“Then where did this army come from?”
“Lavinia, bless her soul, convinced Erik Thorn to join us.”
I wanted to be relieved, and I was. But the loyalty of the four-hundred-man coven had to come at a hefty cost, and I didn’t like to think what Lavinia had to do to win over a sleaze-ball like Thorn. “How is Lavinia?”
“Safe. She’s strong and as cunning as they come. That little vampire is the only worthwhile thing Dr. Sharpe ever did with his long life. She’s wrapped Thorn around her finger with the promise that she’ll become a permanent fixture to the Boston Coven. They need a skilled physician.”
“That can’t be all.”
“It isn’t,” the vampire hedged. “Thorn requests that she replace her master’s old seat on whatever council remains after this war. I suppose he figured you wouldn’t allow him a place in your council, but with Lavinia, he’ll have an ear in royal business with a member of his coven with direct ties to your court.”
“I think it’s a smart move to agree to those terms. Don’t you think?”
Sterling gave a slow and sage nod. “Yes. I figured you’d agree to those terms."
“So with the Cape Cod, Salem, and Boston covens, we have close to five hundred warriors. Will that be enough?”
“It’s hard to say what your father has up his sleeve. Considering Dagon’s power, I would say so. I doubt he could control a force much larger than that. And even if it’s not enough, I believe I uncovered a way to make use of Corry’s blood magic.”
Hope sparkled brightly behind Sterling’s eyes. “It might be the very thing that guarantees our success in this war.”
A new surge of hope coursed through me. “Really?”
“Yes. But I want to wait until Corry’s here to discuss the specifics.”
“Both of you here, in the dreamscape?”
“Your father had the ability to meld two minds to his at the same time. Considering how quickly you’re coming into your power, I suspect you can as well.”
It seemed too good to be true. But I was constantly surprising myself lately, so if Sterling said I could, I was inclined to believe him. “How?”
“Next time you go to sleep, Corry and I will be ready for you. Feel for both our subconsciouses and pull them toward you at the same time. That way, he’ll join us in the dreamscape, and we can discuss the finer details of his powers and how we might be able to leverage them. While we sleep, Eros will see to our incoming forces and ensure they are taken care of.”
“I’ll try.”
Sterling nodded. His demeanor grew stiffer. Colder. I knew what direction the conversation was going before he said another word. “Let’s discuss Feral now.”
Here we go.
“I never doubted you’d make your way back to us, for the record. But I was doubtful that Vincent… I wasn’t so sure he’d make it back in one piece.”
An ache filled my chest. “You thought I might use my father’s darkest magic. The same spell he’s using on Dagon now.”
“Yes. But as angry as I am at him, I’m glad you’ve apparently found another way. He deserves to be punished, but certainly not with the true death. That would be a punishment for us all.”
“Yeah…”
Sterling propped an elbow on the arm of his chair, placing the point of his jaw in his palm as he struck me with an inquisitive look. “So my brother has agreed to bring you back. That means he’s shifted back to his vampire form?”
My palms began to sweat as I tried to figure out a way to tell Sterling. “Not exactly. You’re not going to like this.”
Sterling’s expression shifted, taking on the rare glower. “You’re off to an unfortunate start.”
“It’s the only way I could get him to agree to bring me home.”
“What did you agree to, Ruby?” His tone turned as sharp as jagged glass, making my stomach churn with unease.
“To marry him.”
