“Radu, you attended the Báthory Summit two years ago,” Kezia said. “Tatyana should go this time.”
The vampire summit drew leaders from all over the region, which meant a rich opportunity for collaboration and an equal opportunity for sabotage and insurgence in volatile immortal territories.
Because of that, it was Poshani tradition for only two of the three terrin to attend. Kezia always hosted events since it was in her home city, but Tatyana had never attended.
Radu raised an eyebrow. “You think Tatyana should go to Budapest and meet with Oleg?”
Kezia pursed her lips. “You think she should not?”
Tatyana plastered a neutral expression on her face before she spoke. “It makes the most sense, brother. If I do not attend this year, it may appear that I am avoiding public events.”
“It will look like she’s avoiding Oleg,” Kezia said. “And no Poshani terrin bows to the Russian.”
It was a challenge, and Tatyana accepted it gladly. “She’s correct. I don’t want anyone to think I am afraid of Oleg Sokolov or anyone under his aegis. I will go in your place.”
Radu frowned. “Do you have time?”
“I will make the time.” She glanced at Kezia. “I assume there will be room in your castle for my people?”
“Of course,” Kezia said. “And don’t worry, brother.” She smiled a little bit. “Tanya and I may bicker in private, but we will present a united front in Budapest, have no fear.”
Tatyana did not doubt it. While all three of them could get heated when they met alone, in public, they stood together, and Kezia was Tatyana’s fiercest defender in social situations that often rendered the younger vampire leader unbalanced.
She had not anticipated how much of leadership was theater. In addition to a rigorous schedule of business meetings, there were constant events.
Parties. Receptions. Dances. Art openings and social events that bore the face of society frivolity but were actually where the real negotiations for power went forward.
Unity among the three-headed leadership of the Poshani was vital.
After the tumult of Vano’s betrayal and the public wounds to clan governance, unity of the terrin was a must if they wanted to retain the trust of the Poshani people, both human and vampire.
“All that aside,” Kezia continued, “right now I have people who need to be paid and merchandise sitting on trucks with nowhere to go if we’re cutting Ivan out.” She threw up her hands. “Are you two going to give me the funds?”
Tatyana closed her folder. She’d included alternate vendors Kezia could contact, but her Poshani sister hated reading business reports and dealing with any business with numbers involved. If Kezia’s assistant Lisa had been available for this meeting, it would have gone much differently.
“There will be time to negotiate contracts at the summit,” Tatyana said. “I agree with Radu. It’s less than a month away. Until then?—”
“What do I do with the damn truckloads of…” Kezia flipped through her papers. “Microprocessors, whatever those are.”
Radu held up a finger. “Perhaps Arturo can meet tomorrow with Lisa and Darek. This sounds like a matter where human insight might benefit our bottom line.” Radu looked in the camera, and Tatyana absorbed the message he was trying to send.
“That’s fine,” Tatyana said. “You’re right, brother. We’ll leave the electronic markets to the humans. I’m sure Darek will have insights I haven’t considered.”
Her assistant would have exactly the insights that Tatyana supplied him with, but bumping the current problem down to human assistants was a smooth way to take this matter off Kezia’s plate and put it on Lisa’s.
Because Lisa didnothate details.
“Besides the economic problems with Ivan, things in the Kievan Rus are somewhat volatile at the moment,” Radu said. “We don’t need to insert ourselves into a situation that might prove tricky if powers shift.”
Tatyana remained silent as Kezia perked up. As much as her sister hated accounting, sheadoredrumors and twisted immortal politics.
“You think Ivan would challenge Oleg?” Kezia asked.
Radu shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know. I think someone is trying to make trouble, and it could be directed at Oleg with Ivan in the cross fire. We all know that Arosh chafes against Oleg sitting on his western border.”
Kezia pursed her lips. “Arosh has been cozy with Alina in Georgia for some time. If they cut Oleg off from his Black Sea ports, they would neuter him.”
“It wouldn’t work,” Tatyana said quietly.
