Page 44 of Above Cursed Winds

“Don’t care.”

Zia elbowed him, intent on stopping this petulant child act. “What if someone’s dying?”

“Gideon already pulled that trick outta the hat, Z,” he muttered. “Didn’t take.”

Kane inclined his chin but said nothing else on the topic. “You’ll be interested to know that we’ve spoken with the majority of our House leaders. They’ve seen no change since the addresses were released, but they’re prepared regardless.”

“Glad to hear it, Kane,” Zia said. “Jeremiah and I are still working on our end, but we hope this scout will provide some insight.”

“Call if you run into any trouble.”

A brisk nod, then the pair was on their way to the apartment building. Inky blackness met them as they breezed into the oppressive heat outside.

Jeremiah struck her as too enthusiastic for a man who’d refused the mission only minutes earlier. Perhaps his joy was directly linked to the fact that Zia found herself snuggled into his side, one of her arms curled around his waist. Other than with Myko and Nero, she couldn’t recall the last time someone had been so overjoyed with her physical closeness.

Their task wouldn’t wait for her to make sense of her feelings. “That’s the building. Kane’s scouts said it only sees the normal amount of foot traffic, no one suspicious. The apartment we’re looking for is on the eighth floor, and the blinds are always drawn.”

With a bit of telekinesis, she unlocked the ground floor door, then opted for the stairs instead of the elevator. The longer path gave Zia’s psychic senses time to spear outward and inspect the building. Except for the two of them, everyone was human.

Jeremiah dutifully held the eighth-floor door open for her, bowing low at the waist and courteously held out a hand to wave her through. “After you, milady.”

“What’s got you so happy?”

“Good company, I guess.”

Unable to resist beaming at the compliment, Zia began checking the apartment numbers along the hallway, finally coming to a stop outside 812B.

No minds inside. Unlocking the door was uneventful, and within moments, they’d entered the space, letting the door close behind them.

What they found wasn’t what they expected. A barren living room. Empty kitchen. A fine layer of dust had settled on the windowsills, the few tables, and even the floor. The only thing they found was a desk in the bedroom with a high-powered computer, surveillance equipment, and a collection of photographic evidence.

Of immortals.

Every single person who’d made the Accords list or attended regularly. The vampires: Kane, Drake, Rona, and Lucius. The wolves: Aidan, Nova, and Riaz. Gideon, Rukia, Jeremiah from the Elementals, and the Raeths were represented by Zeke, Nero, and Nina.

They all had a handful of snapshots in the folder, no more than three or four, candids taken from a great distance and nearly all of them on the street or in a public location. Each of them was from a different time and place, carefully cataloged on the back of each picture, and most looked relatively recent—no more than a decade old. Some were taken individually, but several included the subject’s mate or their subordinates.

Nero had four pictures in the pile, and one of them included Zia. She could remember the day: it’d been two years ago when they had taken a day trip to Lahaina. Zia hadn’t been aware they were being followed, and certainly hadn’t noticed the picture being taken. If the picture had been taken by an immortal, she would’ve sensed it.

Jeremiah upended the last folder on top of the desk, and a heap of pictures spilled out. Zia’s hand went to her throat in shock. It was Isaiah.

Too many to count, the images of the Raeth sovereign far outweighed all the rest put together. Isaiah’s photos were less grainy and tighter than the others, as if the photographer had gotten closer to the Sylth sovereign than anyone else—and been obsessive about capturing him, like a stalker. Given the different locations and different outfits that Isaiah wore, he’d been photographed on multiple occasions throughout the years.

Jeremiah was just as perplexed as she was. Her mind spun with the ramifications of such deliberate espionage. Trying to get her bearings, Zia fisted a hand against the desk.

“Can you see what’s on the computer?”

Her breath came shorter, and her heart pounded in her chest. The reality of the situation had kicked her in the gut and left her breathless.

“Yeah, but I think we should leave as quickly as possible. This place creeps me out. I’ll just grab the hard drive.”

Though the Elemental made quick work of it, Zia found herself struggling to hold back the whispers of darkness along the edges of her vision. Her fingers started tingling, and something tickled her throat. Giving in to the urge, she coughed once, then twice.

She staggered. Scrambling to stay upright, Zia gripped the edge of the desk, but with her compromised balance and numbing fingers, she couldn’t hold on.

“I’ve got you, Z.”

Concern lined his summer blue eyes as he caught her. His warmth seeped into her through the arm at her waist, and she tried in vain to stay upright. Her vision spotted black along the edges.

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