“To Yvanna,” Helena said by way of greeting as she sat across the table form Ekaterina. They hadn’t spoken face-to-face since Helena killed her fellow Elder’s Coven-sister. True, it had been a claim-fight, and legal according to their laws, but no one liked having to kill one of their own. Much less during a crisis when they could ill-afford the loss of a powerful leader. Ekaterina had been handling Yvanna’s Coven, but that couldn’t last. “She was strong and brave. Now she rules the night with the sisters who went before her.”
“What do you care? You killed her,” Ekaterina said, but she tilted her glass to Helena, which was an invitation. Helena sat across from her, ankles crossed, feet wrapped in glittering, blood-red heels that were really too high for good sense. Then again, Helena had never been accused of being sensible. “Why are you here?”
“Loraven thought it would be best I told you,” Helena said, and prepared herself to lie, and lie well. Ekaterina was not a young vampire, and had a good ear for lies. Helena had no beating heart to give her away, but any pause or hitch in her voice would be noticed. “You know the attack was botched.”
“I do,” Ekaterina said, and downed the rest of her wine in a single long gulp. Helena got to the half-full carafe before she could, and refilled Ekaterina’s glass. It was a mark of respect, to fill the glass of another vampire. They were, after all, very much wrapped up in the formalities of drinking. Even if they weren’t usually drinking wine. “What about it? I was managing my end of the attack.”
“I know,” Helena said soothingly. Ekaterina had always been prickly, but she was far worse now, and it made things more complicated. “It was a trap. There was an explosion. I was only just fast enough to get out.”
“I hear your human, and that strange fledgling you’ve been so attached to.”
Right. Teucer had yet to reveal himself to the wider council of Elders. Helena blessed her Sire’s foresight. He was a weapon she would be glad to have in her back pocket should things go badly. He was more than capable of ending any of the Elders in the city. Ekaterina was powerful, but she wasn’t that powerful.
“Yes,” Helena said, and didn’t elaborate on the invitation, even though she could tell that Ekaterina was deeply curious about Teucer, and more-so because none of them had spoken of who he was. After all, his name was known, but not well known in their community. Not like her dear, dramatic cousin, Draco. Everyone knew Draco. She was a little bit glad he had not come to help, although she would welcome the addition of his strength to their forces. “But the explosion came after we made it down into the human’s records rooms. Look at this.”
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It was a risk to slide the paper over. It was a forgery, of course, but between Loraven and Teucer, it was as flawless as could be.
“This is an order for silver,” Ekaterina said with no inflection in her voice. “For the Shifters, I assume. This Josef is not fool enough to think silver will harm a vampire.”
“Owen says so, but keep reading,” Helena prompted Ekaterina. “Salt and iron shavings in bulk. He’s going for Underhill.”
“there are only two Doors in the city, and no one is foolish enough to tangle with Underhill.”
No one with any sense, anyway. Underhill had a reputation for going nuclear, and no one ever claimed that either Titania or Oberon had any sense of moderation hen it came to insults to their power. If Josef picked a fight with Underhill, there was every chance that Underhill would wage war.
Personally, Helena very much hoped that would not happen. There was far too much at stake.
Fortunately, the paper in Ekaterina’s hand was a fake.
Now to lure her in. Helena hoped and prayed that Ekaterina wasn’t the traitor in their midst, but she had a nasty, sinking feeling that Yvanna’s death had pushed the Russian vampire over the line.
If so, it was her fault. If not, it was still on her to do her best to repair their fracturing alliance.
“We’re going to strike the convoy,” Helena explained. That part was true, after a fashion. Josef did have a convoy coming in. It was loaded with men and supplies, and would be a fat target not he road. A handful of vampires with enhanced strength could take a truck off the road without a problem, and if they could wreck it, well, there wouldn’t be much left for Josef to salvage after. “Take his advantage. Kill everyone aboard.”
“Who is to lead?” Ekaterina asked without a quiver to betray her thoughts. “You?”
“Yes.”
Loraven was already laying his own traps, but this one was for Helena, and he wouldn’t cross wires with her. They had planned this carefully. Either way, the convoy did need to come down. The response to it would tell Helena if Ekaterina betrayed them to Josef or not. There was no way Ekaterina could know of Teucer’s presence, and it would, in truth, be him to lead the attack on the convoy.
There wouldn’t be much leading, in fact, considering that he planned to put an explosive arrowhead in the engine and send the whole truck over a cliff. He could make that shot and be gone long before anyone had a chance to see him.
Ekaterina was quiet for a long while, and sipped at her wine thoughtfully.
“Very well,” she agreed to the plan, and looked at the document in her hand again. “A war with Underhill. Foolish. He cannot know what wrath he brings on us all.”
Helena had seen a giant once. She knew what Underhill cold bring if they decided to end a fight decisively. Of course, that would get other attention, and that would make everything much worse.
“I agree,” she said rather than voice the vague fears she held for the future. Sooner or later, Others would be revealed, and humans were rarely wise when they were afraid. “Now, shall we discuss our tactics for this human? After all, this is our city, and I am entirely finished with his presence fouling the air.”