Chapter Twelve

AVA-MARIE

Kallie's words were urgent. We hadn't found a lead on the vampire key in what felt like ages, and now she was insisting that we could have it in our possession— today.

I hoped whatever information she had would give us some results. The entire summer had come and gone, and we had nothing. The Warden was growing stronger every day. We couldn't afford to keep giving him more time to get stronger while we kept following false leads. Charlie's team had been searching for the vampire key since the bank robbery had failed, but every trail they picked up went cold. We needed a win, and fast.

We got ready in a hurry that morning. But when I opened the door to our bedroom, I hitched a breath. Over a hundred roses were scattered in front of the door, their heads cut off. Petals and thorny stems were everywhere.

Okay, weird. Oberi scampered to our side and put his nose down to sniff the mess. Hm. So this isn't creepy.

"Are you getting a scent?" I asked.

No. All I can smell is roses. Oberi sneezed. But truly, a strange mystery.

"Charlie," I called. He came over, and I said, "Somebody left a mess in our suite."

He ducked down, and his fingers skimmed the ruined flowers. He frowned. "Who got into our suite? Our friends are the only ones who have access to my quarters, and the guards won't let just anybody in."

"Somebody must've put them here a few moments ago," I said. "Otherwise, the servants would've noticed and cleaned it up by now."

"Probably just one of our friends, playing a prank," Charlie said. "I bet it's Alistair. He was pretty wasted last night from the party."

I bet it was. He'd do something odd like this as a joke. "He's got a bizarre sense of humor."

Oberi wagged his tail. I did see him sneak magical fireworks into Chancey's room last week. When he walked in, they all erupted on cue. The whole room nearly caught on fire before the servants had to put it out. It was quite dangerous, but Alistair thought it was funny.

"So that's settled," I said. "Alistair thought it'd be a huge gag to leave cut-up roses outside our door the day after our engagement. Kind of messed up, but he's known for taking it too far."

"We've got no time for games." Charlie rose to his full height. "Let's go."

I rolled over the flowers, and we left them behind as we made our way to the practice arena to meet up with Kallie.

"I don't like not wearing my wedding ring," I complained. "It feels weird."

We'd dropped off my ring at the treasury last night, so the Elvish jewelers could solder my original wedding band with the absolutely gorgeous ring Charlie had proposed with yesterday. Hadn't even had that beautiful rock for a full day, and already, I was parted from my beloved.

"You'll get it back at the ceremony," Charlie soothed, and he brushed back my hair.

"Too long to wait." I'd be planning this wedding right now if we didn't have to work on demigod business, so whatever dumbass had the vampire key needed to cough it up, so I could get home and start looking for my dress. "You know, if I can't wear my wedding ring, you shouldn't be wearing yours, either. It's only fair."

Charlie scowled. "No."

You'd have to cut his finger off before he removed it, I was sure.

When we walked into the training arena, my jaw dropped. Kallie and Marcus sat at a table that she'd conjured in the middle of the room, and they were actually talking. What was more, both of them were smiling. She drank a coffee that I assumed Marcus must've brought her, while they eagerly engaged in conversation. It didn't look awkward, or weird.

Were they actually getting along? It was a little nuts. I'd assumed after they broke their bond they'd never speak again, but here they were, acting like everything was fine. When Marcus saw me, he cheerfully waved. I decided to play along and act like this wasn't fucking bizarre.

The Elvish Associates were here as well, along with Danny, Ivy, and Chancey. I wondered who exactly we'd have to take down if we were bringing along this many people.

"Hey," Kallie said as I rolled up beside her. "Glad you're here. We can get started."

"What's this all about, Kallie?" Charlie demanded as he took a chair beside me. "Do you really have a lead on the vampire key?"

"Of course I do," Kallie shot back. "I didn't call everyone in for teatime."

"Then why didn't I know about it earlier?" Charlie asked. "This shouldn't have been kept from me."

He was being kind of bossy. I laid my hand on his, to tell him to cool off. His shoulders slumped, and he didn't say anything more.

Kallie huffed. "I only learned of this yesterday. I called everyone together as soon as I could. I got tired of waiting for your team to find us some answers, so I took the risk and time traveled."

I knew Kallie's powers had been weakened by her bond breaking. She must've time-traveled the first chance she got, when her powers were strong enough again.

"Kallie, that's dangerous. You should've consulted us before you did it," Charlie hissed.

"You would've stopped me if I had," Kallie insisted. "Anyway, I went back to the day that Frank put the key into the vault, to see who took it. It worked, because I was able to watch who took the key from the vault before he was killed, and I also saw who murdered Frank."

"So do you know who he is?" Charlie asked.

"Yes. I learned his name, and he's still alive. Your team was able to track him down," Kallie informed us. "It turns out Masci Taurus wasn't the only person hunting for the key, and the angels weren't the ones who took it from the vault. The thief was someone named Lorenzo Gallio. Take one guess who he works for."

Charlie groaned and rubbed his face. "Not another vampire mobster."

"He's one of my dad's cronies," Ivy snarled. "And unfortunately, this guy is one I don't know."

"Or fortunately," Chancey subbed in. "Because if he doesn't know you, he'll be easier to fool."

"If that's true, we can assume that Salvatore Bianchi has the vampire key," Marcus said. "Great."

Charlie scoffed. "The head of the bank was a vampire. I bet he had ties to Salvatore. If he did, that means Salvatore knew all along that the vampire key was in the bank, but kept it there because that's where it was safest. Our first time around, we must've tripped the bank's security system when Max hacked their files. That's how they knew we were coming. Salvatore moved the key the night before we got there, but it was an inside job. That's how he got away clean."

"What about the second time, when we went back in time and changed things?" I wondered.

Charlie mused for a moment. "It's possible Salvatore didn't have people inside the bank back in the 1920s. We learned from Chancey's past-life regression that Frank was killed on the street the first time, like his killer thought he still had the key on him. That would mean Salvatore didn't learn about the bank vault until some time later. Originally, he must've spent years sending that bigwig up the corporate ladder until he gained control of the key in the vault."

Ivy drummed their fingers on the tabletop. "That certainly sounds like my father. He's no stranger to playing the long con."

"But the second time, after we changed things, Lorenzo followed Frank to the vault and stole the key that same day, before killing him," Charlie said. "Which means in the timeline we're currently in, Salvatore has had the key all along, even though bank records showed Frank made the deposit. Ivy, any idea where your father would've hidden it all this time?"

"It's hard to say," Ivy admitted. "Dear old Dad is headquartered in Chicago, but it could really be anywhere. He hides his riches all over the world, so that if his main casino is targeted, he doesn't lose everything. Wherever it is, it's in a highly secure location."

"We can be thankful it's in his hands, at least," Kallie assured us.

"Why?" I asked. "He's the most powerful vampire mob boss in the world, and he's not a good guy."

