Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
‘Well,’ Amber said with satisfaction, though her gaze was speculative. ‘I don’t know what you did or how you did it, but the bond is certainly locked in place. He’ll need some rest, but he’ll be back to his old self in no time at all.’
My shoulders slumped. ‘Thank goodness. What do I owe you?’
Her eyes were sharp. ‘Information.’
I pressed my lips together. ‘I won’t share details of an ongoing investigation with you.’
The Crone shot a look at her lover. ‘We have to work with the one Connection officer with morals?’
Bastion looked amused.
‘There are a few of us,’ I said drily. ‘It’s just hard to stamp out the bad apples.’
‘Like the heads of a hydra,’ Amber said, tapping her lip. ‘In any event, it’s not an active investigation I want information on, but a cold one.’ She walked over and tapped the file spread across my dining room table. ‘This one, to be precise.’
I shut the door to the bedroom to let Loki rest after the bonding excitement.
‘What do you want to know?’ I asked tightly, folding my arms. ‘That’s my father’s case.’
‘So I see,’ Amber said. ‘But Bastion noticed this.’ She picked up the new addition, the picture of the pendant in Dad’s hand.
‘Fuck,’ Robbie said instantly.
Amber’s green eyes sharpened on him. ‘Indeed.’
‘What?’ I said impatiently, heart leaping. They knew the significance of the pendant! ‘Clue me in. Now.’
For a moment, I thought Robbie wouldn’t answer. ‘The Domini,’ Robbie growled. ‘That’s their mark.’
‘Indeed,’ Amber repeated, sounding satisfied this time.
‘And the Domini are…?’
Bastion met my eyes. ‘An organisation that collects power and wealth like another might collect stamps.’
‘It’s worse than that,’ Robbie interjected. ‘They believe in pulling strings, but insidiously. They recruit members through ambition, fear or intimidation. They don’t mind which. Rarely will they accept no as an answer.’
‘Rarely?’ I focused on the word.
‘The Queen of the Werewolves, Lucy Barrett, said no to them, no to joining their ranks. Yet so far she is alive.’ Robbie’s voice told me there was more.
‘And who else?’
He grimaced. ‘I’ve been “invited,” but I’ve declined.
’ He hesitated, then continued, ‘I’m not certain, but my refusal does seem to have coincided with the recent rise in to-the-death challenges.
It appears that if I won’t join the Domini ranks willingly, then they’re happy to put another ogre king in place who will. ’
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Robbie had mentioned the uptick in challenges following Einar’s death, but the thought that it might be a shadowy organisation behind that, rather than civil unrest, made a chill run down my spine.
I didn’t like the idea of a target being painted on Robbie’s back, far from it.
I looked at the photograph in Amber’s hand. The pendant clutched in Dad’s fingers – had he ripped it from his attacker’s neck? One last attempt to point to a clue, even in his dying moments? Was this organisation responsible for his death?
‘If they’re so powerful and underhanded, why have I never heard of the Domini before?’ I asked.
Amber shrugged. ‘They tend to kill anyone who finds out about them, and members are tightly wrapped in oaths. If they speak of the Domini, they earn themselves a very prompt oath death.’
Damn it. There went any option of recruiting a CI from within the ranks.
‘They’re high up in most organisations,’ Amber continued, ‘and they’re definitely within the Connection. They operate in cells, with most members only knowing of one or two other members.’ She sighed. ‘After seeing the picture … I hoped you had more information than me, not less.’
I shook my head. ‘No, this is the first I’ve heard of them, but it won’t be the last.’ I tapped the photo.
‘They had something to do with my dad’s death, and I’m going to find out what.
’ I hesitated. ‘Though it must also be said that Jude Jingo gave me the photo, so it’s not outside of the realm of possibility that he manufactured the image completely. ’
‘Why would he do that?’ the witch asked, frowning.
‘He’s got a certain interest in me,’ I said, shifting uncomfortably. ‘Perhaps he’s trying to make sure I feel like I owe him, like I should give his pursuit a chance.’
‘Will you?’ Bastion asked, one eyebrow raised.
I tried to ignore Robbie’s sharpened gaze at the question. ‘Not a chance. All I’m saying is, this evidence might well be manufactured.’
‘Damn,’ Amber breathed. ‘That’s not what we wanted to hear.’
‘Why are you so interested in them?’
‘Hunting them down is my new goal in life,’ Amber explained.
‘They were running the Black Coven, stuffed full of evil witches. We put a stop to that, but it would be na?ve to think that was the end of their interference in our matters. They’re everywhere, like a damned plague. The evil version of whack-a-mole.’
I rubbed a finger across my bottom lip. ‘If he manufactured the evidence, then Jingo must know who they are.’
‘Or the evidence is real,’ Amber pointed out.
‘He could be part of them,’ Bastion grunted. ‘Be careful, Wise.’
I grimaced. ‘What I need is to speak to a member of this Domini.’
Amber and Bastion exchanged glances.
‘What?’ I asked. ‘Spill.’
‘You’ve already met one. My father, Shaun.’
I blew out a breath. ‘Fuck me. That clusterfuck was Domini?’ I looked at her. ‘Your father was in coven-custody for a time, but he got handed over to us, didn’t he?’
‘Yes. He’s in Wraithmore Prison now.’
Fuck. ‘Easier to get in to see the King of England than to get in there. Okay.’ I rubbed my forehead. ‘This gives me a starting point. I’ll see what I can find out.’
‘Keep us in the loop, Inspector,’ Amber ordered as she stood, shouldering her tote bag. ‘That’s the price for helping your bird.’
‘Agreed.’
Amber paused, fiddling with the necklace around her neck, and for a moment, her eyes glowed.
When the light dimmed from her eyes, she grimaced, then reached into her tote bag and pulled out a vial of potion.
‘My ORAL potion,’ she said grumpily. ‘Store it in the fridge, but you’ll need it soon.
We don’t have time for you to go to Common for a recharge.
’ The Other Realm Additional Length potion recharged your magic for you in one huge gulp. It would save me hours in the Common.
I took the vial, gaping slightly. The potion cost multiple five figures, and she was giving it to me, just like that?
‘Thank you, Amber,’ I said, genuinely taken aback.
She nodded gruffly. ‘Don’t waste it.’
‘And, Wise?’ Bastion said. ‘Tread carefully. Very, very carefully.’ He looked pointedly at Robbie, who nodded.
My eyes narrowed at the two men. ‘You better not be implying I need Krieg to save me.’
Bastion shook his head, looking serious. ‘Wise, you don’t just need Krieg. You need a whole damn team.’
Lucky for me, I had one.