Zaena looked at Karl. The best chance of killing them would have been the moment they exited his car. Karl’s vest wouldn’t save him from a sniper rifle shot to the head. She wasn’t sure her air shield would. Her armor’s deployment was fast but not instant, and the DIA agents understood her capabilities better than most humans she would battle.

  “You’re not going to tell us what this is about?” Karl asked. He gestured at Zaena. “She told you a lot of things she didn’t have to because she was trying to build a bridge. We need you to work toward that, too.”

  “We’re under orders to keep our mouths shut,” the agent replied. “I know it’s annoying, so I’ll be straight with you. It’s kind of a test. That’s all I can say.”

  “Then don’t do anything stupid. You’ll regret it.” Karl gave Zaena a nod.

  Smiling, Agent Lyle replied, “I’m not going to be the one to piss off an elven princess who took out an entire building filled with heavily armed men, magical statues and monsters, and another elf. I’ll leave that for some other idiot agent in the future.”

  “I’m glad you have the appropriate perspective on this matter,” Zaena told him cheerfully. She didn’t mind an alliance forged of a healthy mixture of fear and respect.

  They got into the back of the government sedan. Agent Waves sat in the front passenger seat. He offered them a friendly smile.

  “Sorry about all this. Sometimes our boss insists on cloak and dagger. I think this would all be better if we could be honest with the public.”

  “Yeah.” Karl chuckled. “Public’s not ready for elves, though.” He glanced at Zaena. “Yet.”

  Agent Lyle slipped into the driver’s seat. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this parking lot under surveillance to make sure no one messes with your car.”

  Karl chuckled. “Why doesn’t that reassure me?”

  “Remember that bridge, Smith.” Agent Lyle pulled away. “We appreciate you agreeing to the meeting. We understand that a lot of this comes off as excessive, but I think you two can appreciate that we’re dealing with something far more sensitive than whatever BS rogue nations are up to this week. We need to make sure no one learns what’s going on.”

  Zaena’s brow lifted. “Does this mean you consider me a greater threat than rogue nations?”

  “No, Princess,” the agent replied with a frown. “Trust me, if the US government wanted to take you out, it’d involve something a lot more spectacular than having George and me pick you up in a mid-range sedan.” He grimaced. “I wasn’t trying to threaten you. I’m just trying to explain things.”

  “It’s fine. I understand your intentions.” Zaena kept her hand on the Ruby of Tarilan. “I look forward to a continued positive relationship with your government. My curiosity about tonight’s meeting has been piqued.”

  Karl chuckled. “That’s one way to put it.”

  He and Zaena kept quiet. Both focused on potential threats or ambushes.

  She doubted the agents intended any harm, but she couldn’t dismiss the possibility that the excessive secrecy was inspired by a credible threat. The public might not know about elves, but they knew about the Crimson Wind. It wasn’t impossible someone had linked her to the DIA.

  No deadly gangsters or crazed terrorists came after them. The drive was short, only ten minutes.

  Zaena was disappointed when they arrived at another parking lot rather than at a building or at least a park. She’d seen spy movies where they met on benches in parks, but the agents never agreed to lovely locales.

  The car slowed and pulled into the lot. Unlike their last meeting place, this lot wasn’t empty.

  She wasn’t surprised when they stopped beside a dark SUV with tinted windows. Government agents might stand out less if they used less ominous and obvious vehicles.

  Agent Lyle looked at the SUV. “Again, I’m sorry for all this.”

  Karl frowned at the SUV. “Who’s in there?”

  “Our boss.” Agent Lyle looked uncomfortable. “Sort of.”

  “Sort of?”

  “You’ll see.” Agent Lyle frowned at the SUV. “Certain people wanted to throw other people off their trail, but Princess Zaena’s little show-and-tell has convinced our boss to have a direct chat.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Karl wasn’t sure what to expect when he and Zaena got into the back of the SUV. Two other agents he didn’t recognize sat up front. Neither bothered to turn around. An open laptop rested on the console between the two front seats.

