Paul

I end the call with Jon, turning off the speaker function when I hang up. Drew and I relayed all that's transpired, and after Jon calmed down he told us what's been going on up there. The gratitude I feel toward Asa overwhelms me. He took care of my family like he said he would. I might not always understand the bald muscle man, but as a seethe mate, I know I can count on him.

Drew handles the landing with ease and confidence, never betraying his conflicting thoughts whirling below the surface. If he hadn't told me he was on edge and concerned about making a wrong decision, I wouldn't have known. Makes me glad I'm not in his shoes, that's for sure.

The most stress I ever had to deal with as a chef was making sure the diner liked their meal. And since I came to work for the V V Inn that has never been a concern-most of the patrons prefer blood.

Chelly booked a large suite of rooms at a high-end hotel during the plane's descent. She made sure to get a fridge, so we can store all the bagged blood. Drew insisted we bring the entire supply, because we didn't know what shape Vivian might be in or what awaited us. Even though he doubts himself, I think he's making the best choices he could for all of us, so far.

It's close to midnight by the time we get checked in and hire a car to take us to the Tribunal's townhouse across the city. I asked if we were planning on walking up and knocking on their door and Drew suggested that might not be the smartest move. In hindsight, he was quite diplomatic. Rather stupid of me to think we'd just walk right up like nothing was wrong.

The only intel we have regarding the building is memories of the city block and property boundaries uncovered when we researched Emiko's possible guilt in January. My memory isn't the best-it wasn't like I was studying the maps thinking I'd be visiting anytime soon. Do we have enough to go on, or will this turn out to be a colossal mess?

Drew signals for the driver to pull over a few blocks from the address. We're both dressed in dark clothes, but one glance at the surrounding facades of the imposing architecture tells me we're way underdressed for the area. Thankfully, I doubt many homeowners will be out and about this late at night to raise the alarm. Then again, if these wealthy streets have a lot of patrolling police, we'll stand out like crooks in a heartbeat.

Drew pays the driver and the car disappears into the night. The air carries a damp chill and smells clean from a recent rain. The streets glisten with moisture and puddles, like fresh ink has been poured across the dark surface. The temperature feels much warmer here than on the island we left almost six hours ago.

"Are you okay, Paul?" Drew asks.

"Hmm?" I say, lost in my own thoughts.

"We need to pay attention. I'm not sure how far the Tribunal's land reaches in this area."

"Yeah, I hear you." I fill my lungs with the cool night air. "It still seems like we don't really have a plan."

A heavy sigh comes from Drew as he walks next to me along the sidewalk. "I thought the best bet would be to scope out the townhouse and see who comes and goes. See if we can find a way in undetected. Are you implying that's not good enough?"

"I'm not criticizing, man. I don't have a better idea, either." We step off the curb, crossing to the other side still two blocks from the address. In the middle of the narrow road, a tingle encases my whole body, like the mild after-effects of a limb that had its circulation cut off for a moment. Anxiety, quick and sharp, stabs me. Before I have a chance to figure out what I'm experiencing, the sensation is over. "Did you feel that, man?"

"Feel what?" Drew steps onto the curb on the other side of the street.

I shrug, not sure how to put it into words. "Was probably nothing. Felt a tingle over my body."

"Like deja vu?" A late night wind whips by, dislodging the water on the overhanging tree branches to send a light sprinkle on our heads.

"Nah. That's always more mental for me than physical. Did you feel anything?"

Drew scans the neighborhood ahead of us. "No. Nothing. But that doesn't mean it wasn't there."

I laugh nervously, appalled when the sound comes out more like a high-pitched giggle. "Why would I feel something that you didn't?"

"Each of us has different strengths as vampires. Lots of abilities repeat among our kind, and a few are more rare. Your reaction could have been a form of intuition."

"Great," I say, my voice higher pitched than normal. "One more thing to figure out." We walk in silence a little longer until my curiosity rears its head. "How much further?"

Drew motions with his head. "Down this block and the main townhouse should be at the far end of the next block we come to."

Two shadows melt out of the night and step in front of us. I stop in my tracks, turn my head to address Drew and catch two more slip into place behind us. A faint wisp of death and blood clings to the men, indicating they're vampires. The light from the next streetlamp lies too far away to make out facial details, but they're all wearing dark clothes and black overcoats.

The larger of the two in front of us steps forward, radiating menace. He looks to be six foot five and must have been a weight lifter before he changed to have such a huge build. "Planning an unannounced visit to the Tribunal?" he says.

