“I’m not the one in charge.” Spencer looked over at Takoma. “He is.”
Takoma could hear his vampires waking up in the rooms above, like they would be in all the properties he owned to keep his Night Court safe during the day. He ruled over three hundred vampires, but not all of them stayed within Seattle. They were scattered throughout the state, looking after the businesses that sustained everyone and guarding the expanse of Takoma’s territory. But many had been called back to the city after Alyona had gone missing, and all of them were good at killing.
“The plan was always murder,” Takoma said.
It was how vampires survived, after all, and his people were quick to obey.
The group broke up to tend to their duties. Spencer’s suggestion of the meeting with Adler she had surprisingly agreed to could be worked with. The plan in question had been drawn up over the past two nights, worked out to finite detail in order to rescue Alyona and kill Adler. Now, Takoma only had to alter it a little to incorporate the presence of the SOA, Spencer, and Wade.
“It’s nice to know you would have ripped her throat out for me,” Alyona said as she tapped furiously away at her phone, coordinating with other human servants and vampires.
Takoma settled his hand against the side of her throat, feeling and listening to the beat of her pulse in his ears. “I promised your family when they first arrived on these shores that I would always protect all of you so long as you stayed loyal. I keep my promises.”
“We know.” She looked up from her phone and gave a firm nod. “Your Night Court is in position in Seattle.”
The Zaitsev family would never willingly betray his Night Court; he’d even turned one of her ancestors last century. Yuri had remained in Vancouver, Washington, keeping watch over the border they shared with the Portland Night Court. Dealing with Adler hadn’t been worth calling him north.
Takoma let Alyona go, attention caught on Masha as the other vampire clattered down the stairs to the foyer, Spencer right behind her with Fatima. He’d changed into a borrowed outfit better suited for what amounted to a magical raid: all-black clothes, durable boots, a flak vest, and gloves. His pistol was holstered to his belt, and his badge hung from a chain around his throat.
“We’re leaving,” Takoma said.
“Where’s Wade?” Spencer asked as they hurried outside for the row of cars on the street, every engine idling. A light rain was coming down, and Takoma knew it would only get worse the later it got.
“Being driven on ahead.”
Takoma had always worked best in the shadows, as every vampire did, which was why he’d sent Wade to the major substation that powered Downtown Seattle. Wards and the security system in place kept it safely contained from tampering, but it stood no chance against dragon fire. Adler might have agreed to the meeting, but he would never trust her. A power outage would help his side more than anyone else.
“Patrick is going tokillme for letting Wade do this,” Spencer said under his breath as he clambered into the front seat of the black Audi. Fatima jumped into the floor well between his feet and hunkered down.
Takoma ignored his mutterings in favor of getting on the road. As much as he wanted to break the speed limit many times over, they needed to get into Seattle without being stopped by the authorities. Sometimes, the best way forward was to never be noticed. Time was of the essence in a fight like this because his kind were always on a countdown, bound to a life lived between sunset and sunrise.
His phone pinged softly with an influx of texts from his people that Spencer read to him and responded to on his behalf while Takoma drove. The rain started coming down harder once they left the floating bridge behind and made it onto Interstate 5 South. Only when they turned off the highway and were minutes away from the museum did Takoma put the next part of the plan into action.
“Call the SOA,” Takoma said.
Spencer switched phones, and Takoma listened in on the conversation he had with the deputy assistant SAIC. “Ma’am, it’s Bailey. We have a problem.”
Spencer spun a believable story about how Alyona just recently admitted to what she saw while possessed, about the hastily brokered meeting between the Night Court and the Cascade Coven, the location of the Ouroboros Mirror and who it most likely would be used against.
“This is information you should have informed us of themomentyou received it, Bailey,” the woman snapped.
“The director wanted me to try to convince the Night Court to stand down first. I was only following orders,” Spencer replied flatly.
“I’ll let my SAIC know to bring his concerns up with the director about this. Where are you now?”
“I’m heading to the museum.”
“You don’t have a warrant.”
“I won’t need one if I’m invited by my CI for an agreed-upon meeting. His human servant saw Caitlin wielding the Ouroboros Mirror while she was possessed. I’m within my right to follow that lead.”
“The word of a human servant won’t hold up in court.”
“No one in the Seattle Night Court knew what the SOA was after when she mentioned seeing the Ouroboros Mirror. We can’t risk Caitlin trying to sacrifice a master vampire in order to bring over a Great Duke of Hell. The director cleared me under an emergency clause, and I’m pretty damn sure that counts as an emergency.”
The line was quiet for several seconds before the woman swore viciously. “I’ll get our people into the field. Keep your phone on you.”
She ended the call, and Spencer pulled his phone away from his ear with a wince. “Oh, she’s pissed.”
