She laughs, genuine and surprised, the sound ringing off thehigh ceiling. "Oh, I like this one." She looks at Maximus. "Where did you find her?"
"Dying in an alley. She insulted me instead of begging for her life. I found that interesting."
"I can see why." Vivienne's gaze slides to the corner where her guard is still pressed against the wall, still trembling. "I can see why indeed."
Dmitri clears his throat, a subtle but unmistakable signal. The room reorients toward him, grateful for the shift in focus.
"Perhaps we might proceed to the matter at hand," he says, his pale eyes revealing nothing of what he thought of the display. "Miss Moreau, you may sit."
It's not a request. It's a test. Will I wait for Maximus's permission, or act on my own?
"Thank you, Lord Dmitri." I move to an empty chair positioned slightly behind and to the right of where Maximus will sit. Close enough to participate, but not presumptuous.
As I settle into the chair, I feel Maximus's gaze on me.
Approval.
Maximus takes his seat, and the meeting begins.
The next hour is a masterclass in vampire politics.
Dmitri leads the discussion with formal precision, laying out what everyone already knows: Konstantin has been moving against Maximus's blood network. The attacks have been escalating. The contamination crisis has made clean blood more valuable than ever, and whoever controls the supply controls Atlanta's vampire population.
"What concerns me," Dmitri says, "is the instability this conflict creates. War between two lords affects us all."
"I'm not the one seeking war," Maximus replies. "Konstantin has attacked my operations, killed my donors, and sent spies intomy compound. I'm seeking allies to help me end this before it escalates further."
"By 'end this,' you mean...?" Chen speaks for the first time, his voice soft and measured.
"Whatever is necessary. Ideally, a show of united opposition that convinces Konstantin to stand down. If not..." Maximus lets the implication hang.
"And if we refuse?" Vivienne asks, examining her nails. "If we stay out of your little war?"
"Then Konstantin picks us off one by one." Maximus's voice hardens. "He's not going to stop with me. Once he controls the blood network, he controls all of you. Every vampire in this city will be dependent on his goodwill for survival."
"That assumes he wins," Okonkwo says. His deep voice carries weight. "You have resources. Strength. Why do you need us?"
"Because I'd rather win cleanly than win bloody." Maximus leans forward. "I can fight Konstantin alone. I'll probably win. But the cost to my people, to the network, to the stability we've all benefited from, will be catastrophic. A united front prevents that. It tells Konstantin that moving against me means moving against all of you."
Silence. The lords exchange glances, calculations happening behind their eyes.
Then Dmitri looks at me.
"Miss Moreau. You've been quiet."
Every head turns. I feel the weight of their attention like a physical pressure.
"I was told not to speak unless spoken to, Lord Dmitri."
His lips twitch, the closest he's come to a smile. "Consider yourself spoken to. I'm curious about your perspective."
I take a moment to gather my thoughts. To think about the points Maximus and I discussed while we strategized.
"I know Konstantin's operation from a different angle than Lord Maximus does," I say. "Before I was turned, I fought in underground rings. Human and vampire. Konstantin sponsors those rings, uses them to recruit soldiers, identify talent, build loyalty among young vampires who have nowhere else to go."
Chen tilts his head slightly. "Go on."
"He's not just building an army. He's building a culture. A sense of belonging for vampires who've been abandoned by their makers, rejected by the establishment, left to figure out this life on their own." I keep my voice steady. "That's his real power. Not his soldiers or his resources. It's the fact that he offers something no one else does: a place to belong."