"Because my dad won't play ball with the Warden," Ivy informed us. "Two peas in a pod, they are. My dad and the Warden both have to be the biggest dick in the room, and my dad ain't gonna make a deal with the Warden, because he doesn't want to feel like he's beneath people. The vampire key gives him some sort of power he can hold over the Warden's head, and he'll get off on that."

"But the vampires have sided with The Mission," I pointed out.

"Yeah, the vampiric government, not my dad's mob. They're two separate groups, and my dad and the governing body of vampires are always going at it. They're sworn enemies," Ivy stated.

"That's putting it lightly. Salvatore Bianchi works for himself, and only himself," Danny added. "He hates the vampiric government more than he despises anyone else on this planet. They've gotten in the way of his plans one too many times."

"Salvatore Bianchi won't join The Mission?" Marcus asked.

"Aw, no fucking way," Ivy insisted. "My dad wants to be in charge. He's fine letting the Warden do what he wants with the rest of the world for now. But the moment the Warden sets foot in Chicago, which is his turf, he's gonna light him up."

"Hopefully they'll kill each other," Kallie grumbled.

Ivy sipped at their tea and continued. "So we know my dad won't hand over the key to the Warden… bad news is, he shouldn't have it in his possession, either."

"But we might be able to get it back today," Kallie added. "Max, if you would."

Max stepped forward. She laid a file on the table. "We know everything about Lorenzo Gallio. Where he hunts for blood, his schedule, what time he brushes his fangs in the morning. We also know… that he's a major pervert who likes to frequent strip clubs and brothels in every city he's in."

"How does this help us?" Charlie asked.

"We found out that Lorenzo is going to be in Las Vegas tonight, making a deal on a shipment for Chicago," Kallie said.

"What's he buying?" I asked.

"Blood slaves," Ivy replied regrettably. "One of the reasons I left the mob. I refused to deal in transporting people for slaughter. Unfortunately, trafficking of people, both human and supernatural, is my father's favorite method of business."

"We can't let Salvatore sell those people," I insisted. "We have to do something about it."

"We're already on it," Max said. "We have Elvish task members working on getting those blood slaves out of confinement and into refugee housing in Ilamanthe."

"Which Lorenzo doesn't know about yet, but he'll find out," Kallie said. "The deal is supposed to take place tomorrow morning. Lorenzo is arriving in Vegas tonight, so he can get his rocks off at the local vampiric strip club the night before."

"Charming," I said dryly. "So how do we get him?"

"That's where Ivy comes in." Kallie gestured to Ivy, who stood.

Ivy took a breath. "The vampire that owns the strip club has chains of supernatural brothels all over the world. I did a lot of work for him, and used to be his most popular dancer. He flew me all over the world as a performer and escort, because I brought in a lot of cash. He's a rat, but he's our way in. I've already reached out requesting to return and bring a couple of my dancer friends with me. He was chomping at the bit to have me back on stage."

"Who are these friends?" Charlie asked apprehensively.

"That would be us," Kallie said. "We pose as staff within the strip club, get Lorenzo alone, then figure out what he knows about the key."

"And if he doesn't want to talk?" I asked.

"Then we bribe him. Heavily," Max said. "Or resort to other methods. With luck, the slimy worm will betray Salvatore, tell us where the key is, and we'll bring it back here."

I glanced at Ivy. "Will Lorenzo risk betraying your dad? You don't turn your back on the vampiric mob without paying for it."

Ivy shrugged. "It depends on where his loyalties lie."

"Or how much he values his life," Charlie said darkly. "Salvatore will kill Lorenzo if he turns on him. He knows we'll kill him if he doesn't talk."

"It might not come to that," Max added. "The Elvish treasury is endless. We can give Lorenzo a more comfortable life than Salvatore can, and even better, we can hide him."

This sounded like a fairly solid plan. I was pretty confident it would work.

"There are wards set up all around the strip club, not to mention there are magical alarms placed in every major city around the world by The Mission to locate demigods. You'll have to portal outside city limits, then drive in to make sure they don't know you're coming," Max informed us. "You can't portal in or out of the club— there are wards there preventing access or departure once you're inside."

"Road trip!" Chancey shouted.

Charlie ruffled Oberi's ears. "I'm sorry, boy, but you can't come with us this time. You're too recognizable for a Familiar, and a strip club is no place for a dog."

I disagree, but point taken, Oberi said. She changed into a phoenix. I will make use of my magic in the healing quarters where I am most needed, until you return. Be safe and well.

She flew out the open door, and Kallie stood. "Everybody pack up. We're leaving immediately."

"We should visit my uncle first," Marcus said as he stood up. "He's staying in a penthouse in the city. He's an Alchemist, and he has a potion we can use to disguise ourselves."

"We could just use illusions," Kallie suggested.

"This potion is stronger, because I've infused my demigod magic into it," Marcus assured us. "I've been working on it with my Uncle Grant for a few weeks now, experimenting. It'll last even if there are wards or spells set up meant to break deception magic."

"Wow, Marcus. Nobody's ever pulled off a potion like that before," I said in surprise.

"Yeah, well, I decided it was time to start putting my demigod powers to good use," he said with a shrug.

Treatment really had to be helping him. He was finally going after his full potential.

"That sounds great. You did some awesome work, Marcus," Kallie said, and I nearly fell out of my chair at her compliment. "Let's go."

"I'll stay here and work on the final details of the plan with the rest of the team," Charlie said. "You guys go on ahead."

Danny flung an arm around Charlie's shoulders. "So who wants to play stripper, pal, me or you? I'll give you a lap dance to test it out."

Charlie scowled. I was interested on what exactly was in this potion, so I decided to go with Marcus and Kallie. We had a driver take us to Marcus' aunt and uncle's penthouse in the city.

"I don't think anyone's home," Marcus said as he opened the door. "They've been very busy lately?—"

He stopped mid-sentence as we walked in. The place was a mess. There were empty bottles of alcohol everywhere, along with take-out boxes and party favors. A bag of chips looked like it'd exploded all over the baby grand piano in the corner. A framed photograph of Marcus' Uncle Grant carrying his Aunt Talia on his back was lying cracked on the floor. On a shelf, a collection of potion bottles had been knocked over, though thankfully none had been shattered.

My father, along with King Ethan, were sprawled out on the floor. Sleeping, I might add. King Ethan was in his wolf form. Daddy was literally cuddling him, holding on to the shifter for dear life and burying his head in the wolf's fur as he slept.

A guy I supposed must be Marcus' uncle stood at the stove, flipping pancakes. He didn't look anything like Marcus, with darker skin and black hair that stood straight up. He wore an apron and appeared positively chipper when we entered. "Hola, sobrino! Nice to see you, Marcus! I wasn't expecting you, but I'll put on some extra bacon."

He seemed like the only one who didn't have a hangover, though there was a cauldron on the table full of something that looked suspiciously like alcohol. It looked like something he'd been brewing himself.

"Uh, no need. We're not hungry," Marcus replied as he took in the aftermath of what looked like a freaking frat party.

