“—Is still significant, yes. And then there is his bloodline to consider. He hasa lotof thralls.”
“And the ability to control his spawns.”
“True, but he would not risk what Minh did.” She curled her lip in distaste. “The Curia would punish him if he did.”
“They didn’t punish Minh.”
“Because you killed him.”
Antoine pressed his lips together in silent acceptance. “But he is a Curia member himself, now. Is he not above sanction?”
“Some rules don’t apply; others apply more so. He must lead by example, though it is true the Curia will ignore most of what he does.” She tapped the arm of her chair. “He knows this.”
“His bloodline is strong,” Antoine said. “What do we have that he does not?”
“He cannot fly like we can, and no other line influences chattel as effectively as ours.”
Useful skills, but not for this situation. Antoine thought for a moment. “Are there ways to unseat him?”
“Bien sûr,but they are not easy. He would have to err, and he is too smart for that.”
“A challenge?”
“Oui, but there needs to be grounds to deliver it, and you need to be able to win.”
“What if the other vampires in Boston lost faith in him?”
Belle smiled slowly. “What of it? He is not an elected official, he is a Curia member. The seat is his through power alone.”
“No, that’s not what I mean.” Antoine frowned as he thought it through. “If he could be weakened, he would worry about losing face. Maybe then he would make a mistake and offer an opportunity.”
“Something sufficiently public, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“Not yet,” Antoine admitted reluctantly. “His house is too well guarded, and he is too strong to take on directly. It is tempting to take a page from the chattel’s book and drop a bomb on it, but I don’t have a bomb, and it probably wouldn’t kill him anyway.”
“And less satisfying?” Belle looked amused.
“Very much so.”
She rose from her chair, smoothing down her dress. “I will head home. Our evening has been pleasant, if not what I had intended.”
Antoine stood too, surprised she was leaving of her own volition, having not made some obvious gain. It made him suspicious. “Thank you again.”
“Oh, I enjoyed it.” She graced him with a smile and a hint of her fangs, then sobered. “You know he will learn you have returned soon enough?”
“Yes.”
“And then what?”
Antoine shrugged. “And then nothing. Escaping his entombment ended my punishment.”
“But nothisdesire for revenge,n’est-ce pas?” She made a gesture that took him in. “Vampires bear grudges for decades, and you did kill Minh.”
“What can he do?” Antoine asked, dismissive. “He can’t directly get involved in the war you started in Boston.”
