“He must be very brave to serve at your side. I expected nothing less. How is my Scion?”

  Wary, Rowan chose an answer he wouldn’t consider rude while she tried to figure out what he wanted.

  “He is a very fine husband. He buys me more sparkles and baubles than I could possibly use. And weapons. I can and do use those regularly.”

  Not a lie.

  She hadn’t expected marriage at all. Much less to a Vampire. An ancient. A fucking Scion, for goddess’ sake! But as she’d come to figure out in the years since they’d met, love didn’t work on any schedule but its own.

  She hadn’t planned to love Clive Stewart. But she did. Each day he gave her more reasons. The infuriatingly attentive Vampire knew what she needed before she did sometimes. It was alarming even as it thrilled her to be in his attention.

  “His territory appears to be lawless.”

  Rowan drew a careful breath. There was no way she’d let Theo go down any road that ended with him believing Clive wasn’t doing his job.

  “Like Europe? Like Asia, Russia, and Africa like these lords of yours? In your own Keep I was nearly murdered during a Joint Tribunal. Twice. What I can see, being a person uniquely qualified to see such things, is that Clive Stewart, Scion of North America, in the handful of years he’s been here after Jacques drove this land and her people into the ground, has addressed the rot he’s found. He was given a task most would fail within the first week. And here he is years later, bringing the Nation a steady flow of profit. He may be a Vampire, but he is an excellent husband and an even more excellent Scion.”

  He was quiet as he looked at her intently. She allowed it, giving him only what she wanted him to see. Clive wasn’t just important to her, he was everything. She would screw up her courage and push back against her father if it meant Clive was protected.

  “All right. Did Nadir tell you we were letting our guests get used to their new surroundings before we had a conversation with them?”

  Theo’s we was the royal type.

  “She mentioned Andros letting them stew a little. I can’t imagine it’s very pleasant below. However, I’d very much like to know just what it is they’re up to.”

  “Power, I’d suppose. But Andros is a conscientious worker and tells me discussions will begin tonight.”

  “I’ve looked at these Vampires and their holdings. Given who they are, they’ve reached the pinnacle of their station. Offending me does nothing for them. What do they gain by entering the process and derailing it the way they have? What is their goal? It’s not as if I am unaware of what Vampires get up to. Even the greediest and stupid have some sort of end goal. So. What is it? It can’t be to mess with the Hunter. Big deal. They all do. And as you know, I will still hire who I need to. If these lords can’t imagine why, that’s your problem and I’d be concerned about Vampires in any way beholden to your prisoners.”

  “I am certain they will imagine why once they have been spoken with.”

  The light in Theo’s eyes was a dangerous one. Full of violence and retribution. Rowan was simply glad none of it was aimed at her. Or Clive. If she had to throw these douchelords at Theo to keep his attention off those Rowan loved, so be it.

  Truth was, Rowan had empathy. And sympathy. But she didn’t waste it on those who didn’t deserve it. These lords made their own mess, and she would not intervene to help them out of it. They lived in a very hard world.

  For thousands of years Theo had operated under the type of control unimaginable to nearly every being on the planet. There were times he was lost to the past. Times when the years of his life had blurred the present, confused him, left him scared and angry and he reacted—usually murderously.

  “I only wanted to play a game with you,” he confessed at last.

  This glimpse of his...contrition was terrifyingly arresting. Tears stung the back of her eyes and she let Brigid soothe that anxiety so she could get herself back on track.

  She couldn’t allow this sort of thing, or he’d try it again. Rowan had enough trouble to manage as it was. “By letting these Vampires dress up as lords.”

  “I knew you would see how ridiculous they were. I wanted you to laugh. But they threatened you. They took our game, and they ruined it.”

  So fucking glad she was across the world instead of chained in a cell beneath his feet, Rowan breathed through the stinging nettles of his upset. An ocean between them, along with half of two continents, and she could still feel it.

  Rowan hoped it was a remnant of the blood bond she’d had with him as a child. Because if he was powerful enough to manifest physical responses at such a distance, Theo was gaining in strength.

  When he spoke again, it was in the old dialect. Their original Vampiric language. “My Voice advised me not to allow these lords into the process. She did see my humor, but she had concerns they might step out of the box they’d been placed in.”

  This language helped her maintain control. English was her emotional language. This one she only spoke rarely and in ceremonial situations. That formality gave her some space between the words and her feelings.

  “The problem with fools is they act foolish.”

  He wanted to play more than he wanted to think. Sometimes he was more like a toddler than an ancient predator.

  “I have made mistakes, Petal. So many they plague my waking moments. When you allowed me to be in your life again, I made a vow to myself that I would not be careless with you as I had been. These lords... I was careless.”

  “You were.”

  Surprise registered on his features a moment and then he sent her a cheeky grin. “There’s the little Hunter all my Vampires quake in fear of.”

  He really was spoiled. That was the absolutely nicest thing she could have said other than nothing at all.

