ChapterTwenty-Two
One minute Yesenia was sitting on Leo's lap, reveling in his deep voice under her ear, snuggling against his warm body, and the next her room was filled with Nora, John, and a few other of the hell's employees she didn't know very well, listening to how Ambrose had been kidnapped.
In the process, she and Leo had both gotten out of bed and now Leo paced, his hands clasped behind his back, as everyone waited to see what he'd say.
She knew her vampire well enough now to understand how Leo wasn't going to just hand her over as the note demanded, in exchange for Ambrose. Even if she had so much to learn about her male, he hadn't brokered a peace treaty between all the Dark Lords easily, and he was clever.
And unlike before, he had her help, too, if he needed it.
Yesenia was just about to suggest he could use her as bait when Leo's steely voice filled the room. "Before we jump to conclusions, we need as much information as possible so we can craft the best plan. Nora, send a note to Laurie to come and then explain things to him. John, send quick notes to Khan and Black about what's going on. As for me, I'm going to talk with the vampire parish leaders."
Yesenia frowned, never having heard the term before. "Are they like a council of sorts?"
He nodded. "Yes. It's easier to control vampires in crowded, highly populated areas by making lower-level leaders more widespread and accessible. Dividing up my bit of London into sections was one of the first things I did once we had peace. I hope my long-term plan bears fruit."
Someday, she really was going to have to learn more about how London worked between all the paranormal factions; she'd been focused solely on her magic lessons. But now wasn't the time for more questions on that subject, so she asked, "And what can I do to help you, Leo?"
He stared at Yesenia a beat, and she half expected him to tell her not to worry, she should go study and he'd take care of it.
However, he replied, "I don't have time to beat around the bush with Khan. If you could talk with him, it might help to hear about the situation from one of his own kind and be more willing to assist; he's the second best in the city when it comes to information."
"Second?"
Leo shook his head. "Once things calm down, I'll explain about the unofficial fourth Dark Lord and her information network. For now, just focus on Khan. Can you do that, Yesenia?"
Her brows rose at the mention of a female sort of Dark Lord. However, she didn't ask for more details; it wasn't the time.
Although she had no idea if Dark Lord Khan would heed anything she said, she'd try her damnedest to help. "I'll write Khan a note, then. And maybe request a few fae witches who can help with the search. If he agrees to send the tracker Helena, then it might be easier to find Ambrose."
Nora frowned. "But he's not a fae witch and he doesn't have any magic for her to trace."
It seemed the fae witches kept secrets from the vampires the same way they did vice versa. Well, she wasn't going to hold this piece of information back. "It's easier with fae witches, of course. But trackers can often locate vampires in their frozen states too. There's a sort of energy frozen vampires emit, probably due to some age-old magic, or curse, or some such thing related to you all freezing in age in the first place. But the important point is that Helena might be able to locate him sooner, or at least give us a general idea of where to look, instead of just hoping for the best with an information search." She looked back at Leo. "How much time do we have before you're supposed to hand me over?"
"Midnight tonight."
She glanced at the clock. "It's eight in the morning, so sixteen hours." She nodded. "Then let's not waste any more time and get started already."
Leo stared at her a second, slightly stunned at someone dismissing him, but then he shook his head. "Right, then we'll check in every four hours, to see if any progress has been made. And if we're still as clueless by eight this evening, we'll adjust our plans." He moved a few steps toward his sister and took her hand. "We'll find Ambrose, Nora. I have a feeling this is the French vampires throwing down the first challenge. I won't let them win, no matter what it takes."
Nora bobbed her head. "I believe in you, Leo."
After releasing his sister's hand, Leo looked at each person in turn. "Then go, and remember to check in four hours from now. Sooner, if you find anything worthwhile."
Everyone left her room except Leo. He lingered a moment, stood next to her, and kept his voice low as he caressed her cheek. "I won't let them take you, Yesenia. You're mine now, and I take care of what's mine."
She smiled and touched the back of his hand on her face. "I know, Leo. I'm just glad you're letting me help."
He nuzzled her cheek. "Press Khan about using the tracker. That's something he never would grant me, but he might do it for you." He kissed her gently. "Now, let's get to work. The sooner we find Ambrose, the sooner I can have you all to myself again."
As he left, Yesenia took a deep breath. Even if she didn't have full control over her magic just yet, she was going to help her vampire and his family to the best of her ability.
After penning her note to Khan, she dressed to make an impression.
In other words, she donned the shirt, pants, and waistcoat she'd convinced the maid to find for her. The last thing she needed was to trip over a skirt or fall on her ass because of the tight fit. Besides, if she could distract people by showing off her lower body, she'd take it. She was determined to prove to both herself and Leo that even without her magic, she was an asset and not a weakness.
Because if Leo only ever saw her as a weakness, no matter what he might wish, they had no future. That was the truth, and she was determined to keep it from becoming so.
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