suited for it. Even if the nightmare from earlier was circling in my brain again like carrion crows over a fresh corpse. Not to mention trying to decipher the unexpected dreamwalk with the cave paintings. Truthful y, I hadn’t expected it to work quite so wel with a vampire as untrained as Logan.
Liam rose when we entered. “Isabeau,” he said warmly.
Helena lifted her head from the piles of papers and books in front of her. Finn nodded to me once.
“Liam,” I greeted him, my voice careful y blank.
“I trust you slept wel ?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I apologize for the unfortunate event with the Hypnos,” he added soberly.
“As do I.”
“And I thank you for ridding our woods of Host and breaking the spel against our daughter.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We owe you for that,” Helena agreed. She shoved the books away. “Now can we please dispense with this courtesy dance and get down to it?”
Liam glanced down at her rueful y. “Love.” She shot him an equal y rueful look. “Sorry.” She turned to me.
“I hope you’re not offended, Isabeau.”
“Not at al ,” I assured her. In fact, I was rather relieved to hear her say it. I was starting to wonder if that was part of reason I’d been chosen: not necessarily because of who I was but because of who Helena Drake was. Anyone else, Magda included, would have bristled and assumed she didn’t think Hounds worthy of the usual protocol. I understood she was too direct to bother with political games. It made me suddenly hopeful about the al iance between our tribes. We were sick to death of games and politics.
“I’m rather envious of you, actual y,” she added.
I blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’d have loved to have chased a Host down last night. Instead it was al treaties and protocols and hyperactive guards.” She shook her head. “I’m going out hunting tonight, Liam, so you’d best get everyone to just deal with it.”
She didn’t seem like any mother I’d ever known. My own had been more interested in lace and dancing until dawn.
Logan grinned. “I don’t think queens are supposed to hunt, Logan grinned. “I don’t think queens are supposed to hunt, Mom.”
“Then I’l take Isabeau with me.” She quirked a dry smile in my direction. “Then it won’t be hunting, it wil be al iance improvements.”
“We’l make a politician out of you yet,” Liam said.
“There’s no need to be insulting.” She sat back in her chair, her long black braid fal ing behind her.
“Mom, we found a secret tunnel,” Logan told her grimly. “Very new, off behind the empty caves on the other side of the weapons room.”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Another one?” He blinked at her. “There’s more of them?”
“Two that we’ve found so far,” she replied. “Your father won’t let me fil them with dynamite.”
“I’d rather not have the entire compound fal on our heads,” he said dryly. “I’l take care of it.” He spoke into his cel phone at a discreet murmur just as one of the guards opened the door.
Suddenly the room seemed too smal and constricting. Hart, the leader of the Helios-Ra, strol ed in with Kieran and a girl with long blond hair. Her shoulders were tight, her hand hovering over a stake at her belt. She wore the black cargos and shirt that virtual y every other agent wore while on assignment. I looked for the vial of Hypnos powder they strapped inside their sleeves but I couldn’t find it.
“Hart,” Liam greeted the other man with an amiable handshake. “Glad you could make it.”
The blond girl and I were the only ones who looked as if we didn’t think this was entirely normal. Wel , and Magda, of course. She pressed closer to me, second set of fangs protruding slightly. Hart was handsome, dressed in a simple gray button-down shirt and jeans instead of camo gear. There was a scar on his throat.
“You know Kieran, of course,” he said. “This is Hunter Wild.” He motioned to the
Liam rose when we entered. “Isabeau,” he said warmly.
Helena lifted her head from the piles of papers and books in front of her. Finn nodded to me once.
“Liam,” I greeted him, my voice careful y blank.
“I trust you slept wel ?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I apologize for the unfortunate event with the Hypnos,” he added soberly.
“As do I.”
“And I thank you for ridding our woods of Host and breaking the spel against our daughter.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We owe you for that,” Helena agreed. She shoved the books away. “Now can we please dispense with this courtesy dance and get down to it?”
Liam glanced down at her rueful y. “Love.” She shot him an equal y rueful look. “Sorry.” She turned to me.
“I hope you’re not offended, Isabeau.”
“Not at al ,” I assured her. In fact, I was rather relieved to hear her say it. I was starting to wonder if that was part of reason I’d been chosen: not necessarily because of who I was but because of who Helena Drake was. Anyone else, Magda included, would have bristled and assumed she didn’t think Hounds worthy of the usual protocol. I understood she was too direct to bother with political games. It made me suddenly hopeful about the al iance between our tribes. We were sick to death of games and politics.
“I’m rather envious of you, actual y,” she added.
I blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’d have loved to have chased a Host down last night. Instead it was al treaties and protocols and hyperactive guards.” She shook her head. “I’m going out hunting tonight, Liam, so you’d best get everyone to just deal with it.”
She didn’t seem like any mother I’d ever known. My own had been more interested in lace and dancing until dawn.
Logan grinned. “I don’t think queens are supposed to hunt, Logan grinned. “I don’t think queens are supposed to hunt, Mom.”
“Then I’l take Isabeau with me.” She quirked a dry smile in my direction. “Then it won’t be hunting, it wil be al iance improvements.”
“We’l make a politician out of you yet,” Liam said.
“There’s no need to be insulting.” She sat back in her chair, her long black braid fal ing behind her.
“Mom, we found a secret tunnel,” Logan told her grimly. “Very new, off behind the empty caves on the other side of the weapons room.”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Another one?” He blinked at her. “There’s more of them?”
“Two that we’ve found so far,” she replied. “Your father won’t let me fil them with dynamite.”
“I’d rather not have the entire compound fal on our heads,” he said dryly. “I’l take care of it.” He spoke into his cel phone at a discreet murmur just as one of the guards opened the door.
Suddenly the room seemed too smal and constricting. Hart, the leader of the Helios-Ra, strol ed in with Kieran and a girl with long blond hair. Her shoulders were tight, her hand hovering over a stake at her belt. She wore the black cargos and shirt that virtual y every other agent wore while on assignment. I looked for the vial of Hypnos powder they strapped inside their sleeves but I couldn’t find it.
“Hart,” Liam greeted the other man with an amiable handshake. “Glad you could make it.”
The blond girl and I were the only ones who looked as if we didn’t think this was entirely normal. Wel , and Magda, of course. She pressed closer to me, second set of fangs protruding slightly. Hart was handsome, dressed in a simple gray button-down shirt and jeans instead of camo gear. There was a scar on his throat.
“You know Kieran, of course,” he said. “This is Hunter Wild.” He motioned to the
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