“You didn’t, which could play to our advantage.”

“Or it could mean he’s had more time to prepare.”

Baojia shrugged. “I’m not in charge of this operation, so I’m just following orders at this point.”

“We should have brought more people.”

“I don’t think so.” Baojia closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Rest, Lucien. Going in circles will accomplish nothing.”

Makeda watched the plane take off with Saba standing behind her. The faint scent of the pilots and ground crew lingered in the air, but Makeda was learning to ignore it.

“He’ll be fine,” Saba said. “Do you think I’d send my favorite son off into a battle he couldn’t win?”

“My sire and my mate are both on that plane. Do you expect me not to worry?”

“I expect you to focus on the task at hand,” she said. “And part of that means leaving your worry here and focusing on what you must do to ensure our victory.”

Makeda faced Saba. “And what is that? Because so far, no one has given me any combat training. As far as I know, all I’m supposed to do is stay out of the way. I’m not sure why anyone even wants me there.”

“Because it will be easier to protect you if you’re with us, of course. And it will be your job to address the court. Tell them I hold the key to their healing should any of them become infected.”

Makeda blinked. “You act as if they’re just going to let us walk up to the gates and reason with them.”

“They will.” Saba shrugged. “They have to.”

“Says who?”

“Protocol. Tradition.”

Makeda said, “Saba, why do you think that means anything to the council of Athens at this point? They’ve poisoned humans and undermined vampire governments all over Europe. They’ve killed important people and made enemies everywhere, all in a quest to regain some kind of importance to the larger vampire world.”

“They’ll open the gates to us because we’re old like them.” She smiled, both fangs down. “Plus they know we can rip the gates off should we want to.”

Lucien could feel her hovering. “Just ask what you want to ask and leave, Tenzin.”

“I can’t leave. I promised Giovanni I’d help with this.” She landed beside him, pouting. “I do have better things I could be doing, you know.”

“I’m so sorry we’re interrupting your busy social schedule.”

She leaned toward him and stared at his face. “You’re so much like him, you know.”

“Who?”

“Giovanni. You’re very… What’s the word my life coach would use? Uptight. You’re uptight.”

Lucien closed his eyes. “You have a life coach?”

“Kind of. So your human—”

“I don’t have a human.”

She waved a hand. “Your new mate. She was human recently, yes?”

“Yes.”

“And you changed her against her will?”

He snarled a little. “It’s a complicated story.”

“They always are.” She lifted off the ground a little. “But tell me, how long did it take for her to forgive you? Not long, I’m assuming, but you are mates, so that could have something to do with it. Were you having sex with her when she was human?”

“I am not going to share any of this with you.”

“Fine, ignore the sex question. But really, how long did it take?” she asked. “I’m asking for a friend.”

Lucien lifted one eyebrow. “Right.”

“What? I am.”

He rose and went to find Brigid. She was studying a schematic that had been delivered to them when they’d landed. They were currently holed up in a warehouse that smelled like ash. Lucien suspected it belonged to the Russian fire vampire, Oleg, but he didn’t know, and frankly, he didn’t really want to. His mother’s connections were vast. It didn’t mean he had to keep track of them.

“What do we know?” he asked Brigid.

“According to our little spies—who have no reason to lie—the lightest shift happens right before dawn.”

“Makes sense.”

“So we’ll go in right after shift change when everyone is getting oriented.” She pointed to the roof. “Easiest access is there.”

“What about the ground?”

Brigid shook her head. “Concrete slab six feet deep. Livia built the factory and she built it with vampires in mind.”

“Six feet is nothing,” Lucien said. “I can break through that.”

“But can you do it quietly?” Brigid asked. “Because I’m married to one of you earth boys, and nothing he does is quiet.”

Lucien shrugged. “Stealth and breaking rocks rarely go together.”

“The roof.” She pointed to it again. “There’s a helicopter pad and roof access that was left over from the previous owner. Livia didn’t use it—neither did Laskaris—but it’s there. Tenzin will take you and me up while Baojia secures the water system.”

“The water system?”

“According to our source, Laskaris rigged the plant to blow up and dump any remaining Elixir into the local water system. Kind of a last ‘fuck you’ to humanity, I guess. Baojia will take care of that while you identify what I need to burn up and Tenzin kills anyone who gets in our way.”