“I know you wouldn’t,” Nell said gently.
“I’ve been a valued hostage. Better than what happened in London, not quite as nice as what happened in Tokyo in ’75.” Takashi continued scanning the background for any sign someone was nearby, but so far, no interruption. He decided to skip over remaining to stay in the mansion during Roger’s rescue of Dmitri. Nell might not understand his reasons. “What you need to know is that I’ve created a new sireling, Kathleen. She’s shown arcane prowess already. In time, I think she’ll be quite strong.”
“You are dancing around another point.” Nell’s voice was sharper. “I can feel it.”
“Seamus turned Zack into a vampire. I think?—”
“Kill him,” Nell commanded.
“We plan to, but Seamus?—”
“Not Seamus. Zack.”
Words were a scrambled mess in his mind. He hadn’t had a chance to explain how strong Zack already was or that Zack would make an excellent leader for the coven. He’d believed that Nell would accept Zack as a vampire without issue.
Instead, she was ordering his death.
“When you put a stake in Zack’s heart, whatever portion of Seamus’s power is within him follows him into his true grave,” Nell continued.
If she learned just how much power resided within Zack, she might dare to send actual assassins.
“Roger’s in no position to claim the territory,” Takashi said.
“Let the GLC fall to rubble,” Nell replied without missing a beat.
She had sunk time and resources into aiding Roger and training Zack. However, she had also pushed Roger to havea timetable, to hurry. If Roger had come back to the city and quickly killed Seamus, his position inside the GLC would have been tenuous. Challengers always rose when one vampire claimed another’s position, but Roger would have been swarmed with those who doubted he had any strength since he had been gone for decades.
Civil war was inevitable. The only question was how much of the GLC and its territory would remain when the smoke cleared.
A brilliant, terrible epiphany struck.
Nell hadn’t cared about the money she loaned to Roger. What were a few million dollars to an empire of billions? When Zack and Roger moved into her mansion, she must have noticed their attraction for each other. She’d likely known that Zack was never going to turn his blade on Roger. She had noticed that Roger was reluctant to take a stand.
So she had called Takashi, her loyal fledgling, and he had dropped everything to come home to obey her orders. She had told him to be mindful of Zack’s temper and intelligence, to be wary that Roger’s smiles were false, and that the GLC was full of the worst sort of tricksters. She’d told him to be on his guard, not to allow Roger to come too close to his heart. After the meeting with her, Zack, and Roger, she’d promised that she would gladly bring him back into her coven when the time was right.
If the GLC no longer existed, she would be able to sweep anyone who wanted to join her into her ranks without issue. In fact, she could offer her protection to the willing, and they would likely run into her arms. She would be able to leverage her laws upon newcomers rather than attempt to enforce them upon the unwilling.
Why become a conqueror when she could be a savior?
She had never been satisfied with the size of her domain.
She had never wanted Roger to succeed.
And if all that were true—and it must be; Takashi’s gut and heart were in sync with the horrible realization—then something that had bothered him made terrible sense.
After all, Roger had been in a coma in the heart of her sanctuary for over thirty years. She’d known about the coffin and done nothing? Just allowed an unknown vampire to sleep in the basement of one of her citizens? No. No, that wasn’t like her.
The whole world had known that Seamus was looking for Roger. It had been one of the hottest pieces of gossip in every coven Takashi had visited. Seamus’s international reputation had suffered, and speculation had run rampant. Everyone—everyone—had considered it an inside job, that most likely Roger had finally run away. Until Takashi saw him again, he was certain of the same. Very few knew the truth about the magical coma.
But how better to destabilize a powerful neighbor than to make one of his favorite playthings disappear into thin air? To wait out the years, knowing that the perfect pawn was slumbering well within arm’s reach? And when the time was right, release that pawn to create absolute chaos in order to finally bring down that enemy.
Nell had sent him with Roger, counting on Takashi to be who he was and Roger to be himself and for their connection to never run deeper than a few good rolls in the bed. If not for Zack, Takashi would have kept his heart sealed away. They both would have.
“What was his name?” Takashi asked, his voice dry.
“Whose name?” Nell said carefully.
“The pretty fey you convinced to put Roger to sleep,” Takashi replied.
