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As he studied Khan's cool, collected gaze, Leo wondered if the male was hinting that it could more than happen—it was a certainty, if events didn't change.
No doubt the Fae Witch Lord had access to every seer on the island. What Leo needed was at least a fraction of that. "Don't suppose you'll let me hire a seer to help solve this mess?"
Khan's jaw tightened. "This information stays within these walls, understood?" He and Black shared a curious look before nodding. Only then did Khan add, "My seers have been disappearing one by one and we haven't been able to find them yet, not even with using a tracker."
Leo blinked. If a tracker couldn't locate another fae witch they'd met, it usually meant the person was dead. Or had ended up in a different time. But as far as anyone knew, Yesenia was the only time-wielder alive at present. He'd never heard of more than one being alive in the same when before.
Unless someone from a different time was trying to nudge history in a different direction, uncaring about the rules and regulations enforced by the fae witches.
He glanced at Khan and then Black as he replied slowly, "Maybe this is about more than me. Maybe these French vampires are targeting all of us, maybe even wanting to change history."
"That I don't know definitively," Khan stated. "But before the last seer disappeared, she mentioned how war was on the horizon again. I dismissed it at the time since you and Black were merely having a petty argument. But in hindsight, I should've known better. If we don't do something to alter that path, we'll face war against someone once more, even if it's not against each other."
"Fuck," Black muttered.
Leo took a deep breath. "Indeed. If they start targeting your kind as well, Black, then we may have to stop with bloody trading favors and merely work together to figure out what the hell is going on. I, for one, don't want another wave of death like in our predecessors' time."
Black's usual smile faded. When the wolf turned serious, with his eyes glowing from his inner predator, he became a male worthy of leading the shifters. "I'd rather not sit on my arse and find out, aye? I say we strengthen our truce and alliance, at least temporarily."
Leo raised his brows. "How?"
The wolf shrugged. "Maybe start with having our strongest warriors and intelligence gatherers meet up to share information. In private, of course. Until we have more information, there's not much we can do. Outright attacking the French vampires on English soil will make the humans try to contain us all."
Leo nodded. Trying to defy human law when another enemy threatened wasn't a good idea, no matter how much he wished he could change a few of the restrictions placed upon them. "And we might want to vow to help protect each others' families too. If I were you, Black, I'd bring your sister to town as soon as possible so you can keep an eye on her."
The shifter grimaced a second. "Aye, I know. It will take some time, though, even using the railroad." Black stood tall and cleared his throat. "And if something happens to me, I need one or both of you to promise to protect her. Grace is blind, making her more vulnerable than most. I don't trust my distant cousin to watch over her either. I need a powerful male to guard her."
Leo blinked at the new information, although Black's sister being unable to see accounted for why he'd kept her hidden away in the Scottish Highlands her entire life. Being blind was difficult enough for anyone, but for a shifter female, it could be even more so. More than one human male would love to enslave a paranormal female of his own, shifters being the most sought-after given their higher sex drives. And a determined human wouldn't think twice of taking advantage to get what they wanted, especially if money were involved.
The three of them might've kept a friendly distance from one another over the years, but now, Leo didn't think they could keep it up. Especially since Leo knew firsthand how things could go horribly wrong for a female who didn't have a champion, like with his sister.
If it came to it, he wanted to help protect Black's blind sister, so Leo nodded. "I will do my best to watch over her, if it comes to it."
Surprisingly, Khan didn't ask for favors or a price, like he normally did. He merely answered, "I will as well."
Black clapped his hands once. "Aye, well, you both have my thanks. And I suggest we start meeting at least once a week to better exchange information and prepare, in case it comes to that, aye? By next week we should each draw up lists of those from our own people who are willing to work with other paranormal types. The last thing we need is our own killing each other because of a grudge or bias."
Khan stared straight at Leo. "And you should claim your female this week as well. You need to focus, and you won't be able to if you're constantly randy."
Leo growled. "I'll claim my female when it's time. Stay out of it." Black looked about ready to say something else, but Leo stood and sliced a hand through the air. "Enough. I think we're finished for today. We'll meet at the same time next week. I'll let you know if I can visit one of your territories by then."
Because if he hadn't claimed Yesenia yet, he wouldn't be able to leave her unprotected for long, thanks to his instinct.
Surprisingly, neither of the males said a word about that but merely murmured their assents and soon they were gone.
Once Leo was alone, he sat in the chair at his desk and leaned his head back against the headrest. What the bloody hell did the French vampires want? And how in the world had so many of them entered England without being noticed by the human authorities?
Unless they had bribed certain officials.
Add in the missing fae witch seers, and he had a bad feeling about what was to come.
Rather than dwell on what could go disastrously wrong, Leo took out some parchment, an inkwell, and a metallic pen nib. Leo went to work making a list of everything he knew, what needed to be done, and theories aboutwhythe vampires would strike now, so many decades after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
This was the first real test to arrive at his doorstep since his heart had started beating again, and he'd be damned if he failed straight off. He may have more vulnerabilities now than ever, but his stubbornness would make up for it all.
