Sally was right, Julius mused, she did have an excellent eye for details, luckily it was the kind of details most overlooked, but they’d have to tread more carefully over the next couple of days.
“You can drop the mask, Kimberley,” he told the younger woman. “You’ll be needing your strength later.”
The Shifter looked at him, checking he was sure, and then she put her coffee cup down and rolled her head across her shoulders, as though she was relieving a stiff neck, and when she looked at them again, she wore her own face. It took a few more seconds for her hair to return to its usual shade of light brown.
“Well, I’ll be…” Sally stared in absolute astonishment. And then Derek chose to join them, perhaps roused by the smell of breakfast. He was wearing a pair of boxer shorts and nothing else. “Well, I’ll be…” Sally repeated, this time taking in the Werewolf’s muscled body from head to toe. Julius now understood Gabi’s desire to roll her eyes whenever Derek made an appearance.
********************
Gabi didn’t want to be alone. Raz was great company as long as you didn’t need someone to bounce things off of, and she needed to bounce things off of people or she’d be bouncing off the walls herself. So she wrapped a soft fleece blanket around her shoulders, it was easier than wrestling her painful shoulder into a jacket, and grabbed her phone off the bedside table. She found Kyle’s number as she made her way downstairs to the entertainment room. By the time she’d poured a glass of wine and set the gas fireplace to warm the room, Alexander arrived. He was on the phone, discussing some financial takeover with Nathan, but it sounded like they were wrapping up. Trish arrived next, she gave Gabi an overly gentle hug and put on the coffee maker in the corner, setting out a couple of mugs; she looked like she could do with at least a week of sleep. Fergus and Mac narrowly beat Kyle through the door. With her war council assembled, Gabi shut the door. As she claimed the spot nearest the fireplace, they all looked to her expectantly.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” she told them. “This might take a while.” She waited while they found somewhere to sit, Trish handed Kyle a steaming mug of coffee, and Alexander poured himself a bourbon behind the bar. Mac seemed surprised to be there at all, but settled on a barstool. Fergus took another barstool within easy reach of Mac, but without being overly obvious about it. Alexander splashed a healthy dose of Irish whiskey into a glass and set it in front of the Scotsman, who lifted the glass in silent salute.
“I’m really concerned about the safety of the City and everyone in it,” Gabi finally began once they were all settled. “The one thing that has let me go to sleep at night is knowing that someone out there is watching over us all. Now that the SMV is gone…” She trailed off. “Julius and I have been asked by the Princeps to front a special force to investigate Vampires trying to create Dhampirs.” She waited for that to sink in, holding up a hand to prevent questions she didn’t know the answers to. “I’m not sure we would be able to wriggle out of the responsibility, even if we wanted to.” Damn, she really wanted to pace, but her shoulder was already throbbing. She swiped a tired hand across her eyes. “There is so much going on I don’t know which way to turn, and I’m not sure what we should be concentrating on. I need some advice or at least some brainstorming to try to work out the best way forward.”
“You’re right, Hellcat,” Alexander agreed, shoving his phone in his pocket, “prioritising would be a good idea. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you,” and his eyes flicked around the others, “that what is discussed here is not for general consumption. Nothing leaves this room without discussion amongst us first.” A murmur of agreement ran around the room. Then there was silence.
“Um, so what are your biggest concerns, Gabs?” Kyle finally spoke up. “Let’s list them; then we can tackle them one at a time.”
“Okay.” Gabi nodded. “Let’s see.” She never thought she’d see the day that she actually missed being given orders by the SMV. She lifted her good arm and began counting off with her fingers. “We have the Shadow group, we also have the Kresniks, the lack of supernatural policing in the City, the possible trial of Kimberley in my place at Princep Court, and the request for Julius and me to assemble an anti-Dhampir-experimentation task force.” She looked at the five fingers held up in front of herself. “Anyone got another one to add?”
“No, I think you’ve pretty much covered the big stuff,” Alexander said after no one else spoke up.
