Two truths and a definite truth.

Nicholae was a smart vampire and he was hot on the trail of the truth about what happened to him.
The definite truth: Nicholae wasn't at a dead end. He still knew something that's why the target in his back never grew dim.
Why else would the mistress bother with having a demon possess him. He was their most valuable asset.
Osei remembered the day he and others stumbled on Nicholae and his attackers. That was another attempt to get rid of him.
In conclusion, he was going to work with Nicholae to get to the bottom of this. The witch had been brazen enough to go after a Tchkovsky. Semi definitely wasn't safe with going anywhere.
So the idea of checking the gender of their child could go more haywire than Osei had planned.

He approached Nicholae and Fauna who were now alone.
'I know you two have another lead on the mistress. Don't even bother denying it.'

Nicholae didn't confirm nor deny the accusation.
'Once I return to the Manor, I'll extend an invitation to you with coordinates. You can't be late.'

'Before you leave Nicholae, I'd like a word with your driver.'
Without permission Osei grabbed Edgar by the shirt and threw him down on the ground.
'Look here sir, usually I'm not a man of violence.'

And usually I'm not a wolf, I moonlight as Batman. Loki jested.
'I particularly don't like snitches and spies if they aren't mine or if they aren't going to help me.'

Edgar scrambled to his feet.
'Sir, What is the meaning of this?'

'Osei.' Nicholae tried to butt in but Osei gestured that he wait.

'I'll ask you a simple question. Answer falsely and I'll bloody you up. But I won't kill you. You'll just wish I did, okay? Got it?'

Edgar dusted his slacks off and bravely nodded.
He's got spirit for a dead man.
Malaki casually observed.

'The last time we had visitors, they were here on good faith that we were kidnappers. Was it you?' Osei calmly phrased the question. He allowed his claws to grow and his fangs to show. A blatant show that he wouldn't hesitate to make good on his promise.
He avoided Danielle's trained look on him. And even though he stood ready to mitigate this snitch he wondered what his actions would make her think of him.

'I swear my Lord. It wasn't me.' There wasn't a trace of whimpering fear in his voice. And to ruin it all, his heart beat was sure and steady.

Well he had to ruin the fun.
Osei shared Loki's feelings.

'Then how did our butler friend find out. Because Fauna sure as hell wasn't the one.'

'I don't know. I can't say my Lord.'

There we go.
Loki heard it too.
He's protecting someone most likely. Malaki surmised.

Osei stared him down with hard eyes. Edgar wasn't going to break under violence or the threat of it. Maybe because he thought Osei wouldn't maul him in Niko's presence. But if that was is thinking then he was treading on thin ice.

'You can trust him.' Niko looked up to him tugging at his jeans. Those huge puppy dog eyes were Osei's undoing and Edgar's salvation.

'Well then. Safe travels y'all.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Divorce papers arrived this morning and so did a special invitation to join Nicholae for a drink at a bar outside of Cranston. A town with a primarily human population in vampire territory. The meeting provided the perfect cover to slip away when his wound opened up again.

'You're on time.' Nicholae checked his watch to confirm that it really was 11:30pm.

'And you thought I'd be late why?'
He folded his arms with a raised eyebrow.

'I assumed the Alpha sneaking away from the crew will take sometime.'

It did. It wasn't like he was going to admit that to him. His side was only slightly throbbing.
'I did bring back up. Just in case.'
He lifted a hand.
'Don't worry. No one will see them, trust me.'

And he didn't say a word more.
Looking at the bar from the parking lot, it wasn't that impressive.

'So What's her name again?' Osei whispered as they walked into the bar.

'Julie Martel.'
That was the bitch who'd killed Valentina. But the last time he'd checked, Semi told him Valentina has no clue the identity of her murderer.

'And you got this information?''
His face was expressionless, it blatantly dared Nicholae to lie to him.

'So maybe I asked Fauna to pluck a dream.'
He confessed lowly.

'I'm going to go on a limb here and guess she has no idea.'
He nodded.

'She did a lot of digging while I was possessed.'

A server came to their table.
'What can I get you boys?'

'You're good with a beer? Two beers please.' He said after Nicholae agreed.

'So do we simply ask for her?' Osei continued the conversation after the waitress went away.

'Yes.'
And that's what he did upon the server's arrival.

'We're looking for Ms. Julie. Is she around?'
She placed their drinks on the table.

'For an old crone, she sure is getting a lot of visits from boy toys.'
They exchanged looks.

'I haven't seen her since earlier this evening. Must have been a very late night.'

'And we're here to join in on the fun.' Nicholae tightly smiled.
The expression on the server's face caused Osei to groan.

'Her room is in the back. Let me know when you guys are in the neighborhood again.'
She tossed them a sly smile and left them.

'Later Osei. We can talk about it later.'
They left the beer untouched.

Loud music, different from the one playing at the bar, drifted from a single door.
It was the only door at the back so that had to be it.

