Biting Cold: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel (CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES SERIES)

over the back of my chair. I managed to grab the phone just before it stopped ringing.
    “Hello?”
    “Too busy to answer the phone?”
    It was Catcher. “Sorry. I didn’t hear it ring. What’s up?”
    “I talked to Mallory. She used a conjuration spell.”
    “Which does what?”
    “It conjures. Brings something into the space that hadn’t been there before. The spell was also in the Maleficium , just like the familiar spell. She copied it before they took the book away so she’d remember the steps.”
    “Same magical theory as last time?” I wondered. “Use a bit of dark magic to upset the line between good and dark magic, and invoke the rest of the dark magic out of the Maleficium .”
    “That seems to be what she was trying to do. And that explains the second Tate. She conjured him into existence.”
    But had she? “I don’t understand. If she was conjuring something, shouldn’t something new have popped into the room? I mean, instead of Tate splitting in two?”
    “That’s possible, I guess, but it’s hard to say. Tate touched the Maleficium . That’s like being shot at point-blank range by magic. It could have affected the outcome of the spell.”
    “Okay,” I said. “Thanks for the information.”
    “Sure,” he said, and the line went dead.
    I put the phone away, and when Luc rolled his office chair closer to the table for a report, I relayed what Catcher had said. But while I took Catcher’s point about Tate having touched the Maleficium , the magical math still didn’t make sense to me.
    “He said conjuration is supposed to bring forth something new,” I said, my gaze shifting between Lindsey and Luc. “Not duplicate something that already existed.”
    “The intricacies of conjuration aren’t my specialty,” Luc said. “There is, however, a library at your disposal. You should take full advantage.”
    I nodded. “Good idea. When Paige gets back, I’ll stick her in the library and tag team with her. I’m hoping there’s a logical explanation.”
    “As logical as a man asexually reproducing before your eyes.”
    “Precisely.”
    “And that’s enough for me,” Luc said, wheeling back to his desk.
    As soon as he was gone, Lindsey leaned forward. “Where were you before the phone rang?”
    My cheeks warmed. “I was just thinking.”
    “You were not just thinking,” she whispered, frowning. “Do you want to talk? We can go outside.”
    There wasn’t much point in trying to fool Lindsey. She was an empathic vampire and could read others’ emotions.
    “Not right now. Maybe later.”
    Lindsey straightened up again. “In that case, Sentinel, get back to work. We’ve got double trouble on the loose.”
    And double trouble in the House, even if no one knew it yet.
    A few minutes—and no substantive work—later, the door opened and Margot walked in with an assistant and a rolling cart of fragrant food.
    “What’s this?” Luc asked, walking toward Margot.
    “Your very thoughtful Sentinel ordered in dinner,” Margot said. “She asked for a home-cooked meal, but I cheated a little bit.”
    Luc put a hand on my shoulder. “I knew you were worth keeping around.”
    I rolled my eyes. “What did you bring?” I asked, but the answer became clear quickly enough, and I smiled for the first time in a while.
    “You made a trip to Maxwell Street,” I said.
    “It’s cold out. I thought ‘hearty’ would do you good.”
    There were a number of foods in Chicago that were totally recognizable to tourists, like Chicago-style hot dogs and deep-dish pizza. But those of us who lived here knew some of the other secret delights: rainbow cones; Garrett’s popcorn; and Maxwell Street Polishes. The latter were Polish dogs with grilled onions and mustard. They were hot, spicy, and crazy delicious. And there weren’t just Polishes. She’d also provided cheese fries, ramekins of custard, and glasses of blood.
    Cholesterol was no match for vampire immortality.
    “This looks wonderful, Margot,” Luc said as Juliet and Lindsey grabbed plates and Polishes. Pity Kelley was out on patrol.
    “You’re quite welcome.” Margot finished up, then wheeled out the squeaky cart and closed the door behind her.
    “You’ve outdone yourself, Merit.”
    “I didn’t know she’d actually make a run for Polishes. She went above and beyond for that.” I grabbed a Polish and took a bite, closing my eyes in sheer pleasure. I loved Chicago.
    We ate quietly, four vampires with quick metabolisms