Page 47 of Wicked Thirst
“The trouble is the Blood Borns are going to want to punish this offense,” Eloura countered, “which I agree with to a point. The problem is the lines are muddy.”
“Not to mention Clive will use this as an opportunity to try to overthrow you and oppress the Night Spawn,” I added. They all looked at me. I shrugged. “What? It’s true.”
“That’s very insightful of you,” Eloura murmured.
“He’s not to be trusted,” I snapped, and Titus raised his eyebrows at me. I met his eye. “What?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you so . . . robust before.” His voice was low and calm.
“Perhaps I’ve been quiet for too long,” I countered, and the others at the table watched the two of us go back and forth.
“I welcome it.” He seemed pleased I had more to say, and that was enough to make me want to say less.
Sanchita raised her hand again, and Titus motioned to her. “If we’re going to do this, you must speak.”
“The only way to make this work is to know who’s with us and who’s against us. If we are going to punish the traitors, then we can’t just go around hurting innocent vampires. It has to be a precise strike.”
Her words fell heavy in the room. Martin slid his fingers over the screen in front of him. “We can try to determine that through some of their habits and purchases.”
Titus sat forward, and I could read the shock on his face as he shifted in his seat. “You can do that?”
Martin looked up from his iPad. “I can do anything you need, Your Majesty.”
Prisha nodded at him, then turned to the rest of us. “Sanchita and I will go snooping in the Night Spawn headquarters. We need to see how deep this sickness goes. We’ve been thinking, and Marius is tied to it somehow. We just don’t know how. Made-vampires aren’t built for that kind of power, and I wonder where it’s coming from.”
“I agree with you all. But we can’t have you putting yourselves in danger,” Titus interjected.
Before any of them could argue, I cleared my throat. “They are old enough to do this and can be trusted. If we can send Grayson out to fight with the witches, then they can do some snooping around their own familiar surroundings. It won’t look out of place and won’t set off alarms the way it would if the Blood Borns did.”
Titus pulled his chair out and dropped down into it. “I can’t be doing with sending them into unnecessary danger.”
“But it was okay for Grayson?” My voice was almost argumentative, a distant cry from the soft tone I normally took with him.
“No, of course not?—”
“— Then they are more than capable.”
Titus held his breath for a moment, looking taken aback by my words. But why shouldn’t they be able to do what they say? He blew out a breath. “I do believe it is imperative we find out who can be trusted in our world.”
“Seconded.” Eloura tapped her cane on the ground. “I will look into the Blood Borns. The creator knows they expect me to get all the gossip. It will be easily discerned within days.”
Sanchita started to raise her hand when I gave her a slight shake of my head. “Martin will dive into their records while Prisha, and I will be able to start to figure out who betrayed us with Marius. They’ve all but disappeared.”
Titus stared at me with those mahogany-flecked eyes that reminded me so much of Grayson’s and Graymont’s. The three of them were so similar. Right now I found it difficult to meet his direct gaze, yet I sat there and held it. He didn’t look away. “Then we must proceed from there and find out how deep this goes on both sides. We cannot fight an enemy we cannot identify. But you will take backup with you. Jester will go.”
“I agree.”
Sanchita swallowed. “The . . . the soldier guy who captured me?”
Titus nodded. “He is more than capable, and he will blend in.”
“I think we can do?—”
“—This is how it will be done,” Titus said, cutting her off.
“Very well, Your Majesty.” She nodded in agreement with him.
Titus rose to his feet. “Then so be it. We will meet back here in three days’ time.”