“Lass, there’s naught ye can do aboot the accusation at Court, so cross tha’ one off th’ list,” Fergus advised. “Julius and the Doppelganger will get tha’ sorted oot.”
“True.” Gabi sighed, the matter still weighed on her conscience though.
“I’m pretty sure the Werewolf Alliance will be able to do a lot of what the SMV used to do,” Kyle told her. “It’s still in its infancy, but the seeds are there. I think Trish and I can pull it all together.” He glanced at Trish, pride in his gaze.
Trish returned his smile with a determined nod. “I guess we’ll need a fancy name, or at least something easier to spit out than Werewolf Alliance Central Communication Network,” she chimed in, “but Kyle has been working long hours whipping the other Alphas into line. We have a few holes to fill, but we’re discussing things with Byron and the Shape-shifters to find ways to fill those. Some of the existing SMV infrastructure will be easy enough to simply take over, and the rest we’ll muddle through between us all.”
“Just give us a couple more weeks and we’ll be in much better shape,” Kyle assured Gabi. “It won’t be the same as the SMV—there won’t be any council, just us Alphas—but the idea is to keep communication open with the other races.” He looked across at Alexander with a Kyleish grin. “And, while I have yet to have a formal meeting with them, we’re hoping to keep on good footing with the local Master and his second in command.” Alexander returned the grin. “We wouldn’t want to step on their toes, but would be open to assisting when they needed us, and vice versa.”
Gabi was surprised, relieved and just a little sad to hear how far along the plans for the amalgamation of the Packs had come. The sadness was purely born of the reminder that she and Kyle weren’t nearly as close as they’d been just a few months ago.
“That’s excellent news,” Gabi told him. “If anyone can pull this off, it’s you two.”
“You know you can count on our assistance, Wolf,” Alexander said. “Anything you need.”
“Well, now we’re down to three.” Mac spoke up for the first time, his slow, lazy drawl exactly as Gabi remembered from the first time they met. They all turned to him. “I don’t know all the details about the Princeps and the new task force, but I’m thinking that you and Julius can delay that one a few weeks at least while you think it through. I haven’t met these Princeps myself, so correct me if I’m wrong, but usually fancy councils don’t expect things to happen overnight.”
“Ye’re nae wrong aboot tha’.” Fergus snorted derisively. “He’s right, lass, Julius won’t be expected tae give them an immediate answer. He’ll hae to bring it back tae discuss it wi’ th’ Clan.”
“So now we’re down to two, right?” Trish asked. “The Shadow group and the Kresniks.”
Gabi was so glad she’d brought them all here. What had seemed utterly overwhelming just half an hour ago suddenly seemed manageable. All their lives were still at risk, but just two threats, insane and dangerous as they were, sounded manageable.
“And do you know what I’m utterly sick of?” Gabi asked. The question was rhetoric; they were going to hear whether they wanted to or not. “I’m sick of being reactive. I’m tired of reacting to the shit that heads our way. It’s time we began hitting them where it hurts instead of waiting for them to strike at us. I’ve had it. We’re going to find these bastards, both groups, and hit them with everything in our arsenal.”
“Go, Hellcat,” Alexander said mildly, and held his hands up defensively when she turned to glare at him. “I’m all for it. I swear.�
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“I’m not sure we’ll be able to do that with the Shadow group.” Kyle met her gaze, his eyes narrowed in thought. He’d always been good at standing his ground with her. She both hated and respected that about him. “From what Trish tells me, they’ve been operating underground for a very long time, possibly centuries. They’re all smoke and mirrors, and they like to use others to do their dirty work. It’ll take something spectacular to uncover their true identities. There’s a good chance that they’re scattered all around the world. And we’re still not certain they’re coming to look for trouble right now.”
“And on the other hand we have the Kresniks,” Mac added. “They’re human, they’re in the City, and they’re currently stirring mischief with the Werewolves. I say they should be our number one priority. If we can take them down, it’ll be the end of a huge headache. That’ll give us room to concentrate on the Shadow group while you and Julius discuss your next move with the Princeps.”
