The Curse (Belador #3)(26)

“We know that, which is why we have everyone looking for him. But we may not be talking about the same person.”

“Conlan O’Meary?”

So this guy did know something about Conlan. She asked, “Do you know where he is?”

“I have an idea.”

She sat forward. “Where?”

“I’ll tell you once you hear the rest of what I have to say.”

If you keep talking as slow as molasses dripping in the winter, this will take what’s left of my morning. “I’m listening.”

“Do you know what happened before Conlan escaped?

“You mean the mind probe that Quinn did?”

“Yes. But Conlan is not necessarily guilty.”

“Then why did he escape and run?”

Sam’s knee jerked every so often as if it wanted to bounce. “That isn’t the question you should be asking.”

“I’m in no mood for a game. What’s the right question?”

“How did Conlan get out of VIPER?”

She’d wondered that many times herself. Conlan hadn’t been in just any holding cell. She’d asked Tzader how anyone could have found a way out of VIPER headquarters, which was tucked inside a mountain north of Atlanta.

According to Tzader, any escape from VIPER required inside help. She said, “We know Conlan couldn’t have gotten out alone. Do you know who broke him out?”

“I know who could have.”

She hated vague answers and didn’t trust someone who wasn’t part of their VIPER teams. “Why do you even care what goes on at VIPER after you walked away?”

“Because I have people to protect besides Tristan, Petrina, Webster and Aaron. I got tired of being restrained while expected to fight things that often defied death.”

Ah, the real reason behind his desertion. Evalle had been in that situation at times, but she would never turn her back on the Beladors because of feeling stymied by rules. “We took an oath to do what’s honorable and protect humans while we fight things that are tough to kill.”

“True,” Sam conceded. “But I think we may all be forced to fight against impossible odds soon. You may not respect my choices in life, but please believe me when I say I don’t want to see the Beladors destroyed.”

She didn’t acknowledge one way or the other, but his words rang with sincerity, as if he needed her to believe that one thing. “I’m still listening.”

“I’m in a better position now to help the Beladors, and Alterants, than I could have before, which is why I agreed to help Tristan. My people told me about him after the Rías were changing everywhere across the country. We have a network that has kept his group safe.” Sam’s knee finally started bouncing up and down in tiny jumps.

Nerves or a twitch?

Back to the heart of this, the traitor. She asked, “Okay, so who do you think might have broken Conlan out of lockup?”

“Vladimir Quinn.”

“Liar!” She pointed at Tristan, who had a sick-gut look on his face. “You brought me here for that?”

Tristan said, “Just hear him out—”

“I’m not lying, Evalle.” Sam tapped his fingers on his bouncing knee and his jaw moved as if talking stressed him. “Listen to me. I have reason to believe that Quinn is key to finding the traitor.”

And what reason did she have to believe this stranger? “Quinn has been a loyal Belador warrior since signing on at eighteen. I trust him with my life. Why would he betray us now?”

Sam pulled his lips tight in a frown. “You’re not going to like hearing this, but if you want to protect Brina, you’re going to have to start thinking with your head and not your heart. Everyone knows how close you, Tzader and Quinn are.”

No argument there. She waited for him to continue.

“I have people in Atlanta. I received a report through them from a Nightstalker contact that stays in and around the Ritz Hotel. The ghoul snitch saw Kizira going into a room there.”

Holding a calm, disinterested expression while her heart thumped wildly was no easy task for Evalle. She’d been working on schooling her features better and managed to act as if that news didn’t send a chill up her spine. When she and Tristan had fought Kizira in the Maze of Death, Kizira had claimed she’d seen Quinn, in his room at the Ritz, and that Quinn had told Kizira she’d find Evalle with Tristan.

Evalle hadn’t wanted to believe Kizira even when she’d shared details no one should’ve known about Quinn’s room except Evalle and Tzader.

Quinn’s elaborate security measures meant only Evalle and Tzader could find his location, which changed every day when he stayed in Atlanta. Even then, neither of them could get past the temporary barrier that Quinn’s warded Triquetras provided.

But Evalle wasn’t ready to jump on the Quinn-can’t-be-trusted bandwagon. “So what? The Medb like the thread count of Ritz linens.”

“Kizira visited a guest in the hotel. The room belonged to Vladimir Quinn.”

Quinn never registered under his name. How would this Sam have found out that information?

Evalle opened her empathic senses as Sam spoke. She hadn’t trained to develop her ability, but she’d become pretty good at figuring out what someone was feeling. Right now she could only discern one thing from Sam. Worry.