“I’m not saying you’re full of shit. I’m just saying I don’t really see any reason to panic over this.”

“Did you see what that monster did to Keith?” Starlight asked, her eyes wide with fear. “He was almost killed.”

That was a bit of an overstatement. I knew because, interestingly enough, I had seen what happened to Keith. I’d also seen what happened to Victoria and Brian before that. Hell, I’d gotten an up-close and personal look at my handiwork.

I’d also seen the damage they’d inflicted upon me one by one. Even armed as I was, fighting vampires was still risky business. I was no doctor, but I counted a couple of cracked ribs, several deep gouges in my side, and a dislocated shoulder among the injuries dealt me. The only difference between us was I’d limped home to heal up, making sure nobody saw my injuries. These whiners seemingly couldn’t wait to find a shoulder to cry on.

Boo fucking hoo.

Despite all of that, I had to admit that shit had gone far more smoothly than I had any reason to expect. Four attacks thwarted over the course of the week, four humans saved, and four vampires sent packing with their asses handed to them. Even better, nothing had leaked out to the press… outside of a fifth page tabloid story that Ed happened upon after an extensive web search and, well, I didn’t exactly see anyone other than conspiracy nuts paying attention to that shit.

It was all almost enough to make me cackle out loud. However, that might have come across as either suspicious, crazy, or both. So, instead, I settled for reiterating my lack of concern. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this. Are you all seriously this afraid of some nutjob in a mask?”

The Loft was surprisingly full that night. Usually the only time there were this many vamps in one room was when Sally threw a party… typically neglecting to tell me about it in advance. They couldn’t really all be that scared to be out on the streets, could they?

Firebird answered my silent question. She’d been otherwise occupied working through a fifth of tequila when she looked up. “I’m telling you, that isn’t just some guy in a mask. I don’t know what it is, but it isn’t human.”

“Oh? So then what is it?” I asked with a straight face.

“I don’t know.”

“I’ve heard rumors of wizards in the city,” Dread Stalker said, glancing around as if daring someone to ridicule him. “Maybe they conjured up something.” If even he was spooked, then this was a pure gravy boat of awesome-sauce.

“Wizards? Did we step into a D&D game when I wasn’t looking?” Unsurprisingly, my question drew blank stares from the crowd. Goddamn, these guys were starved for pop culture.

“What if it’s an Icon?” All heads turned toward Starlight, silence descending upon the room.

Heh. James had mentioned those to me shortly before leaving on whatever business he had. They were some sort of magical warriors, imbued with the power of faith – the same anti-vampire magic that Tom had somehow infused his toy with some months back. Fortunately, they were just as rare, maybe even more so, than Freewills.

Regardless of how absurd it was, though, Starlight had unwittingly given me the perfect setup.

“No fucking way,” Dusk Reaper muttered. “Just… no fucking way. If that’s the case, then we’re all dead meat.”

Make that doubly perfect. Now was the time for my coup de grâce.

“Fine. Maybe it is an Icon, who knows? Stranger shit has happened.” I stood and raised my voice. “If it is, though, I’ll find it and kill it. And if it isn’t, I’ll still find it and kill it. It’s time for this to end.”

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All eyes were now on me. There was no doubt in my mind that, long before the sun rose, every single vamp in the coven would have heard about their leader’s awesome bravery. That ought to shut the fuckers up for a while.

“I’ll hunt this thing down, whatever it is. When I do, I’m going to take revenge upon its ass tenfold.” Time to have a little fun… not that I wasn’t already enjoying myself. “As for the rest of you, you call yourselves vampires? You’d better hope when I’m finished with this thing that I don’t decide to come back and take out the rest of my frustration on your cowardly―”

The door opened and Sally walked in, interrupting my badass monologue in one fell swoop, courtesy of the green mini dress she wore. It hugged her body so tight you’d have sworn it was a second layer of skin. The words caught in my throat as my eyes drank in the sight. Talk about a walking distraction.

