Page 15 of Rites of Passage

“Mr. Dickson is right, Major.” The witch joined Nikolai and Alicia. “I have strict instructions from Bryony Cross that anything deemed to be of an occult persuasion will remain under the jurisdiction of the New York coven.”

A frustrated frown darkened Schuman’s face.

Nikolai cast a grateful glance at Rita before staring at the key.

I need to show this to Mae ASAP.

CHAPTER9

Yuliy Vissarion’sfifteen-thousand-square-foot Brooklyn mansion was not so much a home as it was a fortress. It was also a statement of strength. As the leader of the most powerfulBratvaon the East Coast, the Russian crime lord needed to demonstrate the power he wielded. Nothing did this more than a multi-million-dollar, glitzy manor house in one of the most expensive zip codes in New York.

Vlad slowed his midnight-blue, custom-fitted Bentley convertible to a stop at the end of a private road in Mill Basin. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the leather steering wheel as he glanced at the cameras above the towering, metal gates set in the steel-reinforced, concrete wall surrounding the estate.

He’d been summoned to the mansion by Yuliy. Not that that was an uncommon occurrence. After all, he was the man’s heir. It was just exceedingly rare for his uncle and adoptive father to pick up the phone and call him himself.

A metal post sprouted from the ground next to his car. The top flipped open when it reached the car’s window, revealing a small, black cube that was the latest in identification software. A thin, red light shot out of it and scanned Vlad’s face in a grid pattern. A computerized voice issued from the device seconds later.

“Please identify yourself.”

“The Great Pretender.”

The A.I. went silent for a moment. “Error.”

Vlad smiled. “The hottest incubus in New York.”

The A.I. was having none of his shit. “Error. You have two more attempts before security is alerted.”

“Is there a problem, boss?”

Milo, the newest member of his security detail, had wound down the window of the SUV behind the Bentley and was leaning out, a concerned expression on his face.

“Get back in the vehicle, kid,” the stony-faced man in the driver’s seat said gruffly.

“But boss looks like he’s struggling with the—” Milo protested.

“He’s not struggling with anything,” the other man muttered. “He’s just trying to piss off that computer.”

Vlad grinned at Ilya in the rearview mirror. His oldest serving bodyguard was used to his shenanigans.

Tarang growled where he sat in the passenger seat of the Bentley. He hated the A.I. with a passion and had even attempted to eat it once. Vlad stroked the Bengal tiger’s head before turning to the voice box.

“It is I, your demon lord.”

“This is your final attempt,” the A.I. said superciliously.

Vlad rolled his eyes. “You seriously need a sense of humor transplant.” He grew serious. “This is Vlad Vissarion.”

The A.I. beeped a haughty acknowledgement as it finally matched the distinctive voice signature associated with his name. The black cube and the post retracted into the ground. The gates rolled open, well-oiled hinges barely making a sound as they unveiled a cream driveway.

Vlad rode up the winding access, Ilya and Milo following in the SUV. A sprawling, three-story mansion shielded by trees appeared atop a shallow elevation. The white-concrete and glass manor overlooked extensive, terraced gardens and an artificial, pebble beach with a private marina and a helicopter landing pad. Tension knotted his shoulders as he pulled up on a circular forecourt with a marble fountain.

It had been hard to judge his uncle’s tone over the phone. Not that he’d expected anything else. Yuliy hadn’t made it to the top of theBlack Devilsby giving away his hand so readily. Still, a small voice at the back of Vlad’s head told him he wasn’t going to like what his uncle was going to say to him.

Call it his demon instinct.

The guards patrolling the estate dipped their heads respectfully at him when he stepped out of the Bentley. Vlad glanced at the other vehicles parked in the grounds.

Great. The Three Stooges are here.

---