  “They wouldn’t have to if they’d stop acting up and threatening Hunters. I will be most interested in what their motivations were because frankly, what could they be that they would risk exactly the outcome they’re experiencing?”

  “Can I trust my Scions?”

  Oh shit.

  “In what capacity do you wish my answer?” she asked with a calm she did not feel.

  “Tell me as a Hunter.”

  She took a deep breath. “You can trust Clive. And as annoying as he is, Warren is loyal. I saw it myself when we worked together. Paola’s territory is full of old powers, and she does not make waves. She does not grasp for things outside her reach. I have seen her loyalty to you and the Nation on multiple occasions.”

  Though she’d just touched on the Scions of North and South America and Europe, the other two Scions she wasn’t entirely sure of. Nor did she want to start some bloodbath because her dad got pissed and acted before thinking.

  “And the other two?” When he wasn’t on the verge of violence, he was very sharp.

  “To be absolutely clear, I have no evidence that the other two are not loyal to you. My concerns as a Hunter are that they allowed the powerful ancients in their territories access to your internal political process and when it went off the rails, they did not react as quickly as I’d have preferred. That does not mean they have done anything wrong,” she repeated. “Both have served you for centuries. Were I in your place, I would give weight to that.”

  “And how would you deal with them sending these Vampires my way to start with?”

  Frustrated, she only barely withheld a snarl. “You allowed them into the process, vater. You. And yes, you saw immediately they were shallow and silly, and I’d laugh. But they inserted themselves into a process and proceeded to offend you. That is the issue here. I would want to know if Tahar and Takahiro simply opened the way between their people and their leader—which is a normal thing—or if they sent Vampires to you to cause a problem. One is understandable. It’s how things work in your world. Scions are the conduit between their Vampires and the First. They don’t have to like the Vampire they send your way. Or even agree with them. Conversely, being deliberately provocative? Well, that’s reckless. I’d want to know why.”

  She hoped that was enough to keep Theo wanting to talk to Tahar and Takahiro instead of executing them. She wanted answers too. And, she didn’t actually loathe either Scion. Killing a Scion would be hugely destabilizing in an already chaotic time.

  Star wandered in; clearly Rowan had been forgiven whatever sins the dog had been annoyed by. She gave a sharp, pleased bark at the screen, placing her front paws on Rowan’s unhurt thigh to look at Theo better.

  He caught sight of Star and an altogether different smile showed up. A younger Theo. Pleased with a dog.

  Rowan tucked it away. Knowing at some point she’d be mad or sad about his bullshittery and the memory of that expression would get her through the moment.

  He spoke to Star in an old language. Long dead. Rowan could only pick up a few words here and there. Theo praised her and then...told Star to watch and protect. Maybe defend?

  Whatever it was, Star seemed to understand. She yipped and then licked Rowan’s nose in a sneak attack that had her laughing.

  They spoke a little longer before she was able to break the call and face the rest of her day. In the light.

  Chapter Nineteen

  When they arrived at the Motherhouse, the parking lot was full of familiar motorcycles and on those motorcycles usually sat Dust Devils. None of whom seemed to be around.

  “They’re here to help Bastien with some sort of installation of plants in the lobby,” David said.

  Bastien was a green witch, and Lorraine’s son. “Oh. Makes sense. It did seem like a lot of them just for Genevieve.” She indicated the bike bearing intricate metalwork. “Marco’s on-site.”

  David blushed and fought a smile.

  “Yeah?” she asked him before they went inside. “I thought there was something in the way he was around you.”

  Plus, Marco had saved David’s life at the Procella mansion. It was really fucking sexy to have someone save your life when you were into them on a sexytimes-way level. She and Clive had experienced some of the hottest sex they’d ever had right after one had saved the other’s life.

  “Things went nowhere with whatsherface? The archivist?” He’d been flirting hard-core with the witch who headed up the Conclave archives. He’d described her with terms like brilliant and witty. Busy, busy man. Rowan liked that he was paying attention to other parts of his life besides work. He deserved romance.

  Then a wave of uncertainty hit. Should she add something to indicate she wasn’t judging? Goddess. She didn’t know how to be the sort of friend you chatted about romance with, but more than that, she was so...proud he’d want to share with her.

  David caught her hesitation and reached out, touching her arm. Just a brief brush of his hand. Enough to say he understood the unspoken and things were fine.

  “She and I have a date for drinks next week. She’s coming to Las Vegas for work of some sort. Marco is...well, unexpected. But I find I rather like him.”

  “You’re young, you have a great job, you’re gorgeous and intelligent, and you always know exactly which bagel from the dozen I’m going to want first. Although that’s not really relevant to you and your very exciting romantic life. Go, you,” she told him.

  “It is very exciting, I must admit.” His expression was so adorable she wanted to pinch his damned cheeks. Instead, she let him open the door for her as they entered the lobby.

  They had originally considered leasing space on the first floor to various businesses but had decided to use that space as an atrium with plants and water features that would pump the place full of not only cleaner air, but soothing sounds and green magic. It would be a spot they could find peace in. Even if only for minutes.

