Tenzin killed all her sire’s children. Not a single one left to carry on his blood. Except for her own mate, I suppose. I hear stories about him. Stories about power and secrets. Stories that Tenzin might not even understand. Is he with you too? Is Benjamin” —Zasha drew out his name— “with you? Is he, Tenzin?”

Brigid waited for Tenzin to answer, but the vampire’s face was utterly blank.

“I would like to meet Benjamin Vecchio. Or is it Benjamin Rios? Or Benjamin?—?”

“Shut up,” Tenzin snapped. “He has nothing to do with this.”

“Doesn’t he?” Zasha purred. “Think, little hunter. Why would your blood mate interest me?” Zasha’s voice turned cold. “I’m sure if you think hard in your frozen, adolescent mind, you might come up with an answer.”

Brigid felt her blood still. Was that what all this was about? Was all this about luring Tenzin’s mate north so Zasha could kill Ben? Had she just put one of her closest friends in the sights of a sociopathic immortal with no qualms about killing anything in their path?

“Shhhhh,” Zasha said. “Don’t worry, Tenzin. I don’t have anything against your mate. This is an old argument, and I’m only disappointed that you’ve inserted yourself between Brigid’s and my growing friendship. We’ve gotten so close since she killed my son.”

Acid burned at the back of Brigid’s throat.

“Your son was a monster,” Tenzin said.

“I know. I was so proud.”

Tenzin stared at the phone with narrowed eyes. “I think that in your own mind, Zasha, you think we are alike. That you and I are the same in some way. But we’re not.”

“I didn’t say that, but the fact that you did proves that you’ve considered it. And I think you believe we are more alike than different. Brigid, are you still there?”

Brigid considered hanging up. Her finger hovered over the button, but Tenzin reached over and pulled it away. She shook her head vehemently and nodded her chin at the phone.

Speak.

Brigid forced herself to speak. “I’m here.”

“Tenzin invited herself into this, didn’t she? She’s always sticking herself in places where no one wants her. But I know that you and your lovely mate have an affection for Ben Vecchio. I’m telling you, I have nothing against him. They speak very highly of him in New York, and let me tell you, I adore that roof garden. I saw the pictures. It was stunning.”

Brigid saw Tenzin start, and then the wind vampire pulled back, stood, and fisted her hand at her side.

“Get to the point, Zasha.” Brigid felt her heart start to beat. “Tell me what you want.”

“Tenzin. Obviously.”