Free Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews Page B

down.”
    I took a spot on the sofa. Raphael sat next to me, and Ghastek opposite. The vampire squirmed into the room and offered Ghastek an espresso. The Master of the Dead smiled quietly at his drink and sipped with obvious pleasure. The bloodsucker dropped to the floor and sat at his feet. It moved so naturally and Ghastek was so relaxed, I found it difficult to believe that the Master of the Dead controlled the vampire’s every twitch.
    â€œI believe we’ve met before,” Ghastek said. “In Kate’s office. You pointed guns at my vampire.”
    â€œYou questioned my reflexes,” I said.
    â€œI was quite impressed by them. That’s why I requested that you disarm.”
    â€œYou expected the journeyman to fail?”
    â€œPrecisely. This particular vampire is appraised at $34,500. It would be bad business sense to put it into a situation where it would endure a dozen bullets shot through its skull.”
    What a cold, cold man.
    Ghastek sipped his espresso. “I assume you’re here to call in the favor I owe to Kate.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œHow is she, by the way?”
    Something in the perfectly neutral way he asked the question set my teeth on edge.
    â€œShe’s recuperating,” Raphael said. “And as a Friend of the Pack, she’s enjoying the Pack’s protection.” He had been staying quiet so far and I knew why. Anything he said would be used by the People against the Pack. He minimized the amount of conversation, but he made the message crystal clear.
    Ghastek chuckled. “I assure you, she’s quite capable of protecting herself. She tends to kick people in the face when she finds them offensive. Is it true she broke a red sword during the Midnight Games by impaling herself on it?”
    An alarm blared in my head. “I don’t remember it quite that way,” I lied. “As I recall, a member of the opposing team meant to strike with the sword. Kate interrupted his strike, and when he tried to free the blade, he cut himself on it. The blood from his hand shattered the sword.”
    â€œI see.” Ghastek drank the last of his espresso and handed the cup to the vampire. “So what may I do for you?”
    â€œI would like you to answer a series of questions.” I had to phrase the questions very carefully. “This interview is conducted in confidence. I ask you to not discuss it with anyone unless required to do so by law.”
    â€œI’ll happily do so, provided your questions are within the range defined by the conditions in the original agreement.”
    The agreement specified that he wouldn’t do anything to directly harm himself, his team, or the People as a group.
    â€œAre you familiar with the area known as Scratches, located west of Red Market?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIs it true that the People routinely patrol a large area of the city surrounding the Casino?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œDo any patrol routes pass through Scratches?”
    â€œNo.
    So the vampire wasn’t the People’s observer. “To your knowledge, are the People currently conducting any operations in the Scratches?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œAre you familiar with Greek paganism?”
    I watched him carefully, but he showed no signs of being surprised by the question. “I have a moderate knowledge of it, within the limits common to most educated individuals. I’m not, by any means, an expert.”
    â€œKeeping in mind the previous question, how would you define the term ‘shade’?”
    â€œAn incorporeal entity representing the essence of a recently departed, a disembodied ‘soul,’ if you will. It’s a purely philosophical concept.”
    â€œIf confronted with a shade, how would you explain its existence?”
    Ghastek leaned back, braiding his long fingers. “There are no such things as ghosts. All ‘spirits,’ ‘lost souls,’ and so forth