On Friday night, Officer Cole brought his car to a stop outside the restaurant Elle had asked him to drive her to. She leaned forward in the passenger seat and checked the restaurant name before her eyes slid down and landed on Dex’s car parked just ahead of them. “Is this the right place?” Officer Cole asked.

“Yes, thank you so much.” Elle reached for the passenger door handle. “I really appreciate the lift.”

“Well, your mom asked so nicely,” Officer Cole said with a goofy grin. “I couldn’t exactly say no.”

Elle forced a smile onto her lips and decided not to correct him on the mom part. “Yes, she can be very persuasive.”

“Right, so, she said I should pick you up at eleven thirty?” he said.

“That’s right. Thank you. She had to go somewhere tonight, so she isn’t able to pick me up herself.” Not that Salvia would ever have gone out of her way to fetch Elle from anywhere, even if she wasn’t busy.

“All righty. See you then.”

Elle climbed out of the car and crossed the road. She opened the front passenger door to find Dex talking to someone on speaker phone. “… worry every time that someone will recognize us,” a voice said as Elle bent and slid onto the seat. It sounded like Dex’s friend Olly.

“You worry too much,” came a second voice through the phone. Probably Xander. “It’s not healthy.”

“My worry is completely founded. What if—”

“Okay, I need to go,” Dex said. “Elle’s here. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for any of our unpleasant friends. We’ll be there soon.” He ended the call and looked up. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Elle answered, unable to look away from his gaze. It was ridiculous the way his eyes took her breath away. She really had to get that under control. She forced herself to turn and pull the car door shut. “Um, do I look okay for tonight? I mean, will I fit in? I’m not exactly familiar with celebrity parties.”

“Yeah, you look good.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Elle rubbed her hands self-consciously over her legs. She was wearing one of the outfits Salvia kept aside for the occasions Elle had to pretend she was a normal part of the family while helping out with a con. A flared, high-waisted skirt that ended just above her knees, and a cute polka-dot blouse. Plus her combat boots. Meredith had remarked loudly about how the boots completely ruined the outfit, but there was something about them that Elle found comforting. Besides, she thought they added a bit of attitude to the whole look. Far more interesting than if she’d gone with stockings and flats. But she’d kept that thought to herself as she walked out of the house with Salvia and Meredith’s eyeballs burning holes into her back. Leaving with permission wasn’t nearly as pleasant as sneaking out.

Elle reached for the chain at her neck and pulled her pocket watch necklace out from beneath the blouse. It was safe to show it off now that Salvia wasn’t around. It probably didn’t go with the outfit either, but Elle drew as much comfort from it as she drew from her familiar boots. “I like that,” Dex said as the car rumbled to life. “The necklace, I mean. I don’t think I told you that the other night.”

“Oh, thank you. It belonged to my father.” Why had she said that? She’d never felt the need to tell anyone that before.

“Cool.” Dex pulled into the street and drove away from the restaurant. “And you mentioned a stepsister?”

“Yes.”

“So one of your parents remarried? Or both?”

“My father.” Elle twisted her hands in her lap. This was new territory for her, talking about her family with a client. Then again, Dex wasn’t like her other clients. He’d saved her from a vampire abduction, and now he was hunting them with her help. He might be paying her Essence the way her clients did, but he was more of an accomplice than anything else. Besides, part of her wanted to share more of her story with him. She never got to share anything with anyone else. “He remarried when I was seven. But then, um, he died when I was twelve.”

“Oh, wow, I’m so sorry.” Dex shot a look at her before returning his gaze to the road. He raised one hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “So … now you live with your stepmother and stepsister?”

“Two stepsisters. Meredith is horrible—she was the one silly enough to step outside the house and let a vampire grab hold of her—but Sienna’s amazing. She feels more like a real sister.” Elle shifted slightly to face Dex. “Do you have siblings?”

“Oh, uh, no. Unfortunately not. It’s just me. So does your mother live far away?” he asked before Elle could comment on him being an only child. “Is that why you live with your step-family?”

Elle turned her eyes toward the windshield. Street lights and flashing billboards zipped by. “My mom isn’t alive either.”

“Oh, jeez, I—I’m an idiot. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be asking you all this personal stuff. Do you want to talk about the weather? That’s probably a lot safer.”

Elle laughed. “And a lot more boring too.” She shook her head. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay. I still miss my parents every single day. What I mean is … I don’t mind you asking.”

“Okay. Well … I’m really sorry you lost both of them. I can’t imagine what that’s like. And … uh …” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “So, it’s a great evening for a party, right?”

Elle chuckled. “Yes, such lovely weather.”

“Amazing weather.”

Elle pressed her lips together, trying to keep her smile from growing. “This conversation is deteriorating quickly.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Dex said with a groan.

“So where’s this party happening?” Elle asked. That seemed like a topic that was both safe and relevant.

“Gizella Munroe’s home. In the Arabesque Hills.”

“Okay. I wonder if it has a good view of the palace.” The Arabesque Hills, home to some of the most lavish estates on the outskirts of Vale City, weren’t too far from Sovereign Hill, where Belmont Palace sat in all its glittering glory. Elle’s old home had been situated somewhere amid those rolling hills. One of the smallest properties in the area—but still sprawling compared to the townhouse she lived in now—it had belonged to Salvia’s first husband before Salvia inherited it.

“Yeah, maybe, I’m not sure,” Dex said. “Anyway, we need to stop somewhere first so I can pick up something. Sorry about that. I forgot I needed this—thing. But it’ll be quick. Do you know Apollo’s Apothecary?”

“Yes. But it’s closed at night, isn’t it?”

“It is, but we’ll be going onto the roof.”

“Oh.” Elle tried to picture the roof of Apollo’s Apothecary, but all she saw in her mind’s eye was the domed glass top. “Do you mean the greenhouse?” she asked. “Isn’t that part of the apothecary?”

“Yes, but we’ll be able to get in.” Dex offered no other explanation. The car moved speedily toward the upmarket part of town, and Dex made idle conversation about the landmarks they passed. Clearly he was too scared to venture anywhere near personal territory again. “Okay, we’re here,” he said, bringing the car to a stop and cutting the ignition. He looked around, and Elle noted that the street was empty. “I don’t want to leave you alone in the car,” Dex said. “It might not be safe.”

“I’ll be fine,” Elle told him. “I mean, I think I’ll be fine,” she added as the thought of a bunch of vampires all trying to break into the car at once came to mind. “How strong are vampires again?”

“Just come with me. It won’t take long. We’ll go up to the roof, get the parcel that’s waiting for me, and come straight back down.”

Elle raised an eyebrow. “A parcel. How mysterious.”

“It’s just a medicinal thing I forgot to pick up earlier.” He climbed out of the car and hurried around to her side, opening the passenger door before she’d finished unbuckling her seat belt. She noticed the gold dust glimmering at his fingertips.

“Ready to throw some magic at someone?” she joked.

“Gotta be prepared when there might be vamps hanging around. I assured you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, didn’t I?”

Elle nodded. “True. Can’t go back on your word now.”

“I don’t intend to.”