Talen nodded, then disappeared down the hallway.
“Fair enough.” Conn relaxed his shoulders, his gaze remaining on Dage. “The Coven Nine is concerned about their soldiers training under ours—more specifically, Trevan Demidov is concerned their soldiers will follow you and not the Coven Nine.”
“All I need is that brainiac arguing philosophy rather than battle strategy. Let’s put that guy on the training field.” Dage rubbed his chin.
Conn snorted. “Yeah, right. The Nine is also worried about humans finding out about us, as am I. We had a close call not too long ago and Max saved our butts.” Not only did the vampires employ humans, but Emma wanted to use their research to help cure diseases, which might open them up for exposure.
“We need the human researchers.” Dage shook his head. “We haven’t been studying biology the last century like the Kurjans. We need the researchers just for sheer numbers.”
Conn didn’t like humans anywhere near their genetics. As the king’s soldier on the front line, the whole idea made him twitchy. “Emma wants to share our research with human geneticists.”
“Emma will keep silent whether she likes it or not.” Dage used his king voice.
Conn bit back a grin. As far as he’d noticed, the queen didn’t give one hoot about Dage’s orders or king voice. “If you say so. My mate is as big a concern as yours right now, if not more so.”
“Yes. If the Nine withdraws from the Realm, her first order will be to remove your head. Probably.” Dage flashed his teeth in an anticipatory smile. “At least my woman only wants to take action to possibly reveal our entire race. Yours might need to kill you.” A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest.
“Very funny.” Conn rubbed his five o’clock shadow. He needed to shave before kissing Moira again. The woman had delicate skin. “What’s the plan?”
“Well. The plan with Emma is that I’m monitoring all research and communications with humans. If there’s a hint she’s about to let our existence go public, I’ll shut her down. Virus or not.”
Conn did not want to be in the vicinity when that day arrived. “The idea of ending her research will probably result in a bounty on your head.”
“True.” Dage lifted a shoulder. “Speaking of which, what’s your plan with Moira?” The fact the leader of their world deferred to Conn regarding his mate showed trust as a king and loyalty as a brother.
Conn gave a short nod of acknowledgment. “Should the Nine withdraw from the Realm and essentially declare war on us, I have two options. One is to use her, give her false information to misdirect our enemies.”
“And the second option. You know, the one you’ll actually use?”
Conn appreciated the faith. But if it came down to survival of his people, he’d do what he had to do. “Put her somewhere safe, away from our enemies. Including the Nine.”
Dage shook his head. “God, I hope that day never comes.”
“As do I.”
Chapter 16
Moira waved her hand, sending the blue teddy bear dancing around Janie’s head. “Then the Irish princess jumped out of the sea with the emeralds, and King Mullet danced across the sand in pure joy.”
Janie giggled, reaching up and grabbing her toy by the feet. “Mr. Mullet would be a good king.” She wrapped both arms around the bear. “I love your Irish fairy tales, Aunt Mowra.”
The massive vampire leaning against the wall nodded. Max the bodyguard had been very patient during the last two stories. He cleared his throat. “Very good. Okay, that was the last story. I promised your mama I’d take you to her, Janie.”
“Okay, Max.” Janie rushed forward and hugged Moira. “See ya later.”
Moira returned the hug. “You bet.” She watched Max lead Janie away before giving a big sigh and wandering away from the toy room. She’d expected Emma to show up, though her friend probably had been delayed in the lab. During the last few months, Moira had stopped worrying about the time difference when she called—Emma was always at work.
Rounding a corner, Moira found a computer center. Excellent. She hustled over to a console near the window, booting up an HP. No password was required, and the system had videoconferencing capabilities—and very strong security. No one would know where she was calling from. Her fingers punched in the right numbers, and she flipped on the camera.
“Moira.” Brenna’s pretty face came into range, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Just like she’d worn years before, when Moira had taught her to climb a tree. One of the Coven Nine’s large conference rooms loomed behind her. “Have wild vampire sex yet?”
Heat flushed Moira’s face until her cheeks pounded. “No. God.”
