platinum bob shone in the moonlight like a halo. As sweet as she looked, an angel she wasn’t.
“Thank you for coming, but you shouldn’t have. We’re all in danger from the Slayer. What were you thinking?”
“I think I can hold my own.”
“She killed William!” I said incredulously.
“He was injured.” Olivia sniffed.
“You can’t possibly think—”
“Relax, Jack. I’m not going to challenge her or anything. I’ll take care to stay out of her way.”
“You understand why you can’t try to kill her, right?”
“Of course.”
“Look, I have to go and talk to her right now. You might as well come along. I don’t want you running into each other in some dark alley before I’ve had a chance to try and talk Connie into giving you a pass—for now.”
“For now?”
“Get in. I’ll explain on the way.”
On the drive to the marina, I caught Olivia up on the hunt for the double-dead vampires and the tenuous truce I had struck with Connie. I also filled her in on my encounter with Eleanor and what she had to say about Diana, Ulrich, Reedrek, and the Council.
“None of that surprises me,” she said, her delicate silver brows knit in concern. “I am worried about the plans that Diana and Ulrich have for you, though.”
“Yeah, me too. Any ideas?”
“Not really. If I had to guess I’d say they’ll probably promise you the moon and the stars to get you to carry out some bit of evil they think will impress the Council. And when you don’t comply they’ll try to kill you as an offering to the old lords.”
I thought about how Reedrek tortured William in an attempt to get his way. By all accounts, Ulrich was even more sadistic than Reedrek was. They might want me dead, but like a cat with a mouse, they’d play with me first. “They won’t kill me quick,” I muttered.
“If I have anything to say about it, they won’t kill you at all. Now, aren’t you glad I’m here to help you?”
I reached across the seat and squeezed her hand. “I really appreciate it, but I don’t want you to put yourself in danger because of me.”
“What are cousins for?” she said, and flashed one of her dazzling smiles. Her sire and mine had both been sired by Reedrek, who was sired by Ulrich.
“Speaking of cousins, have you heard anything from Will?”
Will was Willam and Diana’s son. He and Diana had been turned into vampires long ago by one of Reedrek’s offspring. I hated that little sonofabitch, but William had insisted that his son had come away from the dark side. I’d believe that when I saw it.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from Will. There was some bad blood between him and Donovan, my second in command. I think Will left to give Donovan some time to calm down.”
“So as far as you know, Will doesn’t know William is dead? Or who killed him?”
Olivia winced. “No, and I dread the moment he finds out. It’s so sad! Will had just found his true father after hundreds of years. They were beginning to bond as father and son. You should have seen it, Jack. Will was blossoming under William’s attention. He was truly one of us by the time William left Europe. When Will finds out his father is gone, he’ll be heartbroken, the poor thing.”
“The poor thing?” I ground my fangs to keep from cursing. “If you’d seen that monster rip out my friend Sullivan’s throat you wouldn’t be so concerned about his tender feelings.”
“That was before he changed, Jack. He’s a different vampire, a different man, believe me. I saw the metamorphosis with my own eyes.”
“Bullshit.”
“If you’d only seen him risking his life to save my coven members from that fire. He was horribly burned.”
“And fully healed within days. So what?”
“Don’t forget that he played a crucial role in helping William save Renee.”
“Yeah, after he was in on the plot to kidnap her in the first place,” I said. “You’re a fool if you think he cooperated with you and William for any
“Thank you for coming, but you shouldn’t have. We’re all in danger from the Slayer. What were you thinking?”
“I think I can hold my own.”
“She killed William!” I said incredulously.
“He was injured.” Olivia sniffed.
“You can’t possibly think—”
“Relax, Jack. I’m not going to challenge her or anything. I’ll take care to stay out of her way.”
“You understand why you can’t try to kill her, right?”
“Of course.”
“Look, I have to go and talk to her right now. You might as well come along. I don’t want you running into each other in some dark alley before I’ve had a chance to try and talk Connie into giving you a pass—for now.”
“For now?”
“Get in. I’ll explain on the way.”
On the drive to the marina, I caught Olivia up on the hunt for the double-dead vampires and the tenuous truce I had struck with Connie. I also filled her in on my encounter with Eleanor and what she had to say about Diana, Ulrich, Reedrek, and the Council.
“None of that surprises me,” she said, her delicate silver brows knit in concern. “I am worried about the plans that Diana and Ulrich have for you, though.”
“Yeah, me too. Any ideas?”
“Not really. If I had to guess I’d say they’ll probably promise you the moon and the stars to get you to carry out some bit of evil they think will impress the Council. And when you don’t comply they’ll try to kill you as an offering to the old lords.”
I thought about how Reedrek tortured William in an attempt to get his way. By all accounts, Ulrich was even more sadistic than Reedrek was. They might want me dead, but like a cat with a mouse, they’d play with me first. “They won’t kill me quick,” I muttered.
“If I have anything to say about it, they won’t kill you at all. Now, aren’t you glad I’m here to help you?”
I reached across the seat and squeezed her hand. “I really appreciate it, but I don’t want you to put yourself in danger because of me.”
“What are cousins for?” she said, and flashed one of her dazzling smiles. Her sire and mine had both been sired by Reedrek, who was sired by Ulrich.
“Speaking of cousins, have you heard anything from Will?”
Will was Willam and Diana’s son. He and Diana had been turned into vampires long ago by one of Reedrek’s offspring. I hated that little sonofabitch, but William had insisted that his son had come away from the dark side. I’d believe that when I saw it.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from Will. There was some bad blood between him and Donovan, my second in command. I think Will left to give Donovan some time to calm down.”
“So as far as you know, Will doesn’t know William is dead? Or who killed him?”
Olivia winced. “No, and I dread the moment he finds out. It’s so sad! Will had just found his true father after hundreds of years. They were beginning to bond as father and son. You should have seen it, Jack. Will was blossoming under William’s attention. He was truly one of us by the time William left Europe. When Will finds out his father is gone, he’ll be heartbroken, the poor thing.”
“The poor thing?” I ground my fangs to keep from cursing. “If you’d seen that monster rip out my friend Sullivan’s throat you wouldn’t be so concerned about his tender feelings.”
“That was before he changed, Jack. He’s a different vampire, a different man, believe me. I saw the metamorphosis with my own eyes.”
“Bullshit.”
“If you’d only seen him risking his life to save my coven members from that fire. He was horribly burned.”
“And fully healed within days. So what?”
“Don’t forget that he played a crucial role in helping William save Renee.”
“Yeah, after he was in on the plot to kidnap her in the first place,” I said. “You’re a fool if you think he cooperated with you and William for any
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