  There were three Devils with Bastien, helping with bags of soil and setting up all the machinery for the various components of the overall space.

  “You can certainly feel the magic here,” David said. “And yet, it still feels like our place.”

  Rowan had been fervently hoping that would be the case. It had been her idea to bring in witches and Vampires to create a few special Hunter teams. She’d been the one to ruffle the feathers of the Vampire Nation as well as the Conclave. Not every idea worked out. Most didn’t. But it was gratifying to see the results of her choices. Of the risks she’d taken to open their doors wider.

  Malin waved them over to the reception desk, handing David a stack of things before they went up to the secure floors that made up the heart of the Hunter Corporation’s Motherhouse in North America.

  There was a guard stationed at the elevator and then beyond him two different types of biometric scans. If the person attempting entry by that point was an imposter, an alarm would go off, locking that security point with the person inside until they could be identified or removed.

  Beyond that were the stairwells and the elevators to the floors holding their workspaces, some dormitory-styled bedrooms, a kitchen and lounge, a library, archive, and the most secure space in the building, the weapons locker.

  “This feels like an action movie sometimes,” David said as they passed through the main doors to the floor where Rowan and David’s offices were. Just a few weeks before they’d just been getting it furnished. And now it hummed with activity. All sorts of various trainings appeared to be in progress. Young fresh faces and no small number of wary gazes made up the group.

  “You chose well,” David told her in an undertone as they headed into her office.

  It was a good mix. One needed the other. It was so easy to forget there was a reason they did what they did. And all that excitement could get you killed if you didn’t think twice. She hoped the combo would create a sense of family.

  Hunter Corp. had to face and deal with all manner of threats to humanity. It was more than a place you showed up to every day to punch a timecard. As such, Rowan had learned over her time as a Hunter just what support was so desperately needed in the field.

  She wanted them to have an unshakeable certainty they had many fellow Hunters who would always have their back. They need not face those monsters in the dark alone.

  Once, Rowan had imagined she could do it herself. She’d been wrong. And beat to shit all the time. At least now when she got beat to shit, there were many who showed up to help her heal. It still made her nervous sometimes. She liked to feel like she was a solitary individual. A loner who needed no one. And for years and years it had felt close to true.

  She looked up from the stack of mail he’d put on her desk to him.

  It hadn’t been true. Now that she’d accepted these people who’d shown up for her time and again, she’d accepted it had been loneliness that had driven her to that point. Now her life was full of creatures who chose her. It was a gift.

  One she wanted the others working for Hunter Corp. to have as well.

  “First let me procure you some coffee,” David said, “and then we can go over everything that’s come in.”

  She didn’t argue with that.

  Especially when she had to sift through reports on the various searches they’d done in the prior days.

  “I recognize some of these Vampires in the photos we took from Elmer’s house. A few of Jacques.” She held it up toward David. “Purple velvet low-rise bell-bottomed trousers with a matching vest. He even had those wide sideburns.” It made her want to comb through photos of Clive to see what he looked like in the seventies. Her mother-in-law would have some, Rowan bet.

  There were some photos that had Aron in them. Taken in the thirties through when he left Elmer’s line. “Goddess he was young.” She touched the earliest image. “Elmer is such a fucking creep.”

  “It seems so,” David said.

  “I’ll show these to Clive, get him to identify the others,” she said, setting the stack aside to look over the list of what they’d pulled from the thumb drives and data cards they’d taken from the Procella mansion and the Gloat Palace.

  David rose. “I’ve got a number of meetings ahead of me. Vanessa is available if you want to speak with her regarding any of this.”

  “Great. I’ll probably pop over to see her just to say thanks and to see if there are any updates on the list Vihan was building with her.”

  Vihan had arrived in Vegas two weeks prior and had already become integral to their little ragtag crew of Hunters. It was good that David had his own valet. The job of taking Hunter Corp. into the future was a big one with many moving parts.

  “I have that information,” David said, pausing at the doorway.

  Rowan waved a hand at him. “Go do your whatever it was you need to do. I can walk my ass over there.”

  And when she tapped on the open doorjamb of the tech playground, Vanessa turned her head and when she saw it was Rowan her smile, goddess, it was pleased.

  She should have done this more, Rowan realized.

  “Hi there. Do you have a moment? I wanted to talk about the list of missing from the various cities we’d identified two weeks ago.”

  “I do. Come in.”

  Vanessa pointed at a rolling stool that Rowan deposited herself on and glided over to the desk full of monitors the purple-haired woman sat at.

  “Okay, so.” Vanessa made a few mouse clicks and typed some stuff. The data that had been on the screens disappeared and new information popped up. “Originally, we realized the concentration of cities. Seattle, Portland, Southern California, New York City and Nashville. Highest numbers per capita of disappeared is Southern California followed by Seattle.”

  Rowan leaned in, looking at name after name. Address after address.

  Then she paused. “Wait.” Rowan pointed. “Scroll back a few screens.”

  Vanessa did as asked, pausing each page to let Rowan read through, and then found it. An address on Holly Drive.