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“Besides, this ruling body is only temporary,” Winter countered. “The five that were killed over the past months have not been replaced on the Ministry, and the ones that remain are more concerned with protecting themselves.”
“The reach of the Ministry is growing weaker,” Marcus confirmed, but his brother didn’t sound reassured by it. And Rafe had to admit that it created an unexpected queasiness in his stomach.
The Ministry was comprised of eleven older vampires who met to create rules for the vampire world within the Americas. There was another one for Europe and a third for Asia. The American Ministry had grown bloated with power-hungry vampires who didn’t really care about what was happening between the clans or even to the vampires who weren’t lucky enough to be a part of a clan.
Their kind was long overdue for a change in leadership, but the Ministry didn’t exactly have elections. Seats on the Ministry were claimed by killing an opponent, either openly or through more devious means. Earlier in the year, it had become quite clear someone was attempting to stage a coup, but the culprit had yet to step forward.
The Variks tried to stay out of the power struggles for the most part, but it was clear that the Black Wolf clan had decided to make a move on the Variks, claiming they were a threat to the order they hoped to achieve.
Now the clan was no more, but none of them really felt any safer.
Rafe spread his hands in front of him. “And where does that leave us?”
“In need of allies and the truth behind who attacked the Ministry first,” Marcus replied. “You met with Arsenault?”
Rafe nodded. “I met with the clan leader, Philippe Arsenault, last night.” Rafe paused and licked his lips before looking over at Winter. “Have you met him? Do you know anything about the Arsenaults?”
“Next to nothing, actually,” Winter admitted, which was more than a little surprising. Winter seemed to know something about nearly everyone. “They’ve kept to themselves. Definitely away from the Ministry and politics. I’m not even sure how big their clan is.”
“Well, their clan is one vampire smaller than it was.” Marcus immediately glared at Rafe, as if he were to blame for the incredibly shrinking Arsenault clan.
Rafe held up a hand, stopping Marcus’s snarl. “Philippe Arsenault believes an alliance between the Variks and Arsenaults could be of value to both sides. However, he would like a…a gesture of good faith. Proof that the Variks are willing to help the Arsenaults in their time of need.”
“Not unreasonable, considering Jullien Arsenault was sent to help us infiltrate the Black Wolf manor,” Bel said.
Ethan shifted on the couch, moving closer to Marcus. “What do they want help with?”
“One of their clan members has gone missing. Piper Arsenault. Philippe has requested our assistance in locating their wayward vampire.”
“And Philippe is sure Piper didn’t leave of her own free will?” Winter said.
“Yes. Yes.” Rafe gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “I covered all of that ground already. He’s confident her disappearance is either linked to a kidnapping or that she’s hiding from someone who attempted to harm her and can’t safely return home. But I don’t have any additional details. I didn’t want to get into all of that if we weren’t going to agree to trudge into their mess in the first place.”
Marcus shifted forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he narrowed his eyes on Rafe. He wasn’t sure if his brother was attempting to read his thoughts or if he was concentrating on the request from Philippe. “What is your opinion of Philippe Arsenault?”
“Handsome,” Rafe said immediately, earning muffled snickers from Ethan and Winter. He glanced over in time to see Bel give a roll of his eyes, but there was a smile playing on his lips.
“I was hoping for something more useful and constructive when I requested you meet with him,” Marcus said, sounding as if he was talking through clenched teeth.
Sometimes Rafe couldn’t help himself. He loved irritating his brothers, particularly Marcus.
And that truly had been Rafe’s first impression when it came to Philippe Arsenault. The vampire was incredibly handsome. He looked as if he’d been spun from the finest gold thread and woven with a glow plucked straight from the sun.
But for all their playful banter, Rafe hadn’t missed the worry crowding his pale-green eyes. Rafe didn’t know if the worry was related to his missing clan member, aligning the Arsenaults with the Variks, or something else.
“He’s charming, witty, and intelligent. Reminded me a lot of…well, myself.” Rafe paused and flashed Marcus a wide grin, but his brother was not amused. “He seems to know a good deal about us, despite our pitiful lack of knowledge about their clan. He’s apparently a fan of Marcus’s appearances before the Ministry, but not so much a fan of the Ministry. I believe he respects our family and is willing to accept an alliance with us even though we’ve done an amazing job of making ourselves a target. And while I’m a little surprised to say this, I do believe he’s genuinely concerned about his missing clan member.”