Bren’s eyes crinkled. The laugher filling them failed to mask the dark circles slashing underneath. “Um. Okay. We’ll talk in person. Soon.”
“What are you doing at the Coven Nine offices?” Moira leaned closer to the camera. “More important, what’s wrong, Bren?”
“I’m here pitching a plan to clean up the East Bay, and nothing’s wrong.” Brenna bit into her bottom lip, a sure sign she was lying.
“What?” Moira searched her memory. Oh. “You haven’t heard about your application for the Quantum Academy.” She waved her hand in the air. “Don’t even worry about that. You’ll be accepted.”
“I wasn’t.” Brenna’s jaw tightened, just like their father’s when giving bad news. “But it’s no big deal. Really.”
Fire licked down the back of Moira’s neck. “What do you mean you weren’t accepted?” She’d taught Brenna magic since the girl had taken her first steps. “You’re excellent at quantum physics.” A mistake had been made.
Brenna eyed the corner of her computer, her gaze dropping. “The form letter just thanked me for the application, said the school is competitive ... blah, blah, blah.” She rubbed her nose. “Seriously. Not a big deal.”
The breath in Moira’s lungs heated. “Those bastards! Don’t you worry about a thing. The second I get back—”
“No.” Brenna’s gaze pierced the camera. “You will not fix this. They don’t want me, Moira.” Determination settled hard across her delicate features. “Sometimes we all forget. But ...”
She was the eighth sister. An unheard-of anomaly ... one many people regarded with fear.
“How absolutely stupid. We’ll start our own university.” Not a bad idea, actually. Moira would send her resignation along with a big “Bugger off ” the second she got off the line. If they thought they could treat her baby sister like this, they were nuts.
Brenna laughed. “Right. When you’re not enforcing our laws or having crazy vampire-monkey sex ... sure you’ll find time to start a college.”
“Vampire-monkey sex?” Moira snorted.
“Yep. That’s how I imagine it.” Brenna wiggled her eyebrows, reaching for a stack of papers to wave in front of the camera. “The plans for treating the homeless in the south. I’ll e-mail the time line to you ... the Coven Nine already has my first draft.”
“Thanks.” Her sister always planned ahead. “Um, how are things going with the Nine?”
Delight lifted the corners of Brenna’s eyes. “You mean since you reported Trevan being in New York with Simone?”
“Yes. How did that go over?”
“Like a fart in church.” Bren leaned closer to the screen. “The guy’s a weakling. I mean, yuck.” She straightened, glancing to the side. “Did you know Simone got hot and heavy with a demon? Centuries ago?”
Interesting. “I’m not sure, but I think he showed up at her house.” While there was an uneasy alliance between demons and witches, they certainly steered clear of each other socially. “At least the demon who arrived seemed to know her.”
“Bizarre.” Bren’s eyes sparkled with the thrill of gossip. “I heard Mom tell Aunt Viv at least Simone wasn’t with a demon any more. That must’ve been from before you were born, right?”
Moira shrugged. “This is the first I’ve heard about it.” Simone sure liked
to walk on the dark side. “What happened with Simone and the demon? I mean, was it Nick Veis?”
“I don’t know. Aunt Viv said something about Simone committing emotional suicide when it comes to males.” Bren stiffened, jerking her head to the side. “So, ah, that’s the status on the homeless.”
Female voices echoed behind her, and their mother peered down to the camera. “Are you calling the Nine or just your mother?” The smile lifted her lips, but the dark circles under her eyes rivaled Brenna’s.
Grace Sadler elbowed Brigid out of the way. “Hello, Moira. How’s it going with the vampire?” She perched red cats-eyed glasses atop her sunshine-colored hair, wiggling her arched eyebrows. “Are you playing somewhere tropical?” Although several hundred years old, Grace could give any model alive a run for her money. She’d dated her share of vampires and had yet to settle down.
Brigid nudged Grace to the side. “Stop harassing my daughter, Grace. We need to double-check the security on this server before Moira tells us where she is.” Her eyes, a darker green than Moira’s, flashed bright with concern.
