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“Oh my God,” she says when she reaches us. “Hi, girl! I’ve heard about you. I’ve seen you at parties. So good you finally decided to visit us. You’re missing out on so much. Crimson parties are the best.”

She keeps talking.

Ezra gives me a look that says patience.

Fine.

“I brought something special for you,” I say, taking a pale lavender bag from my clutch and placing it on the table.

Her eyes light up. Even Ezra reacts. I divide lines across the clean surface.

“So,” I say, once everyone has a line in front of them. “I heard your friend is missing.”

The witch bends over the table and inhales. Her eyes flare, pupils widening, head tipping back as stardust hits whatever unstable thing lives inside her. “Yeah. It’s super weird. She was just partying with us, and now she’s gone.”

“Was she hanging around vampires for long?”

“Not exactly. Just this new guy. Marcus’s heir.” She grins. “Handsome piece of meat.”

“Was he drinking from her?” She gives me a suspicious look. I just smile casually and push her another line of dust. I hope I don’t kill her.

“Apparently,” she says, lowering her voice, “but it’s not like official. The thing is, this vampire had blood witch heritage.”

I go still. “What?”

She claps her hands suddenly. “Shots. Who wants shots?”

Absolutely not. Ezra catches my eye, and I shake my head before she can drag us into whatever magical vodka Red Coven drinks. But the witch catches my arm, laughing.

“Come on, Lara. Try this. It’ll make you feel goooood.”

Before I can pull away, she presses a small glass to my mouth and tips it. Liquid burns down my throat, harsh and sweet, and something thick touches my tongue. A drop of blood floats on the surface, dark as garnet. Some of it spills down my chin.

I shove the glass away. “What the fuck is this?”

“Our blood moonshine,” she says brightly. “It opens the body.”

Shit. I don’t want this. I don’t want anyone’s blood in my system. I take stardust to control myself, not to rave. I’m gonna vomit. Heat passes through my body like snake venom. Ezra holds my arm to keep me from fainting. I haven’t tasted blood in years, and now my red magic is clawing its way back to the surface. I quickly sprinkle some stardust into the hollow between my thumb and forefinger and inhale it to counteract the effects of the witch’s blood. The red witch is slowly fading. Maybe it’s all been too much.

Ezra leans closer to her and lowers his voice, threading persuasion through the words. Glass magic works softly, sliding between thoughts before people realize someone opened a door.

“So, this vampire prince,” he says. “Was he really a witch?”

“Yeah,” she mumbles. “He hired Miriam to look through our census records.”

“Did she find anything?” I ask.

“I don’t know. She was always in the basement.”

Ezra’s eyes flick to mine.

“The basement?” he asks, pushing magic harder.

“Yes. Archives. All the old records are there.” Her head rolls slightly against the couch. “But it’s impossible for him to be a witch. He couldn’t be a vampire then. It would break the balance.”

Then she goes limp.

Ezra catches her before she slides off the couch and eases her down.