Sharkbait

It took me twenty minutes to lay everything out up to the point of meeting Emily in Dallas. Cyprian called in Cornelia to take notes, and two other vampires listened from chairs along the wall. “I trust Emily more than Alexander,” I said. “Her motivation makes sense. If they are holding the two and it gets out, she knows your Council will destroy her Coven. By coming forward to me, then to you, she hopes to escape the punishment coming without betraying her Master.”

Cyprian leaned back in his chair. “She betrayed him to you,” he said.

“Least evil of the options,” I said. “When we arrived, you called the Chairman of the Werewolf Council before you even asked why we were here. If Emily had arrived unannounced, would you have called Master Alexander before asking why?” He thought about it, then nodded. “She couldn’t come here, and she couldn’t contact you directly.”

“And she stands to gain power and money if she is right,” he said.

“If she is right, then she is averting a war between our kind,” I said. “The Packs will not tolerate werewolves being kept captive as blood banks. It doesn’t matter if they are rogues; the female is PREGNANT. All Pack werewolves will understand the threat if this stands. We have a chance to head that off and keep the peace that has lasted over a century.”

“Thoughts?” Cyprian looked to his advisers, neither of whom he’d introduced when they arrived.

“If her information is correct, we MUST act quickly,” the first one said. “The treaty is between species and requires the Councils to control their kind. A war between us in this age of technology is unthinkable. We must crush the idea of gaining power this way before it spreads.”

“By offering her neck, Vicki tempts other Masters to seek out Werewolf blood to maintain their positions. It is the equivalent of an arms race among our kind, one that cannot end well. Master Alexander has Mantled Alpha blood in his system; he will be a difficult target to take down.” He looked at the ground. “Even for you, My Lord.”

“Cornelia?”

“Master Corvinus wants your position, and will stop at nothing to get it,” she said. “At the first hint that his secret is out, he will kill the pair and hide the evidence. The blood he will hide until he needs it.”

“I need more than suspicions and secondhand reports to justify removing him and his Coven,” Cyprian said.

“Emily placed a recorder in Alexander’s office,” I said. “She provided me with recordings. You may not believe me, but perhaps you will believe his own words.” I handed over the memory chip; Adrienne had already copied them and listened to them, but I had not. “Anything I should tell them about the recordings Emily gave us?”

“They are in chronological order, and she’s edited them well,” Adrienne replied.

One of the men put the chip into a tablet and started to play the recordings. My eyes got wide as I listened in; I was shocked that he would be so cavalier about his acts. When the vampire finished playing the recordings, I expected to see Cyprian showing anger or disgust. Indifference was not what I expected. “I see,” he said. “What do you expect from me, pup?”

I bristled at the insult but kept my wolf down. “I expect the Vampire Council to do what the Werewolf Council would do if we heard a Pack was holding Vampires captive. I expect you to free the pair and punish those who broke your laws.”

He didn’t react to that. “And how does this desire of you benefit me?”

I had to spell this out? The Supreme Vampire was centuries old! “I just brought you evidence of wrongdoing, acts that could result in a species war reigniting, and you’re worried about what YOU get out of the deal?”

“Exactly,” he said. Instead of continuing, he got up and looked out the window overlooking the gardens. “You brought me proof that Master Corvinus violated our law and is hiding it from the Council. Your problem is with HIM, not with me. I shouldn’t get in the middle of a lover’s quarrel.”

My anger was building as I stood. “That Master is going to use his blood bank to strengthen himself. He is coming for YOU, Master Pontalba! My warning should be enough for you to act, even if YOUR SELF-INTEREST IS NOT!” I wanted to wrap him up and choke some sense into him.

He just stared at me, unemotional, his eyebrow going up as my anger burned out. I was deflated and embarrassed when I realized what he had done. Cyprian had goaded me like a child, and I had proven my immaturity and lack of self-control. I sat down again, using my breathing exercises to calm myself.

He laughed at me. “You’re glorious in your passion, young Vicki. It is no wonder Alexander desires to add you to his collection of beautiful things.”

The thought of Alexander controlling me made me shiver. “I’m glad I can provide you with some amusement,” I said snippily.

“You could persuade even me to take a walk on the wild side, even though I find your species to be crude and overly emotional. Still, I bet you’ll be a hellcat in the sack once someone manages to pry those thighs apart.”

I wanted to smack the shit out of him, but that would just prove his point. “I prefer my lovers to have a pulse and a soul,” I said as I stood again. “I see I am wasting my time. Thank you for listening to me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have important business with people who can get off their asses and do something.” I turned around and began to walk towards the door.

“Wait,” he said as I reached for the handle. I stopped but didn’t turn back. “I never said I wouldn’t help.”

I turned around with my hands on my hips. “You refused to act, so why should I continue this conversation any further?”

“Please, sit.” Cyprian motioned towards a love seat near the door. I sat, and he took the spot next to me. “Ask your Aunt to come in, please. I know she’s been listening via the link.”

“All right.” I let out a giggle a few seconds later.

“What is so funny,” he asked.

“She told me I graduated from the Leo Volkov School of Diplomacy. I told her that school didn’t exist, and her reply was ‘Exactly.’”

Luna Adrienne picked that moment to walk in and took the seat that Cyprian indicated. “Luna, I asked you to be here so you can confirm what I’m about to tell your niece.” He looked over to the others, then back to me. “The Vampire Council is a ruling body, but my authority over individual Covens is quite limited. You brought me evidence, but I cannot arrest or execute another Master on my own.”

“What is your process?”

“It would start with me calling for a meeting of the full Council. I would provide the Masters with the equivalent of an indictment, specifying the charges and laying out the evidence against him. The Council would meet here three days later. Master Corvinus would have the opportunity to defend himself, including cross-examining witnesses and introducing exculpatory evidence. Eventually, the Masters would vote. If found guilty, Master Corvinus would face execution.”

“Sounds good to me,” I said.

“It doesn’t work for Traci and Timothy,” Adrienne said.

“Exactly,” Cyprian said. “Within minutes of me calling for the conference, the pair would be dead and buried. I can’t send my vampires onto another Master’s territory without their permission. The ONLY exception to this is during a time of open warfare between vampires and another species.”

I didn’t see how any of this meant him helping us. “So you can bring Master Corvinus to judgment after he’s had the time to kill two werewolves and hide the evidence,” I said.

“Unless,” Adrienne said as she picked up where he was going.

It finally hit me. “Unless the Werewolves start a war.”

He smiled and sat back, pleased that I put it together so quickly. “And that attack on Vampire territory has to wait until my people are close enough to intervene and restore order after the prisoner rescue.”

“I have already begun to gather warriors from eight Packs to storm the building where the pair is captive,” Adrienne said. “It was my backup plan in case you didn’t help. They will be assembled by six in the morning, just outside the Boston city limits.”

Cyprian nodded approvingly. “A wise plan. My private jet is ready, and we should go now if we are to make Boston by seven.”