Kyle and Alexander were sprawled across more than half of the six-seater sofa, Patrick sat less casually on the opposite end of it, and Julius had taken one of the single-seater chairs, as had Benedict. Fergus was looking out of place sitting in the window seat, the dancing light of the fire throwing strange shadows over his scarred face, while Nathan paced the floor behind the long sofa. Gabi perched on the marble shelf to one side of the fireplace, one foot up on the shelf so she could rest her chin on her knee, her mind zoned out as the men discussed defence strategy. The bottle of wine Alexander had brought her was empty, as was her gla.s.s. She didn't have much to contribute; she didn't know much about defence. She was much better at offence. The double entendre of that thought made her snort. Yes, she could offend just about anybody given the time and the inclination.

"Something is funny?" Benedict asked her, his voice bland. Conversation broke off, and the rest turned to look at her as well.

"Not funny, frustrating," Gabi replied. "The fact that we're sitting here planning what to do when the Dark Ones come bursting through our door, instead of taking the fight to them."

The silence in the room stretched out.

Yeah, she was great at offence. Her discomfort made her tetchy. "What?" she demanded. "Benedict says he can locate them no matter where they're hiding. Why not strike pre-emptively? Why are we acting like the proverbial sitting ducks?"

The previously hostile silence turned to more of a contemplative one.

"She has a point," Benedict finally conceded, one eyebrow raised. "We have been concentrating on how to counter the Dark Ones' moves. We could just as easily use my sight to give us the upper hand in a coup de main."

"If we have enough time," Patrick put in, his tone grave with misgivings. As an ex-marine field officer, his input was highly valued tonight. "It would be stupid to rush in there ill-prepared. It would be better to consolidate our forces here and make sure we have a solid defence."

"Can't we do both?" Gabi asked. "Surely a stealthy strike with a small force would be a better idea? That would leave the bulk of our manpower here in case it all went to s.h.i.t."

Silence again. At least they were considering her idea. The thought of sitting here just waiting for the bad guys to arrive was becoming more unpalatable by the minute.

"When will the first batch of Mac's weapons be ready?" Kyle asked.

"The first working prototypes have already been produced." Julius spoke up, a little less annoyance in his tone. "They're being tested as we speak. If those are good, full production will start in the morning."

"It would make me feel better to have a couple of those in my hands if we're going to attack the dragon in its den," Kyle said.

And just like that, the conversation turned to attack rather than defence. Gabi waved her empty wine bottle at Nathan. He took the hint and moved towards the wine cellar.

"Flame-throwers," Gabi said, joining in the conversation. "If we have demons running amok, we could have ghouls, and for ghouls we need flame-throwers."

CHAPTER 16.

"You need to tell Trish she can't go," Gabi announced, flouncing into Julius's office early the following evening.

Maximillian was cleaning the gla.s.s display case that housed some of Julius's antique weapons collection, and Julius was reading something on his computer monitor. She was trying to get him to upgrade to a tablet, or at least a laptop, but he was resisting the transition. He glanced up at her with one eyebrow raised in question, his face deceptively calm.

"Maximillian, you can leave that," he said to his head steward. He made a slight nod towards the door, and the bone-thin Vampire made a macabre attempt at a smile, then, with a slight bow, collected his cleaning supplies and ghosted out of the room, with a daring, narrow-eyed sneer at Gabi as he pa.s.sed her. The two of them had declared their dislike of each other months ago, and being made Consort hadn't done anything but exacerbate his antagonism towards her. Gabi knew he was treading on thin ice; if Julius caught one of the vicious looks he sent her way, the steward would be demoted to floor scrubber at one of Julius's clubs. Gabi bit back a cold smile at the thought of their ongoing little game. She watched his black-clad figure disappear down the hall before stepping fully into the room and closing the door.

"You were saying?" Julius asked her, one hand now propping up his chin as he watched her warily with his sapphire and gold eyes.

"Trish seems to be under the impression that she's coming with us on the mission," Gabi informed him, her annoyance flaring again as she stomped to the front of his desk. "What has given her that idea?"

