Page 13 of The Incubus and the Bodyguard

There was a time when the last thing he’d wanted was to inherit the heavy mantle worn by his uncle. But he’d seen firsthand the good Yuliy had done while in that role and he was determined to continue his legacy.

“We’re going to have to buy some time until we figure out why I lost my powers and how to fix it.”

Vlad didn’t voice the fear eating at him.

That they might not be able to fix it.

“How about getting Mae to look at your core?” Jared suggested.

Vlad hesitated. It was by far the easiest course of action.

From Cortes’s expression, he agreed with Jared.

“Give me a few days to see what we can find out first,” Vlad said reluctantly.

Jared frowned. “I’ll contain the situation from the law enforcement side. Make sure the official report shows nothing unusual.” He paused. “But the crime families are another matter. You can’t undo what they saw.”

“Thereisone way to deal with that situation,” Cortes said slowly.

Vlad’s pulse quickened.Anya.

The witch’s Illusion Sorcery could easily undo Giovanni’s and Wei Chen’s memories.

Jared grimaced. “How about we don’t mess with the heads of people who can bring an ugly war to the streets of this city?”

“Leave Giovanni and Wei Chen to me,” Vlad said grimly. “I’ll find a way to deal with them.”

He had no idea how he was going to handle them, but he’d figure something out. He had to.

The sound of helicopter rotors filled the air.

They looked outside.

A sleek black helicopter was descending toward a nearby rooftop, the Vissarion family crest visible on its side.

“Yuliy’s here,” Ilya said unnecessarily.

Vlad grimaced.

He must think I’m at death’s door if he took the helicopter.

He steeled himself before climbing out of the vehicle with Tarang and the others. His legs were steadier this time, though his body still felt wrong.

Tarang brushed against him, their damaged connection humming with shared anxiety.

Vlad clenched his jaw.

He had to convince his uncle nothing was wrong with them.

Cortes studied him, troubled. “You sure you can do this? You still look like death warmed over.”

“I don’t really have a choice,” Vlad muttered.

They crossed the street toward the building where the helicopter was shutting off its engine. The diamond studs in Vlad’s ears caught his eye as they reflected off a window they passed. The weapons had remained stubbornly inert despite his silent commands.

This left him feeling even more vulnerable.

The helicopter had landed on top of a parking structure. Its rotors were slowing as Vlad and Ilya climbed the access stairs and emerged onto the rooftop, Cortes and Jared following at a discreet distance.

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