Frank leaned back in his chair, seemingly phrasing in his head what to say. “This is a delicate situation, Tobias.” Apparently he chose blunt and to the point as the best way to handle Tobias. “I can’t cancel the celebration. You know that. It’s only a few days away, and the people of the island expect it. It’s bad enough that we’ve shortened it to one day. Folks are threatening to move off Mirabelle. There are others I must consider-people’s livelihoods are on the line. You know this is the time when everyone makes up for the country’s failing economy. I can’t have people threatening to move. I do love Raven, too, you know.”

Tobias felt the burn in his eyes as they flashed to platinum, and hundreds of years of resentment flared. Resentment of what he’d become, simultaneously powerful and powerless. “Then show it,” he growled. He stormed out of Frank’s office, slamming the door behind him without having to lay a finger upon it.

And strode right into Jade Laroque.

The temptation to grab the young girl was unbearable, and for a moment, he gave in. He took her by the arm, wanting nothing more than to sink his teeth into her tender flesh, but he couldn’t. She looked too much like his Nicolette.

“I want to help. I heard what my father has done, and this has to stop,” she whispered, trembling. She seemed to be summoning all her strength to stand up to the infamous Tobias Strigoi. Squaring her shoulders, she said, “My mother would have wanted us to get along.”

The anger seeped out of his body at the sound of her words. “Thank the gods you do have your mother’s genes.”

Frank was obviously shocked when Tobias returned so quickly to his office. He looked even more stunned to see who accompanied him. Seeing Jade standing in his office caught him off guard. His face flushed, and perspiration seeped onto his skin.

For a moment, it was as if Nicolette were standing there.

He reached out to her then pulled his hand back. “It can’t be… What’s going on? Jade… Is that you?”

She expressed no emotion whatsoever. “Yes, it’s me,” she answered, a chill emanating from her.

The mayor’s mouth became dry as the desert. His lips stuck together as if he’d eaten a peanut butter sandwich. “Is this some sort of joke? Did your father send you? Tobias, what’s going on?”

Tobias turned toward Jade. “She claims she wants to help.”

Frank looked from Tobias to Jade and back again. “H-how? I don’t understand. Why did you return? Why didn’t you come to see me sooner?”

She splayed her arms. “I’m here now, Frank. You seem very nervous. Does my being here upset you?” Jade even sounded like Nicolette.

A slow smile dragged across his face. “No! Of course not, I’m thrilled to see you.” He stepped forward to embrace the young woman, but she moved away.

Tobias spoke sternly. “Frank, there will be time enough for questions later. We have to find Raven before Laroque kills her.”

“Tobias,” Jade interrupted, “I think it’s important we take the time to get reacquainted. Don’t you, Frank?”

Visibly shaken, Frank turned to get a drink from his liquor cabinet. “I think Tobias is right.”

“Yes, I thought you would.” Jade moved over to sit in one of the chairs opposite Frank. “You may want to sit for this, Tobias.” She patted the arm of a chair next to hers. He declined the offer.

“I-I don’t understand,” Frank stuttered, pouring a glass of bourbon. He clearly struggled to regain his composure.

Jade was livid, could feel rage’s heat and see angry red spots flaring throughout her aura. Her porcelain expression was hard, as if just baked. “Yes, you do, Frank. You see, Tobias, Frank here has been working with my father all along.”

Instantly, Tobias had his hand around Frank’s throat. “Don’t listen to her. She is Laroque’s daughter. She’ll say anything to save him.” He was straining to get the words out. Tobias’s fingers pressed firmly on his windpipe.

Jade rose and stood before the shaking man as he dropped his glass. She placed a hand tenderly on Tobias’s shoulder. “Then how did my father know when and where he could stage the attack on Bo? Do you think I’m that stupid? I was supposed to meet you in the park. That’s why I was there. I heard my father on the phone with you. You were to call the Lamai-Mick-when Bo arrived here at Town Hall. Mick was coming toward me, and while Bo thought he was coming to my rescue, my father stuck him with the virus.”

Frank struggled to get free of Tobias’s grip, but could not budge an inch. “No, that wasn’t me!”

“Well, then I must look up the other ‘Dubois’ who works at Town Hall.” She paused for a moment. “Actually, I have a better idea, Frank. Why don’t you tell Tobias what really happened all those years ago? I’m sure he’d be very curious to hear the story.”

Silence filled the room like a dense fog. Frank was having trouble breathing, even though Tobias had loosened his stranglehold.

She waited a moment. “Okay, I’ll tell him. You must realize by now that Frank has been in love with my mother-your wife-since…well, since forever. Did you ever notice how over time Deidre has come to look amazingly like Nicolette? That’s no accident of nature-it was on purpose.”

“No. It can’t be true. You said Nicki was like a sister to you!” He paused. “I denied the truth, not wanting to believe I could still be betrayed. I was wrong.”

“All the years of your odd behavior suddenly makes perfect sense.” Tobias let out a pained sigh. “Even though I’ve become hardened over the years, it still cuts deeply when a supposed friend betrays me. In my hundreds of years as a Lamai, it never ceases to devastate me when I realize I’ve been duped.”

Jade snapped, her emotions boiling. “Yes. He lied. Just like he lied when he told you my father raped my mother. Right, Frank? I was not conceived that way. My mother gave herself to my father, to Philippe.Frank couldn’t stand the fact that she would be with another man and not with him. Tell him, Frank-be a man! Go ahead and tell Tobias the truth for once in your miserable life!”

Frank tried to turn away, but he could not-not with Jade in the room. “You’re insane-like your father.”

Jade’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the mayor. “And my mother, right? That’s what you’d like everyone to believe, anyway, that she was mad with guilt over what she did to Tobias. And from what the powerful sorceress in the French Quarter told me, she was guilt-ridden over her betrayal of Tobias. But her love for her family was stronger-her love for Tobias-and his love for her kept her sane.” Jade sat again across from Frank, staring him down, wanting to melt his very soul with her blazing gaze.

Tobias tossed Frank into his desk chair as if discarding rotting garbage. “What are you saying, Jade? And why should I believe you? How can I be certain you’re not lying, too?”

Frank coughed. “That’s right, Tobias. Don’t believe her.”

Jade shifted in her seat, getting more comfortable and settling back. No one knew that she had become a force to be reckoned with. Her father had taught her well. She removed a velvet bag from her jacket pocket.

“I could take this concoction and administer it to you, Frank, and you would be compelled to tell the truth. Shall I?” She addressed her question to Tobias.

Turning toward Frank she continued. “It’s very similar to the powder that accompanied the spell. You remember the spell. The one you bought from the innocent fae. The spell that would make my mother fall in love with him?”

“Go on,” Tobias instructed.

“I finally put the pieces together when I was recently brought back home. I visited Charlene Sabin. You remember her, Frank. She was my mother’s best friend and High Priestess, knowledgeable in Vodou, Santaria and other occult arts. She’s also a natural bruja. Frank has powerful magick of his own, Tobias. Were you aware of that?”