Gabi chewed the inside of her cheek. She didn’t want to lose her focus on the Shadow group, they were, without doubt, the biggest threat to the Clan and the City, but Mac was right, if they could shut down the Kresniks quickly and quietly, they’d be free to concentrate on more pressing issues.
“Right, I’ve been putting it off, but I’ll contact Henry and ask if he wants to go undercover for us,” she said.
Before anyone could comment, Alexander held up his hand and was suddenly standing at the door. Gabi hadn’t seen him move; it was as though he’d teleported. She cleared her throat meaningfully and he glanced back at her, looking slightly embarrassed, but a knock at the door grabbed everyone’s attention.
“Master Alexander.” It was Maximillian’s voice, nasal and officious. “Tabari is seeking an audience with you. He says that it’s urgent.”
Alexander opened the door to find the tall, skeletally thin head steward hovering outside. “Send him in, and then go back to your other duties,” Alexander said, his tone curt.
The steward inclined his head, but didn’t display the same obsequiousness he did with Julius. A moment later Tabari’s broad-shouldered form appeared in the doorway.
He didn’t bother with a greeting. “A group of unknown Vampires has arrived in the City,” he told the gathered group. “One of the scouts called it in a few minutes ago.”
“How many?” Gabi asked, already on her feet.
“Around half a dozen that we are aware of,” Tabari told her. “There may be more. More scouts are being dispatched as we speak.”
“Have they done anything threatening yet?” Alexander asked. “Taken any Feeders?”
“Not as yet,” Tabari replied. “So far they have booked into one of the quieter hotels and seem to simply be waiting for something.”
“Shit,” Gabi said for all of them.
CHAPTER 12
Gabi pulled the BMW into a vacant parking spot on the street outside the modest hotel. Three vehicles continued past her and turned a nearby corner, disappearing down the dark street. She knew they wouldn’t go far, just out of sight. Fergus was in her passenger seat and Mac was in the back with Razor. Gabi was under strict orders not to even consider opening the car door. Fergus had threatened to knock her unconscious and dump her in the back of her own car if she so much as put a fingernail outside of the car. This was on Alexander’s orders, of course, but Gabi knew Fergus would follow through on the threat, at least to knock her out, she doubted he’d dump her in the back of the car with her injured shoulder. She wasn’t sure if he’d actually get the jump on her, but she didn’t want to ruin their friendship by putting it to the test. Besides, she understood the possible consequences. If anyone connected to the Princep Court saw her in the City, she would be putting Kimberley’s, Derek’s and Julius’s lives at risk.
If it wasn’t for her Vamp-O-Meter, they wouldn’t have let her leave the Estate at all. But not even Alexander and Fergus could dispute the fact that knowing exactly how many non-Clan Vampires had arrived in the City would be to their advantage.
Having uninvited guests was a delicate balancing act for Alexander. If he sent too many Clan members to enquire as to their intentions in the City, it might be taken as a threat. If there was a Master with them, it could lead to a challenge to Alexander’s authority, not something they wanted to try without Julius present, if at all avoidable. If they arrived with too few, and the band of rogues had bad intentions, it could lead to the death of Clan members. Knowing exactly how many there were as well as their power levels gave them the advantage they needed to traverse the unstable situation.
Gabi leaned back into the car seat and closed her eyes. She sent her extra sense outward, towards the third floor of the hotel, where their informants told them the group had booked in. She was instantly aware of them.
“Five,” she reported. “No, wait, six. Two of them were standing too close together, they’ve moved apart now. Hmm.”
“What is it, lass?” Fergus asked.
“There’s one quite powerful one,” Gabi said. “She’s an old one, but not yet at Master level. Maybe close to your level, though.” That was worrying; Fergus was strong, only Julius, and now Alexander, in the Clan were stronger than him.
“Hurumph,” Fergus grunted. “Wha’ aboot th’ rest?”
“Nothing exciting,” she told him. “One newbie, and the others are perhaps as strong as Liam and Nathan, probably as old in Vampire terms.”
“That’s not exactly an army,” Mac commented from the back. “Do you think they’re just passing through?”
