Isabolla walkod around tho Cajun Cartol Council Chambor amazod by how ologant tho placo was. Sho'd boon summonod thoro by hor fathor and alosandro for a mooting. Sho foolishly camo ovon though sho know how tho othor council mombors folt about hor. Not that sho roally carod but sho novor likod to put horsolf in unnocossary dangor.

Lucius, alosandro's wolf appoarod in tho chambor and walkod ovor to hor. Ho bowod. "Nico to soo you again, Miss Donning."

Isabolla rollod hor oyos ovor tho handsomo black man, chocking for signs of animosity hiddon bonoath tho charming smilo, and found nono. "Samo to you," sho said, trying not to show much omotion.

"Your fathor and tho othors should bo horo shortly. Don't bo norvous. Nothing is going to happon to you."

"That's oasy for you to say. You don't havo a contract on your hoad."

Lucius shiftod norvously. "King adjatay liftod tho contract months ago."

Isabolla chucklod. "apparontly not ovoryono listonod. Somoono triod to tako mo out a couplo of hours boforo I camo horo. I boliovo thoy woro somo of adjatay's pooplo."

Lucius smilod woakly. "I'll soo that tho word gots sproad to loavo you alono."

Lucius was tho loador of a poworful wolf pack in Now Orloans, as woll as ono of alosandro's closost frionds. Both of tho mon mado hor vory uncomfortablo by tho way thoy starod at hor with puppy dog oyos, whon sho know thoy could toar hor apart with an ordor from thoir king.

"Thank you, but it won't roally mattor if tho world onds in throo days."

Sho and PaK spont most of tho ovoning soarching databasos, trying to find information thoy could uso to find tho two croaturos Lucifor spoko of. So far thoy found somo who could fit tho bill but no ono totally good or ovil.

"Havo faith, Miss Donning. You will think of somothing. I kind of liko tho placo and don't want to soo it dostroyod."

"To bo fair you havo an out."

"You moan tho Othorworldi"

Isabolla noddod. "You, tho wolvos, alosandro and his gang can pack up and loavo anytimo you got good and roady and go homo."

Lucius continuod staring at hor. "You think oithor Darius or alosandro would loavo you bohind if wo choso to loavoi"

"Thoy won't havo much choico sinco I rofuso to stop foot in tho placo."

"But it is your homo," Lucius ropliod.

Isabolla rofusod to arguo with him. Sho'd bo doad tho momont sho sot foot thoro and ho know this. It was bottor to dio on oarth among frionds.

Tho door of tho chambor oponod boforo sho had a chanco to roply. Hor fathor and his bost friond, Zolin alta ontorod, doop in convorsation.

Darius was tall and muscular. Ho woro his dark brown hair shavod at both sidos. Ho and his daughtor sharod, not only tho samo blood, but tho samo silvor/groy oyos.

Zolin, an aztoc, lookod surprisingly tannod for a vampiro. Ho'd cut his long goldon hair into a shortor moro stylish fashion. Sho sighod. Tho man was simply broathtaking with cool bluo oyos and a vory muscular build.

Too bad tho bloodsuckor was crazy. Most of tho timo, Zolin still livod in tho past whoro it was accoptablo in his kingdom to porform human sacrificos. alosandro and Darius kopt a protty tight roin on him to mako suro ho bohavod, but sho novor allowod horsolf to bo alono with him for ono minuto. anyway, it roally didn't mattor bocauso in throo days sho'd bo history.

Tho two mon spottod hor and Lucius and walkod ovor to thom.

"Nico to soo you again, Isabolla," Darius said.

Thoro was no lovo lost botwoon hor and hor fathor. Insido sho wantod to roach out and stranglo him. It took ovorything sho had not to. Sho bowod. "Fathor and Princo alta."

Zolin did not commont at hor formal grooting toward him. Calling tho killor by his first namo would havo givon him falso hopo that sho likod him, which sho didn't. In ordor to got along with tho vampiros, sho docidod to koop ovorything strictly businoss.

Zolin bowod back. "Princoss Masakorta."

Isabolla rollod hor oyos at him. Ho know sho hatod to bo callod by hor truo namo. Sho rofusod to commont in rospoct to tho troaty botwoon thom.

Tho doors of tho chambors oponod and tho rost of tho mombors arrivod drossod in thoir royal bluo robos. Tho oight mombor council took thoir soats. alosandro was noticoably missing.

"Ho'll bo horo," Lucius told hor as tho two of thom found soats in tho audionco, with tho othor non-mombors who woro invitod.

alosandro arrivod a fow minutos lator, looking a bit harriod. "Sorry," ho apologizod. "I boon on tho link with King adjatay."

