A soft spurt of air and then steam coiled out from six spigots along the edge of the wall. “Talk about being pampered.” I stepped into the room and slid out of my jacket, which was already feeling too warm. “Alex, hop in the tub there and get clean.”

“Yuppy doody!” He scrambled across the floor and, from ten feet out, leapt into the tub. Water sprayed up and out as he disappeared under the surface before coming up just far enough that his eyes peered at me.

Laughing softly, I peeled out of my clothes, feeling for the first time the blows and cuts I’d gained in the fight with the Trolls. The whole thing was a blur; I’d never fought like that, with a total loss of control. Angry fighting? Yes, for sure. But nothing like that. I started to count as I stripped. Both arms were bruised from elbow to shoulder, large finger marks where I’d been grabbed, two slashes from claws ran between my breasts, my left hip had what looked like road rash and when I inspected my jeans they were missing material. How the fuck had I not felt any of this?

Each moment that passed, the aches increased until I was in a full out hobble. Both sides of the room had clusters of showerheads and I headed for the one closest to me on the left. I flicked the handle and all the showerheads came on at once. Three above me and three at different angl Siffst es on the wall.

“Doran, how many fucking parties do you have?” I griped as the water hit my open wounds. Better than crying.

“Oh, I have a few a month. The ladies like the bathroom best though. I can’t imagine why,” Doran said from way too close. I spun around, barely able to see through the stream of water, but I shouldn’t have worried. A split second later a scrawny, soaking wet werewolf stood between me and the Daywalker.

“No touch Rylee,” Alex growled, hunching his back like a pissed off, soaking wet kitty cat trying to make himself look bigger.

Doran lifted up his hands, but I saw the smile on his lips. “I’m not going to touch her, Alex. Just bringing her clothes and thought we could chat a minute.”

Alex deflated. “Okee dokee.” He trotted back to the tub, which he slid into like a giant salamander, just his eyes and nose floating at the top, watching us.

“He is loyal to you above everyone else; not often that happens, even with wolves.” Doran didn’t look at me as he handed me a bar of soap. “Here, Louisa left this last time she was here.”

I took the bar of soap and sniffed it. Strong scents of sage and lavender filled my nose. “You aren’t going to let me have any time to myself, are you?”

“I think you were right about Berget. We might be able to stall the madness for a little while, maybe a year. No more than that, but it would buy us time.” He snapped his fingers and a stool slid to him from behind the door. He sat, crossed his legs and gave me innocent eyes. “You going to shower or just stand there and get wet?”

“Fucker.”

“Only if you beg.” He winked and I turned my back on him.

“Oh, that’s a good view too.”

“Enough with the games, Doran, or get the fuck out.”

“Fine.” The stool scraped as if he slid it across the floor, sliding closer yet to me. “I have a fire opal that is very large, about the size of a peach pit. The thing is, if it is going to work long term, I don’t want to put it on a chain—too easy to knock off and let the madness loose before we are ready.”

I scrubbed the soap over my upper body, the sting of the antiseptic properties making me hiss. “So what, we make her eat it?”

He barked a laugh. “No, not exactly. I think we can implant it in her, though, let her body heal over it so it’s too hard to remove.”

Limping, I turned to face him. “And you think it’ll work?”

His lips tightened and even through the streaming water I saw the concern etched on his face. “I have no idea. I have never dealt with a madness like this and while the theory is strong, the power and personalities embedded in Berget are beyond strong. They ruled the vampire world for generations. They will fight this.”

“I think Berget will fight too, though.” I finished soaping up and began to rinse off as my brain tried to tell me what a fucking fool I was.

“And if you do save her, what then? You think Faris will let her live? You think he won’t try and find some way to fuck you over? He’s a vicious set of fangs that cannot be trusted. Not ever.”

I threw my hands into the air, sending a spray of water out. “What the hell do you want me to do, there isn’t exactly a third applicant for leader of the vampire nation, unless you know something I don’t?”

Doran shook his head. I turned off the water and he tossed me a towel. “ S a ou know soNo, there are no other applicants, no one is strong enough to carry the nation; it has to be Berget or Faris. My vote is for him, much as it pains me to say it.”

The thing was, my brain was kicking into overdrive, pieces of my past colliding with this moment, and I wondered if it had somehow all been set up. If there were reasons beyond the obvious for the demons, monsters, and wretched souls I’d battled in the past, reasons I was only now seeing.

“But if there were a third applicant, and if that vamp finished the task ahead of Faris and Berget? Would that do it?”

Doran blinked several times. “What are you thinking, Tracker? I don’t like the look in your eye. It is far too calculating for you.”

I didn’t want to tell him yet; I had to get the idea straight inside my own head. But, fuck, if I was right on this, I could make sure neither Berget nor Faris took the throne. I would still fulfill that stupid prophecy about being the one to bring the new vampire leader’s reign into being. And I would have the leader of the vampire nation already on my side and ready to fight Orion. In one fell swoop, I would save Berget, thwart Faris, and gain allies we so desperately needed.

“Rylee, why are you staring at me like that?” A flash of fear whipped across Doran’s face.

I wrapped my body in the towel and walked toward him. The Daywalker scooted backward, his green eyes wide.

“Doran, you might not like it, but I have an idea.”

Chapter 10

Doran, indeed, did not like my idea.

“Are you fucking out of your mind?” he yelled at me, his eyes all but bugging out of his head.

I was wearing the most ridiculous of get-ups, a tight black dress that stopped mid-thigh and had a sheer cut-out running in a deep ‘V’ between my breasts. With my black boots and weapons, I looked like a hooker about to go on a rampage and finally take out her pimp. Whatever, it was temporary. I carefully crossed my legs. “Doran, it makes sense. The simple fact you don’t want to do this tells me you are perfect for it.”