“Double-check, lass, scan th’ whole hotel,” Fergus said. “We don’t be wantin’ any surprises.”
Half an hour and a headache later Gabi was certain that there weren’t any other Vampires in the hotel, or the hotels and businesses on either side of it or the shopping mall behind it. With her assurance, Fergus contacted Alexander in one of the other vehicles and relayed the information.
“I’m going in, then.” Alexander’s voice was a little tinny through the earpiece. “Fergus, you’re with me. Mac, stay with Gabi, I’m sending Nathan to join you.”
“You don’t need to leave them out of the fun just because of me,” Gabi said grumpily. She could almost hear him roll his eyes.
“I can’t take too many in with me, Hellcat,” he reminded her. “I’m only taking ten, any more would be overkill, and we don’t want to tip the balance. I’m trying to avoid a war, remember?”
She muttered unintelligibly as Fergus vacated his seat and Nathan slid into his place. Alexander’s face appeared in the still-open door.
“You know the procedure,” he warned, as serious as she’d ever seen him. “If something goes wrong, don’t do anything stupid; get back to the Estate and seal yourself and the rest of the Clan in until Julius gets back.” Her opinion of the worst-case-scenario procedure must have shown on her face. “I mean it, Gabi. If this is a serious play for power, Julius will need you more than you can comprehend. If you truly love him, if you really consider us your Clan, you’ll follow procedure.” His words stabbed her in the chest.
“Fine,” she muttered with little grace. “But don’t get yourself ashed, okay?”
His smile was pure relief. “I’ll do my best.” And then they were gone.
********************
Tracking the Magus wasn’t difficult, the hard part had been finding her to start with. That had taken Caspian two full nights of scouring the City, using every Werewolf he encountered to search for her scent. There were a lot of Werewolves on the streets, more than usual. Something was happening in the City, but he didn’t have time to concern himself with that, as much as it would please him to know that Julius’s precious City was in some kind of turmoil. Trouble seemed to be attracted to this place, or perhaps it was Julius. And Gabrielle. He’d do well to be rid of all of them. If he couldn’t get a taste of the bitch Dhampir, the Dark Magus had to know a way to break his fealty to Julius; if not, he’d find his own way to break free. And once his pla
ns came to fruition, he’d be more than strong enough to challenge Julius. And he’d be important enough to draw the attention of those who truly ran Vampire society. Those who operated in secrecy and shadow, not concerned with rules and regulations. Caspian would do whatever it took to achieve the entrance requirements for the most powerful group of Vampires on the planet. Julius might have delayed his plans by appropriating the Dhampir, but now he had another way. Humans joked that it was easy taking candy from babies, but it was even easier taking blood from them.
His fangs ached a little at the idea.
Once he’d pinpointed the building the Magus worked in, it was easy enough to turn up just after sunset and wait for her to emerge. He’d fed on and mind-rolled one of the human security guards, who was employed more for show than actual security, and discovered several useful things about her. First that she worked late most nights, also that she utilised a martial arts studio a few blocks away at least once a day as well as the gym in the building itself, and that she bought tea and at least two meals a day from the French-style café across the road. She lived in an apartment just ten minutes’ walk from her office, and she rarely travelled anywhere by car, except recently. She went out at least once a day in the car since the attack on the Magi Source, and was always gone a similar amount of time.
The building she worked in belonged to the Magus High Council and was utilised largely by their members for whatever it was Magi did all day. Caspian knew it would be heavily warded, and he doubted he’d get through the defences. He wasn’t even supposed to be on this side of the boundary. If they caught him inside, they certainly wouldn’t hesitate to inform Julius of his transgression. He didn’t want to alert Julius to his clandestine goals. And besides, the dark voice in the back of his mind told him that the office wasn’t what he should be targeting. He needed to find out where she was going in her car each day. That would take some doing. Luckily he was a dab hand at breaking and entering. The electronics shop four blocks away probably wouldn’t even be aware that they’d been burgled.
Come Hell or High Water (Hellcat Series Book 5) Page 16