“Yeah. I want to check it out. She says Roman’s looking for this artifact—she actually used the phrase ‘immense power’ to describe it. We have to keep him from getting it.”
I tried to read some emotion off him—was he shocked, wary, confident? What did he think? He seemed calm, mildly curious.
“What do you need from me, then?” he said.
“An opinion. I can’t help but wonder what she isn’t telling me,” I said. The last time I’d seen Anastasia, we’d been on the same side battling some particularly destructive enemies. We’d trusted each other because we didn’t have a choice. I trusted her now because I’d trusted her then. So what was I missing?
Rick leaned back, lacing his fingers. “Here’s what I know about Anastasia. She’s older than I am. She came to this country sometime in the nineteenth century with the first wave of Chinese immigration, I imagine dodging some trouble in China but I don’t know exactly what. She rose through the ranks and became a trusted advisor of the then-Mistress of San Francisco. She controlled Chinatown for her, as I understand it. Then the situation completely unraveled.” He shrugged. “Vampire Families can remain stable for centuries. London’s had the same Master since the seventeenth century. But when they go, they can go quickly, spectacularly, and without any warning. San Francisco was like that.”
“You were there for it?” I asked.
“I saw bits and pieces. I tried not to get involved.” He winced a little—he’d spent centuries trying not to get involved, until a few years ago when he personally destroyed Denver’s previous Master and took over. Everyone had been surprised. It was one of those spectacular changeovers he was talking about.
“Anastasia got out, of course. There was a lot of speculation—did she get out because she was afraid of the new management, or because she’d betrayed the old? Some people said she orchestrated the whole thing.”
“But why? Wouldn’t she have stuck around, then?”
“Her whole reason for going to San Francisco in the first place might have been to topple that Mistress and her Family. When her work was done, she packed up and moved on to her next project. The fact that she’s back now and in need of help suggests to me that she isn’t any more friendly with the current Family—she could just go to them for help.”
“What can you tell me about them?”
Rick said, “They’re a laid-back bunch, but don’t underestimate them. Behave yourself and they won’t give you any trouble. To tell you the truth, most of us were happy with the change in management.”
I thought a moment, lips pursed, leaning my chin on my hand. “Roman must have brought werewolves with him. That’s why she needs me.” If he’d brought vampire minions, Anastasia could have depended on the local Family to oppose them.
“Is there a local pack in San Francisco? What are they like?” he said.
“Word has it the pack there is centered in Oakland and tends to stay out of San Francisco proper. Roman probably knows that.”
Rick glanced away, chuckling.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s the same old story. Both Roman and Anastasia bringing werewolves as hired muscle. Vampires as nobility and werewolves as peasant foot soldiers. The patterns are ingrained among the oldest of us and we keep falling into them.”
That kind of thing made me angry. Made me mouth off when I ought to stay quiet. It almost made me look forward to the upcoming conflict.
“That just means I have to stand up for myself, don’t I?”
“I don’t see you having any trouble with that.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Any other advice?”
“If you see Roman, get out,” he said.
“That’s already on the agenda.” I figured if I actually saw Roman, it would already be too late.
“Keep in mind that Anastasia is not the most powerful thing you might meet out there. If she and Roman are both after this artifact, that means it’s more powerful than both of them. Be careful.”
“I’m not really all that interested in power,” I said.
“That’s why those in power find you so interesting. They really don’t like rogue elements getting in the way of their plans.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Do you know I was probably the only vampire in North America for about a century?”
“Alette might have mentioned something along those lines. How the hell did that happen?”