“Which is one of the reasons Rose was talking to you,” Theo concluded. “She wanted to know where to look.”

Roger’s jaw tightened, and he held up a hand, then walked a few feet away, paced. Still feeling guilty about Rose, I guessed. I opened my mouth to tell him not to blame himself, but Theo put a hand on my arm.

“Let him work it out.”

Petra cleared her throat in the awkward silence that followed. “Oh, I forgot to tell you—the CPD found the Cornerstone by the South Gate.”

That wasn’t the good news I’d have preferred to hear, but it confirmed we were on the right track. And that was something.

“Where was it?” Connor asked.

“Buried in the median,” she said with a grin. “The easement is still on record. The CPD has uniforms around it.”

“Can we search for similar easements?” Connor asked.

“Unfortunately not. I mean, we can search the records, but there are literally tens of thousands of easements in the city, and this one wasn’t searchable in any unique way. We only found it because we were looking at that particular plot of land. But we can check the property records for Cadogan House just in case there’s something unusual.”

“Do that,” Roger said, walking back to us. Then he looked at Lulu, Connor, and me in turn.

“I’m sorry again for whatever part I’ve played in this. For whatever help I gave her.”

Lulu stepped up to him, pointed a finger. “No,” she said, eyes still red and swollen. “You don’t take the blame for this. She takes the blame for all of this. She does.”

Then she turned and strode toward the House—where the House had been—and screamed at the top of her lungs into the chilly darkness.

“We are going to find our parents, Rose, and bring them back! And then we’re going to find you, and you will never see the light of day again!”

I’d have sworn I felt magic in her words.

* * *

Connor took on the miserable task of explaining to the Pack that its Apex had disappeared—while also grieving the loss of his parents. Alexei accompanied him back to Pack HQ, and I expected the Pack’s reaction would be . . . strong. Not just the worry or pain, but suspicion that vampires had been the cause. And the interlopers would probably add their own conspiracies.

Because my coworkers were kind and generous people, they offered to help out any Cadogan vamps who’d been away when the House disappeared, taking their home and belongings with it. They’d be grieving, too, and would need clothes, food, and shelter from the sun’s inevitable rise.

I was too numb to do anything but stare at the spot where the House had been. Lulu sat cross-legged on the sidewalk that led to the House’s portico, staring at it like she might simply conjure it back into existence. I stood beside her like a guardian. I don’t know how long we waited, watching for some change as members of the CPD moved around us, carefully recording the scene and canvassing the grounds for any sign of Rose.