Nicholae knocked at first trying to talk over the loud music. That obviously was a waste of time so Osei kicked it in.

'Oh my Damn.'
Osei couldn't tear away from the brutally gutted lady revolving with the ceiling fan.
'This must have been some next level Fifty Shades of Grey shit.'

Nicholae stares in horror at the scene before him.
'I'll call this in.' He said when he finally recovered from the shock.

CPD: Cranston police department were there in a few minutes after the call was made. Nicholae made sure their names weren't included in the statement.
'Believe it or not, weird shit like this has been happening all around the territories. Witches, humans and the likes being tortured and killed. Some kind of serial killer.'

This was news to them.
'Last victim was a witch named Ginger in NML.'

The news meant nothing to Osei, but it affected Nicholae.
'So you're saying this is the same M.O?'

The detective disagreed.
'It's different every time. But I'm sure it's the same person. Just a hunch.'

'And what else does your hunch tell you.'
Osei inquired.
'It's the work of a witch.'

Nicholae walked with him to regroup with Loki and Malaki.
'Someone knew we were looking for her.'

It would appear so. Malaki stood beside his brother no longer hidden in the night.
She must have had a lot of enemies or secrets.

Malaki was right in that respect. Probably, this Julie didn't keep her nose clean after the murder. But now they really were stuck in a tight position. Julie was their only lead.

'So what now? The boys want to know.'

Nicholae Combed his hair with his fingers.
'Lily. She was awfully close to me once Harris took over. I don't think she know that I know.'

Any friend of Harris, is a friend of the mistress.

'We shouldn't leave yet.' Nicholae told Osei. 'I'm sure someone else at the bar saw something weird.

'But the police is already on the scene. We'll be exposing our involvement this way.' Osei chose to remind him.

'There's that. But that's our step to figuring out who is doing the killing.' He argued.
'Who ever it is is most likely covering the Mistress' footsteps.'
Osei wasn't fully denying that fact but how much was Nicholae going to net on that?
'You sure?'

'Fauna and I went to see Ginger, the one who died. She was clearly hiding something. She was the maker of the poison that killed Valentina.' He gave Osei a short version of the encounter leading to the night he had to save his hide.
'We're getting close to the truth and now she's panicking.'

The twins saw the wisdom in Nicholae's deduction.
And if that's true. The bitch is ruthless.

'Okay. Let's get our butt back to the bar. The customers should be gone which leaves only the employees for questioning.'

Everything has quieted down significantly, and the employees were getting ready to shut the place down.
'We're closed for the night.' The woman who'd been their server recognized them.

'We just came back to ask, can you describe the man who came looking for Julie?'
She sighed.
'Like I told the police, I can't remember any detail for the life of me. I thought it was a young man, but now When I replay the memory, it's a female.'
Nicholae didn't have to tell him. It was magic.

'I saw him handing something to the Mau, the bartender.'

They tapped on the wood dragging him away from restocking his fridge.
'You have something for us.' Osei said.
'You're Mau, right?'

At first he looked confused then he got it.
'You are Nicholae?'
The night just kept getting weirder. Someone definitely knew they would be coming, and that was only Fauna. Of course and the twins, but who were they going to tell?
'Yes...' he sounded weary. And Osei would be too in his shoes.
'Someone left a note for you.'
Nicholae took it and placed right in his pocket.
'Do you remember who?'

'I—- didn't get a good look at the person. Could be a man, woman, vampire, witch or werewolf for all I know.'
They were dealing with the same person.

They made sure no one followed them to their second rendezvous point.

'It's a list of names.' Nicholae showed Osei the paper.
'Half of them have been crossed out already.'
Osei saw it too. The single line crossed neatly across the names.
'That's blood.' The psycho wrote the names in blood, Julie's most likely.

Kills? Malaki suggested. He is a psycho from what you showed us.

'Could be kills.' Osei agreed. Then the blood added a twisted touch.

'If this is a hit list then none of these people are safe.'
Nicholae collected the sheet and folded it.

'And none of them are innocent. They all work for the Mistress.'
Nicholae could look at him all he wanted but that was truth he was speaking.

'Doesn't mean they deserve to be treated like animals.' Nicholae argued which made Osei smile.

'You're telling me when you found out it was Julie who killed Valentina, you didn't want to maim and kill her. Even a little.'

Nicholae tried to deny it but he stopped. They both knew if he denied it, the words would be lies.
'Even made a little part of you relieved to see her dead.'
Nicholae looked directly at him and only scoffed.
'Maybe.'

This doesn't make sense.

'What doesn't make sense, Loki?'
Malaki answered knowing exactly what Loki was thinking.

Why would the Mistress be cleaning house then give us a list of unfinished kills?

Osei conveyed what the wolves said to Nicholae.
'They have a point there.'
Nicholae places his hand on his waist and looked down at the bustling town.
'We can start getting answers at the manor.'

Osei followed his gaze searching for the culprit in the throng of people walking up and down Cranston.
'This is going to be a long night.'

You said it.