“Those windows? I want them. Is that a spell?” Rowan leaned into the front seat and then seemed to realize she was demanding answers from the leader of a Trick of Dust Devils. Despite the seriousness of the situation, it amused Genevieve to see when Rowan’s curiosity overpowered her wariness.

  “One of our businesses creates custom builds of vehicles, planes, and helicopters. The windows have a thin sheet at the center of each. The switch activates the microcircuitry in them, and the reaction creates opacity,” he told her.

  Rowan breathed out an excited huff. “I’d very much like to talk to you about these builds for Hunter Corp. at some point, which is not now obviously.” She looked back to Genevieve, who wore a smirk.

  He fished a business card—a fucking business card—from a pocket and handed it her way.

  “Agent of Chaos Productions?” Rowan laughed. “I see what you did here,” she told him as she settled back next to Genevieve.

  “Before anything else, I apologize for that scene,” Genevieve told her. “I’ve been alive a long time and across cultural shifts that quite frankly astonish me daily. These are Conclave witches. Born with more privilege than most will ever dream of. The access they have to the halls of governance is unparalleled. To have invited me to their home and treated anyone in my party—no matter who—in such a manner is a violation of our deepest laws of welcome and sanctuary.”

  “I’m not offended,” Rowan said and then put a finger up to forestall Genevieve’s reply. “Certainly the behavior was offensive. But I’d only be offended if any of those fuckos was actually better than I am. And they aren’t. Magic or not, no one in that building is my superior in any way. What does bother me though, isn’t what happened to me, but that they have done this to you through your entourage. That’s a different level of disrespect. That’s an attack on your position and it occurred while you acted in your professional capacity. I don’t like that one bit. What are they up to? If they think to come at you, we need to be sure you’re protected.”

  Darius grunted his agreement.

  “I’m touched that you should worry for me,” Genevieve allowed. She was. That they both wanted to protect her humbled her. Left her grateful. “It’s not...there’s a move by those, as I said, who want to be freed to use their magic on humans for their own gain in ways that are coercive. Generally, I use my power to be sure such things don’t happen, but I can’t deny there are those within the Conclave who feel any exposure to humans or compassion on their behalf is lowering. I don’t know if the situations are directly connected. I don’t know if the Procellas are part of this group of families but I find it difficult to imagine they are not. Coincidence can only hold up so long before it becomes impossible not to draw a conclusion.”

  “You’re an old, powerful Genetic witch. The head of your family line is like, the king or whatever. You’re strong but you still work to make things better for others who aren’t as strong. These are all things weak people despise because they’re too spineless and selfish to do the same. So they want to denigrate compassion because where’s the profit in that for them? It’s the idea of you, Genevieve. So perfect and strong and wasting it all on those who don’t deserve you like they do.” Rowan shrugged one shoulder.

  “Just so,” Genevieve replied after a long pause. “As a result, I’m not inclined to go into that house where you and, by extension, I were treated so poorly. It teaches a bad lesson I think. And Hugo makes my skin crawl.”

  “He must be in that foyer positively dying for you to come inside. He looked at you weird. With the rich-lady purse being spurned and his failed attempt to get you to go out with him, you’d think he’d get the message. But I don’t think he has,” Rowan said.

  Darius didn’t turn around when he said, “His energy was sharply focused on you, Genevieve. Do not meet with him alone. This is Devil ground. There will be no successful attempts to use magic to sway or coerce you here, but that is above and beyond whether or not you should deal with them right now.”

  “He could have been interested in my power, you know.” Genevieve had been used by those who thought to control her and therefore her magic.

  “Of course he was!” Rowan said. “Lady ma’am, aside from being drop-dead gorgeous, rich, fashionable, and well connected, you’re a supernova of magical power. That’s part of your appeal.”

  And yet, it occurred to Genevieve that Rowan had just as difficult a time with people being attracted to her for her power, like it wasn’t part of why she was so magnetic to start with. Like it wasn’t as much of her appeal as her hair.

  * * *

  Darius listened to their conversation while he continued to keep an eye on the situation outside. No one could see in, but he didn’t need his eyes to sense the world around the car. If the witches in that house or anywhere nearby used magic to spy on them, he’d know. At the approach of anything larger than a housecat, he’d know.

  “There is an eagerness about these witches that unsettles me,” Darius said, pretending his unease didn’t also have to do with the way the witch had watched Genevieve like she was a precious jewel he had to possess.

  “Yes! That exactly,” Rowan said, and Darius fought a smile. Genevieve’s friend was a power only now just waking to her full potential, but she had a youth to her, a zest for everything he’d seen her do. Ferocity in defense of her friends. Loyalty he rarely saw the likes of. That the Vessel included Genevieve in the company of those she considered under her protection and care pleased not only Darius, but the entire Trick who’d been watching Rowan at a bemused distance for the years she’d been in Las Vegas.

  “I could refuse to sign the permission. If I did that, others would follow suit.” Genevieve paused. “But then I don’t have a way to find out what the hell is going on. And there is something here.”

