18. EIGHTEEN

eighteenThe bed didn’t hold an answer. And ruminating over the odd direction my life had a habit of going in could happen just as easily in the shower. Time was a ticking and now that I had to add a stop into my busy schedule, I didn’t have any to waste.

Half an hour later, showered, changed, and wearing my own clothes again, I marched down the hallway toward the war room. I slowed as Drake, the companion who’d stepped in to help me protect Deborah from Chadwick, sauntered toward me.

He lifted his hand in a jaunty wave as he came abreast. “Aileen, not the person I was looking for, but you’ll do.”

I stopped to frown at Drake, my gaze going from him to the door of the war room not far away. “What are you doing here? This area is off limits to everyone but enforcers.”

Especially at a time like this. When we were under threat from multiple directions.

“Nathan wanted a heads up when Joseph was done with Deborah,” Drake explained with a sunny smile.

It was a plausible explanation but didn’t make me any less suspicious.

“You should head back to the main area,” I advised with a hint of side eye as I paid careful attention to signs that might indicate deception. “I’ll pass your message along.”

Drake’s heartbeat and breathing remained steady and constant. His expression relaxed and open. I caught no markers that might signal he was here for any reason but what he’d stated.

Drake gave me a friendly nod before continuing down the hall at a sedate pace. I watched him go, waiting until he’d turned the corner before moving toward the door of the war room.

The temptation to follow and see if there was anything in his behavior that might indicate we had a spy in our midst was hard to resist. Only the knowledge that Thomas and Liam were expecting my presence kept me from doing exactly that.

In the meantime, I made a mental note to let Liam know about the encounter. Since he was in charge of security, he could be the one to decide the proper course of action.

“If their side issues the challenge, we have the right to set the location and time,” Makoto was saying as I opened the door. “There’s no way they’ll be able to ambush us.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Anton responded.

Nathan stretched out in his seat, folding his arms behind his head. “I don’t know why we haven’t hit them already. Since they’re planning to rip out our throats, it only makes sense to go on the offensive. Why wait for a challenge we all know is coming?”

A few of the enforcers looked my way as I entered the room. I nodded at them before moving along the wall to find an inconspicuous place to watch the proceedings.

“That is why they refer to this as diplomacy,” Thomas explained from the head of the conference table the enforcers were seated around. “While they play their games, we play ours.”

Liam braced his hands against the table. “You’re aware this will probably backfire?”

“Why deartháir, I never thought I’d see the day when your nerve failed you.”

“Nor have you yet,” Liam responded. “Advising you of potential risks is my duty as your enforcer.”

“Is that so?” Thomas asked, looking amused.

For a man who’d suffered silver poisoning last night and then fucked most of the day away, Liam was looking in remarkably good health. There was a flush of life to his skin. Probably because of the excessive amount of blood he’d consumed.

I checked him with my other sight to find his power burning brighter and hotter than normal.

“You worry too much. This is no different than that time in London.”

Nathan dropped his arms. “Isn’t that where you nearly died?”

“That’s an exaggeration,” Thomas answered at the same time as Liam’s flat, “Yes.”

I lifted my eyebrows in interest. What happened in London?

“Report,” Liam ordered.

Nathan looked down, hiding his smile as the conversation returned to business matters. Makoto took over, the rest of the enforcers listening attentively.

“In addition to the three houses last night, two more were hit during the day.” Makoto tapped on his tablet, sending an email to those around the table. They sat forward, reading over his notes. “There are no deaths at this time from today’s attacks, but there are a number of injuries, including two companions and a vampire from Clan Glaise. A vampire from Clan Davinish was also attacked but ultimately unhurt.”

“Who was the victim?” Daniel asked.

“Samara.”

Anton raised his eyebrows. “Were the hunters who attacked her left alive?”

“From all accounts, no. She ripped off their limbs and then used them to beat the hunters. Whether they died of blood loss or blunt force trauma is still to be determined.”

