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Alexei went into the kitchen, grabbed his gifted bottle of vodka and a shot glass. He brought them both to me, filled the cup, offered it. “Drink,” he said. “You need this.”
“I don’t know about need,” I said, but I downed it, winced. He hadn’t splurged on the good stuff. But I said thanks and handed him back the glass.
“I’ll take one of those,” Lulu said and downed a shot. “Not often I find vampires in suits at the door.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Not your fault.” She coughed. “God, this is awful.” She thrust the glass back at Alexei. “Next time, bring better.”
“No,” Alexei said with a grin, and took the bottle and glass to the couch.
We were a strange assemblage, but a bonded one. We’d fought fairies and feral monsters, suffered arrows and sword wounds and magically shifting landscapes and fireside battles. And we’d come through it as friends—the kind you could rely on for crappy vodka and excellent planning.
“Why did they come all this way?” Theo asked. “Surely the AAM doesn’t have to approve every new vampire made.”
“No. But ‘regular’ vampires aren’t supposed to make them. And that’s the kind of thing that threatens the ones in charge. They’ll want to punish me.”
“How?” Connor asked, voice grim.
“I’m honestly not sure. Give me demerits?”
“Are you taking this seriously?” Lulu asked, concern pulling down her brows.
“I am. And I’ll deal with them.” I looked down at my collarbone. “It doesn’t look like I have much of a choice.”
“It’s a pretty simple spell,” Lulu said.
We all looked at her, given she’d generally avoided any and all discussion of magic or its details, with surprise. “I knew a little about some basic spells, before...”
Before she turned away from magic completely, she meant. Before she learned her mother had, at least for a little while, been seduced by dark magic and become an enemy to Chicago.
“Do you know if they’re right?” I asked. “About it disappearing?”
“If the spell was done correctly, yeah. Think of it as a little contract. You fulfill the terms, and the deal is done.”
“And if she doesn’t?” Connor asked. “What happens?”
“Depends on the sorcerer they had on speed dial. But it probably wouldn’t feel very good.”
“So she can’t ghost the vampires, ha ha,” Petra said.
“No. But I’d have to deal with them eventually. They aren’t just going to walk away from this; admitting defeat is not something vampires do easily.”
“Yes, we’re aware of the stubbornness of the fanged,” Connor said, managing to work a little exhaustion into his voice.
“So I’ll meet them tomorrow night. And since they’re vampires, I’ll handle them the vampire way.”
“With fancy clothes and arrogance and posturing?” Petra asked. There was no insult in the words, because she was absolutely right.
“Pretty much,” I said.
“In that case, you’re right about the location—it’s best if you don’t meet them in Grant Park,” Theo said, leaning back against the refrigerator. “It’s in the middle of the Loop and full of tourists. We don’t want humans caught in the cross fire.”
“Or cops watching us fight back,” Alexei said with a smile.
“Preferably no fighting, wherever the location,” I said. “But a place I choose.”
“A placewechoose,” Theo said. “Some of your family members may be out of town. But not all of us.”