“Why?” Moira adjusted the camera to better view both women.
Brigid shrugged. “Safety. Whoever is yanking people out of their spaces must first know their location. It’s like when a vampire teleports ... the few who do. They have to know where they’re going first. They don’t just shoot themselves out into the world.”
Realization slapped Moira hard. “So that’s why you wanted me out of the country—where you knew Conn would hide me.” Anger and hurt lowered her voice.
Her mother flushed. “Yes, initially that was my plan. I know you’re an excellent enforcer, but you’re still my daughter.” She rubbed a hand across her eyes, then leaned down to type quickly. “Okay ... this line is secure ... we can talk. The family is safe, but you’re the Seventh. Whoever’s after us has already tried for you.”
“I have a job to do.” At least until the dreaded day she joined the council. Why couldn’t anyone understand that fact?
“Yes.” Brigid sighed. “Whether you like it or not, keeping yourself safe is what the Nine wants from you right now. Ah, and, in addition, I want to send Brenna to you to protect.”
Moira’s heart stopped. She opened her mouth but words refused to find sound. A rushing filled her ears.
Brenna rolled her eyes. “Not going to happen.” She typed, her concentration trained downward. “I have a pretty good battle plan set up against the demons. I was hoping you’d give it to Dage”—her Celtic pendant dangled in front of the viewfinder—“assuming we’re not aligning with the demons, of course.” Her smile lacked humor while her eyes sparked irritation. “The e-mail should be incoming.”
It didn’t make any sense for her mother to want to send Brenna to her. The Nine protected their own. “They don’t want to send you here.” Moira’s mind raced as she faced her mother. “Do you?”
Sorrow filled Brigid’s eyes. “No.”
“You said that because you want my location.” Moira’s voice cracked as she suddenly understood. “That’s why the Nine sent me to fetch Simone. You knew Conn would bring me here.” To the king’s headquarters. “You set this up so I could infiltrate their compound, and you didn’t even have the courtesy to tell me!”
Brenna sat back, fire lighting her eyes. “What is going on?” Her gaze hardened. “The world is going to hell. The Nine is in an uproar over the missing members, my economic council is trying to figure out how to keep people from starving, and something’s up with the local shifters. Yet, you’re all not saying anything.”
Moira’s mind spun. “The Nine has withdrawn from the Realm.” Conn now had a bounty on his head. For all intents and purposes, she was a bounty hunter employed by the Coven Nine. Duty was about to rip her to shreds.
Grace slid an arm around Brigid’s shoulders. “We’ve only taken a preliminary vote, Moira. The official one isn’t until tonight, so you have some time.”
“Time for what?” Time to plan how to destroy the Realm from the inside? To plan a way to take Conn’s head ... as if she could?
He’d been fighting for three hundred years longer than she had. His experience outdid hers, by far. The man trusted her. Well, he probably trusted her. The only time he let down his guard with her was ... when naked. She might have given her pledge to the Nine, but she hadn’t given her soul.
It was coming down to more than what she wanted to do for a living. The decisions she faced would determine who she became.
“The demons will want Janie. As do the Kurjans, and anyone aligning with them.” She faced her mother, ignoring Grace. “Putting the Kayrs family in danger threatens that child, that little girl, Mother.”
“I know.” Brigid’s lips trembled. “We’re meeting again tonight, Moira. I’m doing what I can.”
Her mother would vote against withdrawal. From the tightening of Grace’s jaw, she’d probably vote in favor. Simone and Trevan, probably in favor. That left Peter and Viv. If they voted against, there would be a tie. “I’ll join the Coven Nine to avoid war.” She glanced to the side where Brenna sat, her face frozen. “Go through the canons to see if there’s any way to avoid this.”
Brenna nodded. “I will. Withdrawing from the Realm is a huge mistake.” She frowned, straightening and wrinkling her nose. “What is that smell?”
Grace dropped her glasses into place on her nose, biting her lip. “I don’t know. Is something on fire?”
“Smells like ozone,” Brigid murmured, glancing around.