"She asked me, and I agreed she could come," Julius told her.

"What?" she demanded, outraged. "She has no experience in combat, she isn't a Hunter, and she hasn't trained to fight demons. She's going to get herself killed. What were you thinking?" Gabi seemed to have lost control of her voice as it rose in pitch and volume. The idea of her dearest friend caught up in a fight with Dark Magi and demons was too much for the fragile grasp she held on her temper lately.

"Gabrielle," Julius said, his voice irritatingly calm, but his eyes bleeding to black, a sign of his own annoyance. "Trish is a Werewolf, in case you've forgotten. She's stronger than you, probably faster than you, and heals quicker than you."

"And you think that's all that's needed to fight demons?" She managed to bring the high pitch under control, but her volume was still on max. Most of the house would be hearing her right now, and she didn't care. "Werewolves aren't immortal. If they were, there'd be a s.h.i.t load more of them as Hunters. In fact, as you may have noticed the other night, they're at more of a disadvantage fighting demons than anyone else. They can't risk changing form, so they're stuck using human form, making them vulnerable. Did you even notice that Callum, a trained Hunter, nearly got himself killed at the cathedral?" She ran out of breath around about then.

Julius stood, his jaw set. "I didn't intend on allowing her to be in the middle of the fight," he said through clenched teeth. "I realise what she is and isn't capable of. I realise that she's your friend and Kyle's mate. I wouldn't let her come to harm."

Gabi had caught her breath. "And how exactly do you think you're going to ensure that?" she demanded, her voice gone deceptively quiet. "In the heat of battle, going in virtually blind to a deadly situation, how are you going to ensure that? You will put all of us at risk. Have you thought of that? I'll be distracted worrying about her, you'll be distracted keeping an eye on her, and Kyle will be consumed with making sure she's safe. How is that anything but a calamity waiting to happen?"

"She was never going to be part of the attack force," Julius cut into her tirade. "She will be outside with the vehicles, part of our contingency plan, prepared to use her skills to get us out of there if we need her to."

But his words didn't register in Gabi's mind. Red was seeping across her vision, a thin fog, creeping in uncontrolled after too many nights of little sleep and days of too much worry.

"Lea, breathe." Julius's voice was outwardly soothing, but the concern was almost tangible. He was in front of her now, his hands gripping her shoulders as though prepared to shake her. "The Rage will just exhaust you further. Come back to me." His mind pushed at the wall she'd erected to keep him out, nudging to find a weakness he could exploit.

Her first reaction was to push him back, strengthen her shields, but her annoying rational voice b.u.t.ted in and began sprouting words of wisdom, reminding her that she needed her strength, that it would take her days to fully recover after a Red Rage incident. She closed her eyes, ground her teeth, and staunchly forced back the invading red mist. She couldn't give in to the call of the mindless fury. Forcing rationality into her mind by visualising a crisp, clean breeze blowing the fog away, she brought her mental wall down enough for Julius to know she was fighting off the Rage. His presence swamped her mind, strength and calm flowing to her despite his own anxiety and inner turmoil.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry," she mumbled, stepping away from him. "I should have more control than that." She'd overstepped the mark, allowing the Rage so close to overwhelming her, but the problem remained. She didn't want Trish on the attack mission with them. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed Julius.

He sighed and relaxed his stance a little, leaning to rest his b.u.t.t against the desk. "I only agreed to her coming along under strict guidelines, Gabrielle," he said. "I know how dear she is to you and what might happen to Kyle if something were to befall Trish." He paused, actually biting his lower lip, and Gabi knew he was trying to find words to explain something he found distressing. "Trish is...scared of me at the best of times," he said. "It was unusual for her to ask this of me. I didn't feel like I could shut her down without making her more fearful." He looked right into her eyes now. "I know you find this hard to believe, but most people, human or otherwise, are instinctively afraid of me. It's hard to deal with sometimes. Especially when it comes from those I value most. When she asked, I didn't want to give her an outright no. I figured we'd find a way to include her without her being directly in the attack."

