“Coven-holds are always different,” Owen observed as Helena’s limo pulled up in front of the sweeping refurbished mall. She looked up from her phone and the mass text she had just sent out, calling a coven-meeting. “Is it taste or convenience? I never had a chance to ask.”

He didn’t seem surprised at their location. It was likely that he knew where all the coven-holds were, although making an assault on one was something he didn’t care to do without both backup, and a very good reason.

Henri had gotten careless. It was only a matter of time before he acquired a vendetta from someone.

Although Owen had, admittedly, been very thorough with his revenge.

“A little of both,” Helena replied. She was proud of her coven-hold. The mall had been set for demolition when she bought it. The parking lots around it turned easily into gardens, and the stores inside to comfortable suites for her Coven. “On this occasion, convenience. We needed a larger Holding, and this presented itself.”

“Where were you before?”

Owen was fishing for information but Helena didn’t mind overly. There was no harm in him knowing.

“The Excalibur.” She named a hotel on the other edge of her territory. She still owned it, but now it was nothing but a valuable property. “The top three floors were residential, but we outgrew it.”

“What am I walking into?”

More fishing, but he smelled cautious. Not nervous, not yet, but wary. She supposed she couldn’t really blame him. She would be wary too.

“No one in my Coven will touch you,” she said as she led him towards the glass doors and the doorman who waited there. “I keep my own on a very tight leash.”

“That part I did know,” Owen said, and eyes the doorman. “You’ve been on my radar for a while, but you’re pretty good at keeping yours under control, so you weren’t exactly on my to-do list.”

“I don’t know if I should be pleased or offended,” Helena chuckled, and guided him across the polished floors to the largest meeting room. With nearly eighty in her Coven, they would need the space. The air shimmered as vampires whisked into the space and found places around the comfortable room. “Although considering what you did to Henri, I suppose I should be glad.”

He had been on her to-do list for a while, but never a priority. It was a safe assumption that one of the other Elders would call vendetta on him sooner or later and that would solve the problem.

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Of course, now that had changed, and there were larger problems to handle.

“Hello children,” Helena greeted the room as she walked in, Owen on her heels. “As some of you may know, there was an Elder Counsel tonight.”

Murmurs filled the room. Normally Elders met on the Dark-Moon every month, and that wasn’t for another week. An emergency Counsel spoke of real trouble.

“This is Owen,” she continued, and held the floor with the ease of long practice. Owen shifted slightly next to her, a little tense, but surprisingly calm for a Hunter surrounded by too many vampires to fight alone. “He is under my protection until I say otherwise. Anyone who touches him is in violation of Law.”

They knew what that meant too. Very few took Coven Law as seriously as she did.

“What is the threat?”

Victoire had been her second for nearly a century, and came with her when Helena’s Coven, small at the time, came over after the First World War.

“A Hunter who seeks the genocide of every Other in the city,” Helena told her, and was gratified by the angry hisses she got in return. “We will be seeking alliances with the community at large, but until this threat is past, there is to be no hunting of Others, or human-Others.”

“What about willing pets and partners?” Fellis had a half-elf lover and her face was tightly worried. If Helena ordered it, she might cut ties, but it was better not to find out for sure.

“No-hunt only,” she assured the young vampire with a slight smile. “In fact, I encourage you all to spread the word among the community. This threat is to all of us and everyone will need allies. I will have more information for you soon. For now, hunt in packs or settle for drawn blood, and be very careful.”

Taking the dismissal for what it was, most of the Coven left, though not without some curious glances for Owen.

They would get used to him in time.

“Victoire, Halvert, Javier, stay,” she called to her three highest-ranked. Most of the Coven would answer to them, while they answered to her.

Delegation. It really did make leadership easier.

“Madam?” Javier was turned in Paris in the 40s, and never managed to shake some of the language. “What are your commands?”

“Find me information,” she told him. That was his job, and he was the best. “Owen, give him the flash drive. I want to know everything about them, and I want to know yesterday.”

“Yes Madam.” He vanished in a blur without another word. Helena turned to Halvert next.

“Weapons and claw caps for everyone down to the fledglings, and see if you can find out where the hunters are getting their weapons. Shut them down if you can.”

“Of course.” Halvert was young for his position, but his competence was extraordinary.

“And me?” Victoire asked when the other two were gone. “Anything you need, as always.”

“Start moving the fledglings and the youngest out of the city.” It was an order she hated to give, but vital. Fledglings were vulnerable. “And watch our own. I killed Yvanna earlier.”

“She broke possession-law?” Victiore knee the laws as well as any and better than most. Helena nodded. Her Second would need to know, and Victoire was her most trusted. “Damn. Who do you want watched?”

“Everyone, but especially Willhem,” Helena considered. Willhem fell right in the middle of the age-range of the Elders, and had never liked any of the other Others in the city. “I don’t trust him. Not on this topic.”

“He really doesn’t like magic users.”

“I agree.”

With orders given, Victoire turned away and made to leave. She was almost to the door before Helena snapped her fingers and brought her Second’s attention back to her.

“Aye?”

“Do not trust anyone. Until we know more, everyone is a possible threat."