The visual Makoto painted was both brutal and comical. It was also in line with the vampire I’d come to know. Samara was a high-ranking member of her clan, and often acted as her matriarch’s bodyguard. She was an exceptional fighter, every bit as good as Liam’s enforcers. The hunters had to be idiots to go after her without an army at their back. They got what they deserved as a result.

Liam was quiet, his attention fixed on me. After so much time together, he didn’t have to say anything for me to know his thoughts.

It wasn’t coincidence that Samara had been targeted. Kat and her had a long-standing feud. Samara found Kat pathetic and Kat hated her guts as a result. As narcissistic as Kat was, she’d probably used the hunters against Samara as a personal vendetta, never realizing how capable the other woman was.

Her oversight had just signed her death warrant.

Sofia would overlook a lot in the name of family, but she’d take the assault on her own very personally. Anything Kat meant to her in the past would be set aside. What’s more, Samara was vindictive. She’d be gunning for Kat.

I doubted even Dominick taking the city would save Kat. Samara would make sure she didn’t live long either way.

It felt strange watching my nemesis self-destruct in this way.

Who was I kidding? I was beyond pleased Kat had fucked herself over. I just hoped I was a fly on the wall when Samara dealt with her. I bet the woman would make Kat suffer.

“What’s your assessment on the strength of our alliances?” Thomas asked.

“Clan Glaise and Clan Davinish will side with us,” Rick said from his side of the table. “The others are still uncertain. Three are being quiet. We don’t know which side they’ll land on by the end. Azul and Branors are definitely with Dominick though. We caught their people conferring with his. They’ll report any moves we make.”

Eric looked thoughtful. “If he turns one other clan, our forces will be outnumbered.”

“We’re already outnumbered. Vitus has stationed several of his personal squads in the countryside out of the city,” Liam said.

Thomas sent him a startled look. “Are you sure?”

Liam’s nod was grim. “I still have contacts among the council’s enforcers. They gave me a head’s up yesterday.”

“You know the council better. Will any of them side with us in the coming war?”

Liam gaze was introspective. “A lot of that depends on how decisively we crush Vitus’s army. There are still some who support Ahrun, but they’re unlikely to make a move if it puts them at risk.”

“So, a formal challenge may be preferable to outright war,” Anton said.

“If it comes to war, where will it be fought?” I asked.

The room went very quiet as the enforcers avoided looking at me. From their silence, I took it that my suspicions were right. The war would take place here. In my city.

“How can the council allow this?” I asked.

Wasn’t one of our rules not to expose our existence to humans?

War meant casualties. Both on the combative side and to any civilian population nearby. Vitus’s people didn’t strike me as the squeamish type. They saw humans as cattle. The easiest way to win a war was to affect the supply chain.

The humans in the city wouldn’t have a chance.

“They’re rare in today’s age because of the threat of technology, but they do happen,” Thomas said with a look in Liam’s direction. “It’s why we’re playing by the book. To try to prevent the worst possible outcome.”

Liam nodded. “We’d like to prevent a war, but if it happens, we’ve made certain preliminary moves.”

“We can win as long as the entire council doesn’t intervene,” Thomas added.

“If that happens?” I asked.

“We can all kiss our asses goodbye,” Makoto grumbled. “We’re good, but not even we can go up against their full might.”

“Maybe if we employed guerrilla tactics for a few decades. Whittle away some of the foundation.” Eric’s contemplative expression showed he was actually considering the ramifications of such a plan.

“You and your schemes.” Daniel’s lip curled in disgust. “I’d much prefer a head on fight.”

Anton scoffed. “Of course, you would.”

Daniel sent him an arch look. “Are you saying you’re any different?”

Anton’s rueful expression made it clear he wasn’t.

“We’ll save that plan as a last resort,” Thomas interjected.

“You mean in case you die?” Nathan asked.

Thomas’s smile was faint as he touched his chest in mock sincerity. “It would warm my cold, cold heart to know vengeance was taken in my name after my fall.”

A round of chuckles went through the group as Liam shook his head.

I frowned at my sire. “I had a feeling I’d regret helping you claim this city one of these days.”

