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I nod at both in greeting, picking up on their distrust of me.
“What’s next?” Paolo asks.
“We can’t just sit here and wait to be attacked. Not knowing Yves is his target,” Syn says.
“Yeah, no one touches him. Not on my watch,” Thorn adds, cracking his knuckles and eyeing me suspiciously.
“That is precisely what we have to do,” Yves says. “Hadrian is an immensely clever man. I’ll assume that hasn’t changed. He grows stronger with each new vampire made. By now, he’s virtually indestructible.”
“We’re likely the only two people who can kill him,” I state. “And even then, we may not be successful.”
“Must he be killed?” Horus asks. “Is he not reasonable?”
Yves rubs his hands together, clearly in turmoil over something, but he’s blocked me from his thoughts. His brothers notice as well, closing in around him, but Yves waves them off. He paces in front of the windows for a moment, his head bowed, before he turns to face us.
“He is not reasonable. He is ruthless and will kill anyone in his way. Hadrian knows our weaknesses, and if he knows I live, then he knows Damiano does too. We must block him from our thoughts but maintain awareness of his presence.”
“But you’re blocked from him,” Horus points out. “Is there a way around it?”
“Vivienne will know. She’s our house witch and very powerful.”
“Yves,” Syn says. “This sounds dangerous. We must prepare in some way.”
“It is dangerous, brother. There is nothing in existence more deadly and powerful than Hadrian. I tried to destroy him once before and clearly it didn’t work.”
The ripple of pain that moves through Yves is as sharp as if it were my own. I want to hold him, comfort him, but now is not the time.
“Yves is right,” I say. “Outside of gathering allies, there is nothing preemptive we can do to protect ourselves.”
“Bullshit,” Thorn spits. “Everyone can die.”
“We exist because he does,” Clyde, another vampire from the Midwest says. “His blood is inside of every one of us. We are his puppets.”
“I am no man’s puppet,” Thorn says. “I will die defending Yves.”
“You may have to,” Horus spits.
“Perhaps your maker can help you understand what we’re up against,” Paolo says. “He knows him firsthand.”
Yves fixes his hazel eyes on my face, his expression a mixture of fear and determination. “I need your help.”
“You have it without doubt. I came before I even knew it was you. Now that I know that, nothing could drag me away.”
But we need to talk. Alone.
I send the thought, testing our connection. When Yves’s eyelids flutter and he nods, a lost part of me is found again.
“Where are you staying?” he asks.
“Here.”
“You should come to my home. Paolo too. We have room and it makes sense to stay together.”
“And what of us? What should we do?” Clyde asks. “Wait?”
“Organize,” Yves answers. “Gather everyone you know who is loyal to you. I hate to say this, but if I know Hadrian, and I do, we’re on the verge of war. If he wins…” Yves’s words fade away as he searches my eyes. “We die.”
“No!” Syn exclaims. “No,” he repeats, softer.
