Page 52 of Between Imminent Fates

“It’s not at all the same, Circe,” he said. “Torrin has killed hundreds of us. You were innocent of any crime.”

“But what if by taking him, his death sparks something deeper? We’ll make a martyr out of him.”

“We just have to trust Key,” Lucius said. “What she did—and what theCitizensdid—allowed us to find each other. I’ll admit, it took me a while to see it, but the truth is that I’m forever indebted to her.”

“She was also the reason Torrin became obsessed with you in the first place, Luc. Why he tortured you.” Her voice harbored a thread of anger.

Lucius cupped a hand under her chin. “And I’d go through it all again to have you. Key wasn’t wrong—it didn’t change me the way they wanted it to.”

“No, you’re still the soft-hearted man I met at the first Accords meeting.” A smile softened her features. “The court jester.”

“Always a fool for you, my love.”

Lucius dipped his head to nibble at her lips, laying bare his desire for her. She dissolved against him, painting forgotten, but the moment wasn’t meant to last.

Blair and Kaien teleported in, both suitably clad in black. His sire instantly enveloped him in a tight hug, then held him out as if to inspect him. “Are you ready for this?”

“As ever, sire.”

The good-natured grin he sported was the honest truth, but Circe linked her hand with his regardless. His mate must’ve felt the erratic vein of anxiety that coursed through him. As always, she never failed to understand what he needed.

Kaien leaned against the couch’s arm. “I’m still skeptical Torrin will follow you like a lost puppy. He’s not an idiot. Asking him to ‘speak with you,’ even in a public place, isn’t going to work.”

Lucius had originally had the same reservations about Key’s directive, but the more he thought about it, the more he was sure it’d succeed.

“He’ll say yes. Torrin won’t be able to help himself.”

“Key did say his obsession with you took creepy to a new level.” Circe shuddered. “I just want this to be over.”

“That makes four of us,” Blair muttered. “Are you ready to go?”

Shoving down the morbid thoughts, Lucius held out his hand for Kaien. Though unnecessary, none of them wanted to drain the Raeths prior to battle. This small concession would make it easier.

The teleport spit them out in the foyer of the vampire’s headquarters in New York City. Suka, the receptionist, had been expecting them. Bowing her head toward their group, she motioned to the doors that led to the basement.

“Everything is ready for you should you need to return.”

“Most appreciated, Suka.” As they turned, Lucius glanced over his shoulder. “It’s probably best that you leave now. Just in case we do make our way back.”

“Of course, sire.”

With another bow, the young vampire scurried out of sight.

Circe would remain on site at the vampires’ headquarters, keeping a psychic eye on her mate. If everything went to plan, they’d successfully prevent the war. If not, Key had mentioned that theCitizens’leader didn’t know remote teleports were an option, and in this case, that was to their benefit.

Lucius had spent many of his immortal years living among humans in densely populated areas. New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Philadelphia had all served as his home once upon a time. Wandering the streets in search of the man who hated him most in the world was oddly invigorating. A strange sense of melancholy warred with it, but he brushed off the emotions as he drew nearer to Torrin’s workplace.

Key’s timing had been spot on. She’d predicted that he’d find the man who’d blinded him outside his office at half past nine. With seconds to go, he saw Torrin exit the building.

Dressed in a pale grey sport coat and matching slacks, Torrin still largely appeared the same sophisticated businessman on the outside. His mouth was set in a sneer as if the people walking ahead of him were not fit to be in his presence. A hint of shadow roughened his otherwise clean face, and Lucius couldn’t dismiss it as simply a day’s growth. Torrin had let certain aspects of himself go.

The vampire maintained his lazy position, reclining against the wall of the skyscraper. Soon, theCitizens’leader would pass right in front of him, and Key had assured him that he wouldn’t be missed.

She was right.

Lucius knew the exact moment Torrin realized who was standing before him. An incredulous tremor, brief but visible, ran through the human just before the mask of cynicism returned.

“Torrin.”

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