I found the thought of Thomas’s death oddly disturbing. To say nothing of the fact that if he fell, I wasn’t like the rest. I couldn’t easily pick up and go on the run. Not without abandoning my family and friends.

There was a glimmer of amusement in Thomas’s eyes. “You had your chance to walk away. Too bad you didn’t take it.”

“Your sympathy is overwhelming,” I said dryly.

“Do we know how many of Dominick’s forces are in the city?” Thomas asked, changing the subject.

“From what we gathered, at least half a dozen. It’s difficult to get a more precise number,” Makoto answered. “He’s being smart for once.”

“If only there was someone with contacts to the local harpy clan,” Nathan drawled with a sidelong look at me.”

I stuck my tongue out at him. “Fine. Yes. I’ll give Natalia a call. Happy?”

Liam’s eyes laughed at me. “Ecstatic.”

Grumbling to myself, I pulled out my phone to text Natalia.

“Per our conversation last night—have you happened to notice any new vampires in town?”

Her response was instantaneous. “You mean besides the tall, deadly, and psychotic one that tried to kill your sister?”

“Noticed that, did you?”

“We see all.”

Someone was a little arrogant.

“I’ll check around and get back to you.”

I looked up from my phone to find everyone staring at me. “Natalia said she’d check.”

Makoto propped his cheek on his hand. “Must be nice to have informants like the harpies.”

I put my phone away. “Maybe if vampires weren’t such assholes, you too could have awesome friends like Natalia and her flock.”

Makoto made a moue of distaste. “Seems like a lot of work.”

Nathan held up a hand. “We could always go back to my original plan—strike now and massacre everyone with the element of surprise. Sounds simple enough to me.”

“This is why Liam never appointed you as our strategist. Got to think long term.” Makoto tapped the side of his head with a smirk.

Nathan balled up a piece of paper from in front of him and chucked it at Makoto. The other enforcer ducked while Eric and Anton looked on with quiet amusement.

“Alright, enough,” Thomas said, gesturing for them to get serious. “While we’re waiting for Aileen’s contact to get back to us, I want to know if we learned anything else of note from last night’s interrogation.”

“Surprisingly little,” Anton admitted. “The hunter named Elliot is proving unexpectedly stubborn. The younger one is a dead end. He was recruited two months ago. This is his first mission. He doesn’t know anything beyond the existence of a training facility in Kentucky.”

“They’ve probably abandoned that place by now,” Eric said.

Anton agreed with a nod. “That fits with their previous mode of operation. From Elliot’s resistance, I’d guess whatever they’re going to do, it’ll be soon. Probably in the next day or so.”

“Their phones are also a useless avenue of investigation,” Makoto said, tapping away on the computer in front of him. “They’re burners. Probably purchased for this mission. I won’t get anything off them.”

Liam glanced at Rick. “How about you? Anything to share?”

Rick’s gaze turned inward to investigate a world only he could see. The enforcers waited patiently as the moments ticked past, not showing any sign of impatience.

Curious, I watched Rick with my other sight. Magic bloomed into view, enveloping the enforcers in a rainbow of colors. Rick’s were unlike everyone else’s, concentrated mainly around his head and heart.

After a second, Rick spoke. “All I make out is a wall of darkness that I can’t see through.”

I stiffened, reminded of my dream. The unending black that I suspected represented Ahrun.

“If our sire is involved, it’s possible Rick’s foresight won’t work,” Liam said with a glance at Thomas.

“Ahrun has always been a blank spot for most seers. Their abilities have never been able to penetrate his veil,” Thomas agreed.

“It could be a sign his devolvement isn’t as advanced as we thought.”

“Ever the optimist,” Thomas said with a light smile at Liam.

“There’s no harm in looking on the bright side.”

“If only my yearling would learn from you,” Thomas said with a sly look in my direction.

My forehead furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh. Nothing.”

The innocence in Thomas’s expression made me narrow my eyes.

“There is an easy solution to our problems that no one has discussed,” Daniel suggested.

