He said, “To get to where Marc or Jeremy is, you have to change the conversations in your head.”

She frowned uneasily. “What do you mean?”

“When you face a confrontation, you have to decide if whether you live or die is part of your agenda. Either you fight to survive, and that’s your goal, or you fight to put your opponent down, no matter what the cost. Those are two separate conversations, and the decision for them has to come from here.” He tapped her on her breastbone with the back of his knuckles. “That basic choice affects your capacity to act in the world. You can train as much as you like, but you won’t ever become what they are until you decide to.”

When Raoul deemed they had watched enough of the fight, he turned away and beckoned for her to follow, which she did thoughtfully. They reached a separate training mat, and as Raoul turned toward her, she faced him.

“Making a decision is all very well and good,” she said. “But you also have to factor in your opponent, and whether or not he’s a Vampyre or some other kind of Elder Races creature that is much faster, stronger and more Powerful than you are. That would take strategy and tactics.”

Raoul raised his eyebrows. “Of course.”

She put her hands on her hips. “So, when do you start teaching me how I can possibly take down those stronger, more Powerful creatures instead of just focusing on these basic maneuvers?”

He smiled. “As soon as you can surprise me.”

“That’s it, you just want me to surprise you?” She gave him a wary squint. “You don’t want me to pin you, or score some kind of hit?”

“That would be asking far too much of you,” he told her gently. “Now, on your guard, if you please.”

If you please.

Yeah, that was never a good sign.

She took the appropriate stance, as he had taught her, and he slammed her down onto the mat. Even though he was just a human, he could move so fast, she often never saw him coming.

As lithe as a normal athlete in his twenties, Raoul straightened and turned away to wait until she recovered.

Then she rolled to her feet, and they went at it again.

While listening to the others talking over lunch, she found out that Xavier was due to return some time that night, and her nerves bunched into a jangled mess.

Even though she had no real idea what Xavier did in the business of running the Nightkind demesne, she knew he was a very busy and important man. He would have any number of matters to attend to once he arrived home.

No doubt she was far down on his list of things to do, but sooner or later, he would turn his attention to her once again. She might not be exactly comfortable here, but her days had fallen into a certain rhythm that she had started to depend upon. Xavier’s return threatened to throw all of that into chaos.

• • •

With a sense of weary relief, Xavier drove his Jaguar through the gates of his estate shortly before eleven that evening. The house was ablaze with lights, the lawn a softly shadowed green carpet that fell away to glimpses of the ocean that gleamed darkly in the moonlight.

The scene was beautiful, welcoming and peaceful.

As he pulled to a stop, the front door opened and Diego jogged lightly down the steps to the car, greeting him with a ready smile.

“Good evening, sir.”

“Hello, Diego.” Xavier smiled at the other man. Diego was handsome, thirty, energetic and ambitious, but thankfully he was also likeable, which helped to balance out the rest. “How are you?”

“Good, thanks. And you?”

“Glad to be home.” He realized he had automatically taken the car keys from the ignition, and he tossed them to the other man. “Please take my things inside.”

“Of course.”

Angelica, Jordan and Raoul were waiting for him just inside, their faces warm with welcome. He had kept up-to-date on all the daily happenings via text messages, emails and phone calls, but it was still heartwarming to see their pleasure at his return.

He touched Angelica’s arm. “How are you? Well, I hope?”

She nodded, her lined face wreathed in a smile. “Yes, it’s been very peaceful here, as always.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I could use some peace right now.” He turned his attention to Jordan. “And you?”

“About to go on vacation, sir.” Jordan grinned. “Only two more days now.”

“Very nice. Where are you going?”

“I’m going to spend a week in Mendocino.”

“That’ll be a nice break for you. I’m glad you’re getting away for a while.” After he finished speaking, he met Raoul’s gaze.

Smoothly, Raoul turned to Jordan and said, “Please bring a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and a bottle of bloodwine to the study.”

Jordan inclined his head. “Right away.”

The pleasantries over, Xavier walked into his study, where a bright fire was already filling the room with warmth and light. The windows had been propped open, allowing a fresh breeze to flow into the room.

He enjoyed the combination of the fresh, cool night air and the warmth from the fire. Everything had been arranged just as he liked it.

As he strolled to his chair, he shrugged out of his jacket, tugged off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt at the neck and wrists, and rolled up his sleeves. The book he had been reading before he had left lay where he had left it, on the table beside his chair. A sense of comfort stole over him.

Raoul followed, closing the door behind him. “How was New York?”

“Interesting, and a much needed change of pace after all the council meetings last month. Dragos spared no expense on the Games. He’s quite the showman when he decides to be.” He rubbed his dry eyes and relaxed with a sigh. “I got Melisande to agree to the last of the trade proposals.”

Raoul raised his eyebrows. “That will have pissed Justine off.”

“The thought has given me a great deal of satisfaction, after everything she did to sabotage this year’s council sessions.”

“You’ve made a bad enemy of her.”

“She’s made a bad enemy of me,” he said softly.

“I mean it, Xavier.” Raoul’s expression was serious. “By blocking what she tried to do with Melisande and the council, you’ve gone from being an annoying inconvenience to a serious impediment to Justine’s goals. She won’t forgive or forget that. You need to watch your back.”