Lucas stumbled in from the next room, looking hungover as all hell. "Hey, kids," he slurred. "What's happening?"

"Dad, what the hell?" Marcus gestured to the mess.

"It's a very long story," Lucas moaned, holding his head.

"We'd love to hear it," Kallie said, nudging her dad with her shoe. He let out a growl in his sleep and turned over, effectively smushing my dad. Daddy startled awake and shoved Ethan off of him, who rolled over the other way and kept on sleeping.

Daddy blinked sleep from his eyes, realized he was on the floor, and groaned as he pulled himself onto the couch. "Oh, dear ancestors."

"You lectured me about acting like a teenager, but obviously you four got carried away," I indicated, crossing my arms.

"It was all of us," Daddy grumbled.

"Yes," Lucas noted. "You all know we were there at the engagement party last night, and we decided to go out for a drink afterward."

"With our wives," Daddy added.

"I know we haven't gotten along well in the past, and have had our differences, but since the war is going on we decided to settle them over a few drinks," Lucas said.

"A few?" Marcus asked.

"That wasn't how it started," Daddy defended.

Marcus crossed his arms. "Dad, you told me to never cave to peer pressure. Now you're the one caving! To other adults!"

"Yeah…" Lucas trailed off. "The night got a little wild. All us parents decided to share our own stories, our history with our former prophecies and what not."

"And it was really creepy," Daddy deadpanned. "The similarities really threw us off."

"Then we all got depressed because of what we went through as kids, and all the stories kept on getting worse…" Lucas shivered. "Well, what we came to is that we're all more alike than we realized, that all of us have been through some shit trying to save the world, and now our kids are going through it, so we might as well forget about it and try to live while we're still young."

"So… you partied the night away," Kallie stated.

"We did our best," Daddy confirmed. "It was a fun night out at the bar, but us men had enough and wanted to continue the party back home. It was too far to walk back to the palace, so we crashed here. The ladies weren't up for coming back."

"Where are our moms?" I exclaimed.

"They didn't want the night to end, so they went out to the club." Lucas hiccupped, before he fumbled in the cabinet for pain reliever. "Haven't seen them since."

"For shit's sake, Dad." Marcus sighed, before turning to Grant. "I swung by to get the potion we've been working on. Is the latest batch done brewing?"

Grant nearly dropped his spatula, and his eyes widened. "You're using it?"

"Yes. We're going on a mission tonight," I said.

"Hold it right there, young lady," Daddy said. "What's this mission about?"

We painstakingly had to explain the whole thing to our fathers. Daddy sneered when we'd finished. "A strip club? You shouldn't be going into those kinds of places."

"I don't need the lecture, Daddy," I replied. "I'm sure you and Mama have never been to a strip club, but we need to do this."

Daddy's chest puffed up. "I'll have you know, your mother and I can be adventurous, and we do visit these types of establishments every once in a while. After all, your mother appreciates looking at other women?—"

"Oh my ancestors, I don't want to hear about this!" I shouted. Apparently, all of our parents were more wild than we thought, even in their forties with grown-ass kids.

Daddy coughed to clear his throat. "Fair enough. Though I don't like that you're going into the line of danger tonight, I can't get in the way of it, and I'm not going to stop you. But please be careful, peanut."

"I will. We'll get the key and come home straight away," I promised.

Not like the thought of messing around in Vegas wasn't tempting, though…

Marcus ducked into a back room, then came out with a vial full of glowing purple liquid. "This should be enough," he said. "I'll leave the rest of you to your hangovers."

"Please do," Lucas noted sickly. King Ethan gave a particularly loud snore as we closed the door behind us.

"Didn't you realize your parents were missing all night?" Kallie asked Marcus as we left the penthouse. "Haven't you been staying with your mom and dad?"

"I have, but I feel better now, and you guys need me at the palace," Marcus stated. "I moved all my stuff back last night."

Kallie almost seemed to glow. "It's good to have you around."

We took the car back to the palace. While we were waiting at a stoplight, I looked to my left and had to do a double take. There our moms were, still in their clubbing gear and having mimosas at one of the nicest brunch bars in Ilamanthe, acting like they hadn't been out drinking all night. Emma and Nadine clinked their glasses together with huge smiles, while Mama ate avocado toast.

My mother saw me poking my head through the window of the limo. She gave a huge smile and waved. I slowly waved back as I rolled the window up.

Kallie gaped just like me. "Damn. I hope we're that cool when we get older."

"They could be on a supernatural reality show. Party Moms!" Marcus exclaimed.

I groaned. "Don't even think of mentioning anything like that to Cassiel," I warned. "He'll take any publicity for the monarchy, good or bad. Next thing you know, our moms will be the next big Elvish reality TV stars."

"Yeah. Probably a good thing to keep this little event under wraps," Kallie said with a nod.

"Your parents have corrupted mine," Marcus accused. "My mom never drinks."

"That might be a virgin mimosa in her hand, but it sure looks like she had fun last night," I teased. "She's missing a shoe."

Marcus groaned.

We spent the rest of the day going over the plan, then once we were ready, gathered together in our meeting spot in the parking garage.

"Where's Danny?" I asked when we arrived, noticing he wasn't around.

"He's sick again, unfortunately," Max said. "We'll have to do this without him."

Again? What was going on with Danny? He seemed fine this morning… though he'd never come back after we'd split up to go get the potion.

It wasn't my place to pry. After all, I didn't like when people tried to get the worst details about my spinal injury, especially when I didn't know them well. I wasn't good enough friends with Danny to ask those kinds of questions yet. If he couldn't come, we'd have to do this without him.

We drove my car through a portal that bloomed on the outskirts of Nevada. Charlie, Marcus, Kallie and I were in my car, which had finally gotten fixed from the bank robbery, while Chancey, Ivy, and the Elvish Associates were in a van behind us.

"Finally. Out on the open road," I said. I'd been looking forward to driving the long, winding roads of Nevada my entire life. I never knew I'd get to do it so soon.

"We're here to get the key," Charlie reminded me from the seat beside mine. "Don't attract attention."

"Of course not. Wouldn't dream of it."

I couldn't resist temptation, though. We were flying down the road at ninety miles an hour before the rest of them could tell me no, taking sharp curves at way too high a speed.

"By the goddess, Ava, slow down!" Marcus snapped from the back seat as Kallie fell into him around a turn. We'd lost the van a while ago, because it couldn't keep up.

"We need to get there on time," I argued. We merged onto the highway, and some jerk in a pickup truck tried to speed up so I couldn't get on.

No, thank you. I kicked my car into high-gear and cut him off, forcing him to slam on his breaks. The jerk responded by speeding up again, swerving around me and pulling ahead.

I had a smoothie from earlier we'd grabbed from the palace for a quick lunch, and this dickhead was about to wear it.

