Bloodlust by Helen Harper

line once and for all. I thought of Iabartu and what she had tried to do and thumped the table in bitter frustration. I did not fucking need this.
    I searched the page for any signs as to who might have written it. They were going to feel my wrath. Except there was no hint anywhere of the author’s name. My mouth twisted as I stared angrily at the article. Could it have been Corrigan himself? Was this his way of getting back at me? I shook my head. No. He might have been hurt to the core by what I’d done to him, but there was no way that he’d be this stupid. It had to be someone else. I took in a gulp of air and held it in my lungs, trying desperately to compose myself. I had to focus on the matter at hand – interrogating this Unseelie Fae about Endor – and not my own sorry state of affairs. I exhaled slowly, focusing on the calming techniques that I’d learnt at anger management. Eventually I managed to force my muscles back into a more relaxed position. I’d just have to worry about what the results of the apparent exposé would be later.
    Typing in ‘Circle nightclub’ into the search engine, I took another deep breath. Focus, Mack. I clicked on the first result that came up and a sleekly designed website appeared. I made a note of the address, then searched the rest of the pages to see what else I could dig up. Other than promising an exclusive clientele, designer cocktails and heart-popping beats, there was little other information. Tarn, the nightclub’s owner, was conspicuously absent. I’d have to hope that his lack of presence in the virtual world didn’t translate into the real world as well. If he wasn’t going to be at the club tonight then, in the mood I was in, I might not be responsible for my actions.
    Switching quickly over to email, I sent the council members an update on what had happened with Wold. Or rather what hadn’t happened with Wold. I included that Slim hadn’t yet uncovered anything helpful, but left off the information about Tarn. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up just yet. I instructed them to tell me what they were up to, and to forward on the list of other planes that they were going to start investigating, and finished with a curt demand for Staines to meet me the following afternoon. I hadn’t forgotten about his alleged desire to keep me firmly out of the loop as far as Wold had been concerned, or his orders to do whatever was necessary to extract more information from her. Despite my words to Alex about not wanting to lose my temper, it was high time I put the werebear in his place. If Corrigan thought I was stepping on his toes by doing so, then tough.
    I powered down the laptop and closed my eyes. I might not entirely trust him after the events at Alcazon, but I was going to need some help and guidance with this venture and Solus was going to be the best person to provide it. Without raising my voice, I softly called out his name. Nothing happened. I tried again. When all that resulted was the answering silence of my little flat, I peeled off the surgical tape and cotton wool from my arm and started to pick at the already forming scab. I knew that he’d have registered my call, wherever he happened to be, but I was also aware that unless he thought it was an emergency, he’d probably take his sweet time in getting around to showing up. I didn’t want to wait.
    A tiny drop of blood squeezed out. Using my index finger, I wiped it off then went to my front door and opened it, wandering down the corridor and back into the outside world. I smeared the fleck of blood onto the grey of the pavement, then stood up and leaned against the wall. It didn’t take long. There was a buzz in the air behind me, as Solus winked into existence, clearly choosing to materialise himself from within the building so as to avoid any surprised human eyes catching sight of his ability to appear from nowhere. I turned to face him, noting the tentative smile on his handsome face.