A Tempest of Tea

The night of the heist arrives, and Jin puts on his best clothes, intending to die in style. He plans to call on Rose Ashby, a vampire from a large vampire family who owes him a favor. Her father systematically turned each of his children into vampires when they reached the “best age,” and because Rose wished to spare her brother the same fate, she came to Jin to have him kill her brother before the boy could be turned.

In Spindrift, Jin goes to talk to Flick, who reassures him about his fear of fire and asks about his tattoos. He explains that his heron tattoo is a reference to the fact that his parents used to call him Little Heron because of a stubborn cowlick that resembled feathers. As they talk, Matteo enters the store and is almost unrecognizable; he has dyed his hair bright blond and is wearing dark clothes and glasses. He flirts with Arthie, who does not respond; Jin notices that she looks hollower than usual. She takes out Calibore and subtly turns it into a hairpin, and when Jin realizes that Laith knows the weapon’s secret, he is filled with dread.