I closed my eyes. At least I hadn’t gotten two innocent people killed. But a rather unkind part of me wished the situation had been reversed—that it was Shona who was alive rather than the guard. Because of Jackson, because he’d cared for her—at least as much as any fae was capable of caring.

“That’s good news,” I said, “but I’m afraid he wasn’t the only possible victim. And we weren’t in time to save the second one.”

“What?” The inspector’s voice was cold. “Why didn’t Jackson give us this information when he made the initial call?”

“Because the woman in question was his lover,” I said.

“That is no excuse.”

Maybe it wasn’t, but our decision to come here ourselves was nevertheless one I stood by. I rubbed a hand across my eyes. The ache in my head was getting worse. I needed rest and I needed fire, and I wasn’t likely to come by either anytime soon. “We have the murderers in custody. They’re from De Luca’s get, and the whole den is currently working under the orders of Rinaldo.”

“And once again that bastard’s name crops up,” she said. “Are you aware he sent us a goddamn note the day after the events in Brooklyn?”

“No.” I frowned. “Why would he do that? And what did the note say?”

“Who knows why he did it—maybe he simply likes tugging the panther’s tail.” She laughed, a humorless sound filled with frustration. “And the note simply said, ‘The king is dead. Long live the queens.’ It was signed with a rather ornate R.”

My frown deepened. “What does he mean, ‘queens’? Or is it simply a spelling mistake?”

“I very much suspect every move Rinaldo makes involves very, very careful planning—even when it comes to something as simple as a taunting note.”

“And you’re sure it’s from him?”

“As sure as I can be. The only people who are fully aware of what really happened in Brooklyn were my senior advisers and you.”

“And you trust your senior staff?” I asked.

“With my life.” It was coldly said. Obviously, it didn’t pay to question the loyalty of her people. “Give me the address, and I’ll send a team over.”

I did so, then added, “We have a meet with Rinaldo tonight.”

“Do you want backup?”

Fuck yes, I wanted to say, because while I might be a fire spirit, I was neither stupid nor entirely immortal. I could die in this lifetime, which would be damn dangerous when Rory wasn’t yet up to full strength and might struggle to call my ashes to him.

But Rinaldo’s warning kept the words locked inside. “No. Besides, isn’t PIT stretched to its limits at the moment?”

“Yes, especially after the mess you made of Brooklyn.” There was no hint of censure in her voice. While she might not have given official approval for our actions there, she’d certainly been well aware of our plans and had made no move to stop us. “Which reminds me, I need you and Jackson to meet me there later today. Several fires continue to burn out of control, and we need you to go in there to see what the hell is going on.”