Somehow they knew we were here and must be advanced security. Well, there goes our crappy sneak up and check things out all stealthy like plan.

"We're here to speak with our master," Drew says. "She came here for the event last night."

"And who might that be?"

"Vivian Alexandria McAndrews."

The muscled man relaxes, his stiff posture gone in a blink. "You're part of Alexandria's seethe?" He extends a hand to Drew then me. "I'm George. Follow us back to the house."

Without another word, we're shepherded to an elegant four-story townhouse. The men surrounding us don't seem angry, but there's no doubt we're expected to do as told. I open my mouth to ask Drew a question, and he shakes his head once in the negative, not wanting to talk with these men in hearing distance.

George leads us up steep front steps and through the grandest foyer I've ever seen. The woven wall hangings vie with lit torches for my attention. Good God, burning torches? What century is this? Strangely, they don't smell smoky or of the fuel they must be using. I wonder what makes them burn. Magic?

The huge vampire turns to look back at us to make sure we're following. Like we have a choice? Under the bright light of the chandeliers, I get a better look at the massive wall of a man. He's got short black hair and a goatee on a face that looks like he's seen his share of fighting. The other three vampires in our escort break away in the foyer, leaving us alone with the silent George.

He leads us to a secluded room with no windows, located in the back of the dwelling. A plain wood table sits inside surrounded by four hard-backed chairs. The walls are bare of decoration. Compared to the opulence we saw on our way in, the set up reminds me a little too much of a nicely appointed interrogation room. A glance at Drew's narrowed eyes indicates he might be thinking the same thing.

The gigantic vampire motions us inside, a reassuring smile on his face. "Please, go inside. Someone will be here to speak with you shortly."

The thick wood door closes behind us, and a lock clicks into place.

Drew swears like a trucker before lowering himself onto a seat. "That didn't go as planned."

"What's the big deal? We're here aren't we? That George guy seemed pretty easy-going. We'll find out what's going on in a few minutes. Maybe Viv and Rafe's phones broke or something."

Drew hangs his head then peers up at me. "Both their phones? Did you not hear the door lock? The big security guys might be polite, but make no mistake-we're not here as guests."

I take the seat across from him, more comfortable than my partner in crime. I laugh. "How much you want to bet it's something simple, like they lost their phones and there's a 'do not disturb' sign on their bedroom door?"

Drew's face emanates a slow burn as he struggles for control. "Listen, you fool-" He breaks off when the door opens and two men slip inside, closing the door behind them.

One is tall, with a lanky runner's build and a broad chest. He looks to be in his late twenties and is dressed in head to toe black, his shirt looking a bit more faded than the rest. There's a smell coming off him that I can't quite place. I don't think he's an undead, that's for sure.

The other man appears more ageless with dark hair, wearing clothes befitting class and money. Dark dress pants, pressed with a sharp crease, and a dinner jacket over a starched white shirt. This chap is a vampire but other than that I couldn't say how old or powerful-the old ones know how to shield extremely well.

Drew bolts from his chair, pointing a finger at the scruffy guy in black jeans. "A wizard? It's never good when one of you is among us. What the hell is going on?"

Horror crosses my face. What is the matter with him? He's acting like they're out to kill us or something. The other vampire speaks, the smooth rolling tones of his voice pours into the room with a faint Spanish accent. "You'll find out soon enough, Mr. Lipshultz." And with that, he flips a button near the door and the floor opens beneath us.

The table and chairs cascade down a long, wide chute, with us tumbling along, too. Screams rip from my throat as I fall through the darkness. We crash to the cold stone below, the chairs and table splintering on the impact. Loud, sickening crunches-not of furniture breaking-accompany my landing. Pain radiates out from every inch of my body, confirming the sounds were bones snapping.

An overwhelming reek of death permeates the air-like a mix of blood past its prime, stale air, and an undercurrent of unwashed vampire bodies. Ugh. I've never smelled anything quite so disgusting before.

I lie still in the darkness, waiting for the shock to recede. A low moan issues from my left. A door flies opens and I hear something being dragged out of the room.

The door shuts, and now the only noise breaking the silence is my own labored breathing. The full despair of the situation hits me as I lie here, waiting to heal. Someone came and took Drew. I'm all alone and completely unprepared for whatever happens next.

Or, as my lovely wife Bunny would tell me, "Honey, you're fucked."

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