“He is. And he wouldn’t just disappear without—”

“He can’t be missing! Deirdre can find him. They always know where the other is. That’s the way it works!”

“Brigid, even with their blood tie, she can’t find him if they’ve kept him away from the earth, love. She’s looking. We’ve all been looking, but he was out of his element, and—”

“Ioan can’t be missing,” she shouted. “He can’t! Where is he?” She stalked over to the rotary phone on Murphy’s desk and picked up the handset before Carwyn grasped her arm. She shook him off and dialed.

“He’s not at home. He’s not at his place here or the clinic. He’s missing, Brigid, and he was working on finding something for you. What was he looking for? I need you to tell me.”

She just shook her head as the phone rang and rang. Twice. Three times. Four. Why wasn’t anyone picking up? She blinked back the tears, but Carwyn was still talking.

“I told you he’s not there. What was he working on? He was talking about blood research. Talking about a question you’d asked. Was it related to the drugs business? I know—”

She slammed down the receiver and spun around. “I don’t know what he was looking for! I think there’s something else going on besides the heroin. There are things that don’t… they don’t make sense. I was running into too many dead ends. It’s not a human. Whatever is going on… I asked him one question, and he seemed to get it in his head that there was something there. I asked him if there were any drugs that affected vampires and that’s all! I thought… I thought—I don’t know what I thought!”

“There has to be something, Brigid. Think. Has anyone asked after him lately? Or asked about me? It’s possible this is because of me or someone else in our clan. Has anyone—?”

“No!” She tore at her hair and paced the room, the panic descending around her. It wasn’t safe here. Nowhere was safe. Ioan couldn't be gone. Ioan was her protector. He was the strongest being she had ever known, save for the irate mountain of vampire glaring at her from across the room.

Carwyn was still pacing. “We’ve run out of ideas, and you’re the only one he would have confided in other than Deirdre and me. I need to know whether this is because of me. If this is my fault… Please, Brigid. We need your help.”

Her whole body was numb. She shook her head. “I don’t know anything, Carwyn. He kept asking me questions. Had I ever seen a vampire taking drugs? Did I know many humans who liked to be bitten? Did they take drugs? It was always just a few questions, then he would start muttering…” A gaping hole opened up in her chest and she felt as if her heart caved in. Suddenly, it was as if the life left her legs and she crumbled to the floor. “He would do that muttering thing he does when he gets an idea and he just… I mean, he just…” It was a groan, more than a cry, that wrenched itself out of her mouth.

He couldn’t be missing.

He couldn’t be gone.

If Ioan was gone then nothing in the world was safe. Brigid felt Carwyn lift her up and carry her to the leather chaise in the corner of the office. He set her down gently and stroked a hand across her cheek, into her hair, his fingers weaving through the thick brown strands until his palm rested warm on the back of her neck. She held on to him like a lifeline.

“Can you think of anything else he mentioned? Anything?”

She couldn’t think. Her mind was a whirl of memories, sifting through every image, every conversation, every shared joke she’d ever had with Ioan. She felt Carwyn’s lips press down on the top of her head.

“I have to go, love. I have to keep looking. I’ve called friends to help. This may be related to something I was involved in and I’m calling in a favor. You’re not to go anywhere without one of Murphy’s men, do you understand?” She felt his hand shake a little where it held her neck. “If someone is targeting my people, they could come after you, too. You’re the most—” She heard his voice crack. “The most vulnerable here in the city. Maybe it would be better—”

“I’m not going back home,” she muttered. “Not while he’s still missing. I’ll stay in the city. I can help. I’ll do what I can. I have to.”

His arms tightened around her. “Brigid, I… we can’t lose you, too. Please don’t try anything foolish.” He held her for a few more moments, then bent down and whispered in her ear. “I have to go.”

Her hands reached up and clutched his forearm as it crossed her chest. Her fingers dug into the thick muscle there, keeping his arm close for one more moment before she pushed him away. “Go,” she whispered. “Find him, Carwyn.”

The search for Ioan was the consuming mission of every member of the Dublin security team for the next week. Every vampire in the city was shocked. Ioan was the most powerful vampire in Ireland and had studiously avoided political struggles for hundreds of years. He was a scientist, a peacemaker. If he was vulnerable, then no one was safe. The city was reeling in shock and no little amount of fear.

Brigid’s coworkers spoke in hushed whispers around her and handed her busywork. She wasn’t allowed to leave and do anything in the field. She didn’t even try to leave the building. She ate and breathed the search, called every contact she had in the human world. Doctors. Nurses. Clergy he’d helped at one point or another. Every former patient of Ioan’s in Dublin that she could think of. She hardly slept.