"ASSHOLE!" I rolled down the window and chucked the drink, which splattered all over the opposing driver's windshield. The truck immediately skirted to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes, which forced me to come to a dead stop so I didn't rear-end him.

I could've taken off, but I didn't. A big, burly looking dude with a buzzcut got out of the truck with his fists clenched, yelling some not-nice words. I grinned.

"Great, now he's coming this way," Marcus complained.

"Charlie, go beat him up," I said.

He guffawed. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, I'd do it myself, but then I'd have to get my chair out, and then get into my chair. It would just take too long, and we're in a hurry," I explained. "This guy looks like he's a human, so in the name of supernatural secrecy, we're gonna have to resort to some good old-fashioned ass-kicking. That's on you, babe."

"I'm not going to kick some guy's ass just because you cut him off!" Charlie yelled.

"You didn't see what happened! Don't you believe me, your wife?"

"Gee, I wonder why that'd be hard for me to imagine you didn't cause this."

"He's getting closer…" Marcus whimpered.

"Whatever happened to forsaking all others?" I asked.

"I don't remember traffic violations being a part of our wedding vows, but you can add them into the upcoming ceremony if you like," Charlie offered.

I huffed. "Wow. Just wow. Okay, Marcus, you're up!"

"Me?!" Marcus yelped.

The dude had gotten to my window and was banging on the door. He broke off my mirror, which made me gasp. How dare he touch my baby!

I poked Charlie's arm. "Ancestors, what a dick! You know, if he threatens me, you have to punch him, then."

Charlie let out an irritated noise, clearly contemplating it.

"Oh my gods," Kallie grumbled, and she got out.

Five minutes later, Kallie had dusted off her clothes.

"That loser got his blood on my shoes. You were right, Ava, he was a dick," Kallie complained as she wiped them off outside the car. The other guy, who Kallie had pelted to bits, stumbled back into his truck and drove off.

"You're all terrible people." Charlie shook his head.

I gave a happy sigh. "Well, now that's over with, we might as well get on down the road!"

"No, you lost your privileges. You're sitting in the back with me," Charlie said, and he snatched the keys out of the ignition. "Marcus is driving."

Marcus did, which was absolutely terrible, I tell you, because he went ten miles under the speed limit the entire time.

"Are we going to get there today, grandma?" I mumbled.

"Cars are dangerous. They are potential weapons, and therefore, should always be driven safely," Marcus replied.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Marcus didn't have to sing along to every single show tune that played over the speakers. He'd hooked up his phone to the car stereo, and his playlist was extremely one-sided. I liked musicals, too, but it was hard to enjoy the music when Marcus was belting out Waving Through a Window at the top of his lungs for the third time in a row… with accompanied hand movements and expressions.

After I'd nearly aged ten years, we finally arrived in Vegas. This was one of the few places in the United States where I'd never been, and it looked amazing. The strip was full of fancy casinos that towered into the skyline, and neon lights beamed everywhere into the desert night. Hundreds of people filled the streets, and the whole city seemed to buzz with an undertone of excitement and danger.

"We could get into some trouble out here, honey," I said to Charlie as I looked around.

"There's a reason it's called Sin City." Kallie pointed to a tall building at the edge of the strip. "Here. The strip club's inside that hotel."

Marcus pulled into a parking garage. The van was already waiting inside.

We got out of the car, thank the ancestors for it. I was tired of driving with Miss Daisy over here.

"Marcus, you drive so slow that you lost the lead I had on the van, and they still arrived here earlier than us," I complained.

"But we made it here safely, and that's what counts," he shot back.

We all gathered in a circle outside the van, and Marcus conjured the potion. He passed it around. Each of us took a drink, save for Ivy. I waited for it to change my features, but nothing happened.

"Are you sure this spell works?" I asked, looking at the remnants of the potion vial.

"I'm positive," Marcus insisted. "I've tested it out a bunch of times. We don't look any different to each other, because we all took the potion, but anyone else who looks at us is going to see a completely different person. They won't be able to tell who we really are."

"Come on, we gotta go." Ivy checked their hair in the van's side mirror. "He ain't gonna wait forever."

"We'll be there at the designated time," Charlie said, and he swooped down to kiss me before he wandered off into the hotel with Chancey.

Everyone had their role; the Elvish Associates were going to hack into the club's security cameras and do surveillance. Ivy, Marcus, Kallie and I would go to the meeting with the club's owner, and hopefully, be able to pose as the staff within the club whenever Lorenzo showed his ass up. Charlie and Chancey were posing as guests, and would do their best to spy on Lorenzo as he moved throughout the club.

Ivy escorted us into a hallway that was connected to the parking lot, and led us to a glass elevator. We got in and rode the elevator up fifty floors, to the top of the building.

"It smells like blood in here," Kallie complained as we took the elevator up.

"Well, yeah," Ivy responded. "Vampire's lair and all."

The elevator doors opened. As we walked through, I felt something heavy press in around me— a ward meant for breaking enchantments. I felt the potion's effects waver, but they still held.

Marcus was right. Even if Kallie cast an illusion, the wards were so strong here that they would break, and a weaker potion would've definitely failed to hold up. The potion he'd made was incredibly unique.

The hallway we stepped into was dark and lit with blacklights. A tall, muscular vampire in a suit was blocking the door ahead.

"Hey, Biff. How's it going?" Ivy purred to the guard.

"Ivy." The vampire nodded and stepped aside to let us through. "It's great to have you back."

"I've been away too long." The way Ivy swayed their hips as they strutted into the club was even more seductive than usual. Although Ivy had promised to leave this life behind them, clearly it was still a world they fit into and knew well.

The club itself was massive. The tables and chairs were made of glass, and it was so dark inside I could hardly see. The area was dimly lit in purple and blue show lights, and there were multiple stages with spinning dancing poles. It was pretty empty here, as the club wasn't open yet. The room was nearly vacant, except for one person.

I officially knew the exact scumbag we were working with when I saw him. He was a short, ugly ass looking vampire counting hundreds at one of the tables. When he saw us, he stood up and held out a hand.

"Ivy. You're as lovely as ever," he said, and he gave a slimy kiss to Ivy's fingertips. I don't know how Ivy managed to stand it, because this dude might as well be Creepzilla.

Ivy, though, didn't flinch, merely put on a smirk. "Darius Freyden. Can't tell you how excited I was to reach out."

"Heard you did some time in the pen." Darius stepped back. "You ain't still mad about those last clients I sent ya, right?"

Something dangerous flashed behind Ivy's eyes, but they quickly camouflaged it. "Of course not. I know the risks of this job. I'm here to work."

"That's what I like to hear." Darius' attention immediately turned to the rest of us. "This who you brought in? I'm not impressed."

"There's more to them than meets the eye," Ivy promised. "The girls are Lux and Blaze. And the guy's Marco. He ran security at the last club I danced for."

Darius huffed. "This guy ain't security," he said, thumbing at Marcus. "He's a pretty boy if I ever saw one."

"I beg your pardon?" Marcus squeaked.

