Chapter 1

Zia stared outside of the dark windows of the limousine at the huge high-rise building in the heart of Inferno. Volso Industries was a place she had always heard of growing up but never thought she would see it, let alone be invited inside its polished silver and black walls.

"Are you sure you are up for this? My children aren"t exactly friendly," Corven said, his Romanian accent softening his words. Like most vampires, Corven was stunning. He had straight black hair that was falling to the center of his chest, dark eyes, and an elegance that only the supernatural could pull off.

Zia smiled at him. "I grew up in an orphanage in the slums of this city. You really think I"m going to be worried about some high-class kids? I have a job to do, and I"ll do it. The real question is: are you up for this? Truth has a funny way of damaging as much as lies."

"As much as it might pain me, it"s a necessary task." Corven crossed his long legs. "I want to retire and wander the world again. I can"t do that as a patriarch or one of the Blood Lords. I want to know the family is going to be taken care of in my absence. The problem is, I love them all, and I can"t choose."

"There is also the minor problem of someone killing off a family member," Zia added, though she doubted Corven had forgotten.

"Dhampir children rarely play fair when such a prize is before them. Kristofer pissed off the wrong person. That much is clear, but I still don"t know why. He was such a sweet, kind boy. You should know that they might try to kill you too."

"I would be surprised and disappointed if they didn"t try at least once. I can"t promise I will find the killer, but I"ll do my best. I can only deliver a fair assessment of each one of them. You know my magic and what it"s capable of."

Corven"s dark eyes studied her. "Yes. I can"t believe our stoic chairman, Cladius, had a bastard child hiding all this time. That you also inherited his truth telling abilities and powerful magic from your mother"s side makes you truly unique. How did he end up finding you?"

Zia shifted uncomfortably. "I found him. Truth magic is a rare ability, and there was only one vampiric candidate I knew of. When I was fifteen and living in an impossible situation, I sent him a letter. I didn"t think he would respond at all. Next thing I knew, my foster home was raided, and I was shipped off to school in another country. I see Claudius as a boss, not a father, just so we are clear."

Corven nodded. "I understand entirely. If it wasn"t for my long friendship with him, I doubt he would have put you forward as a candidate to deal with my problem. He"s a powerful vampire, which makes you a target as his blood. You must understand that?"

"I do, which is why I"ve got excellent control of my magic and good self-defense and fighting skills. There is nothing your children can do to frighten me," Zia replied.

It was the absolute truth. She had seen the very worst the city had to offer. Spoiled dhampir children were barely registered as a minor threat. Her best friend, Asteria, had been her training partner for years, and Zia could handle herself.

"Very well. You do this favor for me—give me a full report on whom I should trust within the family, and you will have what you ask of me," Corven said, his sharp smile a bright flash in the gloom. "Even the apartment in Florence that I had no idea I still owned. How you found out about it is beyond me."

Truth, her magic prompted her. How anyone could forget about an apartment in Florence was unfathomable to her.

"I"m good at what I do. I research and acquire what I want most from clients. Sometimes Claudius will give me a job, but I stand on my own feet and abilities," Zia replied. Her smile was pure sunshine. "Besides, I love Florence and that apartment is right in the heart of it."

"Very well. Shall we go in and introduce you to your new family, niece?" Corven asked with a soft laugh.

"That would be wonderful, uncle. I"ve always wanted a family," she replied, and it wasn"t exactly a lie. She had learned long ago that you made your own.

The sun had fully set as the chauffeur opened the door of the limousine and Corven and Zia got out. A doorman was ready to take her suitcase to her new apartment within the building.

All of Corven"s children had apartments within their headquarters. They had other properties, but while the contest of who would become heir was underway, they were staying in the building to try and keep their eyes on each other. Dhampir, like all vampiric creatures, were territorial and violent as cats when they wanted to be.

Zia let the mask she would wear for the unforeseeable future drop into place. These kinds of jobs could take a few weeks, or a few months. The trick was to change parts of her personality just enough to fool them but stay true to herself enough not to get caught up in too many lies.

The elevator took them silently up to the penthouse that acted as a central meeting area for all the apartments.

The doors slid open, and Zia almost collided with the one potential heir of Corven"s she was wary of. Ares Volso looked down at her like she was a bug, and in that moment, Zia silently declared war.