"Hmmm." She stared up at him with her deep, penetrating eyes. "A lot like you," she said softly, holding his gaze.

"Mira...”

She didn't respond. She only dropped her gaze, rubbed her finger along the photo album meaningfully, and left the room.

"He's got her," said William Crane, tenting his carefully manicured fingers on the top of the shiny boardroom table.

David, a tall, thin water witch he treated as a go-to boy, stood in front of him with his pale narrow hands making a fig leaf in front of his crotch. It was an annoying nervous habit of his that made Crane itch to hit him, if hitting people wasn't so loutish.

Frankly, Crane hadn't expected any problem lifting the air witch from her apartment in Minneapolis, but it was true, what they said about having to do it yourself if you wanted it done right. Now they were out some hired muscle, and he was forced to gear up for a goddamn trip northward where it was even colder than his home in New York City.

His bones ached just thinking about it. Time wore on him more and more these days. It was coming to the point he needed Stefan to step in for him once in awhile. Crane clenched his jaw. He hated to admit that truth.

"I'll bet anything Thomas sent Jack to stand between me and this witch." Crane snorted with derision. "It's just like the bastard.”

They'd been playing games for years now, he and Thomas Monahan. Just like Crane had played games with Monahan's father, the previous head of the Coven. He'd eventually killed him, and he'd get around to killing Thomas, too, one of these days. Monahan was an annoying gnat buzzing around his head. Unfortunately, once Monahan was gone there'd just be another Coven gnat standing in line to replace him.

"With respect, sir, we have no reason to suspect Jack McAllister is handling this air witch at all. We've been watching McAllister's place in downtown Minneapolis. We've found no evidence of her presence, or his, for that matter. I've tried to gain knowledge of her presence through the flow of the water in the building, but haven't found anything. Most likely Thomas didn't use Jack because of his ... history ... and they moved her directly to the Coven in Chicago.”

Crane raised his gaze to David's. Was he daring to tell him he was wrong? He spoke slowly so David would understand him. "Thomas would use Jack because he's the best, regardless of his ... history. If he or the woman became injured, or some other unforeseen event occurred, he would likely take her to his Minneapolis apartment for quick, safe cover.”

David took a step back away from him at the tone of his voice. His fig leaf tightened a degree. "We'll keep trying to verify her presence, Mr. Crane.”