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“And Alaska?” Gabriel asked.
“I’ve found a replacement.”
Gabriel just lifted his brows.
“Aunt Fallon,” Connor said with a smile. “She and Uncle Jeff decided to take a vacation.”
Only a shifter would refer to a several-thousand-mile drive though enemies as a vacation.
“I’m here now,” he said, and slid his gaze to my father. “And I understand you’ve got a plan.”
• • •
It took hours to get the CPD team in place, the remaining residents evacuated. And, of course, to get Claudia suitably dressed.
When she walked back into my father’s office, her hair was gleaming and plaited and crowned with a golden diadem, the scrubs exchanged for a gown of stunning crimson with beading along the scoop neck and long, draping sleeves.
“Claudia,” my father said, walking to her, “you are a vision.”
As if the dress had restored her confidence, her acknowledging smile was haughty. “I am a queen,” she said.
“Of course.”
“Where’d you get the outfit?” I whispered to my mother.
“Lindsey’s been doing cosplay,” she said with a grin. Lindsey was her best vampire friend, and a whiz at reinventing herself.
Yuen showed Claudia the park, explained the general plan, then looked back at her. “The CPD team is in place and waiting. The rest of the team will move into place when you can get an invitation to Ruadan.”
She slid her gaze to Petra. “May I borrow your hand, aeromancer?”
Petra glanced at Yuen, got his nod, and walked toward her. She pulled off her glove and presented her hand, palm up, to Claudia.
Her eyes fixed on Petra’s, Claudia put her hand above it, then closed her eyes, murmured something that had magic lifting in the room and sparks crackling between their fingers.
Her lips spreading in a smile that had my mother putting a hand on her weapon, Claudia touched a fingertip to Petra’s palm. The resulting spark was enough to make even Petra jump.
“The message is sent,” Claudia said, opening her eyes again and shifting her gaze back to the rippling grass on the monitor. “We will see if he agrees to play your game.”
• • •
Transportation was arranged. Weapons were checked. And Connor walked to me, his expression unfathomable, and gestured to the hallway.
“Can I talk to you?”
I nodded and followed him into the hallway, then down the corridor to a quiet spot behind the main stairwell.
I wanted to tell him I was glad that he’d stayed, but I didn’t think I was ready for that admission.
“I brought you something.” As I lifted my brows in surprise, he opened his jacket, fished for something in an interior pocket. He pulled out a toy sword.
I stared at it. “That’s my sword. Why do you have my sword?” I narrowed my gaze. “How do you have my sword?”
“I stole it from Cadogan House.”
I blinked. “You did what?”
“Four years ago, I snuck into Cadogan House and I took it.”
