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“And me?”
“You’ve participated in atrocities that are extreme even for your kind, but I get the sense you’re relieved to put that life behind you. Time will tell the tale. It always does.”
We drove by a farmhouse and kept going.
“No one’s going to easily sneak up on them.”
“It’s a fun challenge, but not terribly hard. Have you met Mordecai?”
“No.”
“Don’t drop to your knees.”
“I hadn’t planned to.”
“No one does.”
“Are you tempted?”
“I didn’t, but yeah, the compulsion’s there. I don’t know what you’ll feel from Kirsten, though I hope you’ll share it with me on the way home.”
“I’ve met her, briefly. She’s the Harlequin. Goblin Queen. The stuff of legends.”
“The Erlkönigin. Yes. Technically, it’s a title in Alfheim, but the power follows her here. Some people feel her as a version of Mother Nature.”
“But you just feel Erlkönigin?”
Before he could answer, I realized I knew what it was because I’m old, but I didn’t think he was even close to being old enough to remember.
“How did you recognize the power if you aren’t ancient?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Anything else I need to know about the evening?”
“I’m certain Marco prepared you.”
“Yes. Kirsten is in a poly group with the Amakhosi and Mordecai. Cora is bound to her, but don’t refer to her as Kirsten’s wolf — Kirsten gets testy about that. Marco and Cora claim each other, but neither are under each other’s protection because that would create a political nightmare at this point. Cora’s beta, Ranger, will be there with his poly group, Mac, Jonathan, and Bethany, who is human but she knows all our secrets and then some, so we don’t have to worry about what we say around her.”
“Just so you know, the power that will be at Homewood tonight is…” He shook his head. “Chattanooga was full of strength before, but now it’s scary strong. I believe Abbott is technically stronger than Marco, and with Kendra, Gavin, Josef, Jayce, and others, his powerbase was off the charts. However, if Marco and Cora come together as powerhouses, along with the strength of Kirsten and her men...”
I waited for him to finish his thought. When he didn’t, I told him, “If I was a vampire looking for power, and I wanted to take over the city, I’d do it sooner rather than later, before Marco and Cora get everything figured out, and before Marco gets our security exactly as we need it.”
“So would I.”
He pulled into a small parking area, and I noted the group was seated in the side yard, on benches set in a conversational grouping. Everyone looked comfortable. Relaxed. That isn’t usually the case at this kind of gathering.
The invitation from Homewood had stressed this was a casual evening, and Marco had talked to me about what to wear. I was in black leggings, black suede boots that came up to my thighs, and a red silk blouse tailored to fit tight on my body, but with frills at the front and on the cuffs, like a poet’s shirt.
Cora was in low-slung jeans that looked as if they were painted on, and a tight little red t-shirt. Kirsten wore flowing white pants with a long-sleeved lavender shirt tucked in. The Amakhosi wore jeans and a black t-shirt, and Mordecai wore black combat-type pants with a royal blue tee that showed every muscle of his upper body. Completely relaxed, he looked exactly like a god of war, and I understood why Ryan had told me not to kneel.
Ryan had shown up in black combat pants and a black t-shirt. He was a foot shorter than Mordecai and at least a hundred pounds lighter, but he seemed just as deadly. Was that because he smelled like a slayer? I wasn’t certain.
Marco wore black dress pants and a silk charcoal dress shirt open at the neck. Black leather shoes and belt. He doesn’t really do casual. For that matter, neither do I, but I thought I pulled it off better than him.
Ryan turned the ignition off and looked at me. “Are you going to let me open your door and help you out, or shall we exit the vehicle together?”
“Together, I think.”
