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Martina spoke up from beside me. "Right. That's my cue. Snake, I know you don't know how things work around here, so I'll explain. Just put your fangs away." The firm command in her tone didn't waver in the face of another alpha. A true indicator of Martina's own, often overlooked, alpha status. "We've got tech. We've got bombs. Poison. Gasses. Sanka's magical hoo-doo." The evil grin in her voice was obvious as she added, "And we've got a bubak. Chaos is the key. Once we know where Josh is, all we have to do is cause enough panic and confusion to slip in and get him out. No one will be the wiser. Or at least, they won't be able to prove it was us."

Robin's husky voice was full of dark delight. "And that," she informed Sadavir, "Is half the fun. No one knows exactly who we are or what we stand for. Or exactly what we are capable of. Always keep them guessing. Half the weapons will have traces of fae magic woven in. The other half will reek of shifter. Not of us. Of the other syndicate factions. We will ensure the vampires blame their cohorts for this attack. Acacia might have her suspicions, but she won't be able to prove anything."

Silence followed her explanation, but Cicely filled me in with mindspeak. Sadavir says this is all nonsense and he'd prefer to take snake form and eat the vampires. His mental voice conveyed humor. Amusement at the straightforward, impatient naga's statement. Can you imagine? How big is he in snake form, anyway?

A faint smile ghosted over my lips. I'd only experienced his naga form. If his snake form was a similar size, then… yes, he'd be quite capable of eating people. And if it was even larger, then… the implications were staggering. I suddenly envisioned a dragon and a giant snake rampaging through the vampire cathedral snapping up vampires like they were bite-sized snacks.

I shuddered. It shouldn't be amusing. They both probably could—and would—do just that if given the opportunity.

A faint tapping sound reached my ears and I realized Robin must be tapping her long nails on the arm of her chair. "Yes, yes," she said dismissively. "That would seem to be the solution… if one had no cleverness and absolutely no sense of dramatic flare. That is where you and I differ, snake. I am able to use my head."

Another hiss followed that statement, and I stood, ready to go play peacemaker. Again. But the sound of a gong rang through the theater, and Sanka interrupted the drama. "Somone's tripped the back wards," he muttered. Heavy footsteps told me he was hurrying down the stairs to see who was prowling about the property. Dusek's power flared, then vanished as he no doubt took on incorporeal form and went to assist. Martina stood and I heard her softer steps on the stairs as well.

"Ruya," Robin said calmly, as if she could care less who had come calling. "I know you'll want to be involved in our little outing. I only ask that you remain in the car, please. Where you'll be safe, but close by should we need to call upon your powers."

I nodded. I wasn't about to insist on being right in the center of the action. I might wish I could be there, but I knew where my strengths lay. I wasn't a fighter. I was a healer. And I would be no good to anyone if I was injured or killed myself.

Sadavir hissed again. Cicely sighed and translated in my mind. He doesn't want you in danger. Says we should keep you here where you'll be warded and not out there where the vampires could take you, like they took Josh.

Some silly part of me agreed with him. I twisted my sweaty hands together in my lap and tried to remind myself that I was an adult. That I could do scary things. As much as I had grown in my time with the rebel court, that old pattern of wanting to disappear and let others decide my fate was hard to completely snuff out. The cult would have locked me away. Hidden me in my tower in the pocket world and refused to give me any responsibility. They had done that to keep me under their control, weak and compliant, and afraid of the outside world.

I knew Sadavir wasn't objecting for the same reasons. He was simply worried he'd lose me like he'd lost Josh. He didn't realize that this was Robin's way of showing me respect. She included me. She knew I wouldn't agree to being left behind, and she never suggested it. But she was an alpha. A protector. She wouldn't put me in danger unless absolutely necessary.

And that was where the difference lay, I reminded myself, my urge to fidget subsiding and my spine straightening. Sadavir wasn't attempting to keep me weak and at his mercy. Robin wasn't ordering me to go. If I disagreed, I knew they'd both listen to my opinion and respect my free will. "I agree with Robin," I said evenly. Honestly. "If something happens to one of you, or if Josh is injured, I'll need to be close at hand. But I promise to stay put and not rush out into danger."

Some of the tension in the room eased… until a chittering sound announced the arrival of one of my rat friends who sometimes lurked about The Fox when Robin wasn't looking.

"Vampire! Vampire!" Cheese Crackers informed me in his little voice, just as Sanka and the others returned with our visitor in tow.

Chapter 27

Ruya

"Hello, your majesty." The man's voice was familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it before. "Snazzy place you've got here. Good to see you weren't joking about having a court."

Robin let out a dry laugh.

Cicely spoke in my head. He's talking to you, Ruya. He thinks you're the leader.

"Oh! Sorry," the man continued. Living up to my dickhead nickname. I forgot you're blind, little snack. It's me, Richard? The useless dhampir?"

I shot to my feet in surprise, sudden recollection putting a name to the voice. "Richard! What are you doing here?" Then my brain caught up to my mouth. "Did Acacia send you?"

"Acacia? Fuck no. I'm just out… running errands." He was trying for flippant and empty-headed, the way he always had when he was in the public spaces of the vampire coven. But he was being cagey. I knew there was more to him. More to this.

"Richard," I said, rounding the coffee table and holding my hands out toward the sound of his voice. "I told you before that you would have a friend if you ever managed to escape that place. Is that what this is? Are you free?"

He huffed a laugh, but it sounded more nervous than dismissive. Cool hands took mine and I felt everyone in the room lean closer, on high alert lest the scary vampiric stranger try to harm me while surrounded by all these clearly powerful paranormals. I refrained from rolling my eyes at my court.

"I won't really be free until The Bitch Queen is dead," he said flatly. And it amused me to hear him use Martina's favorite name for the vampire. "But no one notices what I get up to during the day. I'm nobody important—just the way I like it. As long as I'm there to do my work and serve them when called, I may as well be invisible. But yes, I remember what you said about finding you if I ever managed to escape. Which is why I thought I should share some information, in the spirit of friendship."

Robin moved closer, her powerful aura wrapping around me as she spoke from beside me. "Ruya, darling, care to introduce us to your new fangy friend?"

I could feel Sadavir at my back, a looming alpha presence. And Martina stood at my other side. I had no doubt the others had closed ranks around us, trapping Richard. Always on guard.

"Of course," I said, keeping my voice light and even. "This is Richard. He helped Sadavir and Josh escape from the vampires. He's there against his will himself."

Richard scoffed. "I didn't do much. Just took over guard duty when I thought you might be up to something. Then I happened to not notice a couple of people slipping out the gates. You know how dhampirs are. Lazy. Inferior. Especially me."

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