  Death by PowerPoint?

  The two new agents stepped out of the SUV as Agents Lyle and Waves closed the doors. The laptop screen turned on to reveal a gorgeous dark-haired woman in blue glasses. She sat behind a desk, wearing a cool expression. The last woman he’d met who was that beautiful was Zaena.

  “Good evening,” the woman began in a calm voice. “It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintances. I would have also asked to speak with Miss Kwan, but given some of her past experiences, I didn’t want to intimidate her. I also suspect you two are more responsible for what we’ll call field operations.”

  “That’s all well and good,” Karl replied. “Who the hell are you?”

  “You’re a rude one, aren’t you, Mr. Smith?” Her expression and tone of voice didn’t change.

  “I’ve been called a lot worse. If a conversation doesn’t end with someone shooting me, I figure I’m doing pretty damned good.”

  Zaena narrowed her eyes. “Initiating a conversation when we don’t know who you are is ruder. You already know Karl and me. I’ll ask you to identify yourself.”

  The woman’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t frown or smile. “You make a valid point, Princess Zaena. My name is Selene D’Arcy. I’m an aide to the Secretary of Defense, but most important, I’m currently responsible for managing all matters in the US government involving magical and elf-related occurrences. In other words—”

  “You’re the boss of Lyle and Waves,” Karl interrupted. He wasn’t a master of conversation, but he didn’t want Selene to control the flow of their discussion.

  “Yes,” she replied. “I hope you’re satisfied with speaking with me rather than the Secretary of Defense. In practical terms, it makes more sense to talk to me. For many reasons, we need this matter compartmentalized while providing plausible deniability.”

  “I have no worries about speaking to you, Miss D’Arcy,” Zaena replied. “I presume you have the authority to speak for your government on all matters of immediate concern.”

  Selene looked annoyed but then reverted to her cooler and blander demeanor. “I won’t be negotiating any formal treaties between the government and the elven tribes, but your assessment is correct. I have far more authority than the agents you’ve been dealing with. I’ve been given great latitude to accomplish my mandate.”

  Karl crossed his arms. He didn’t like how things were unfolding. D’Arcy could be anywhere. She didn’t trust them enough to sit down and look them in the eye. She could threaten them without any risk to herself.

  “I should move things along,” Selene commented.

  “That’d be nice,” Karl replied. “You’re the one who ordered us out here in the middle of the night.”

  “Princess, I’m pleased that you felt comfortable enough with my agents to share additional information about your people and your goals. That signals your trust of the US government, and it helped me convince more intransigent parties that my policies and strategies for dealing with you since your appearance have been correct.”

  Karl chuckled. “You’re dealing with assholes who say you should hunt Zaena down?”

  “No,” Selene disagreed. “Everyone recognizes the advantages of a positive relationship with the princess, but the US government is a viper’s nest of factions with different ideologies, motivations, and goals. Those factions are split into even smaller groups that are motivated by their own ambitions and schemes. Although only a small number of people are aware of Princess Zaena’s true nature, there are enough that they’ve been causing headaches, especially since she didn’t cease her activities following the termination of the rogue criminal elf.”

  Zaena frowned. “You object to my patrols? You can’t possibly object to my other efforts. I’ve saved your agents’ lives, and I investigated the UFOs at their request.”

  “If I objected to your activities, Princess, the government would be doing a lot more to shut you down,” Selene replied coolly. “I have my reasons for tolerating the patrols, but I won’t pretend they aren’t keeping you higher profile. That creates problems.”

  “What about my media outreach?”

  “You’re deliberately pacing yourself,” Selene replied. “That’s helpful, but you’d be surprised how quickly people can forget something without reminders.” She raised a hand. “I don’t mean to come off as upset. The important thing is your honesty with my agents and your continued commitment to containing any hostile magical forces that threaten the security of the United States.”

