Kate Daniels 01 - Magic Bites

gradually migrated to the remote regions, finding the vast Russian forests particularly suitable. Although they are driven by the urge to procreate, the upiri are interested only in producing a powerful male, another upir. All female children are born dead. Once a son is produced, the upir feeds the mother to the child and casts him out, driving him out of his territory. It must be noted that only a woman of significant magic power is able to sustain enough magic to produce a baby upir.”
    “What about the animal children?” Curran demanded.
    “The upir will mate with any animal he can anatomically penetrate. The resulting offspring, although viable, is usually sterile. A single upir may have scores of these servant-creatures. Also, since an agrarian cult of fertility centers on regeneration, the upir is likely to have vast recuperative powers. My source lists him as immune to metal, wood, tooth, and claw. He is virtually impossible to kill.”
    Curran nodded at Mahon. The Bear spoke, “The Pack thanks you for your information.”
    “I appreciate the gratitude of the Pack. You will receive my bill within three days.”
    Mahon turned off the phone.
    “It has to be Crest,” Curran said.
    Startled, I asked, “How do you know his name?”
    “I know more about you than you do. Do you really think I would deal with you without following your every step?”
    “You had Derek spy on me. You promised me he would do no such thing.”
    “Actually I put a scout in the apartment above you,” Jim said. “Greg’s place isn’t soundproof.”
    I shut up, stunned by the betrayal. I should’ve known better—the Pack always came first. They were professionally paranoid.
    “How did you and Crest meet?” the alpha-wolf asked.
    I didn’t answer.
    Jim reached over and touched my hand. “Kate, this is one of those times when silence isn’t golden.”
    There was nothing left to do. No way out. If Crest was an upir, I couldn’t take him on my own. “I went to the morgue to examine a deceased vamp found at the knight-diviner murder scene. I was looking for the brand and he walked in on me. He stated that he was a cosmetic surgeon performing what he called ‘charity duty’ at the morgue. He wore scrubs and the stripes of a unit supervisor. He asked me to join him for lunch. I refused.”
    “How did he react?” said a heavyset woman. She was middle-aged and plump. Her graying hair perched in a bun atop her head. The others called her Aunt B, for what reason I didn’t know. She looked like every child’s favorite grandmother. She was also the alpha female of the twelve hyenas the Pack counted among its members.
    “He appeared surprised.”
    Light murmur rippled through the Council.
    “He has access to the morgue,” Jennifer said. “A lot of corpses.”
    “And being a plastic surgeon, he would meet many pretty women,” added the alpha-rat through a mouth full of potato chips. The rotting head did nothing to dull his appetite.
    “Why didn’t he mate with Olathe?” Jennifer wondered. “It’s obvious they were working together. He would help her take over the People and in return, he’d get all the vampire flesh he wanted. Plus fresh corpses.”
    “She was barren,” Jim said. “Roland probably had her fixed before he fucked her.”
    “Did you go to lunch?” Aunt B wanted to know.
    “Yes. It was a normal lunch. The next time I saw him was after Derek and I encountered that vampire. Crest was asleep on the stairs when I brought Derek home.”
    “Did you sleep with him, dear?” asked Aunt B. “We need to be clear.”
    I tried to keep from gritting my teeth. “No.”
    “Then you haven’t seen him in an uncontrolled environment.” Aunt B shook her head. “He could’ve been cloaking the entire time.”
    “His cloak would have to be exceptional,” I said. “I felt no magic. Nothing at all.”
    Curran, who had been leaning against the wall, crossed his arms over his chest. “To sum up, he’s never appeared at the same time as the upir. He seems to pop up in her life whenever she makes any headway. She’s never seen his place or met any of his friends.”
    “He’s familiar with tech.” I finally thought of something smart to say. “He owns a car.”
    “Anything else?” Mahon asked.
    “He’s fascinated with Lyc-V.”
    “I like him for it,” Jim said. “And the kid thinks he’s an asshole.”
    Thank you, Derek.
    Curran pushed himself from the wall. “Either he’s the upir or he’s not.