Tristan's sister Aurora de Martel was in town, and Elijah had a hunch that they were both up to no good, coming to talk about it to me in the St. Anne's gym.

We were standing outside of the cage, watching several vampires spar and train with Marcel in the ring.

"Is that all you got?" I asked. "A hunch?"

"I don't do hunches," Elijah told me in annoyance. "I've known Tristan a thousand years. He's not easily shaken, and yet I heard that little weasel's heart pound when I accused him of working with someone, and, strangely, nothing when I mentioned Aurora. He may be telling the truth about that."

I nodded. "But, he could be hiding something, and now you need my help finding out what."

"That would be splendid, Noah," Elijah told me. "You do have that fabulous new Strix membership."

I rolled my eyes. "Mm. I'm only with those people because I want to know why they're in our city, and I'm not blowing my cover just because you heard a guy's heart skip." I paused, smiling smugly. "But, lucky for you, I got this city wired in ways you don't even know about. I'll have my people trail your boy. Let's see what they find out."

***

Elijah was in the compound, in the middle of leaving Klaus yet another message, pacing around the hallway outside of the courtyard. "Niklaus, would you kindly return my call?" He hung up. I walked toward him. Elijah didn't even have to turn around to know I was there. "Noah. Talk to me."

I sighed. "Yep, we got a problem." Elijah braced for bad news, turning to face me. "My guy stayed on Tristan's tail all day. Followed him to this place called the Candide Royale. He goes in, never comes out. So, he's obviously using it as a way to get to somewhere."

"How and where?" Elijah asked.

"The building has hidden passageways leading out the back," I told him. "Now, bootleggers used them in the '20s to run booze to a secret storehouse on Dauphine, and you'll never guess who just bought that storehouse." Elijah shook his head once. "Kingmaker Land Development, owned by one Lucien Castle. Now, that sure as hell isn't a coincidence." Elijah was stunned by this information, brainstorming the implications. "Either they're brokering some kind of truce..."

"Or, they've been working together the whole time," Elijah finished.

I nodded in agreement.

Lucien and Tristan were working together, but just for what and why?