Stepping farther into the room, I was hammered by a great swell of energy that pulsed out of the throng of nightwalkers that filled the hall. The air was glazed in red, and I felt as if I was moving through a thick wall of heavy mist. The feeling was both energizing and irritating. Their energy was at odds with my own, as if just slightly off center. I couldn’t grab it, couldn’t use it. It would have been like trying to cram a square peg in a round hole. The only bits that felt in harmony with my own powers flowed from Danaus beside me and Jabari before me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t willing to try to use their powers at this exact moment. If I were about to be attacked, it didn’t seem a safe time to go out on a limb and try something new.

In the center of the room, I stopped and gave a sweeping bow to the members of the coven, but I couldn’t keep the smirk off my lips. Jabari was outwardly grinning, practically beaming at the prospects of putting a puppet on the open seat. At the same time, Macaire appeared to be positively livid, his wizened face twisted in anger. He knew that it would be only a matter of time before Jabari used me to make a play for his head and heart. Only Elizabeth seemed unmoved by the proceedings. She’d been no fan of mine after I slaughtered her companion Gwen last summer. However, such things were a fairly common occurrence when one dealt with the coven and its court. It was wise not to get too attached to anyone.

“I am Mira, daughter of . . . many,” I announced, twisting the words in my mouth before releasing them into the air. Unlike all the other nightwalkers, I actually had three makers: Sadira, Jabari, and Tabor. Oddly enough, only Jabari remained. “I am the Fire Starter and I have come to claim the open seat on the coven. Are there any who would challenge me?”

A heavy silence filled the air as I stood waiting for anyone to step forward. I knew what they were thinking. Would I stick to my oath that I would not use fire while on the island of San Clemente? It was an old promise I had been forced to make shortly after being reborn, because I was burning through too many Ancients. During my last visit, I had broken that promise in an attempt to save my life and Danaus’s. I had done it when I lost my temper at the presence of a naturi in the Main Hall.

“I challenge you,” announced a deep voice in a heavy Russian accent. I flinched before I could stop myself. I didn’t need to turn around to see the speaker. I knew the voice, knew the accent. The Ancient nightwalker claimed all of Russia as his domain. I hadn’t expected to see Yuri there. He’d distanced himself from the coven during the long centuries and had never before expressed any interest in becoming involved in the politics of our people.

Turning slowly so I could see the nightwalker over my left shoulder, I arched one eyebrow at him. “Do you think I am not concerned about what is best for our people? Do you think I will not endeavor to protect our kind from the naturi?”

“It is hard to believe that you are concerned about the best interests of our people when you’ve got a known hunter at your side as a pet,” Yuri snapped.

“Consort,” I corrected, which sent up a gasp and a murmur of conversation around us. I looked around to find that even Jabari had stopped smiling. Consort meant that I had not bent Danaus to my will as he may have hoped. The hunter was the only one capable of blocking Jabari’s control over me. I was trapped between them, a toy both children were fighting over.

“Consort? A human and a nightwalker hunter as a consort?” Yuri demanded, as if his mind failed to fully comprehend what I was saying.

“Yes, he is my consort and I will protect him from any who would take a step against him,” I replied calmly. “Do you oppose me because I would not be the best for our people, or because of the people that I associate with?”

“Both. You would drive us into war with the naturi. You would leave your ‘consort’ to run free hunting us.”

“War with the naturi is inevitable.” I turned around to completely face him, my hands resting on my hips. “Aurora is free. Rowe is free. The great horde of the naturi race is free. If we hope to survive, we face war with them. They are not interested in coexistence. Not so long as Aurora leads them.”

“And the hunter?”

I shrugged. “He protects mankind and our secret. Is that not in our best interest?”

“He has no place among our people, not after killing so many of us!”

“And how many of us have you killed?” That question stopped him, his raised fist dropping back to his side while his face contorted with a fresh surge of anger. Yuri was like any Ancient. He had made a name for himself by killing countless nightwalkers. It was no different than Jabari, Macaire, or even me.

“You will not become an Elder,” he firmly said, taking a step forward so he was separated from the rest of the crowd.

“Then you must come stop me,” I said, opening both of my arms, welcoming him out onto the floor. My smile never wavered as I glanced briefly over at Danaus. His face was expressionless, but I could feel his powers above all the others, beating against me. He was continuously scanning the area, using it as a warning system against any who might try to sneak up on us. Go stand beside my seat and watch your back, I directed him.

You watch your back, too . The hunter casually strolled over to the open seat on the dais and mounted the three small stairs. It was all I could do to suppress a wide grin when I saw him place one arm on the back of the seat and cross his left foot in front of his right in a relaxed stance. He appeared utterly confident that it would be only a matter of minutes before I was sitting in that seat.

Drawing the short sword from my side, I waved one hand at Yuri, inviting him out onto the floor. The Ancient stepped forward, shedding his heavy, floor-length fur coat to reveal a pale bare chest. The creature was thin and bony, like an animated skeleton wrapped in medical gauze. His brown hair was wild, sticking out in every direction from his head as if he spent his nights running among the wolves he controlled. From his waist he pulled out a long wicked knife. Twisting his wrist, the blade caught the flickering candlelight, winking at me.

The nightwalker took one step forward and disappeared. Every muscle in my body tightened as I fought back the swell of panic that erupted in my chest. Ancients could easily teleport from one spot to another in an instant. I couldn’t do that. Not yet. However, I could feel the swell of power just a half second before he reappeared. There was a brush of energy against my back. Pivoting on my right foot, I twisted around and raised my sword in time to block the blow that aimed for my neck. Metal clanged against metal, sending up a brief clash of sparks. Yuri looked genuinely surprised when I pushed him away from me. He had been expecting to take me completely by surprise and end the fight with a single blow.

“You’re going to have to try a little harder than that,” I sneered. In a flash of steel, I sent a flurry of blows in his direction, keeping him backpedaling. Not one had been aimed to be a killing blow. I was simply proving to him that I was better than he anticipated. I would kill him in a moment, and I would do it without using my powers. The gathered horde of nightwalkers needed to know that I was just as dangerous when I wasn’t using them.

Yet no matter how fast I moved or swung my sword, Yuri was always faster. As an Ancient, he always would be. Backed to nearly the dais, the nightwalker caught a blow aimed at his chest, easily halting the blade before it could pierce flesh. He smiled before pushing me off of him. I slid more than a yard across the slick black marble, the soles of my shoes squeaking as I struggled to stop myself.

“You’ve improved since I last saw you,” Yuri admitted as he closed the distance between us.