I take a deep breath. “We do need to figure out what to do about Roanac. And using Donovan is our best bet. Even if we don’t like it. I really don’t like it. But we need an in. We need someone on the inside so that we can get to Roanac without him being suspicious. And we need him to think that he has the upper hand so that he’s less cautious, and he can be relaxed. He doesn’t have to worry so his guard will be down and we can strike.”
Raven nods in acknowledgment.
“I know that you don’t like it,” I continue. “And I appreciate that and understand that. But… we need to think of something.”
Raven nods again. “I understand that. And… it makes sense. I can’t think of anything else.”
“You were alone last time,” I point out. “And I get that. I’ve been alone for a long time too. But we’re here now. And we’ll back you up.”
“I trust you. And even though I hate this plan, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re in danger from Roanac, so we have to get rid of him. Not just for you, but for all of us. He’s not going to stop once he has you. He’s going to use your power to do whatever he wants. And that’ll spell doom for everyone. He’ll be unstoppable. As much as I hate it, this is war. And in war, we have to do things that we don’t like in order to win and keep the ones we love safe.”
Raven reaches up and strokes my hair. “We can’t have a life together so long as Roanac is out there. And I’m going to do what it takes to protect you. I promised that I would be there for you and take care of you as my mate. What good am I if I don’t hold to that promise?”
“Hey.” I take his hands in mine and make sure I’m looking him in the eyes. “You are good, whether you’re able to protect me or not, okay? Roanac’s fucking insane, and fucking powerful. If something goes wrong, it isnotyour fault. You’re a good mate to me already. You don’t have to prove yourself. And you won’t let me down.”
Raven seems surprised but reassured by my words. “Still. This is worth the risk. I just have to accept that.”
I kiss him lightly on the nose. I’m not really used to being affectionate with people. I haven’t really had anyone to be affectionate with. But it feels natural to do this and be this way with Raven, and with the other two as well.
It must be the mate bond. It makes letting my guard down easier than it ever was before.
Because I don’t need to guard any part of myself from these men.
While it would be nice to just nap forever, we do have to get up. Time is not on our side. We’ve got to strike while the iron is hot.
We get up and head back into the main room, where Cain and North are working at the kitchen table. North is on the phone with someone, talking too quietly for me to hear him, while Cain is sorting through some papers in front of a laptop.
North sees us exit and finishes up his conversation, setting the phone down. He’s smirking. So is Cain.
“Yes, yes, ha ha,” I say, rolling my eyes—but I think the effect is ruined by the fact that I’m struggling not to smile and it’s probably obvious.
“So, while you two were having fun,” Cain says, a teasing note in his voice but fondness in his eyes, “we reached out to some contacts to see what’s up with Donovan.”
I would be blushing a lot harder, and would even probably be embarrassed at the fact that I had just been having sex while the other two were doing actual work, except for the fact that both men are looking at me with fondness in their faces, no judgment at all.
It’s really nice, actually. To know that there is no judgment. That they’re just happy that Raven and I are getting closer. They don’t even have to say it, I can feel it. I wonder if it’s the mate bond building, not just between Raven and me, but between all of us.
“Donovan is planning something,” North says. “We’ve heard some whispers going on. I think that he’s taking advantage of the fact that nobody knows just yet that he has an Immortal Key.”
“But already people are talking, because people can’t keep their mouths shut for anything,” Cain adds. “Even if you’re one of Donovan’s henchmen.”
“So Cain used his Sight,” North says, “and I think we’ve figured out a way to get Donovan alone so we can coerce him into helping us. We can’t just go into his headquarters and ask him to help us, not with all of his people there. We have to get him alone and back him into a corner. If he’s got all of his men with him he’s not going to feel threatened and so he’s not going to risk himself to help us, he won’t feel any risk. It won’t be a threat to him. He’s going to just laugh at us.”
“But if we can get him alone, the four of us versus one of him…” Cain shrugs.
“Even as a vampire he couldn’t take all of us in a fair fight,” I agree. Donovan’s powerful, all vampires are, but I’ve seen all three men in a fight, and I’m no slouch myself. Without any backup or any tricks, we’d overpower him.
“He’s going to break into the Shard in London,” Cain explains. “I could see it in my Sight vision. He hasn’t told his guards. We’ve asked around, and nobody knows exactly what he’s up to, they’re all being sent off on some other territory-grabbing thing, big and flashy. That way nobody will think that he’s out of town, and he can do this on his own.”
“What’s he after at the Shard?” I ask.
The Shard, in London, was a bit of a controversial building. Some people loved it, some people hated it and said it would ruin the skyline, and some people just didn’t even know why it had been created in the first place or what it was for. It was featured in a James Bond film, I think. I’m not sure?
But the point is, it’s not really a place that you would expect someone to try to get in to rob. It’s not a jewelry store, it’s not a bank or a political center. I think some of the levels are for actual apartments, then there are a couple of restaurants, and the rest are for offices. Nothing that you would want to go out of your way to steal from.
At least, not if you’re a part of the non-magical community.
However… there’s a secret level to the Shard that only us in the magical community know about.