“Couldn’t we have just told Drake that David was dead—told him he was burned?”

“He’d never have believed it. It’s been so long since a pure blood Lilithian existed, Drake was already sceptical that true death could be achieved.”

“Do you think it was him that pulled David from the fire—to test if he was dead?”

“No.”

“But, it could’ve been. I mean, it’d make sense.”

“No. It wasn’t him. I’m sure of it.”

“How?”

“Because I followed Drake once he left the courtroom.”

“To where?”

“He fled down a tunnel—took a secret passage, his Warriors following. Then, while they were waiting at this dead end, for what I only assume was a secret door, one of the Warriors pulled a blade and stabbed Drake through the chest.”

“Stabbed?”

“Yeah.”

“He can be stabbed? I thought he was the all-powerful.”

“Every vampire can be stabbed with the right kind of metal, and a little lethal venom helps, too.”

“Lethal? My venom?”

“I guess so.”

“How did the Warrior get it?”

Eric shrugged. “All’s I know is Drake got carried off, the Warrior was executed with his own sword, and the secret door closed—that was that.”

“Did you tell Morgaine about that?”

“Course. Had a full debrief. But it’s not Morg I report to—it’s Mike.”

“Report to? Why Mike?”

Eric blinked a few times slowly, a rise of obvious sarcasm moving in to his eyes. “Who else, Amara? He’s head of the entire Knight’s Core.”

“Knights.” I shook my head, my eyes a little wider. “That’s still so weird.”

“Weirder for me,” Eric scoffed. “The knights aren’t supposed to exist. The Blood Warriors killed them all—six or so centuries ago—or so we thought. Turns out Morgaine and a few other Lilithians have been forming a secret society. They’re small, but they were enough to storm the castle on an unsuspecting king.”

“So.” I looked at David again. “All this—” I held my palm out to his burned body, “—is so we can sneak into power, trap Drake, then have a superbaby?”

“Well, that’s scraping the surface, but, yes. He would’ve taken any pain to save you.” Eric looked up at David too. “I’ve never, ever seen a man more distraught as when I told David what you are—what the real reason you were kidnapped was.”

“What did he say?”

“At first?” Eric said. “He smiled, completely lost for words. Then, as the realisation of what they’d do to you sunk in, the smile faded to a hollow, daunted stare. He dropped to his knees and…”

“And?”

“Well, let’s just say that the holding chamber at Loslilian needs a little redecorating, now.” Eric laughed softly. “But, all’s well that ends well, right?”

“I don’t call this ending well.”

“That’s because you’ve been kept from much of the truth about what could have happened, Amara.”

“Like?”

Eric shook his head. “You’re not my wife. It’s not for me to say. I’ll leave it to David if he wants to tell you.”

“Eric?” I rolled my eyes, flicking my sarcasm switch. “I don’t belong to him. This is the twenty-first century. You can tell me whatever you like.”

“Where I come from, the time and place, you don’t cross those boundaries with another man’s wife, okay? He has to protect you—not just from the dangers of the world, but the cruelty of it, too. If he wants you to know, he’ll tell you.”

“Well.” I folded my arms. “That is annoyingly honourable of you, Eric. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

He smiled. “You’re married now, kiddo. That changes everything. Besides, you’ll be my queen soon. I don’t wanna be beheaded for treason.”

“Beheaded? You can’t be beheaded.”

“I know. I was being funny. You know, the off with his head—painting roses red?” He smiled, leadingly. “Because you like red roses…”

“Oh, ha-ha. Funny.” Not, but I smiled, anyway. It was a little funny, I suppose. “Maybe my first decree as queen will be that if you’re about to make a joke, you have to announce that it’s a joke before you say it.”

“Or—” Eric grinned, shuffling a little closer, “—you could make a rule that you and Mike don’t attempt comedy in any way, shape, or form.” He shrugged. “That should protect your people from the worst of it.”

“Hmpf.”

Eric laughed aloud and shook his head.

Mike and I burst through the front door, hilarity roaring between us. “I’ve never seen a look like that on anyone’s face before, Ara. It was classic.” He wrapped his arm over my shoulder and kissed my head.

“That poor, poor old lady. She’ll never recover from that, you know.” I stopped laughing long enough to look at Mike’s face, then burst out with a gust of spit and air again, covering my mouth.

“Something funny?” Emily stood in the archway, her arms folded.

“Yeah.” Mike unwrapped his arm from me, his wide grin reaching out to include Emily. “But it’s really one of those had to be there things.”

“Hm.” Emily flicked her hair and spun on her heel. “Like most things with you two.”

“Em?” Mike walked after her.

“Mike?” Morgaine popped up out of nowhere, holding out a phone. “It’s Aaron.”

“Aaron?” Mike stopped, frowning a little. “I was wondering what happened to him.”

“Who’s Aaron?” I whispered to Morgaine.

“He’s the scouting officer helping put the army together.”

“Oh, right.”

“Aaron. Long time.” Mike walked into Emily’s room, with one finger in his ear, the phone against the other.

“So, where do you go to recruit a bunch of vampire killers?” I asked. “I didn’t know Buffy had kids.”

“Ha!” Morgaine laughed. “No, we um, well, when you’ve been alive for a couple centuries, you make a few connections. I have a friend in a ‘certain’ government authority.” She grinned. “He’s helping us recruit. You might say we’re a ‘special branch’, made up of the best of the best.”