Thomas’s expression iced over, his control over his power slipping. It frothed around him like a wild horse, unruly and carrying a tinge of bloodlust.

“No.” Thomas’s forceful refusal silenced the room.

“I know he’s your sire, but if he’s as far gone as they say—” Daniel trailed off.

“I said no,” Thomas hissed. The power surrounding him developed a biting sting that made me flinch.

Makoto put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder before he could argue further. “No more.”

Daniel went quiet, his mouth shutting as he withdrew into himself.

“If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed,” Liam said into the lull. “Aileen, stay.”

Daniel pushed back from the table with an explosive movement and was the first to stalk out of the room. The rest were slower to take their leave. Makoto nodded respectfully at Liam and Thomas before hurrying after his friend. Eric was a ghost as he padded out of the room as silently as he’d no doubt entered.

Nathan stopped beside me on his way out.

“How did it go?” I asked.

“She’s with Joseph. If he doesn’t find anything, he’ll have her escorted home afterward.”

“Home? Why there?”

Given everything that had happened and the fact someone had given my schedule to the hunters, there was no guarantee that the house’s location hadn’t been compromised. It would be far safer to remain in the Gargoyle with Thomas’s vampires surrounding her.

“It’s what she wanted. I explained the situation but she insisted,” Nathan explained with a shrug. “I think Chadwick’s continued presence had something to do with it.”

“Very well then,” I said with a reluctant nod.

At least she’d have the pixies to watch out for her at home.

“What was that about with Daniel?” I jutted my chin at the table where he’d been sitting.

“He worries too much.”

“Gee, thanks. That really answers my question.”

Nathan slung an arm over my shoulder. “You also worry too much. It’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time one of us have butted heads with our illustrious leaders.”

I pushed him away when he tousled my hair. Maybe if he didn’t want me to feel concerned, he shouldn’t be so obvious about his own.

“Aileen.” Liam’s voice held an air of command.

“Looks like you’re needed. I’ll let you go.” Nathan squeezed my shoulder on his way past.

When he was gone, I crossed the floor toward Thomas and Liam who were conducting a low conversation that I couldn’t quite catch. As I got closer, they cut off abruptly. Their heads lifted as their attention snapped to me.

I stopped and frowned at them. “What’s wrong?”

“I sense Ahrun’s blood in her,” Thomas said, looking me over carefully.

Liam shook his head. “That should be impossible. I would have picked up on it last night. She was with me all day. There was no opportunity for him to get to her.”

“I know what I sense,” Thomas snapped.

“Maybe you could clue me in?” I asked unhappily.

I lifted my arm and smelled myself. I didn’t know what they were talking about. All I detected was Liam’s body wash.

“Don’t bother. You won’t be able to smell it,” Thomas said tiredly before looking at Liam. “Do you think any of the enforcers caught it?”

“Nathan might have. He stood right next to her.”

“How much do you trust him?”

“With my life.”

Thomas nodded at me. “What about hers?”

“Nathan wouldn’t hurt me,” I snapped.

He was one of the few who knew the truth of what I was. A magic breaker. He’d never told anyone about my secret.

“Then maybe there’s a chance we can keep this from the council.”

“Enough of the cloak and dagger shit. What’s going on?” I looked between the two. “Why are you acting so weird? And what scent are you smelling?”

“Ahrun’s,” Thomas informed me.

I stopped. “I guess the dreams I’ve been having for the last week or so weren’t dreams after all.”

Not that I’d really doubted it before.

“What dreams?” Liam demanded.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Thomas said at the same time.

“Because I thought it was a dream. At least until last night.” To Liam, “Most of the time I’m surrounded by a wall of black. Under my feet is a pool of blood that extends as far as the eye can see.”

Liam inhaled slowly. “It’s definitely Ahrun.”

Thomas nodded. “That fits my memory of my remaking.”

“How was last night different?” Liam asked before I could pursue that topic.

“There were more details. A table. A bowl of blood.”

Alertness entered Liam’s posture as he interrupted. “Did you drink it?”

