Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

was a small dance floor cleared in the center of the room, with clusters of small tables scattered around the outside.
    â€œThere they are,” I told Samuel, and headed for the far corner, where Zee sat looking relaxed next to a moderately attractive woman in conservative business dress.
    I’ve never seen Zee without his glamour; he told me he’d worn it so long that he was more comfortable in human guise. His chosen form was moderately tall, balding, with a little potbelly. His face was craggy, but not unattractively so—just enough to give it character.
    He saw us coming and smiled. Since he and the woman already had the defensive seats, setting their backs against the wall, Samuel and I sat across from them. If having the rest of the room behind him, mostly empty as it was, bothered Samuel, I couldn’t tell. I hitched my chair around until I could at least get a glimpse of the rest of the room.
    â€œHey, Zee,” I said. “This is Dr. Samuel Cornick. Samuel, meet Zee.”
    Zee nodded, but didn’t try to introduce his companion. Instead, he turned to her, and said, “These are the ones I told you about.”
    She frowned and tapped the table with long, manicurednails. Something about the way she used them made me think that beneath the glamour she might have claws. I’d been trying to pin down her scent, but finally was forced to conclude that either she didn’t have one or that she smelled of iron and earth just like Zee.
    When she looked up from contemplating her nails, she spoke to me and not to Samuel. “Zee tells me there is a child missing.”
    â€œShe’s fifteen,” I said, wanting to be clear. The fae don’t like it if they think you’ve lied to them. “The local Alpha’s human daughter.”
    â€œThis could be trouble for me,” she said. “But I have talked to Zee, and what I have to tell you has nothing to do with the fae, and so I am at liberty to share it. I would not usually help the wolves, but I do not like those who take their battles to the innocents.”
    I waited.
    â€œI work at a bank,” she said at last. “I won’t tell you the name of it, but it is the bank that the local seethe of vampires uses. Their deposits follow a regular pattern.” Meaning that most of their victims’ payments were monthly. She sipped her drink. “Six days ago, there was an unexpected deposit.”
    â€œVisitors paying tribute,” I said, sitting up straighter in my chair. This sounded promising. A single fae or wolf or whatever wouldn’t have paid a tribute high enough to catch anyone’s eye.
    â€œI took the liberty of speaking to Uncle Mike himself before you came,” said Zee quietly. “He’s heard of no new visitors, which means these people are keeping very quiet.”
    â€œWe need to talk to the vampires,” said Samuel. “Adam will know how to do it.”
    â€œThat will take too long.” I took out my cell phone and dialed Stefan’s number. It was early for him to be up, but he’d called me not much later than this.
    â€œMercy,” he said warmly. “Are you back from your trip?”
    â€œYes. Stefan, I need your help.”
    â€œWhat can I do for you?” Something changed in his voice, but I couldn’t worry about that.
    â€œTuesday night or early Wednesday morning, a group of people including out-of-territory werewolves kidnapped the Alpha’s daughter. She’s a personal friend of mine, Stefan. Someone told me that your seethe might know of a visiting pack.”
    â€œAh,” he said. “That’s not in my area of responsibility. Do you want me to inquire for you?”
    I hesitated. I didn’t know much about the vampires except that smart people avoid them. Something about the formality of his question made me think it was a bigger question than it sounded.
    â€œWhat does that mean, exactly?” I asked suspiciously.
    He laughed, a cheerful unvampire-like sound. “Good for you. It means that you are appointing me your representative and that gives me certain rights to pursue this that I might not otherwise have.”
    â€œRights over me?”
    â€œNone that I will take advantage of,” he said. “I give you my word of honor, Mercedes Thompson. I will force you to do nothing against your will.”
    â€œAll right,” I said. “Then yes, I would like you to inquire for