  “They can meet you at Fleur,” Rowan said of the Vampire-owned-and-run restaurant in the heart of Las Vegas. “They’ll have to know it’s a Vampire run place, so they’ll need to debase themselves to attend.” She snorted a laugh that had him liking her even more. “Arrange the meet for, let’s say six? They don’t open for dinner until eight. They’ll feel better because it’s still daylight and therefore the Vampires will be away. But there are things just as scary as Vampires that don’t need to worry about sunlight. They can make their little pitch to you. I’ll be there and it’ll irritate them. Lucky me!” She laughed and Genevieve joined in.

  “It’s a great deal of fun to watch you deliberately wear people down until you break them,” Genevieve said.

  “Is that what we’re doing?” Rowan asked. “No judgment. Just have to know going in the angle I need to take. Hugo there looks like he lives deep under the thumb of Grandpa or maybe Dad. I’ll do some poking around, so I know the right buttons to push.”

  Darius would attend himself and set a perimeter Marco would be in charge of. Nothing would happen to Genevieve.

  “What they’re asking for isn’t even unique. I just need to understand why. Your eyes miss nothing. You will pick up details I will have missed.”

  “Which is part of the reason why they wanted to keep her outside, or in the kitchen, which is most likely half a house away from where the meeting would have taken place,” Darius said.

  Genevieve’s indrawn breath told him she hadn’t considered that until he mentioned it.

  “Okay, we’ll make it happen,” Rowan said quickly enough Darius knew she’d been aware. Most likely it hadn’t been the first time in the Vessel’s life where others had tried to keep her out of the way, ignorant of whatever silliness they would try to get away with outside her notice.

  “I should go to the door to relay this information,” Darius said. “David is still on overwatch and the two of you most assuredly can defend yourselves just fine should something happen.” He wanted to keep himself between Hugo Procella and Genevieve as often as possible.

  “You’re no messenger,” Genevieve said, affront in her tone that he could think such a thing of himself.

  It filled in some ragged, empty canyon in his soul that she understood his power. Was proud of it.

  “But, I am a being they can’t dream of touching.” He loosed the hold he kept on his power slightly. Just a little bit to underline what he was.

  “They’ll regret it should they try. And not just because of what the Trick would do. All right. Rowan will coordinate the place and you’ll give them the message and then we will leave and go eat something.”

  Two minutes later he got out of the car and reached in to clear the windows once again so they could watch what was going on. Genevieve liked to know what was happening, he had come to realize.

  By the time he’d reached the top step, he’d unleashed more of his power, letting his eyes go black. They’d most likely pass out if he showed them his true form with no filter at all so he—reluctantly—kept it low enough to make a point but not outright injure any of them.

  He noted the woman in the navy blue suit stood there just behind Hugo Procella. The two uniformed staff to either side were not the same butlers as before, rather they’d been replaced with beefy security guards. Darius made a point to look directly at the holstered handgun each wore—bullets would do nothing but anger him—and then back to Procella.

  Procella couldn’t retain eye contact with Darius for longer than two seconds. Lucky for him because Darius didn’t like this witch at all and would take any excuse he could to leave him bleeding.

  “Where is Genevieve?” Procella asked, looking around Darius’s body and making an annoyed sound when he saw they were still in the car. “I should like for her to speak to me herself.”

  As if this creature was worthy of Genevieve’s attention. “Your preferences are irrelevant,” Darius said and without missing a beat, he continued. “If you wish to take Ms. Aubert’s time for another meeting your office will need to contact hers. Ms. Aubert will decide the place. Ms. Summerwaite will be attending. There will be no repeat of your earlier behavior.” None of those sentences were questions or requests. Darius told him what would happen and then he waited for their reply. Letting them see, letting them feel the sharpest edge of the energy within him. He drew away their fear, the taste of it crisp and spicy. He could continue to stand there for hours and never weaken the slightest. This was Devil ground. All the life energy within its boundaries could be tapped into. Especially now that Genevieve was their priestess and her magic had turned the taps on full.

  These witches thought to hold themselves above other paranormals when their very existence could be erased by him and the rest of the Trick in a finger snap. They needed to understand their place in the scheme of things.

  The security guards were big, but Darius was eternal. His magic was bigger than their brains could even grasp, and because of his connection to Genevieve, it was even greater. More potent. Easier to call and quicker to replenish.

  He let them see that in his gaze and when he drew back a little, noting the beads of sweat on their foreheads, the tang of their panic on his tongue, Darius knew they’d understood the message.

  They had no further comment because they were terrified.

  Darius turned his back and stalked to the car.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rowan had only walked into her office when a call from Nadir came through.

  “Again, I appreciate the time you gave me to address this monumental cockup,” Nadir said right away.

  “We don’t need to be at war over this if it’s handled correctly. But we’ll need to speak about some healthy boundaries after we’re done.”

  “I’ve called a meeting with all the Scions. As you know, Clive and Paola are at daytime rest, so we’ll have it shortly after sunset in your time zone. Andros is attempting to meet with some of the Vampires responsible for this. They’ve decided to run. We both know that’s a vain attempt on their part,” Nadir told her. “I’ve spoken with your father. He’s...unsettled by this and bids you not to think ill of him because of the actions of others. They will be handled. I say that on my own and also delivering his words to you.”