I hummed an agreement. “There wasn’t a choice.”

Liam’s gaze shot to Thomas’s.

“What does it mean?” I interjected

“That’s why I sense him in her. He’s created a link like that of a sire with a yearling. It’s similar to what I did when I fed you my blood to start your transition.” Thomas looked upset about that news. I’d like to say his anger stemmed from the violation against me, but I suspected it had more to do with Ahrun touching something he considered his.

“That should be impossible, right?” I asked, my gaze begging Liam to agree.

“Your scent would disagree.”

I paced away from them to control my reaction. “Why are you so paranoid about the council knowing?”

“Because it shouldn’t be possible to steal a yearling from another master,” Liam said softly.

Thomas slammed a hand on the table. “That’s not what he did. I can still feel my connection to her.”

I never thought I’d be relieved to hear that. But I was.

Thomas leaned his hands on the table and slumped forward. “This will make the council take more of an interest in you. If they haven’t already. Kiss any secrets you have goodbye. They’ll uncover them and then take you apart to see how this was possible and if they can replicate it for themselves.”

So, pretty much a death sentence then?

“We need to keep her out of this battle. She needs to stay as far as possible from them,” Thomas informed Liam.

My lover glanced at me in hesitation. After a moment, he inclined his chin in silent agreement.

“I guess this is a bad time to tell you that Ahrun wasn’t the only one in my dream,” I said. “Connor was there too. I’m pretty sure Ahrun was feeding from him.”

Thomas’s eyes closed in defeat as Liam cursed.

“Ahrun is likely using him to heal from his prolonged sleep,” Liam said reluctantly.

“He won’t hurt him?”

Liam looked at Thomas. “The Ahrun I know wouldn’t have hurt Connor on purpose. But in his current state, it’s easy to make a mistake. Killing him on accident is a possibility.”

Thomas was between a rock and a hard place. No matter who he tried to save, he’d end up losing someone.

“We don’t have the resources to divert a search party for Connor,” Thomas said with an air of defeat.

“About that—” I held up my phone with a location tracking app pulled up. “I know where he is. I put an app on his phone so I could find him at any time.”

Thomas and Liam looked at me with astonishment.

“What?” I asked.

The corners of Liam’s lips tilted up as he shook his head. “Nothing. I just wasn’t expecting such a move from someone who once accused me of micro chipping them like a dog.”

“This is different. And I’m still mad about that, by the way.”

But only a little.

Liam arched an eyebrow. “Because mine used magic and yours is through technology?”

“No. Because I asked permission first.”

I really had. After explaining the purpose of the app and reassuring him I would only use it in times of danger, Connor agreed to me putting it on his phone.

Liam, on the other hand, forced his marker on me without so much as a by your leave.

“Besides, I was afraid he’d wander off and get lost.”

He did have a history, after all. I didn’t want another few centuries to pass before we found him again. The app seemed like a reasonable compromise.

“Before you ask, I’ve already checked the app is still working. Good news. It is.” I smiled as I batted my eyelashes at them. “I doubt Ahrun understands technology and what it can do. Connor’s phone will lead us straight to him.”

Liam started chuckling.

“Which one of you wants to help me rescue him?” I asked, knowing there was zero chance either man was going to let me do this alone.

Which was fine with me. Ahrun was terrifying enough in my dreams. No way did I want to go up against that in real life without backup. Very strong. Very powerful backup.

Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose. “Didn’t you just hear me? You need to stay out of this.”

“You said I needed to avoid any council members. They’re not likely to be where Ahrun is. That makes this the best use of my time.”

Liam lifted a shoulder when Thomas shot him a look. “She makes a very good case.”

My lips quivered with a smile I suppressed. It was nice having someone in my corner.

Thomas’s mouth opened in outrage. “This is our sire we’re talking about. Do you really want her in his vicinity considering his state?”

Liam leaned a hip against the table. “She’s walked away alive from at least two encounters with him. He was probably following her for a lot longer than any of us realize. She might be the key to this whole mess. Besides, Aileen has proven she can handle herself.”