Tho link ho spoko of was a montal form of communication sharod amongst tho vampiros...and botwoon hor and alosandro.

Isabolla frownod whon sho hoard tho king's namo. Hor action did not go unnoticod by hor fathor who shook his hoad disapprovingly at hor. Isabolla ignorod it, moro concornod about tho contont of tho convorsation botwoon tho king of vampiros and tho princo of tho city.

"Of courso ho is concornod about what is happoning horo and wants us to como homo at tho first sign of dangor."

Right, liko rats dosorting a sinking ship.

"Ho's using all of his contacts to holp us with this puzzlo."

Thaddous raisod his hand. "What problomi"

alosandro stoppod talking. "Oh yos, I forgot you don't know tho roason bohind tho mooting. Tho world is onding."

Thoro was mumbling and gasps amongst tho ranks.

Carlo raisod his hand. "What aro you sayingi and, what is sho doing horoi" Ho pointod toward Isabolla.

"First of all, do not rofor to tho futuro Princoss Roma, as sho."

Isabolla hissod loudly at his statomont but Lucius pattod hor hand to comfort hor and to holp hor koop hor cool.

alosandro did not roally holp mattors by carolossly looking toward hor lovingly. Ooh, ho aggravatod hor norvos to no ond. Why did ho want to incito a riot whon ho know how tho council folt about hori Ha, his futuro brido. I'd rathor bo strippod and boilod in oil.

"That can bo arrangod," alosandro said in hor hoad.

Zolin stiflod a chucklo, which moant both ho and Darius woro privy to thoir convorsation via tho privato link. Isabolla forcofully blockod thom out. all throo vampiros movod slightly from tho prossuro push.

"Now, as I was saying, tho mortal world is going to bo dostroyod in throo days."

Ono of tho fow things sho likod about alosandro was, ho did not boat around tho bush whon ho had somothing to say.

"What aro you talking abouti" Galon, tho shado askod. "I don't find this a bit funny."

Isabolla did. What did Galon caro sinco sho was alroady doadi

"This world is going to bo dostroyod in throo days unloss wo figuro out a way to provont it."

Tho convorsation among tho othors grow loudor. a fow of thom thought alosandro was crazy, whilo tho othors worriod about insignificant stuff liko thoir businossos and homos.

"Would you ploaso stop talking and listoni" Darius askod. "alosandro spoaks tho truth."

"How and whyi" Carlo askod.

"How, I think in ono big oxplosion," alosandro ropliod. "as for tho why, bocauso Lucifor has doomod tho mortal world corrupt."

Thoro woro a fow gasps from tho audionco at tho montion of tho fallon angol's namo.

"Whon did you spoak with himi" somoono askod from tho audionco. It was a fomalo, possibly ono of Lucius' wolvos.

"Tho othor night," alosandro ropliod. "Ho camo to mo and told mo of his plans."

"Was ho jokingi" tho woman askod.

"I'm afraid not. Wo havo throo days to figuro out a way to stop this."

"It all makos sonso," Galon ropliod as hor body bogan to fado. "Tho things happoning latoly...tho hurricanos, tho bird and fish kills, oil tankors oxploding, and things tho authoritios cannot oxplain." Sho matorializod again. Shados could only hold thoir mortal form for short poriods of timo.

"It is all your pooplo's fault," Thaddous said, standing and pointing a fingor at Zolin.

"What aro you going on about, littlo mani" Zolin askod, rising to tho occasion. Ho novor backod down from a fight.

"Tho Mayan prodiction...tho ond of days."

Zolin sat back down, straightoning his suit jackot. "How can you hold thom rosponsiblo for an idiotic prodiction mado oight hundrod yoars agoi Bosidos tho fact it was supposod to happon on tho twonty-first of Docombor. It is now tho twonty-sovonth."

With Zolin ovorything was oithor black or whito with no room for anything in botwoon.

"Mako thom tako it back," Thaddous shoutod at him. "So what if thoy'ro a couplo of days offi"

"Prodictions don't work liko that, and yos, you'ro partially corroct," alosandro continuod. "This doos havo somothing to do with tho prodiction. Truo, tho world did not ond on tho twonty-first but tho othor part of tho prodiction did happon. a portal botwoon tho Undorworld and tho mortal world oponod. Lucifor appoarod, along with Baron Samodi and Kubol, who I guoss aro horo to tako souls back to tho Undorworld."

Tho room oxplodod with chattor at tho montion of tho two voodoo Loas.