  How the fuck was Theo going to be unsettled by shit he set in motion to start with? He was intimately familiar with the stuff Vampires did. He’d done it all at least three times himself at some point or another.

  No. She wasn’t going back to that place she’d been the night before.

  “Well. I hear your words,” Rowan said at last.

  “Will you continue to hold off on irrevocable action as we contain and eliminate the problem?” Nadir asked.

  “Irrevocable as in I can’t kill anyone true dead?”

  “Rowan.”

  Why was everyone doing that lately? Just saying her name like that instead of a lengthier reply?

  “Here’s what I’ll say,” Rowan began. “Hunter Corp. has already dealt with our response to this. If any of these Vampires moves toward anyone under our protection, we will act immediately and irrevocably, as you say. None of us are in Andros’s league, but we know who these Vampires are and more importantly, where they are. They can run, but not forever. If the Nation addresses these individuals as they should be handled, we will have no need to move independently.”

  “In other words, please don’t kill anyone because I have it handled and you know very well I do not lie,” Nadir said, slightly exasperated, and Rowan didn’t care because this whole thing was totally exasperating for her so they could suffer too.

  “All right. I’ll await your contact after the Scion meeting,” Rowan said and disconnected.

  David cruised in with someone else at his side.

  “Vihan,” Rowan said, standing and holding her hand out to clasp his. “David said you’d be arriving this week. What a time, huh? Bet you’re wondering why you thought leaving England to come here would be such a fun idea.”

  He wore an outfit that was a version of the one David had on. Suit trousers, nice shirt. No tie but she’d lay odds it was in his office with the suit jacket so he could jazz himself up when necessary. Though, he didn’t need much help because Vihan was a version of David. Handsome. Stylish in a classic sense but with an edge. In Vihan’s case it was the French blue color of the shirt, which warmed his brown skin and highlighted lush dark brown hair, and the trendy shoes.

  “I probably shouldn’t admit a bit of excitement only makes me more pleased I made the choice,” Vihan said.

  “We got him settled at his town house,” David explained. “He’s only across a courtyard from Vanessa.”

  Ah. That was a secure complex. Rowan knew because she’d seen to it herself when Vanessa had wanted to move in there. It had been warded, and the town houses would be wired with a top-of-the-line security system that included bells and whistles when it came to dealing with threats of a paranormal nature.

  It was close enough to Rowan’s house and the chapterhouse that someone could be there within minutes if necessary.

  “I made the arrangements with Alice regarding Fleur. Ms. Aubert just went into a call with Samaya,” David said as he and Vihan stepped inside and closed the door.

  Rowan sighed heavily. “Just tell me.”

  David nudged Vihan to a chair and then crossed to open Rowan’s door at a knock.

  “Am I interrupting?” Genevieve asked.

  “You’re right on time, as it happens,” David told her. “Come inside. You’re going to want to hear this.”

  Rowan wanted to hide under her desk from whatever was coming next.

  Vihan said, “One of my specialties is data. Gathering. Application. I’m working with Vanessa on future probability as well. I started this project three weeks ago when I was hired here. We looked at missing persons. Originally it was connected to the witches who’d been kidnapped, but we factored in others like Vampires and humans due to the Blood Front connection. Especially after Rowan brought that possible connection to our attention when she was in Long Beach a few days ago. The result of our enhanced search filters is that we’re seeing a spike in missing persons cases for humans associated with magic users.”

  Rowan waited, knowing he’d tell her what the connection was.

  Vihan looked to David, who gave an encouraging nod. “Skip the next few steps and just tell her the end point,” David told him.

  “They’re all residents of cities or suburbs around those cities with high paranormal populations. Specifically, Vampires and Conclave witches. Seattle, Southern California, Portland, Oregon, New York City, and Nashville have the highest numbers of missing.”

  David interjected. “Not so much cities that had high populations but rather those weighted with only one main paranormal group. Chicago has been largely unaffected and we know they’re dominated by shifters and witches. Same with New Orleans being so dominated by magical practitioners.” There were Vampires in the city, but there were far higher numbers of witches of all disciplines and shifters.

  “All in the United States?” Rowan asked.

  “The data was limited to the U.S. at first, but soon enough I started to see patterns and I needed to enlarge my data pool. Numbers are collected differently in various locations so it’s taken me a bit to get the filters right. It’s still very heavily weighted to North and South America with similar missing in Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. But there’s a spike in London and another in Krakow I’m looking at. I’ll know more in a day or two,” Vihan told them.

  “If we had some access to the Conclave records we’d be able to refine this all tighter. We’ve got some access into the Nation,” David looked to Rowan quickly, “so we’re able to add that to our information. But the Conclave records are a lot harder to access.” He didn’t bother hiding they were hacking in. Rowan had told him not to bother. They’d get the information however they needed to. If they asked and were stonewalled, they’d simply find their own way. It made things easier to be up-front with Genevieve and ask first.