“Thank you, Sándor. If I had any doubts at all, I would never have agreed. I know how capable you and your team are.”
Somewhat mollified, Sándor quickly left the room after casting Rumi a look that Tatyana tried not to notice.
The Hazar were the security arm of the Poshani people, consisting of highly trained vampires and humans. Eachhad their own territories and—much like the terrin—they coordinated while operating in semi-independence.
Sándor was originally assigned to the Southern Poshani people under Radu’s aegis, but after Vano’s betrayal, when the rest of the clan realized how many of the Eastern Poshani Hazar had been compromised, much of the Eastern ranks had been dissolved or reassigned. It was Sándor’s job to put them back together.
A relatively young Hazar at only two hundred years, Sándor’s father had been of the Eastern Poshani and his mother of the South. Therefore, he had family ties in both places and was widely respected.
He was curt, blunt, and didn’t speak unless it was necessary. Tatyana had liked him immediately.
Diana watched Sándor leave. “Do you think I’ll be able to get him to wear a suit?”
Rumi snorted, and she didn’t try to hide it.
“I think the Hazar have traditional dress uniforms that they wear at occasions like this,” Tatyana offered. “I’ve seen Kezia’s security in theirs for events. I’m sure that will do.”
Diana sighed. “I suppose so, but he would look so wonderful in a Brioni suit.”
Tatyana had a hard time imagining Sándor in anything but his black tactical uniform, but she had no doubt he would be highly impressive in one of the high-collared, midnight-blue uniforms with embroidered gold details that she’d seen on Kezia’s guard. She wasn’t sure if they still wore the black cape trimmed in grey wolf fur she’d seen in old pictures, but it did look striking.
Sándor himself had an entirely average appearance, which was by design and part of the reason he had been turned as a human. He was of average height for a Poshani man, with an athletic but not bulky build. His hair was brown. His eyes werebrown. If there was a crowd of people and Sándor was walking in the middle of them, the human eye would never land on him.
And that was exactly what the Hazar wanted.
The most dangerous, vicious warriors in their ranks were completely average-looking.
It was far from the ostentatious displays of Arosh’s court, but Tatyana had a feeling that Oleg took much the same attitude with his warriors.
It was all so much more complicated than she wanted to think about.
“Diana is right.” Rumi saw the slight hint of panic that was starting to show through. “It’s good that you’re going to Budapest. You’ll be great, and you know she’s going to make sure you look amazing.”
Diana was nearly jumping out of her skin. “Can I have an increase in the budget for?—”
“I’ll transfer some funds from my personal accounts.” Tatyana didn’t even ask how much. “If you need more, just let Rumi know.”
“Don’t forget,” Rumi added as Diana headed toward the door, “designer clothes are fine for the weekly events, but for the ball on the final night, she must look like a Poshani terrin. I would recommend talking to Kezia’s people for traditional design ideas and to find out which seamstresses would be the best to work with.”
“Of course, of course.” Diana raised a hand and fluttered away, leaving Rumi and Tatyana alone.
She sat behind her desk, and Rumi closed the door so they had a bit of privacy before the human sat across from her vampire boss.
Rumi had originally been her house manager, running her home, overseeing household staff, and taking care of Annabefore Tatyana realized that the woman was smart as hell and she didn’t trust anyone as much as she did Rumi.
So the human was no longer running her house—she was managing her life.
Tatyana pressed her fingers to her temple. “How much do you think this is going to cost me?”
“One hundred thousand euros at least,” Rumi said. “Do you want to give her a budget?”
“We’ll wait and see what she does.” She felt her fangs aching, so she opened a bottle of blood-wine she kept on her desk and poured herself a glass.
“If you’re drinking, I’m drinking,” Rumi said.
“Didn’t you just get to work?”
Rumi flipped her off, and Tatyana laughed, but the woman still walked to the side table in the office and opened a bottle of red wine.
