“I can’t really say,” she said, once again shrugging her shoulders as she dragged her gaze up to me. “We’ve managed quite well without them underfoot.”

“Is Veyron the one in contact with the coven?” I asked. “Macaire informed us that Budapest was having problems with the naturi.”

“Veyron would be the one that you want to talk to. He has a place in Buda in the Castle District where he sees visitors. I’m sure that he would be more than happy to see you. In fact, I can go right now and tell him to expect you.” Odelia swung her feet around to place them on the ground again, but a wave of my hand kept her seated on the dark red divan.

“Don’t bother,” I said, struggling to keep from frowning. “We’ll find him. We want to wander around the city and look into the naturi matter firsthand before we meet with Veyron. Thanks for your assistance.” I turned away from Odelia and took a step toward the door when my eyes fell on the enormous bath once again. Laughter rose up from the water and people splashed, kissed, and engaged in other forms of entertainment. Something caught my eye and had me turning back toward our host.

“Who is the alpha for the Budapest pack?” I inquired.

“His name is Ferko,” she replied slowly, watching me with a cautious eye. She knew better than to lie and say that there was no alpha for the local pack. A pack of lycanthropes didn’t exist without an alpha. It was impossible. “He’s not here. He typically doesn’t visit the baths until a week after the full moon, and it’s usually only for an hour or two.”

“Not the social type, is he?”

“Not really,” she agreed, ignoring my sarcasm.

“Thanks for the information,” I said, waving at her as I turned.

“Are you going to get rid of them? The naturi?”

“It’s what I do.” Killing naturi seemed to be the only thing that I was good at.

I paused as I started to walk out of the large bathing chamber. Valerio was staring at the enormous pool where nightwalkers and lycanthropes splashed and laughed together completely oblivious to our presence. A wide wicked grin spread across my companion’s face, and I fought the shiver that crept up my spine. He was thinking of something evil, and a part of me grew excited by the prospect. Valerio always knew the best amusements.

“Only a fool would inquire as to what is passing through that devilish brain of yours,” I said as I came to stand beside him, with Danaus just behind my shoulder.

“So many wonderful traditions have been lost here,” Valerio said. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his coat and rocked back on his heels.

“You’re a coven Elder,” Stefan added as he stood on the other side of Valerio. “They should be cowering before you. They should be trembling before the power of the coven.”

“They don’t even know what the coven is.” I placed my hands in the pockets of my coat and looked over the gathered masses. I was a member of the coven. What’s more, I was the Fire Starter. I was the one that had taken all the risks when it came to saving our people from the naturi. They should have feared me.

“It should not be allowed to continue,” Stefan declared

“Then I suggest a little fun as a way of celebrating Mira’s ascension to the coven. Some entertainment,” Valerio announced, clapping his hands together.

A slow smile slid across my lips. “Did you have something in mind?”

“If your consort would be kind enough to keep an eye on the door against any runners, we could play a few games with the nightwalkers,” Valerio replied.

“Runners?” Danaus inquired.

“Vampires who try to leave before the party is over,” Valerio explained.

“Feel free to kill them should any of them cross your path,” Stefan growled. “It is your specialty, correct?”

“I can handle it,” Danaus bit out, glaring at him.

I placed a hand on his arm, drawing his gaze back to my face. “Allow the lycanthropes and the other magic users to leave here unharmed. Our . . . games don’t include them unless they strike first.”

“And if they strike at me as they leave?”

“Oh, feel free to boil their brains from their skull,” I said with a chuckle. I gave his arm a final squeeze, widening my smile to try to reassure him that everything was going to be fine, but I was growing a little shaky myself. It had been a long time since I’d taken part in nightwalker games, and never as a member of the coven. My role had always been that of either prey or predator. What’s more, Valerio was involved, which meant that this was going to be extremely bloody. For a creature that didn’t like to get his hands dirty, the nightwalker had a twisted sense of humor that stretched more than a mile wide.

I watched Danaus walk from the bathing room, his shoulders straight and stiff. His head never turned toward the nightwalkers that eyed him as he left the room. He was above all of them. He was above this type of violence as well. When he killed, it was in the name of justice and protection. Too often when nightwalkers killed, it was in the name of amusement. Not for the first time, I wondered if our way of life would be our downfall, not the naturi. We said we were weeding out the weak and culling the herd, but in truth we were just thinning out an army that we desperately needed against what was coming. But it was too late for doubts now.

“The Elder has changed her mind,” Valerio announced in a loud voice that echoed through the enormous hall as he turned back toward Odelia. He shed his heavy coat and unwound his scarf from his neck. “We have not had a chance to properly celebrate Mira’s ascension to the coven, and she has declared that some games are in order.”

“Of course,” Odelia said, sliding gracefully from her divan. A stiff smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “We are happy to find some way to amuse the great Elder.”

“You may clear the chamber of all those who are not our kind,” Stefan directed coldly, with an absent wave of his hand before shedding his coat.

“But we’ve always included the lycans and the magic weavers in our activities,” Odelia argued.

Stefan halted and frowned down at the naked nightwalker. “How long has it been since you were last before the coven?”

“Several centuries. I was quite young,” she admitted, clutching her hands together before her flat stomach.

“Obviously,” Stefan said with a heavy sigh. He stared down his long Roman nose at her and fixed his iciest stare on her. It was enough to make me nearly giggle out loud. “The shifters and such have complained in the past that we play too rough, so Mira is generously allowing them the chance to leave. I suggest they take advantage of it.”

Odelia was smart enough not to ask any additional questions as she stepped up to the pool and politely announced that tonight’s gathering had become a private affair due to the presence of a coven Elder who wished to be entertained. I didn’t exactly come away sounding like a welcome guest, but more of a tolerated nuisance. I smiled to myself. Odelia had no idea what was ahead of her.

To my delight, Valerio shoved the divan with a loud screeching sound across the tiles so that it was now facing the largest open area outside of the pool like a throne. He spread his coat over the divan and Stefan did the same directly after him. I smiled as I lay my coat on the divan just before stretching out on it. Now I could be sure I wasn’t touching any of the area Odelia had lain on, as if she were a creature beneath me. And in truth, she was, now that I was a coven Elder. They all were.

Once I was settled on the divan, Valerio and Stefan came to stand on either side of me, rolling up their sleeves above their elbows. Energy pumped and vibrated from them in their excitement about what lay ahead. I could easily understand their enthusiasm. The naturi were knocking on our door, demanding dominance in our world. Valerio was aware of a bori making a brief visit. It seemed all our nightmares were coming to life. They needed a little time to blow off some steam.