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City Council position.
    Gambit had done such an effective smear job on Nerissa that she’d lost the race, even though she’d started out with a decent margin and all signs pointed to potential victory. Gambit had dragged her through the mud because of her association with me, and it had worked. The surprise, however, had been that Taggart Jones hadn’t won, either. A moderate had swept the election.
    Now, Gambit would be all over this story. If word of a vampire serial killer got out, we’d be pouring gasoline on the fire.
    Chase led me to the elevator. “So, are you guys ready for Yule yet?”
    I grinned. “More or less. Delilah hasn’t tipped over the tree yet, but then, we anchored it to the ceiling first thing. Camille and Iris have the house looking like a winter wonderland. All we need is snow for it to feel like the holidays.”
    “Does Otherworld get much snow?” he asked, holding the door open for me.
    I swung in behind him. “Depends on where you’re at. Y’Elestrial—yes, we get quite a bit of snow there . . . I fell silent, biting my lip. Our home city was now sacrosanct and off limits to Camille, although she could still go to other parts of Otherworld. And to us, too. “I miss it. The city is beautiful, but now, I wonder if we’ll ever see it again.”
    “Queen Tanaquar and your father still won’t relent?” He looked uncertain, like he thought he should pat me on the shoulder or something.
    Shrugging, I shook my head. “When Delilah and I demanded they allow Camille to return to her full status, they told us we had two choices: Abide by their decree or suffer the same fate ourselves. So we all went to work for Queen Asteria instead, and the Otherworld Intelligence Agency is history. At least for us. At least for now.”
    “They aren’t talking to me, either,” he said. “Ever since your civil war, it’s like they’ve decided that the FH-CSI doesn’t need to be kept in the loop.”
    “Join the club. Father tried to guilt-trip us like crazy, but Delilah and I shut him out. We hated to do so, but he hasn’t been by our sides, up to his elbows in demon blood, wondering if Shadow Wing is coming through next. He doesn’t know how fucking hard Camille’s worked, nor does he understand the decisions she’s had to make. How could Delilah and I stand by and just watch them throw her away?”
    Chase nodded. “I get it. I really do. And I admire the choice you made. You three—no matter what, no one will ever come between you.”
    He looked wistful, and I wondered if he missed Delilah. He was actually at our house more often now that they’d broken up, and he seemed far more relaxed and happy. So did Delilah, even though she was still finding her way with Shade, the half dragon, half Stradolan. A part of the Autumn Lord’s world, Shade had strode into her life and they were slowly building what looked like it could be the love match of the century. I’d never seen Delilah’s heart so free and easy.
    “You okay, Johnson?” I tapped him on the arm.
    “Yeah,” he said softly. “And just in case you’re wondering, no—I’m not pining over Delilah. I’m the one who decided I couldn’t handle a relationship. And frankly, it’s a good thing. My moods are swinging like crazy now that my powers are opening up. I’m happy one moment, pissed the next. Not good boyfriend material. Sharah’s found someone in town who’s going to help me learn how to channel the energy.”
    “Good, because unbridled psychic energy is dangerous for all concerned.” I stopped him as we stepped out of the elevator. “Truth time.”
    “What?” His dark eyes glistened, and I resisted the impulse to reach up and brush back an unruly cowlick—it was so out of place on his meticulously groomed body that it distracted me.
    “Are you sure you’re okay with my sister seeing someone else? Because if you have any thoughts of a reunion later, you’d better say something now. She’s falling, Chase. She’s