Page 155 of Terror at the Gates

“Your mother isn’t dead, Lilith,” said Zahariev. “She’s missing.”

The blood drained from my face. “What do you mean she’s missing?”

“Her remains weren’t in the house,” he said.

“Then where is she?” I demanded.

“We don’t know,” he said. “Maybe she was taken by whoever planted the bomb in your father’s office.”

I shook my head. “The bomb was planted on Lisk’s orders. If anything, he would have…”

I went quiet as the realization hit home.

My mother did everything Lisk asked, believed everythinghe said. He would never risk losing such a devout follower, especially one with magic.

If anything, he would haveprotectedher.

Another thought occurred to me, though I tried to push it out of my mind. I decided maybe, if I said it out loud, it would go away.

“Do you think she did it?” I asked. “Do you think she planted the bomb?”

She was the one with the most access, but she also had the most to lose. I knew my mother, and she valued her position in society. If it came out she was the one responsible for my father’s death, she would be ruined, and I didn’t think she would take such a risk.

But then where was she?

“We can’t rule her out,” Zahariev said. “But we can’t rule anyone out at this point.”

I sat quietly, trying to process these new emotions, but it was overwhelming. It felt safer to push the feelings away, to watch them battle from a distance while I distracted myself with other things.

“Are you okay?” Zahariev asked.

I lifted my gaze to his and then stood. “Will you take me to get my knife?”

His brows rose.

“It’s midnight,” he said.

“So? We’re both awake, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving it at the apartment.”

His gaze dipped, roaming over my shapeless T-shirt like it was just as hot as the dress I’d worn to the gala.

“You want to change first?”

“Why? We’re just going from here to my apartment. Unless you want to hunt demons after?”

“Hunt demons? With your tiny-ass blade?”

“You can stun and I’ll stab,” I said.

“No,” he said. I didn’t think he would agree, even though I thought it sounded fun. Zahariev was practical. “And you shouldn’t hunt them until we can find out more about them.”

“That’s why I know what I do about them,” I said. “You know they were responsible for the power outage. The video they showed on the news? The one with the glow over the substation in Galant? Those were demons. I think they feed off energy. If they’re weak, a current can overpower them. I’m not sure what happens when they are fullypowered.”

Zahariev didn’t look happy with my news.

“I’d rather it not be you who finds out,” he said.

I rolled my eyes as he put his cigarette out on a tray on his desk before opening a drawer and pulling out a set of keys.

---