"Look, toots, we take all kinds here," Darius spat. "Don't be shy. You ain't gotta pose as security. You're going up on the main stage tonight."

Marcus blanched, but I elbowed him and he peeped, "Whatever you'd like."

Darius turned toward Kallie. "Sorry, sweetheart, but we got enough blondes."

Kallie scowled. "Fine. I'll wait tables."

"Lucky you. Our last hostess just quit." Darius gave a smile that had fangs missing, but it fell as he glanced at me. "Get lost, wheels. This ain't a place for you."

"And why not?" I asked. "I've performed before."

One time in The Devil's Playground, but still.

Darius sneered. "Why would I want to hire a bitch in a wheelchair? Strippers gotta walk."

I gave a careless shrug. "I'm a fetish. You'd be surprised how many guys wanna fuck a girl with no legs. I'm a special order."

Darius scratched his dirty beard. "Guess you're right… the clients like variety on the menu, and we've never had a broad like you before. And you've got a nice rack. Fine. You're in."

Thank the ancestors Charlie wasn't here to listen to Darius talk to me like that. Guy would be dead in an instant and the whole operation would've been blown.

"Can we get ready now, or what?" Ivy asked bluntly. "I need to make some money tonight. I'm low on cash."

"Sure, sure. Take your whores backstage," Darius said carelessly, going back to counting his money.

Then Darius froze. "Your dad doesn't know you're here, does he?"

"My father never knows where I am. You can relax, big guy," Ivy said bluntly.

Darius definitely relaxed. "Good. We don't want no trouble from Salvatore."

"None here." Ivy turned on their five-inch heels and strode off the main floor, leading us to the back where the dancers got ready.

The moment we were in the locker room and out of his sight, Ivy's slick smile immediately slid off their face. "Ugh, what a roach." They wiped their hand on the edge of their short dress. "I'd gladly do another month behind bars if it meant never seeing his ass again. Darius made a lot of money selling me to people I had no business being with. After what happened, I… well. It was the reason I overdosed."

"Hopefully this will be the last time," I said gently.

"It will be," Ivy promised, a deadly note to their tone. "I ain't walking outta here without getting my revenge on that piece of filth."

"Why did he pick me?" Marcus whined. "I don't want to be a stripper!"

"This is a good thing," I pointed out. "Your mind reading is clearest when you touch people. If we get Lorenzo to feel you up, you can look inside his head and find out what we need to know."

"Awesome, because that's just what I wanted. Some sicko grabbing my junk," Marcus complained.

"We won't let him hurt you," Kallie promised, and she put a hand on his arm. "We'll get what we need and go."

"But I don't know if I can do this!" Marcus protested. "I'm not a dancer."

"Yes, you are. Marcus, this is just like theater club. You're playing a role— the stripper Marco," I encouraged. "Just go out there and act how Marco would act, not you."

Marcus immediately lit up. "Can I give him a backstory?"

"Sure." He could knock himself out if it got us that key.

"We've all got a role to play tonight," Ivy said as they sat at a makeup station. "And no using real names, here. Stick to your stage names, unless you want somebody to figure out the gig and rat us out."

Ivy dug in a box and handed Marcus a pair of tight gold briefs and knee-high boots. "Knock ‘em dead, scamp."

Marcus frowned, but took them anyway. "Marco would love these. So I should, too."

We didn't have a lot of time to get ready. Most of the other dancers were already here, but they ignored us when we came in. I saw a couple of dancers whispering to each other and glancing at Ivy as if they were a legend. Hopefully the rest of us could play the part. I threw on a matching black bra and panty set before I curled my hair and did my makeup.

Ivy, as always, looked incredible. And, I noted, miserable. They'd moved on from this life and didn't want to go back to it.

They wouldn't have to. This would be their final time, I promised myself.

Poor Marcus was sour in his get-up. The briefs were definitely too tight on him.

"I'm cold." Marcus shivered, before he paused and said, "Just like how Marco was cold the night his mother abandoned him, in the freezing rain…"

"Whatever helps," Kallie said, and she nudged him forward. "Get out there and show them what you've got."

The club hadn't been open long, but there were already a ton of vampires here, filling up all the booths and tables. They sat at the edge of the stage and watched the dancers twirl around the poles with looks that more or less disgusted me.

Kallie went to the bar to start taking orders. She jerked her head meaningfully at Marcus, who gave a little groan and climbed onto a stage opposite Ivy. He twerked his butt very pathetically, drawing the attention of a couple of onlookers.

It would've been funny to watch if this wasn't so dangerous. People were doing drugs right out in the open. I watched as vampires fed from the dancers until they were almost bled dry. The girls had passed out by the time their clients were done drinking from them, and had to be carried back-stage by security to recover. The vampires who'd fed off of them didn't care, just acted like they'd finished a steak instead of sucked a person dry.

This wasn't your typical strip club. It had no rules, and was full of some really bad people. We had to be very careful.

"You okay?" I whispered to Ivy as we passed a whole crowd of clients doing nightshade. This had to be triggering as hell for them.

"I'll be fine," Ivy whispered back. "Let's just do what we have to and get out of here."

Couldn't agree more. Ivy sighed. They frowned for a moment, before something shifted in them and became plastic. Ivy pasted on a velvet smile and strode onto the stage, taking place at a pole. They were mesmerizing, and immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room as they began to twirl, becoming a precious diamond that every greedy bastard in this club wanted to have.

I lifted myself out of my chair and onto the stage. I had some exceptional upper-body strength now from pushing myself around all day, and I could hold myself up for long periods of time. I manually adjusted my legs so they were wrapped around the pole, and lifted myself onto it. I held on to the pole with one arm as it spun me around.

Marcus' slow driving had given me one advantage. I'd done some quick research on my phone before we arrived, watching videos of wheelchair users who'd modified pole dancing to make it accessible for paraplegics. I couldn't do anything half as complicated as what they could, but some of the moves were simple as well as sexy. I only had to adjust my body and hold on as the pole spun.

Besides… I just had to look hot until Vampire McWeirdo showed up. Which I hoped was soon, because I'd caught the attention of a couple of guys nearby, and I didn't know how satisfied they'd be with looking at my ass before they wanted to touch.

I felt on edge until I saw Charlie stride through the door with Chancey. Once I recognized my husband's frame in the low lighting, I immediately relaxed. Nobody was going to bother me with him around.

The security guard we'd talked to earlier blocked his way in. "Hold on. Do you have a pass?"

"Do I need one?" Charlie snapped back, playing all the part of the arrogant prick.

"This club's heavily vetted," Biff growled. "You don't have a pass, you're not getting in."

"I'm sure we can find some sort of understanding." Charlie was loaded with money we'd taken from the Elvish treasury before coming here. He plopped a massive stack of bills on the counter next to the guard. "I'm Cal Bently. Billionaire. Maybe you've heard of me."