Gabi pursed her lips, turning his revelation over in her mind. Julius was as vulnerable as she'd ever seen him; it unnerved her a little.

"People are scared of you, aye?" she asked him, with a raised eyebrow.

He closed the distance between them, lacing his fingers into her hair and tugging to tip her face up to his, studying her expression thoughtfully. "But not you, my Lea," he mused. "I've never scared you, have I?" His voice was tinged with wonder.

Gabi's lips twisted into a wry grin. "I seem to have this strange attraction to dangerous s.h.i.t."

"And dangerous s.h.i.t seems to have this strange attraction to you," Julius muttered as his mouth descended on hers.

"So she's still coming?" Gabi asked when Julius finally pulled back and allowed her to breathe.

"I swear to keep her away from any danger," Julius a.s.sured her.

"How is a terror-inducing Vampire so good at compromise?" she complained. "You should be used to everyone just falling into line at your every order."

"I've had two hundred and fifty years of practise, waiting for someone worth using it on," he replied smoothly, a twitch at the corner of his kiss-reddened mouth.

"I keep waiting for the day when you finally lose your patience with me," Gabi mused. She tried everyone's patience sooner or later; it was just part of her charm.

"As you're the only one I use my patience on, I have plenty in reserve," he told her; then his eyes darkened. "You've touched my mind, Lea. You know that while I won't always give in to you, I would never risk losing you."

Gabi closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She did know how he felt about her, and she still wasn't quite ready to deal with the depth of his feelings for her. His feelings went beyond the human idea of love. He'd had hundreds of years alone, waiting for the right one to come along. He knew what he wanted, and he wanted her. Gabi just hoped he had as much patience as he said he did, because she wasn't very good at this relationship stuff yet.

"Trish will have good company," Julius said, changing tack, aware of her discomfort and prepared, for now, to give her the time and s.p.a.ce she needed.

"Who?" Gabi demanded, unable to think of anyone else who'd be content to stay out of the action.

"Joshua Maclary, for one," Julius answered. "If we don't include him, he'll just find a way to follow us, I'm sure. He seems like a resourceful and determined man."

Gabi couldn't argue with that. Giving Mac their Werewolf computer whizz to protect should satisfy his need to be involved.

"Who else?" she asked, as Julius obviously had at least one other in mind.

"Alexander," he said shortly.

"What?" Gabi thought she'd heard wrong. There was no way his second in command was going to let Julius march into a battle as dangerous as this one without his personal protection. "Alexander will never stay out of it."

"Yes, he will." Julius enunciated his words clearly.

"If you force him, he'll never forgive you, you know," Gabi warned.

"Alexander understands the stakes," Julius disagreed. "He knows we can't risk both of us in this mission. If something happens to me, there has to be someone to lead the Clan. I have to be involved, so he has to stay out of it."

"But he's never stayed out of dangerous situations with you before." Gabi was confused. "Why now? Is there something you're not telling me?" She gasped, a cold splash of fear hitting her chest. "Have you had a vision? Is there a risk to you I need to know about?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "You've seen your own death."

"No." Julius's hands caught hers and brought them up to his lips. "No, Lea. It's nothing like that. I guess I should've told you sooner, but we haven't had much privacy lately."

Gabi had had enough of being out of the loop. "Spit. It. Out," she growled, annoyance flaring again.

"Things have changed because Alexander is now at Master level, Lea," Julius explained. "If something happens to me, the leadership of the Clan is secure. Alexander is strong enough to be made Master of the Clan."

"But..." Gabi's brain was just not working fast enough to keep up. "Wait...you said a few days ago that..." And then it dawned on her. "Oh," she gasped, her mouth staying in the surprised little 'o' as her brain finally got with the programme. "My blood," she said, looking up at Julius to check she was understanding him correctly.

His radiant smile was answer enough. She realised she was trying to catch flies and snapped her mouth shut, still speechless as she processed the new development. At least that explained some of Alexander's new eccentricities, though not his overbearing protectiveness, and the new att.i.tude the Clan seemed to have towards him.