A warm feeling filled me at the thought of Liam acknowledging the fact I could handle myself. Damn right I could. It’d only taken him until this point to figure that out.

Thomas threw up his hands in frustration. “I should have known better than to argue with you in regards to her.”

“You really should have,” Liam agreed.

“I would think you’d want to protect her.”

I caught the faint stiffening in Liam’s body as his gaze cooled.

“You forget I’ve spent far more time in her company than you have,” Liam said. “I know exactly what she’s capable of. Forcing her to stand on the sidelines like a child will only backfire.”

It seemed someone had been paying attention.

Was it weird that his words made me want to jump his body again? There was something sexy about my significant other having confidence in me. At least enough to support my asinine plan to go up against an ancient vampire.

The sound of footsteps from outside ended the conversation as Makoto strode into the room a second later. Sienna hurried after him.

“Your predictions were correct. They must have gotten tired of waiting. They issued a challenge a few minutes ago,” Makoto informed Thomas, handing him a tube of rolled up paper.

“Is that a scroll?” I asked, squinting at it.

“You’re correct.” Thomas unrolled the paper to look at what was inside. “Many of the older vampires are slaves to tradition. In past eras, it was common to issue a challenge via paper made of human skin.”

That was disgusting.

Who came up with things like that? Did vampires sit around a fire one night and think “hey, what could we do to make our kind seem like even bigger assholes than we already are?” And the answer was human skin?

“Don’t ask,” Liam advised, seeing the way I was eying the scroll. “You don’t want to know.”

I drew back. Not now, I didn’t.

“Dominick’s impatience is fortuitous for us. If he’d waited a little longer, they could have forced our hand.” Thomas handed the scroll back to Makoto. “Inform them the challenge will take place at midnight at the abandoned building I bought six months ago. The isolated location will reduce the possibility of human deaths.”

“Are you sure you want to give him that much time?” Liam asked.

Right now, it was 10:52 pm, leaving both sides with just over an hour to prepare.

“It’s as much for us as them.” Thomas looked at Sienna. “Prepare our people. Dominick will likely use his hunters to ambush us at the site. We will retaliate in kind.

Sienna’s facade cracked, a savage anticipation on her face. “Consider it done.”

“You’re dismissed.”

Sienna turned on her heel, marching out of the room like a woman on a mission. Makoto was a little slower to follow, his focus moving between the three of us until Liam waved him away.

“So it begins,” Liam said softly.

Thomas’s expression showed resignation. “Take two of the enforcers and go with Aileen. Save Connor if you can.”

“And Ahrun?”

Thomas’s silence held defeat. “Do what you have to do.”

“Understood.”

I folded my arms and leaned my hip against the conference table. “Just so we’re clear. I’m an equal partner in this mission. I won’t be staying in the car or hanging behind. I go in with you.”

They could fight Ahrun on their own, but someone needed to save Connor and get him to safety while they were occupied. I’d already nominated myself for that task.

Liam looked at me through lowered eyelashes. “I’m hurt, mo chuisle. After the way we spent the day, I would have thought you’d appreciate how much of a team player I can be.”

I fought the flush that wanted to take over my cheeks, determinedly meeting his expectant stare. “Is that how you want to play this?”

“Why not? You know how much I enjoy my games.”

I snarled. “I can’t talk to you sometimes.”

Thomas offered his hand to Liam. “You should stop teasing her before she decides to leave without you.” The two clasped forearms. “Be careful. Ahrun is not in his right mind. He might not remember what you mean to him.”

“Worry about yourself. Dominick has never been your match, but he makes up for it with his underhandedness. Battles aren’t always won by the strongest.”

Thomas’s expression was wry. “You always did like to nag. I’ll finish this quickly and be there to reinforce you before you know it.”

Liam nodded, glancing at me before he headed to the door.

I followed, reaching the door where I paused. “It would really suck if you died. I don’t want that asshole ruling my city.”

If that happened, I might have to move—and I hated moving.