“You keep the armory stocked,” Scarlett said, remembering his briefing. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Scarlett.”
“Nice to meet you,” Karina said. “You want to help with this cable? I keep wanting to make everything Bluetooth, but too many things to do lately.”
At Karina’s request, she carefully maneuvered a cable behind the monitor, then passed it back to her so she could connect a laptop.
Julian walked in and let out a surprised, “Oh!” when he saw them. Then he kissed her on the cheek before setting his belongings at the head of the table. Within fifteen minutes, half a dozen vampires had filtered in, some carrying blood bags or stainless-steel coffee cups that smelled suspiciously of blood.
For all that the Shieldsmen once thought of the Blade of Auberon, they would have laughed to see what remained now. Gathered in a dingy conference room were six vampires who looked as if they’d just emerged from the underworld.
The gathering around the table was pitiful; Misha Volkov and Safira Brandt flanked Julian, while Kova and Stella sat on the other side.Leaving a seat between him and Kova was Dominic, who she had not seen since his angry outburst several nights ago.
Julian had a laptop, which he turned to show a map with several dots on it. “Normally I’d ask Olivia to do this but…” He shook his head. “I asked you here to help me go after Armina Voss. She’s got some of our people, and I refuse to give her more time to fuck with them any worse than she already has. Danielle and Paris had their phones for about three hours after the attack. They last pinged near Fort Mill, South Carolina.”
“I bet they went home to Charlotte,” Stella said.
“Why?” Misha asked. “The house was wrecked.”
“It’s got years of magical wards and protections built in. Much easier to repair it than to build something new. She’s going back to a sanctuary,” Stella said.A day’s rest had her appearing slightly healthier, but she still looked like death warmed over. Tangling with magic and a vampire transition had not been kind to her. Her dark hair was streaked with white, and her left eye was now a strange shade of amber, not the chocolate brown of her right.
“Why exactly are you here?” Julian asked. “Speak freely.”
“Kova demanded it,” Stella said, eyes narrowing slightly.
“That’s not what he meant, and you know it,” Safira said, her voice rough. Her throat was marked with slashes and bruises.
Stella’s red eyes met Scarlett’s, then shifted down as she stared at her hands. “She sent me to kill Shoshanna, and I refused.”
Julian let out a derisive snort. “You expect us to believe that you suddenly developed a conscience after what you did to her brother?”
“I didn’t want to hurt people,” Stella said sharply. “I went to her to learn magic, but I still have moral lines.”
Misha shook his head. “You went to Armina Voss expecting anything but evil?”
Her head snapped up. “The Grand Guild wouldn’t take me. What was I supposed to do?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I saw what she was doing with those vampires, and it scared me. When I tried to defy her, she said she’d take my power back.”
“Were you not a witch before?” Misha asked, brows furrowing.
“I was born with power,” Stella said. “But she gives her apprentices special gifts. And she ripped something out of me before I fled. I can’t see magic the way I did before.”
“Why come here instead of running?” Kova asked.
Her red eyes found Scarlett’s. “It was the right thing. And…I felt guilty.” Her eyes widened. “Rhys told me to warn you about the blood. They were taking his blood. I think for the stakes.”
Julian sat back in his chair like his strings had been cut. “Did you say Rhys?”
Stella nodded eagerly. “Nice vampire. Good looking, British accent,” she said.
“He’s alive?” Safira asked.
“He was when I left. I tried to free him, but they were on my tail, and…” Stella sniffled and bowed her head. “I was trying to do a good thing and warn you that they were coming. The wards got to me before I could get all the words out. I’ll help you deal with Armina. She’s dangerous, and she’s just becoming more unhinged.”
“Can you help Shoshanna?” Scarlett asked.
“I don’t know,” Stella said. “My magic is very unstable right now. I might make things worse, but I’m willing to try.”
“Do you know what Armina is planning to do?” Julian asked.
The witch shook her head. “I’m not sure she even has a plan anymore. She’s angry that everything is falling apart. I think she’s just trying to destroy whatever she can get her hands on at this point.”