Darius heard the word billionaire and came running. "Right this way, sir," he said, putting an arm around Charlie's shoulders and leading him to a table. "We have a private VIP booth just for you."

"It's nice someone knows how to treat people around here," Charlie replied snidely, and he plopped another stack of cash in Darius' hand as he sat down at the booth. The greaseball almost melted.

"I assure you, sir, we have the finest girls Vegas has to offer, and they're willing to perform extra services," Darius added. "Would you like us to set you up in a private room with Cashmere, or Misty? They are our most experienced ladies, and I assure you that you'll be pleased."

Chancey shook his head. "Nuh-uh. The boss has specific tastes. He likes girls like her."

He pointed to me, and Darius had to do a double take. "You want wheels?"

Charlie didn't visibly react, but his reaction across our bond was absolutely livid. I prayed he didn't reach out and strangle Darius for being such a moron. "Are you questioning my preferences?"

"N-no, sir, of course not," Darius stammered. "This club has a wide variety of whatever you're accustomed to, and if you like Blaze?—"

"Good," Charlie barked back. "Girl, get over here."

I knew we were just playing a part, but I couldn't help but get a thrill when he talked to me like that. I slid off the pole, got myself back into my chair offstage, and came over. Charlie yanked me out of my chair and onto his lap to straddle him. He pulled me in closer, yanking my hair. I gave a moan for show, though it wasn't really fake.

"This one's mine for the night," Charlie said. He tossed another stack of money at Darius, which he fumbled to catch. "Now go get me a fucking beer."

Charlie gave my breast a squeeze, and I let out an exaggerated giggle. Darius hurriedly nodded his head. "Right away, sir."

When Darius hurried off, I leaned in to whisper, "You're very good at being a playboy."

I nipped at his ear, and he grinned. "And you're lucky we're in public."

His finger toyed at the edge of my panties and dipped down. I nearly let out a low gasp.

Chancey was on the other side of the table and couldn't see what Charlie was doing, but he still rolled his eyes. "Hey, I know you two get off on shit like this, but this ain't the time. We got a job to do. Keep your head on your shoulders and not in your pants, pal."

"Are you worried?" I asked, casting a glance back at him. I pressed my chest against Charlie's. I felt the weight of his pistol tucked into the holster there, hidden underneath his suit jacket. I felt safe, but maybe I shouldn't.

Chancey hadn't taken his eyes off Ivy, who was currently collecting dollars scattered all over the stage. "Yes. Ives shouldn't be here."

"Then let's find Lorenzo, so Ivy doesn't have to be. You guys see him yet?" Charlie asked.

My eyes scanned the club, until I noticed a vampire who was identical to the photographs that Max had shown us earlier. "Yes. He just walked in."

"With a whole entourage, no less. There are at least five other vampires with him," Chancey complained. "Good luck getting him alone."

Kallie watched Lorenzo as she poured drinks at the bar, tracking his movements. She wasn't going to let him out of her sight until we got what we needed.

Marcus noticed Lorenzo had showed up. He slid his way off stage and made his way over to the group of vampires, giving a flirty wave. At least he was getting into his role. He made a beeline for Lorenzo, but another vampire grabbed Marcus' arm and pulled him to his side. Marcus scowled, and Lorenzo's attention went to a different dancer nearby.

Ivy noticed the scene go down. I watched as Ivy gave the stage to another girl and strutted across the club to help Marcus, batting their eyelashes as they gave a friendly hello.

"We can't be staring at him," Chancey said under his breath, and I ripped my eyes away from Lorenzo. "It looks suspicious."

"What are we supposed to do?" Charlie hushed back.

"Just let Ives and Marco do their thing," Chancey whispered. "For now, act normal."

Well, normal in this strip club was a pretty good way of getting both me and my husband turned on. We both had to play our respective parts, and since I was a stripper and he was my client, there was no better way than a lap dance. Chancey left us alone at the booth, milling throughout the club to talk to the other dancers— and see if he could pick up any information on Lorenzo while he was at it.

"This might be the most fun I've ever had on a mission," I said as I sank down against Charlie's dick, moving in circles over his pants. He was trying not to be hard right now, and totally failing.

"I hate that we can't do anything right now," he nearly moaned, and he ran his hands through my hair.

"Back home," I promised. Once we got the key, we were picking this up where we left off.

An hour passed of Charlie and I absolutely edging each other, but it wasn't as fun as we wanted it to be, because it didn't look like we were making any progress on getting the key. Chancey slid back into the booth, and I whispered, "Did you find out anything?"

"It's like trying to yank off a limp dick," Chancey complained. "Nobody's talking."

"They're probably too afraid. Lorenzo has a reputation," Charlie added. He helped me off of his lap and onto the seat next to his. "We gotta try something else."

Two seconds later, a high-pitched voice stung my ears. "Hey there, big boy!" Marcus said outlandishly as he slid onto Charlie's lap. "You want to ride the carousel?"

Marcus began gyrating against Charlie's legs in a very terrible impression of what had to be the worst lap dance ever performed, tossing his head back. Shit, he was really bad at this. If anything blew our cover, this would be it.

"Marcus, what the fuck are you doing?" Charlie hissed under his breath.

"I'm trying to pass on information," Marcus snapped back. "For shit's sake, at least act like you enjoy it."

"Just sit down," Chancey growled, and he yanked Marcus into the booth. "Did you find out anything?"

"Lorenzo's not interested," Marcus insisted. "I tried to get him to touch me, but he's clearly not into dudes, and if I can't touch him, I can't read his mind— not clearly enough to find what matters, at least. He's not even falling for Ivy's charm."

"What about his friends?" Charlie demanded.

"That's not working, either. Everyone's mind is blocked here," Marcus said. "Even with my demigod powers, I can't get through long enough to see what's important."

"These guys work for Salvatore Bianchi. They know how to protect themselves. It's not weird they're warded at all times," Chancey pointed out.

"Exactly. What I'm trying isn't working," Marcus insisted. "You've gotta do something, Blaze."

Guess it really was up to me. "Okay. Let's switch gears."

We didn't have long to come up with a new plan, so we threw something together in five minutes. Charlie got up, then stomped over to Darius and shoved him.

"I need a private room to make a couple of phone calls," Charlie barked. "Are you going to find me one, or do I have to go somewhere else?"

Darius was temporarily flustered. He glanced at me, and I lifted my hands in surprise.

Darius visibly swallowed before he said, "Certainly. Right this way, sir."

Chancey hopped up to guide Charlie behind Darius. We were doing a good job of keeping his blindness under wraps, for now, but eventually Darius would notice Charlie's blank stare. Lorenzo needed to spill what he knew so we could leave.

I got into my wheelchair. Darius slithered back to me a few minutes later. "That billionaire hotshot who came in here hasn't stopped blowing dollars on you since he walked in," Darius said eagerly. "You might be my next hot item, sweetheart."

"Glad to help, so long as I get my cut." I forced a smile, which was more like a sneer.

