“You convince them, or when I’m feeling better, there will be one less governing board in the vampire world,” Quentin warned.He had no patience for those who would leave his mother in the hands of a dangerous enemy.
He was tired of working within everyone else’s rules.It was time to act.
After he had another nap.
“Q, hey, Q, wake up!”
“Glenn, if you don’t stop shaking me, I’m going to set you on fire.”He wouldn’t really, but he couldn’t help the smug smile when Glenn snatched his hands away.
He tried to open his eyes.He truly did, but someone must’ve glued them shut, then added weights to the lids.He couldn’t lift them.
“Q, hey, you have to wake up.Jaks is in danger.”
“What?”His eyes snapped open, then quickly shut when the light pierced through his head like a spear of fire.“Too bright.”
“We need to hurry.They took Jaks.”
“Who took Jaks?”The thought of his lover being taken anywhere had him jolting awake faster than a vat of coffee—first his mother, then Jaks.Someone was going to get their asses kicked.Blinking fiercely, the room eventually swam into focus.Glenn’s face was the first clear thing he saw.“What’s happening?”
“You passed out again.You really need to stop doing that.”
“Where’s Lars?”
“Your father was forcefully yanked back to the fae realm, and Jaks went to talk to the council.Rumor has it they are holding him under rogue vampire laws.They claim he has let power go to his head and is looking for any excuse to take down the competition.”
“Those idiots.”Fury sparked and stirred up the remnants of magic that smoldered in Quentin’s chest.“How dare they!”
“You can petition to free him.In fact, that might be what they are hoping for?”
“What do you mean?”He didn’t know if it was the exhaustion, but Glenn’s words weren’t making any sense to his sleep-addled mind.
“Jaks has been protecting you from interacting with them.By taking him hostage, they are forcing you to show up to claim your man.”
“You think it’s a political move?”
“Probably.You haven’t been officially introduced as Jaks’s consort yet.He told them about you but didn’t offer to bring you to them.I think it is a power play.If you want him back, you are going to have to meet them.”Glenn hesitated for a second before he continued.“As his consort, you can demand they present the facts for his capture.Legally, they can’t keep him unless they have evidence of a crime.His right hand would be the one who usually tries to free him, but…”
“Braed was the next in line, wasn’t he?”He didn’t know much about the vampire hierarchy, but Braed had been an essential member of Jaks’s clan.
Asshole.
Glenn nodded.
Ugh.”Quentin slumped against the pillows.“I hate politics.”He closed his eyes to get a better feel for his magic.“I’m still low on magic.I won’t be much of a threat if they try to keep him.”
“Do you need a lot of magic to activate your spell balls?”
Quentin sat up again.“No, no, I don’t.You’re brilliant, Glenn.”
“I know.Want me to go with you?”Glenn nibbled his lip and avoided eye contact.
He tried to think of who would be the best backup.Glenn was too new to the vampire world to have much weight.Should he bring Grevin?He hated to get his barely healed friend out of bed, but this was an emergency.”
A knock on the door pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts.“Come in.”
Andrea and Allea stood in the doorway.Their clothes were dirty as if they’d been crawling across the ground, and there was a tear on Allea’s black leather pants where a long scratch showed through.
Did they ever wear anything other than leather?
