‘‘Several times,’’ Maata said as she emerged from the bathroom. Tipene shot Gabriel a glance.

He nodded, and the bodyguard hurried off to the bathroom.

‘‘How long have we been gone?’’ Maata asked Gabriel.

‘‘Four days.’’

She swore. ‘‘We were drugged the entire time.’’

‘‘You have no idea how long you’ve been here, in Paris?’’ I asked Maata.

‘‘I had no idea we were even in Paris until I could hear the radio from the street. We woke up about six hours ago. I was getting worried that no one would come to give us water and let us relieve ourselves, at least.’’

I exchanged a look with Gabriel. ‘‘Kostya said he didn’t kidnap them,’’ I reminded him.

His face worked for a moment. ‘‘It fit, though.’’

‘‘Possibly, but I think more and more that Porter’s boss, whoever that might be, is involved in all this. Ouroboros dragons indicate it might be a dragon, but we can’t know that for sure. It could be anyone, really—a demon lord, a dragon, one of the wyverns you mentioned, or even Baltic come back from the dead. Not to mention someone unknown to us.’’

Gabriel shook his head and questioned his bodyguards for a few minutes, but they had nothing to explain what happened other than that the original people who snatched them off the street in Greece were dragons, but dragons not known to them, and not members of any sept. We conducted a brief examination of the apartment, but there was nothing to identify the occupant.

‘‘Did you recognize the dragon who was here in the last couple of hours?’’ I asked when we gave up searching for information.

Maata blinked at me for a moment. ‘‘What dragon?’’

‘‘Whoever came here a little bit ago. Possibly with my twin, Cyrene.’’

‘‘I didn’t see anyone, although I dozed for a little bit. Tipene?’’

He shook his head. ‘‘I was awake since noon, and no one entered the apartment.’’

A strange chill ran down my back as I thought about the trail clearly leading to the apartment. A memory tickled my brain and sent me back to the tiny kitchenette off the entrance. A window overlooked an unkempt minute garden at the back of the building. The window was unlocked, and when I half crawled through it, I saw one little glimmer of dragon scale on the stone ledge outside.

‘‘He left through the window,’’ I said, climbing back into the apartment. ‘‘Probably came into the apartment and didn’t bother going into the bedroom—just left via the window without being seen. Agathos daimon.We’re being led, Gabriel.’’

‘‘So it would seem,’’ he said, looking thoughtful. ‘‘Do you think you’ll be able to pick up the trail outside?’’