"Oh, you got it, honey. Whatever you want. You just keep the fat cat's wallet flowing."

I scoffed. "I wish. I was doing pretty good, until he glanced at some stupid stock ticker on his phone. Then he started freaking out."

Darius curled his lip. "Typical. He saw his investments falling and needed a room so he could yell at some poor bastard on Wall Street. All these rich types care about is how big their wallet gets."

That was a bit hypocritical, wouldn't you think?

"So what am I supposed to do until he comes back?" I pretended to whine.

"Go find some other sucker to bleed dry," Darius sneered. "You're on the clock. Every minute you're not pulling in money is my time you're wasting, and I always make my money when it comes to the bitches I hire."

His meaning made my blood run cold. I thought about the women who'd been fed on earlier. He sold the girls who didn't perform well to be blood slaves.

Screw this motherfucker. I flung my hair over my shoulder. "Fine, whatever."

I acted like I was pissed off as I rolled away, but Darius didn't know he'd given me an opening. I fixated my eyes on Lorenzo and popped out my chest. Showtime.

He immediately noticed me. I rolled up to his table and said, "You seem like you've been here before."

Lorenzo's eyes wandered my body, then my face. "I'm a frequent flier here at the club. But I've never seen you around."

"I'm new." I leaned forward, trailing my fingers up and down his arm. "My name's Blaze."

Lorenzo blinked as he took me in, like he was starstruck. "You… you look like my wife."

Ew. I flashed my teeth and asked, "Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all," Lorenzo promised. "She was a very beautiful woman."

I wasn't about to feel sorry for this bastard when I knew what kind of shit he'd done. I grasped his arm and said lowly, "Well… maybe I can help you remember her."

"Yes. I think you can," Lorenzo said softly. "She was a sickly, poor thing, like you."

Don't hit him. Don't hit him.

"I'm sorry to hear she passed away," I forced out, while thinking it might be a good thing she was in the afterlife and away from this asshole.

"I have a very dangerous career, with a lot of enemies," Lorenzo explained. "Sometimes, in my line of work, the people you love get hurt."

I was a mob wife. He wasn't saying anything I didn't already know, and I could guess what had happened. Lorenzo had taken a bad job, and his wife had paid the price for it.

"That's too bad," I said gently. "Do you come to these kinds of places often?"

"I never used to, until my wife died. Now I'm just trying to pass time and ward off the loneliness," Lorenzo replied.

"Well, you can spend some time with me," I invited. "I'm easy to talk to."

My skin crawled as Lorenzo's hands began to stroke my skin. "I might like that."

He hadn't made a move to fondle me, like I'd watched him do to the other dancers who'd come by. His hands on my skin were respectful and gentle. He really did want to pretend I was his dead spouse.

I didn't understand how someone who sold blood slaves for a living could hold so much affection for another person. Did he think his wife mattered, and all the other lives he ruined didn't?

"Do you mind if I call you Mabel?" Lorenzo asked. "Just for tonight."

This was going way too far, but he'd opened up to me, so this could be my way in. "You can call me whatever you'd like. Do you want a private room, so we can talk more… personally?"

"I'd love that, Mabel," Lorenzo said. "You don't know how much it means to have you back."

I was doing grief therapy in a strip club for a known supernatural trafficker. Not how I expected to spend my evening.

Lorenzo followed me to the back of the club, where the private rooms were. The sounds of sex were everywhere behind these doors. One of the bouncers opened up a private space for us, and Lorenzo paid him before the door slammed shut, locking me in with the vampire.

Lorenzo sighed. "Here we are. Alone at last."

He took a seat on a plush couch within the room. "It was a very hard day, Mabel. Would you mind rubbing my shoulders? You know I love your backrubs."

This guy was certifiably off his rocker. But he wasn't asking me to screw him, at least not yet, so I pulled myself onto the couch and sat beside him to rub his shoulders.

Massaging a vampire was like trying to knead a stone. It made my fingers ache.

"Any interesting jobs lately?" I asked. Maybe I could get this guy to spill without resorting to darker methods.

"A few, here and there, but I dislike talking about work when you're around," Lorenzo replied. "There are more interesting things to discuss."

I wasn't giving in. "Did the boss have you steal a special item, or?—"

"Enough talking, Mabel." Lorenzo turned to face me, then grabbed the back of my neck. "Let us feed like we used to, mi amore. Just a drop."

I saw his fangs elongate as he leaned in. My side of our bond flared in alarm, and the door burst open. Lorenzo reeled back as Charlie forced himself into the room, holding up his pistol.

Lorenzo staggered to his feet as he looked at me, but I already had a ball of Fire in my hand. "Hands up, fuckface."

He did as he was told. His expression didn't reveal any betrayal, merely acceptance, as if he knew this was going to happen.

"You stole a valuable key in Paris over a hundred years ago, and killed Frank Coffrey afterward. We know you were the one who took the key, and we know you gave it to Salvatore Bianchi," I said coldly. "Tell us where it is, and we'll let you live."

Lorenzo let out a cold laugh. "And betray my boss?"

"We can hide you. We have the resources," Charlie added.

"There is nowhere I can hide from my past. That is something I will never escape," Lorenzo said lowly.

His eyes locked on mine. "Thank you, whoever you are. You gave me five more minutes with her. That's all I wanted in the world."

He dropped his hands, and one fumbled in his pocket.

"No!" I cried out, but it was too late. Lorenzo had opened his mouth and popped something in before we could stop him.

Charlie rushed forward and yanked his mouth open, but Lorenzo had already swallowed. The vampire began to gag as a dark foam sputtered out of his mouth, and he instantly collapsed on the floor.

A sour smell filled the room, like burning sulfur, and the vampire gasped in pain. Then Lorenzo twitched twice before he went still.

"Fuck!" Charlie yelled. I immediately got to the floor and put a hand to Lorenzo's chest, to see if I could save him.

My healing magic recoiled inside of me as it surveyed Lorenzo's body. He was already dead. There was a massive cavity in his chest where his heart used to be.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "It was a death potion capsule. The components were made of Fire magic. Once he swallowed the pill, it combusted in his chest and turned his heart to ash. The pill was probably something Salvatore had him carry, in case there was a risk he got captured and interrogated."

"And he just took it instead of fighting back?" Charlie asked. "He's a vampire. He could've run away."

"I don't think he wanted to live anymore, not without his wife. He knew how valuable the key is. He didn't want to risk giving it up."

"Guess we were wrong and his loyalty to Salvatore and the mob was worth more to him than his life," Charlie growled. "Goddammit."

I stared at Lorenzo's corpse. "I don't get it," I said. "He sold people. He ruined lives. He was an evil man, but he acted like he still loved her. How can a bastard like him love someone so much, when he's done what he has? Didn't he only care about himself?"

"I don't know, pidge. I don't think we can understand someone like him."

Charlie ducked to the floor and rummaged through Lorenzo's suit jacket. "We need to search his body. He's got to have something on him that'll give us a clue on where we can go next."