Ozone? Panic ripped through Moira. “Get out of there. Get out, now!” She leaped to her feet, knocking the computer mouse to the floor.
“What—” Brenna started, then gasped. Her head swiveled around toward a mass of air beginning to swirl. Papers billowed up. A chair crashed against a far wall.
“Get down!” Brigid yelled, grabbing Brenna and ducking out of camera range.
Moira’s heart pounded against her ribs. She clutched both hands to the desk. “Grace, get down!”
Grace swiveled toward the side, her glasses flying off her face. She bounced to run. The swirling vortex shot forward, enclosing her like a winter coat. Crying out, her eyes wide in panic, she reached for the computer. As if the air had a mouth, it swallowed.
Grace disappeared.
Moira clapped her hand over her lips. Oh God. She had to get home. “Mom! Brenna?” She leaned closer to the computer, squinting to see. Papers and what looked like a stapler settled hard on the table.
Brenna stood, pulling Brigid up. Armed guards ran into camera range. Brigid angled toward the camera, her face stark white, her eyes wide. “Stay where you are, Moira. The Nine needs to handle this. Don’t do anything until you hear from me. We’ll be in touch.” The computer went dark.
Moira backed away. The Nine? At this point it was the Five. She needed to hurry home and help. She whirled when the door opened and Conn stalked inside. “I have to get out of here.”
He reached her in two strides. Broad hands ran down her arms, spreading warmth through her limbs. He captured her gaze, concern bracketing his mouth with harsh lines. “What’s wrong?”
“I was on a conference with my mother. They took Grace.” Fear exploded in Moira’s chest. The room fuzzed. She swayed. Conn kept her upright, his hold gentle and solid. Then fury coated her vision red. They were working through the council members one by one. Her mother or aunt would be next. “The bastards.” Temper shot heat up her spine, making her fingers tingle. Electricity sparked blue along her skin like a match to oil.
Conn hissed, releasing her to clench and unclench his burned hands. “Control it, sweetheart.”
A haze descended across her eyes. They’d taken another member of the Nine—through some damn portal. The earth rumbled in shared anger. She lifted her hands, palms out. “I need to go. Now.”
“No.” Conn grabbed her again, shaking her words to a stop. “Right now you’re secure. You will remain so.”
She shoved him. Har
d. He didn’t move. “I’m an enforcer. Someone just kidnapped a member of the Nine.” But they wanted her. She knew they did. More important, if she left headquarters, Conn could relocate his family without her knowledge. If she were taken, no matter what happened, the Kayrs family would be safe. Then she wouldn’t have to choose between her loyalty to her people and her loyalty to Conn. Besides, she had a job to do. “I’m not going to let you keep me here when I could be actively searching for the bastards taking my people.”
“We’ll send our best troops. I’ll even go if you want. You need to stay here.”
“You’re not listening to me.” Moira fought the urge to burn Conn again.
He studied her face, his gaze hard. “I’m listening. I’m just not agreeing. Deal with it.” His cell phone buzzed, and he flipped the screen open to read. With a raised eyebrow, he closed the device, tucking the cell in his pocket.
Moira eyed the door. “I need to get home and assist the council, Conn.” If she had to burn him to a cinder, she would.
He shut his eyes for a brief second before opening them, his jaw setting. “You’re not going anywhere, Moira. The text message was from Dage. Your aunt just requested assistance from the Realm in protecting you.” Raw determination hardened his jaw. “This is a good thing. Either way, you’re staying here until I deal with this threat.”
She took a step away. Her aunt wanted her to remain with the Kayrs family in case the Nine withdrew—so she was in place to betray them. Nobody had the right to tell her to stay. “Who the hell do you think you are?” Anger returned so fast her breath caught. “More important, who the hell do you think I am?”
His shoulders went back. “You’re my mate.”
The freaking vampire truly didn’t understand her. “So what? I have a job to do.”
Triumph glittered in his eyes. “I understand. The leader of the council, your boss, ordered you to stay here until we figure out what’s going on.”