  “I hunt the wicked and the dishonorable,” Zaena replied. “Criminals, whether human or elven, need to receive justice, and I’ll do what I can to deliver it to them.”

  Selene managed a vague approximation of a smile. “Well said, Princess. That attitude suggests a more formal relationship can be established between the US government and at least the Royal Elf faction, unless you want to bring other tribal representatives to the table.”

  “They aren’t interested in that at this time, but I’ll inform those I’m dealing with.”

  Karl frowned. They needed to be careful about how much information they confirmed for the government. Selene already knew Zaena had contact with other nonhostile elves, but that wasn’t the same thing as understanding how closely she was working with them.

  Then again, monitoring the club would help the DIA pick out Vokasin’s past visits. Karl doubted they could identify Lae’yul in her human disguise. No human on Alcatraz had seen her in her Sea Elf form.

  Selene threaded her fingers together with a piercing look. “In the spirit of your honesty, Princess, let me make it clear that I was already aware of the Creeping Azure issue, though I didn’t know its exact nature or name. Your revelations to the agents were most helpful in providing context for your activities.”

  “I see,” Zaena replied.

  “I knew your guys didn’t act surprised enough about some of Zaena’s info,” said Karl.

  “It wasn’t the wrong move to tell the truth,” Selene noted. “As my time is limited today, let me get right to the point.”

  She was a typical government bureaucrat. Her little kingdom and concerns were the most important thing in the world. She needed to remember she was dealing with a princess.

  Karl hated teleconferencing because it was hard to tell who the person on the screen was looking at. Selene’s gaze shifted to the side, but it was subtle.

  “When you finish gathering your entire team for your mission, Princess,” Selene began, “are you going to do your best to convince them to ally their people with the United States?’

  “It’s complicated,” Zaena replied. “I tried to make that clear to your agents—the Royal Elves no longer control the other tribes. They are all independent and make their own decisions. Their internal structures vary, and in some cases, formal alliance with the entire tribe might be difficult. The elves aiding me don’t represent all of their people.”

  Selene frowned. “Thank you again for your honesty. From what I’ve been told, the Night Elves are extinct. I wanted to confirm the accuracy of that information.”

  Zaena tensed and looked away from the screen. “Yes. They’ve been dead for thousands of years.”

  Karl watched her and wondered if she was going to admit the existence of memory gems. Being honest with the government didn’t mean volunteering every last piece of elven lore to them.

  “What happened to the Night Elves?” Selene pressed. “The information you passed along to my agents was notably sparse in that regard. Were they wiped out by the Creeping Azure?”

  “No,” Zaena replied, her voice tight.

  Karl’s jaw clenched. Getting one over on the agents was one thing, but a high-level government flack used to dealing with cabinet members and career intelligence bureaucrats could see BS and withheld information as well as any experienced cop.

  “How specifically did the Night Elves die?” Selene asked with an open frown. “It’s obvious to me that you’re holding something back, Princess. I’m not going to be so cumbersome as to demand you share every secret with me, but I don’t think knowing the fate of a long-dead group is asking too much.” She narrowed her eyes. “What happened to the Night Elves?”

  “You don’t have to tell her crap,” Karl noted.

  “No one has to do anything,” Selene replied, “but everyone has to live with the consequences of their choices. I happen to believe we can have a long and positive relationship. Princess Zaena has repeatedly demonstrated she is a champion against dangerous forces, and I’d hate to have anything damage my belief in that.”

  “I’ll tell you,” Zaena offered.

  Karl frowned.

  “She’s right,” Zaena explained. “The Night Elves are dead. How can knowing their fate harm anything now?”

  “I don’t like being squeezed,” Karl grumbled.

  Selene’s frown faded. “Thank you for your reasonableness, Princess. Please answer the question.”

  “The Night Elves died during a hostile action involving a dangerous magical attack,” Zaena explained. “It backfired.”

  “It backfired enough to destroy their entire race?” Selene’s brow lifted.

