Page 7 of The Shadows of the Dawn

With a deep breath, Nikola swiped his thumb and lifted the cellphone to his ear.

Lady—no, that was no longer accurate—High Queen Morrigan answered on the second ring. “Kingston. I’m amazed you kept the same number.”

A choice he was regretting. “And I’m amazed I haven’t blocked your number.”

To his surprise, she chuckled. It was liberating in a way, speaking to his former superior so freely. “I assume you’ve seen the news.”

“And I assume you’re calling to plead for my help,” Nikola clipped. “What I cannot fathom is how Asher and I could be of any help to you. Your circus, your monkeys, I believe that’s what the youth quote these days.”

There was a long pause. Nikola had to check to make sure his phone battery hadn’t died. “You are both Moon and Blood in a world beginning to debate the definitions of Moon versus Blood. And I am not so drunk from power that I cannot confess desperation. Truth be told, I’m not sure what you could do—yet. But together we could assemble a sort of council, in its earliest stages.”

Oh, how delightful. A political role in Grander. Nikola wasn’t having this. “If you cannot explain how we can help you, we have no help to offer. Best of luck, Lady—”

“Wait!” She barked it like a command, but Nikola heard the true plea behind it. A rare sound, enough to give Nikola a pause. “Listen. This is an old rumor, so I will not fault you for not giving it merit, but I’m starting to believe it to be the case since discovering the High King’s... status. It’s possible he used his Moon gifts to cast an illusionary veil over Grander, obscuring us just enough to exist as we did. It would explain his confidence of purposely triggering Purgings.”

Nikola did not like where this was going. “Morrigan, you speak of a man who hunted prehistoric humans. Even together, Asher and I don’t have that capability.”

Morrigan breathed a sigh. “Perhaps you are right. I will ask this of you instead. Discuss it amongst each other. Pray to the gods over it. This is no longer an issue isolated in Grander but a dilemma for the entire vampiric world.”

Nikola had braced for a bigger argument. He hung up without a goodbye, his head buzzing. Pray to the gods? He wouldn’t need to. He’d indubitably be hearing from them soon enough.

CHAPTER FOUR

Asher

Nikola detailed his phone call once he got back to the hotel room. Everyone listened with bated breath. If Veronica were a cat, her hackles would’ve been rising. She kept nearly interrupting, but Francis reined in each attempt by squeezing her hand.

“So, it’s all bullshit,” she spat the second Nikola finished. “Let’s just ignore her and go into hiding like we originally planned. This is obviously a trap to get Nikki and Ash back into her clutches for... for whatever reason.”

Asher wanted nothing more than to agree with her. But Veronica couldn’t hear the incessant whispers currently plaguing him. He couldn’t discern the exact words, but the urgency was there all the same. And after experiencing the extent of the High King’s power, he was buying into Morrigan’s half-assed theory about some veil.

Asher watched the covens argue amongst themselves, Nikki notably silent. Veronica continued to rant her point while the blue-haired woman of Katsuki’s coven, Katrina, fretted about disregarding the gods’ callings. They began going at each other, Veronica accusing her of blaming Nikola and Asher for Diesel’s death. Asher had never personally witnessed a brawl between two Moon Children before, but he was starting to think that was about to change.

Unless he could calm them down.

Nikola had already written both of their abilities off for influencing an entire city, but what if they could learn?

Asher pushed his influence forward, willing the two women to breathe and step back, but he barely managed to brush against their bristling psyches before hitting a wall.

The women immediately directed their scathing glares at him. “Stay out of this,” Veronica snapped as Katrina seethed, “Mind your business.”

Well, at least he managed to prevent the fight by distracting them from each other. Just not the way he’d intended. Shit, he couldn’t even touch a couple of hotheaded Moons. Maybe Nikki was right.

Katsuki stepped between the women, a single hand raised at Veronica specifically. “I have an idea, but some of you may not approve.”

Asher drifted closer to Nikki, looping his arm through his. Nikola nodded at the ancient to go on despite Veronica rolling her eyes.

“You may not yet be able to cast an illusion over a city the scope of Grander. But together, the four of us, we may be able to implement something semi-permanent.”

The hum of talkative gods increased in vigor, chants of agreement and encouragement. Shit. This might actually be happening. Especially if it was Katsuki’s plan. Asher wanted to scream.

“Hold on,” Nikola rumbled. “The four of us?”

Kat nodded once. Then pointed at the huddle of Moon, Blood, and human cowering in a corner. Asher had basically forgotten about the trio for a blissful half-hour. “Trish.”

“What?” she breathed. “Me?” Liam bared his teeth at Kat, as if his sister had been threatened and as if he alone could face off the entire room. Evidently, time had done nothing to erode his arrogance.

“Is it not obvious?” Kat mused.

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