Page 30 of Tin God

“What aggression are you officially sanctioning in this meeting?”

Katya narrowed her eyes. “Get Zasha Sokholov out of my territory. Kill them. Maim them. I don’t care. Arrest them and take them back to Russia—I wouldn’t really suggest that one because others have tried—but get rid of them and get my people back. I’m sick of this shit.” She huffed loudly. “This is supposed to be the quiet time of year, Carwyn. I gave people vacation time.”

“I know.” The big vampire tried to soothe the tiny, irritated vampire. “You know we’ll deal honestly with you. And we’ll get results.”

“And when you run into him—because I know he’s involved in this shit too—tell Oleg his taxes just went up for not taking care of his damn sibling.”

Ben had a feeling Oleg was going to care about the increased tax bill much more than any threat to Zasha. From what he’d heard, there was no love lost between the Russian and most of his extended family.

“Done.” Ben rose. “Thank you, Katya Grigorieva. We’ll find our mates and get rid of the fire vampire.”

“Not Brigid,” Carwyn muttered.

“The other fire vampire.”

“Or Oleg,” Carwyn muttered.

Katya curled her lip at Carwyn. “I thought those bastards were supposed to be rare. I do not have a single fire vampire in my organization right now, nor do I want one, but it seems like I have fire vampires coming out of my ears all of a sudden.”

“We’ll take care of it.” Ben nodded at the woman, who looked like a grumpy teenager. “Thank you.”

ChapterSeven

Saint Petersburg, Russia 1765

Tenzin watched Giovanni from across the room, making every attempt to blend into the wall in the dark public house. She had trained him in the delicate art of poisoning, but this was his first attempt in public.

And they were very public.

The human they were killing was a detestable individual, but his manners toward his female servants weren’t the reason they were killing him. He was a political rival in the court of Catherine the Great, and the duke who wanted him dead happened to have a Turkish blade and a property in the Crimea that Tenzin desired.

She’d promised the property to Giovanni if he succeeded; she only wanted the blade.

A vampire walked into the public house, drawing both her and Giovanni’s attention.

Don’t react.She willed the thought into his mind.Trust me.

It was her job to deal with complications. It was his job to kill the count.

Luckily, he kept his position at the table next to the one where the count was regaling a group of other men and a few barmaids with his story about boar hunting.

Humans were so boring.

The vampire who’d entered the pub lingered in the doorway, keeping to the shadows. Tenzin kept her eyes on the tall figure, searching the shadows for any other compatriots. Something made her amnis twitch, but her attention was divided between the young fire vampire she was training and the immortal at the door.

The figure strode forward, revealing an elegant man dressed in rich clothing with long black hair and aquiline features. His cheekbones were high, and his eyes were dark brown. Tenzin stared at the vampire from the shadows, searching for any hint of recognition.

Nothing.

If they’d met before, she didn’t remember it. Then again, she met many faces she didn’t bother remembering. The vampire’s gaze caught on her own, but he swiftly looked away and turned his eyes to the woman behind the bar. The vampire kept their amnis close, and Tenzin couldn’t discern his element, but since the immortal kept to himself, so did she.

Tenzin kept one ear on the new arrival but turned her attention back to Giovanni. The count had just refilled his vodka; it was the perfect time to dose his drink. All he’d need to do was get up from the table, ease around the man in the velvet jacket, and casually tip his hand over the count’s drink.

The vampire approached her, but she kept her eyes on Giovanni.

“I didn’t realize they allowed Mongols in this establishment.” The vampire spoke in French, so Tenzin responded in kind.

“I am but a manservant of my lord.” Tenzin kept her face turned to Giovanni, but her gaze turned to the vampire at her side.

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