“My apologies for the interruption, coven master” she said, her tone convincingly repentant despite that being complete bullshit. She was still aiming to keep our asses from being impeached with extreme prejudice.

I gave her an annoyed glare, only half acting. Bitch had ruined a perfectly good tirade on my part. “Your apology is noted. I was just telling our brothers and sisters that the hunter was about to become the hunted. Whatever is stalking Village Coven, be it man, beast, or Icon.”―I threw in that last one just to make them flinch―“is about to learn what happens when you cross the Freewill.”

To my immense satisfaction, a wave of relief passed visibly through the crowd. Their doubt in me appeared to be gone, and in its place I saw the worshipful reverence that I liked to believe I deserved. It was good to be the king.

Unfortunately, Sally had to go and ruin the moment by opening her fucking pie hole. “With all due respect, I believe that’s a mistake.”

“What?” I did my best to mouth “shut the fuck up!” to her as subtly as possible, but she either didn’t understand or was purposely ignoring me.

“We can’t risk you. The Boston prefecture has decreed that you’re too important. There are other warriors in the coven. We can send them instead to…”

“I knew it,” Dusk Reaper said.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“This is all a ruse.”

“I don’t know what you’re…”

“Liar!” he spat. “Do you think us stupid enough to fall for these lies?”

What?! Oh fuck! Don’t tell me the shit-for-brains actually figured out what I was trying to do.

“Hear me, brothers and sisters,” he said, turning to face the others. “Our so-called master is weak.”

Oh crap.

“He never intended to hunt down our enemy. His bravery is only a false front meant to deceive us. Can’t you see that this was his plan all along? I say he conspired with Sally Sunset to…”

“What did you call me?” Sally asked, her eyes narrowing.

“The name our true master, Night Razor, bestowed upon you.”

Shit had just gotten real. Of all the stupid code names that had been handed out to Village Coven by the old regime, hers had potentially been the worst. She’d kept her first name, but had made it clear that the Sunset part was to be dropped lest she drop whoever dared utter it.

“Why you little―”

But Dusk Reaper wasn’t quite done yet. He stepped back, pointing an accusing finger at her. “Confess! You and the Freewill devised this ruse. Did you think we wouldn’t notice your convenient timing - stepping in and stopping him from hunting an enemy he never intended to face? I say all of this was so you could save his pathetic life at the expense of sacrificing more of ours.”

That’s what he thought I was doing? Guess he really was as dumb as he looked.

Or maybe not. Judging by the angry glares reappearing throughout the crowd, he’d definitely struck a chord.

“Oh?” Sally asked, her voice flat with anger. “Is that so?”

“Do you deny it?”

“I do. I say the Freewill is no coward. He wouldn’t hide behind such a sad little conspiracy.”

“Actions speak louder than words, bitch.”

Oh boy. This was getting ugly fast. Why the fuck did she have to come over when she did? I had been just about to seal the deal.

“I think I see what this is really about,” she said. “You think you’d make a better master than Bill, don’t you?”

Dusk Reaper smiled in return. “I do, for I would lead us in Night Razor’s name and continue his ways.” He turned to the others and raised his voice again. “The killing, the blood, the fun! Who remembers that?”

All of the guys in the room nodded, most of the ladies too. In fact, only Sally, me, and―interestingly enough―Starlight seemed to not find that idea too peachy keen.

“Very well,” Sally replied, her tone betraying no sense of urgency. “Then as you yourself said, actions speak louder than words.”

Oh no. The crazy bitch was gonna suggest a trial by combat between us. Dusk Reaper might have been a pussy at heart, but he was still a great deal more experienced than me. I opened my mouth to say something, but she picked that moment to continue.

“Village Coven is under siege and it needs to end now. What I propose is simple enough. You and the Freewill will compete to see who finds and ends this threat first. The winner will be acknowledged as the one true master of this coven.”