Page 14 of Tin God

“I don’t either, but why would you think Oleg and Zasha are working together? Oleg is the one who flew Brigid north so she could kill Zasha.”

“Maybe Oleg means to let Brigid kill Zasha, then get rid of Brigid.”

He wasn’t a strategic mastermind, but that didn’t make sense to Carwyn. At all. “What about the Athabaskan Confederation? Maybe the indigenous population wants the Russians out.”

Her eyes turned hard. “If they did, I wouldn’t fight them. If they expressed interest in the coast and the sea, I would hand over that real estate without a word. But they’re earth vampires and they don’t want the administrative hassle, so they leave it to me. They’re part of the reason this territory is mine and not Oleg’s. I offered them better terms.”

“Fine,” he said. “You mentioned attacks. Have the Athabaskans been attacked? Or coastal compounds only?”

“Only villages on the coast. And the ships. No one would be idiotic enough to harass the Athabaskan Confederation. Their people have survived in conditions that would kill ninety percent of our kind. If Oleg has a bigger obstacle than me, it’s the Athabaskans.”

“Don’t mess with any vampire who hunts grizzlies for a light meal?”

“Exactly.”

Carwyn asked the question he really wanted the answer to. “Do you know where Brigid is?”

Katya shook her head. “I have a rough idea of three places she could be around Seward and stretching down to Katmai, but those would only be starting points and it’s a big territory, my friend.”

He sat back and turned his eyes back to the fire.

“Maybe you’re right about Oleg,” Katya said. “Maybe I’m being too suspicious.”

“I know I’m right about Oleg.” That vampire was not working with Zasha. Carwyn didn’t doubt Brigid’s judgment even if he was angry with her. She wouldn’t work with anyone who was allied with the enemy she’d vowed to kill.

Katya pursed her lips. “If you wanted to look into Oleg’s activities for me, that would give you a very good reason to head north. I have a boat or two that could take you there.”

“I don’t need a reason to head north. I’m looking for my wife.” But as much as he hated boats, they would be faster than driving through Canada. “I’ll look into it if you want me to just to prove you wrong.”And to keep Brigid from being caught in the middle of a vampire war.

“Fine. If you agree to look into these attacks and thefts, you have official permission to be in the territory.”

He stood and carefully set his coffee mug on the table between them. “I’ll look into it. But Katya, I wasn’t really asking for permission.”

As soon asCarwyn reached the nondescript rental house outside city limits, he walked inside, locked and secured everything, then pulled out the tablet in the locked bedroom.

“Cara, call Brigid.”

The program automatically popped open, the screen a blank as the electronic chime trilled in the background. He paced in front of the screen, tearing off the jacket he’d worn to blend in and kicking off the shoes that covered his feet.

The program rang and rang. He was nearly ready to shut it off when the ringing stopped.

He froze and turned to the screen, bending down so his face was in the camera.

A black-and-white image of Brigid flickered onto the tablet, and Carwyn had to stop himself from weeping and shouting at the same time.

“Hello, darling girl.” He bit down so hard he tasted blood. His fangs were out, and they shredded the skin on the inside of his lower lip.

Her eyes flickered to the camera, then looked away.

“Brigid, talk to me.”

He heard her take a shuddering breath. “You’re angry.”

“I’m fuckingfurious. Look at me.”

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and turned her face to the camera.

“Open your eyes.”

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