I helped him. We didn't find much in Lorenzo's pockets besides his wallet, which was more or less useless to us. But then Charlie flipped back the edge of Lorenzo's jacket, and I found a thin discrepancy in the lining.

"Here," I said, skimming my fingers over the lopsided stitching. "Someone's sewn something in."

Charlie ripped open the lining, and I reached inside the hole. I pulled out a folded piece of parchment. On it were six names written in fine ink.

"A list of contacts," I mumbled as I looked it over. "People Lorenzo associates with, potentially people who helped him steal the key."

"One of them has to know more," Charlie insisted, and he slipped the list into his pocket. "At least we aren't leaving here empty-handed. Let's go, pidge."

Fine by me. We left Lorenzo's corpse behind us and ventured back into the main part of the club.

"We've gotta get out of here," I said. "Let's find Marcus… Marcus!"

He'd apparently found his stride here at the club, because Marcus was fully in his element. He was up on the main stage, surrounded by a massive crowd of people as music thudded in the background. He spun around the pole, shook his ass and did some moves before spinning into a freestyle breakdance.

Wow. I didn't know Marcus could do that. The club patrons absolutely loved him. There were dollar bills sticking out of his briefs, the top of his boots and all over the stage.

Kallie came up behind us and crossed her arms. "I think he's taking this a bit too seriously."

"I'm impressed," I said as Marcus tossed back his hair and ran a hand over his abs, to the enthusiasm of the crowd. "He really is getting into it, and he knows how to put on a show."

"Well, was it worth it? Do you know where the key is?" Kallie questioned.

"Lorenzo's dead. We didn't get much out of him," Charlie informed her. "We need to leave."

Kallie's face fell. "Aw, dammit! You can't tell me this is another dead end!"

"We'll find that out once we get home," I said. "For now, we need to book it, before his body is found and it leads back to us?—"

Pop! The sound of a regular pistol firing off shots echoed through the room. A couple people in the club screamed, but most of the vampires merely looked around curiously to see where the noise was coming from.

Ivy stormed out of the door that led backstage, slamming it open. The guests cleared a pathway as Ivy vengefully left a trail of blood dripping from their fingertips. Chancey walked beside them, his face unreadable.

As the door swung back open the other way, I saw Darius lying on the floor. His disembodied head lay beside his corpse, a bullet hole right in the middle of his forehead. His expression was frozen in shock.

"Now let's go," Ivy seethed. The pistol in their hand was still smoking.

The club's security team immediately reacted once they saw Darius was toast. They rushed toward Ivy with super speed, but Ivy and Chancey were ready for them. They took the guards head-on. Ivy was untouchable as he shot and decapitated vampires on the spot with brute force. I saw Chancey take a couple of bullets, but his angelic blood protected him as he started ripping the limbs off vampires.

The dancers in the club began screaming, and vampire mobsters drew pistols out from their suit jackets. Supernaturals didn't really use human guns, but apparently, vampires didn't give much of a shit. They wouldn't kill most supernaturals, but they'd certainly slow them down. Bullets and spells began flying. Kallie put up a shield around us, and I watched as silver bullets and blood magic bounced off the walls.

Marcus scampered off the stage and came running our way. Kallie let him through the shield, and he leaned on Charlie to catch his breath. "Whew! It's getting a little hot in here, hasn't it?"

"I'd say," I replied. "How do we get out?"

The entire club was a mess, but through the chaos, I saw a couple of bulky Elves force their way through the doors to the club. They were the twins, Asa and Ares. They were a part of Charlie's team. Kallie let them into the shield, where they started speaking at once.

"We've been compromised, your highness," Asa said to Charlie. "The United Supernatural Union is on their way here as we speak. You need to leave immediately, by use of a portal."

"I thought we couldn't use them here," Kallie yelled over the noise.

"We've broken down the barriers preventing portals from forming inside the club, and avoiding the alarm wards now is useless, seeing as how they've already been triggered," Ares replied. "The vehicles have already been transported back to Ilamanthe."

"We can't leave Ivy and Chancey," I protested, who were still in the middle of their brawl— and winning.

"Don't worry about them," Asa said. "We'll get them out. Just go!"

I glanced backward reluctantly, but I knew he was right. Ivy and Chancey had definitely come here with their own agenda. It wasn't our job to end their crusade for revenge and drag them back to Ilamanthe. That was the responsibility of the Associates.

Charlie took a mirror out of his pocket and projected it forward. A portal blossomed within the confines of the shield. I sagged in relief as I saw the beautiful, sunny pathways of the palace gardens shine through the portal's window. We hurried through, and the moment we were back in Ilamanthe, the portal closed behind us. We came through on the other side of a mirror that was within the palace's gardens, surrounded by wildflowers and roses.

The noise and violence abruptly halted, leaving only birdsong. I shuddered. That was not how we'd planned to end that operation, but clearly, Ivy and Chancey had other ideas.

"Look at how much cash I made!" Marcus cried, pulling dollars out of his shorts.

Kallie smirked. "They must've loved your dancing."

"I learned from my dad," Marcus gushed. "He really knows how to throw down."

Didn't know Lucas could break dance, but I guess that was cool.

Kallie snickered. "I guess you always have a career in erotic entertainment to fall back on."

"It was pretty fun," Marcus admitted. "Once I got over the embarrassment, and was out there, under the lights with the crowd cheering for me, I felt alive."

"We're happy for you, Marcus. At least something came out of this," Charlie grumbled.

Marcus' smile fell. "You didn't learn anything about the key?"

"No," I said. "All we got from Lorenzo was a potential list of names on who he might've given it to."

"Shucks." Marcus' shoulders dropped. "Guess this really was a bust, huh?"

"Eh, not really," Kallie said. "I got to see you in booty shorts, so that was a plus."

She and Marcus both laughed. He slung an arm around her shoulder. "Well, maybe Marco will make a comeback someday. Smaller venues, though, more intimate settings."

"I'll be there, so long as you bring the boots," she joked. Both of them laughed.

It was nice they were getting along, but it was really depressing we hadn't made any progress on the key. These names might not connect us to anything important.

I could tell Charlie was thinking the same thing. As we headed into the palace, I said, "These names better lead somewhere, because we paid a high price to get them. Once this gets back to the Warden what we did at the club, he'll put two and two together and assume that Salvatore Bianchi has the vampire key."

"Salvatore will never give the Warden anything, so the key's safe for now," Charlie stated.

"Yes, but that also means Salvatore will go to farther extremes to keep it hidden," I pointed out.

It was a race against The Mission. Salvatore wouldn't hand over the vampire key willingly, but the Warden would do everything in his power, and use everything in his arsenal, to take that key from Salvatore's cold, dead hands.

Somehow, we had to outwit both of them. And with three powerful supernatural forces… demigods, vampiric mobsters, and the Warden himself… fighting to take ownership of the vampire key, who knew where it could end up next.