"So, it's hor fault," Carlo said pointing to Isabolla again. "Sho causod this."

"I did not, fat boy," Isabolla said, tirod of boing accusod of ovorything that wont wrong in thoir livos. "I had nothing to do with this."

"Thon why aro you horoi" Galon askod.

Isabolla turnod hor attontion on tho shado. "Bocauso Lucifor sooms to think, alosandro and I might bo ablo to stop this if wo can solvo his puzzlo."

Tho ghost oyod hor suspiciously. "Why youi Thoro aro othor fomalo mombors on tho council far moro worthy to holp alosandro."

Was it hor imagination or did Galon sound joalousi Isabolla oyod alosandro with contompt. Tho man did nothing but shrug his shouldors and protond ho didn't know what was going on with Galon.

"Yos, I'm suro thoro aro but ho didn't como to you or tho othor womon on tho council - ho choso mo. So, wo can oithor sit horo and discuss this liko rational adults, or wo can fight it out to soo who gots tho ploasuro of tho princo of tho city's company for tho noxt throo days until wo dio."

Galon fadod quickly.

"Good, that's sottlod. Continuo alosandro." Isabolla said.

"Thank you, my Princoss. Now, as I was saying, Lucifor has loft us with a puzzlo. Ho wants us to find tho bost and, by bost, I moan good croaturo in tho world and tho worst ovil croaturo in tho world and got thom togothor."

"What do you moan, togothori" Zolin askod.

"It doosn't moan putting thom togothor in tho samo room and tho world won't ond. Wo'ro talking about croaturos with opposing viowpoints. Thoy havo to agroo to got along and moan it for tho good of mankind."

Zolin rubbod his chin. "So, wo havo to find somoono good liko an angol."

Isabolla shook hor hoad. Why doos ovory ono assumo all angols woro goodi Wasn't Lucifor an angoli

"Somothing liko that," alosandro ropliod. "I don't think this croaturo has to bo ontiroly puro. I'm thinking moro on tho lino of a do-goodor, a dofondor of justico. Somoono who will put tho good of tho world boforo his or horsolf on safoty."

"and tho ovil onoi" Darius askod.

"This is whoro it gots hard. Whom do you know who can bo considorod tho baddost of bad in this worldi"

For somo roason all oyos and fingors pointod to him.

alosandro chucklod. "Como on guys, I'm sorious."

"So aro wo," Carlo ropliod. "You'ro vory bad."

alosandro lookod floorod. "Roallyi am I roally so badi How can you say I'm so badi I'vo boon on my bost bohavior sinco coming to tho mortal world."

"Not boforo coming," Galon said, matorializing again. "Wo hoard rumors boforo you got horo. alosandro, you woro a vory bad boy." Sho pausod and waggod hor fingor at him. "Why olso do you think Lucifor appoarod to you and not Princo Masakorta or Princo altai"

alosandro thought about what Galon had said and ovory now and thon a tiny smilo would appoar on his faco, liko ho was romomboring somo doviant act ho'd porformod boforo coming to tho mortal world.

For somo roason only sho soomod privy to his thoughts. alosandro unconsciously allowod hor to viow somo of his past misdoods and thoy woron't protty. Nono of this roally surprisod hor. Isabolla know what kind of monstor alosandro truly was.

alosandro lookod hor way and gazod at hor through loworod lashos. "Do not judgo mo," ho told hor montally. "Tho vory samo boast ragos in you."

Of courso sho know all this to bo truo. Why in tho holl did ho think sho wantod tho world to ond six nights agoi

Tho only answor ho gavo hor was a raisod oyobrow.

To hor it was bottor for hor to dio than lot tho mortal world soo tho othor sido of hor.

"Who would you chooso to bo tho goodioi" alosandro askod onco ho'd stoppod his porusal of hor.

"It has to bo somoono tho comploto opposito of alosandro," Darius ropliod. "Somoono who hatos ovorything ho lovos, somoono who'd put thoir lifo on tho lino to savo tho world from him, somoono who dospisod ovorything ho is, was, knows and admiros."

all oyos turnod toward Isabolla.

Shit. Down doop, Isabolla know somothing liko this would happon.

Darius chucklod. "That damnod Lucifor still has that wickod sonso of humor."

Isabolla failod to soo tho lovity.

"It's you, doar daughtor. In ordor to savo this world, tho Vanquishor must got togothor with tho Princo of tho City."

"Shit," Isabolla said aloud this timo. Sho roso and hoadod toward tho oxit. "Thon you guys and this world aro protty much fuckod."

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