This time it was Ghislaine who greeted me at the front door. A tall, statuesque brunette with pursed lips and a twinkle in her eye. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in here, Ryder,” Ghislaine said, looking carefully past me to see if there was anybody with me on a presumed date.

I shook my head to her questioning look. “I’m meeting Vina,” I muttered, scanning the room’s dark crevices to see if I could see the DGC President anywhere.

Ghislaine raised her eyebrows. “Madam President is not here yet. She said she had an important rendezvous. I did not realize it was with you.”

My head snapped back and my eyes glared at her. “It’s just business.”

“That’s what they all say, but sometimes when it’s been a while, it’s not just business. Is it?”

“I don’t know what it’s like for most people,” I said. “All I can tell you is what I know for me it’s true. It’s just business.”

“Well, I’ll take you to her table,” Ghislaine said, shrugging her shoulders and taking a couple of old fashion menus up from the table next to her, and leading me back into the farthest regions of the Victorian house, where, in a small private room, with wine racks, all along one wall, was set a table for two. Clearly this was where I was having dinner with Vina.

I almost wanted to roll my eyes. Basically, I had one thing to ask her, and I didn’t need all the rest of this, but this was the way demigods operated. They had a lot of time on their hands, a lot of time to hang out and do nothing and eat long leisurely meals before finally getting about their business.

I didn’t have that. The moon was waxing, and time was running out.

I paced inside the small room, not even willing to sit down at the table.

“Shall I bring out your food, Master Ryder?” The waiter had clearly been briefed on who I was.

“I’m not hungry,” I growled.

I glanced at my watch. She was ten minutes late. I was sure there were plenty of reasons why Vina would be late. None of them which seemed any good to me.

I turned sharply as she entered the room. My patience was already stretched too thin.

“I don’t need dinner,” I said, motioning my hand around the room at all of the ornate details. None of this made sense.

“Yes, you do,” Vina said.

“What do you mean? Yes, I do,” I asked.

“You are a monster, Ryder. It doesn’t mean you have to act like one. I understand you have chaos in your veins and it is driving you to move in getting results, but sometimes things just take time.”

“I don’t have time for this,” I said. “This isn’t because I’m a monster, I am impatient,” I said. “This is because she’s probably already with the transporter who will take her to wherever it is she’s going.” I spat the words out, knowing, even if Vina knew where Caroline was going, she wouldn’t want to tell me. She would just keep it to herself.

“You will make time if you want the information I can give you,” Vina murmured, nodding her head toward her chair, and waiting for the waiter to come over and pull it out, so I could sit down.

“Come,” she said, her long fingers stretched out and motioning toward the table across from her. “There’s nothing wrong with civilized conversation. This is how we socialize and become human. This is part of who you are. We all talk about being demigods. You are part monster and you are also half human, just like I am. And these parts of us also need to be socialized and enjoyed and listened to. They require the social instinct of coming together and getting to know one another. Ryder, you have lived most of your life only in close contact with Ratchet, your mother and brother. And none of those seem to be doing too well at the moment.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You don’t have to play stupid with me,” Vina said. “I know exactly what’s going on. There’s not a thing that goes on in the world of the Legendi that I don’t find out about. Most of the smaller things I don’t pay any attention to, but when the larger things happen, then those are things I want to know about. So, for example, when your brother had your wife killed, that’s the kind of stuff I need to know about.”

“He didn’t have her killed,” I said, not really knowing what else to say, even though it sounded like a blatant falsity even to my ears.

“However, you justify it to yourself, it’s your business,” Vina said. “We’re going to deal with it in our own way, and there’s nothing you can say that will influence us.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” I said, sitting down and staring her in the eye. “I’m here because I want you to do something for me. I don’t think you’re going to want to do it and I think you’re going to try to find a million reasons why you don’t have to do it and you shouldn’t do it. I’m going to tell you though, if you don’t do it, I won’t do anything for the DGC anymore.”

“I think your witch friends already have a pretty good handle on what to do for Ratchet,” Vina said.

“I’m not here asking about Ratchet. He’ll make peace or find his own way out. I’m here to let you know that unless you help me get access into Undirheim to see Caroline before she moves on, I will never do another thing for the DGC ever again.”

“You can’t be serious,” Vina said, her eyes widening as her voice caught in her throat.

“Deadly,” I said.