"What is so urgent, brother?" Elder Deimos demanded.

"They have one who can track us," Elder Phobos replied, his voice grim. Silence fell for several interminable seconds.

"Even through our wards?" Deimos finally asked, but his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

"Yes." Phobos sighed.

"How?" The beginnings of anger tinged the old man's voice. The light from the candelabra flickered slightly.

"That I do not know. The ident.i.ty of the tracker is obscured." Phobos couldn't contain the frustration he felt either. Several books flew off shelves to land heavily on the carpeted floor. "I see only that they come and that we will be found. Before we are ready."

There was a pause, and the air in the room grew thick. Both Elders were still as they thought.

"We must provide a distraction. Keep them otherwise occupied." Deimos spoke first.

"The strike team will not be fooled again." Phobos waved a hand dismissively. "And they have the numbers to disseminate and cover many places."

"Then what?" Deimos demanded. "You have a plan?"

"It will not be easy, but yes," the other Elder said slowly, as though the plan was still formulating in his mind. He took his time explaining his scheme.

"We have never tried that particular magic before," Deimos warned. "I've only heard of the spell, never heard of it actually being cast successfully."

"Yes, but we have all the raw ingredients." Phobos sounded excited. "The potential power."

"We will need more than just Blood Magic," Deimos cautioned. "We will need to use the 'other' kind too." There was distinct distaste in his voice.

"Yes, but not us, we have apprentices who can do that," Phobos reminded him. "I think that the female will not be adverse to the idea of Gemini's touch as she would be to ours."

The other Elder's eyes narrowed contemplatively. "It might work. We can draw on the energy created. Combining the two magics should be enough to pull this off."

"Then we shall leave them stymied in our wake. Needing to regroup and set about tracking us again."

"And by then we will have the Gate opened and waiting. For them."

The two men shared sinister smiles.

"A decoy army would be of great benefit to us," Deimos said thoughtfully. "Do you think some of our allies will send servants to act as such?"

"I know exactly who to ask." Phobos nodded. "They have enough to spare us some. Gemini can provide the spell of compulsion. Come, let us make plans."

"Knock, knock," Alexander's voice called from one of the lower floors. "I'm coming up. Stop whatever embarra.s.sing things you're getting up to in there."

Gabi glanced at Julius with one eyebrow raised. "Is he talking to us?"

"Yes, he is," said Alexander's voice as the man appeared in the office doorway.

Geesh, Gabi would've sworn he was on the lower level just a second before. She must be more tired than she thought.

"h.e.l.lcat, you have a visitor," he told them.

"Who?" she and Julius asked at the same moment.

"Derek." Alexander sighed. "I've got him cooling his heels in the entertainment room. Feel free to take as long as you need." He flashed his million-watt grin and was gone. Gabi hadn't even seen him move. One second he was there, and the next he simply wasn't. She blinked.

"Uh," she said and pointed vaguely at the spot Alexander had been in. "Is that part of the new power-level thing? Or am I just really, really tired?"

One side of Julius's mouth quirked upward. "It's not you. Alexander does seem to have developed super-speed. I need to remind him again to rein it in. We don't need anyone else finding out what your blood is capable of."

"Ah," was all Gabi could say, strangely incapable of proper speech.

"Let's go and see what your Werewolf wants," Julius prodded, the faint note of annoyance snapping Gabi out of her reverie.

"The same thing Trish wanted would be my guess," she told Julius as the two of them left the office.

Derek wouldn't be fobbed off with a seat in the surveillance van like Trish. He wanted in on the main force, and Gabi wasn't having any of that. Derek may be a Werewolf, and he may be one of the most well-trained martial arts fighters she knew, but he was still learning to walk on his prosthetic. He'd begun jogging again, but only recently, and he still walked with a noticeable limp. Gabi knew exactly what happened in a fight; any that appeared to be weak in some way would be targeted first. Neither she nor any of the others who were going on the raid had time to watch his back as well as their own.