  “That is an accurate summary.” Zaena swallowed. “There was some question if any individuals survived, but it’s been thousands of years since that incident. No one has encountered a Night Elf, and no elf has ever lived more than a thousand years.”

  “A thousand years?” Selene looked satisfied. “I see. The agents weren’t told that. Knowing puts certain things in perspective.”

  “Like what?” Karl demanded.

  Selene offered him a pitying look. “You don’t have to look so hostile, Mr. Smith. Simple biological reality posits limits on elf reproduction, absolute numbers, and other such considerations, even before considering the Creeping Azure. I don’t care about that for now.

  “I care about the Night Elves and their history. From what I’m gathering, they were attempting to use the magical equivalent of a WMD, and despite the risks, I believe Princess Zaena’s telling me the truth. That leads me to wonder why she was so reluctant to share this information.”

  Zaena sighed. “I have my reasons.”

  “The Night Elves were waging war on humans, weren’t they?” Selene’s face showed more emotion than she had during the entire conversation.

  Zaena’s breath caught. Karl maintained his stony expression, but any attempt to play it cool was doomed to failure by her panicked look.

  Selene gave a curt nod. “I spent most of my career before my current position as an analyst. I learned that sometimes the best way to find information isn’t to look for what’s there. It’s to look for what’s not there.”

  “You would have made a good cop,” Karl admitted.

  “Thank you, Mr. Smith,” Selene replied. “Princess, one thing that was missing in your discussions with my agents were the details of elven history, including why the royal family no longer controls the other tribes. There was a policy difference about humanity, wasn’t there?”

  “It’s more complicated than that, and I will admit the Night Elves were extremely hostile toward humanity.” Zaena stared out the window. “I’d rather not discuss this further. It was long ago.”

  “Yes, it was, but this is all good to know.”

  “Does this change your opinion of elves?” Zaena asked.

  “It’s not the Bronze Age, Princess. We have guns and nuclear weapons now. You are powerful, yes, but you couldn’t stand up to modern military might. Whatever your family did for us in the past is appreciated, and it seems the Night Elves did us all a favor by taking themselves out.”

  She adjusted her glasses. “You’re right. Worrying too much about the distant past won’t lead anywhere good. It’s not as if the US bases policy in the Middle East on what happened during the reign of the Assyrian Empire. I simply wanted clarification so I have context.”

  “It’s been provided,” Zaena replied in a frosty tone.

  “Then we should move along,” Selene noted, a hint of smugness oozing out before she smoothed her expression. “We should focus on what you do best: suppressing dangerous rogue magical elements.”

  Zaena leaned closer to the screen. “You have information on another elf?”

  “A sensitive situation has arisen,” Selene explained, “and we’d like your assistance in this matter. It’d provide further proof of your commitment to a positive relationship with the US government and humanity at large.”

  “You want a free favor,” Karl suggested. “A magical beat down on an elf.”

  “That’s just it,” Selene replied. “This doesn’t have to do with elves.”

  “It doesn’t?” Zaena asked. She sounded disappointed. “Then why do you need me?”

  “Your unique combination of abilities makes you well-suited for a time-constrained task of the utmost sensitivity. In this case, we need you to take care of some terrorists.”

  Karl frowned. “Why not just throw Special Forces at them?”

  Selene stared straight ahead. “Because these are magically enhanced terrorists.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “I don’t understand,” Zaena replied, her heart pounding. She’d been worried about the government having troubles with elves, but this level of danger would ruin everything. “You’re saying there are elven terrorists? I thought you just said this didn’t involve elves?”

  Selene shook her head. “There was a Navy SEAL squad deployed earlier today to take out a terrorist cell our intelligence tracked to a hijacked cargo ship currently en route to San Francisco. These terrorists were based in France and already had eliminated a French Special Forces team that raided a hideout of theirs a month earlier. We’ve been working closely with the French to take them down because the group has identified high-profile targets in both the US and France.”