“How long have you…?” My voice drifted off, unsure of how to ask what was for some a delicate and awkward question.

“Been a pet? A plaything for the undead? A warm meal?” The sneer returned to his lips and I suddenly realized that Peter wasn’t mocking me; he was mocking himself.

“Yeah.”

“I met my first nightwalker when I was fifteen. I stumbled across him while I was running from some kids who were threatening me. The vamp took care of them. After that, nightwalkers always seemed to be in my life in one way or another. I came to Savannah about five years ago.”

He paused in his story, bringing my gaze back to his face. Peter was staring at the floor, his brows bunched together over his nose in concentration. “The nightwalkers I knew at the time were…well, it was getting rough. I came to Savannah because of Mira’s reputation. I knew I wouldn’t be followed here. After a couple of weeks, I ran into David.”

I leaned my hip against the counter, crossing my arms over my chest as I faced him. “You’ve lived here for five years and been involved with vampires all this time, yet you’ve met Mira only twice.”

“Mira doesn’t spend much time with her own kind,” he said. “And honestly, I think they’re glad she doesn’t.”

I couldn’t blame them. Mira was a law unto herself, with the ability to take out her own kind with just a thought. She was a lethal protector of both her own kind and, as I was learning, humanity. Her powers and strength had earned her the fear and respect of her own kind.

“Yet, she threw a party?”

“Just one of the things they are anxious about. Five months ago, you sweep into town, hacking down any vampire to cross your path. And then both you and she disappear,” he said, pushing off the wall to stand with this hands in his pockets and his legs spread wide as if waiting for an attack. “She returns a couple weeks later with a new nightwalker. As if that wasn’t a big enough surprise, Mira appears at every nightwalker hot spot for six straight nights with this new nightwalker in tow.”

Mira was sending out the message loud and clear, Tristan was under her protection. I have no doubt that she never used the word “family,” but she didn’t have to. Mira loved her independence, and yet she was suddenly making public appearances with another vampire.

Peter stared at me, as if waiting for me to confirm or deny any of his story. I turned my back on him and started hunting for a coffee mug. The smell of brewing coffee was starting to fill the air and I could feel the last of the fog lifting from my thoughts. I found a set of dark blue mugs in the cabinet over the sink and pulled one down. I didn’t grab one for Peter. I didn’t want him to get the impression that he was welcome or that he was staying long.

“And now you’re back,” he said heavily when he finally caught on that I wasn’t going to provide him with any information. “A known vampire hunter. They don’t think you’re her pet.”

The very thought made me clench my teeth until my jaw ached. The idea of being a plaything for vampires was repugnant. I had spent most of my life hunting down the evil creatures and the idea that I had to work with Mira was grating on my nerves, but I reminded myself that it was for a greater good. It was also temporary.

“But they’ve also seen Mira’s power. They think it’s unlikely that you are somehow forcing her to obey your wishes,” Peter continued, into my silence.

“And this is where I tell you what?” I said, looking over at the young man. “That I’m not here to hunt the vampires? That the bloodsuckers are safe?”

Peter clenched his fists at his sides as he finally raised his voice in obvious frustration. “I don’t know! Anything? Why are you here? Has Mira lost her mind?”

“Mira and I have business together. That is all.”

Peter stared at me for a long time, his clenched fingers going slack at his sides. He closed his eyes and leaned against the doorway. “I’ve known a few nightwalkers that I wouldn’t mind you hunting.” His words drifting across the kitchen soft and slow. “But from what I’ve heard and seen, Mira is different. She makes this city safe for people like me. She maintains a good relationship with the local pack and she had tight control over the nightwalkers. From what I hear, there aren’t too many cities like this one.”

He lifted his eyes to meet my hard gaze and I realized he was pleading for Mira’s life. “Most of the nightwalkers that hunt in this city have been here for a long time. Mira offers stability, the promise of something that resembles a normal life.”

What he wasn’t saying was that if Mira were killed, the city would almost instantly disintegrate into chaos and fighting as the large number of older vampires fought for control of the city. Unfortunately, there was no one near as strong as Mira in the area. The power vacuum would almost certainly draw the attention of vampires from other cities, luring them with the promise of chaos and blood.

Mira claimed dominion over a single city, but her reach was felt all across the continent. She kept the peace and all those weaker bowed to her will. While Mira kept herself blissfully blind to her influence, it was well known not only to those in the United States, but also those across the ocean. She was a thorn in the side of the coven, especially now that she had taken the open seat on the ruling party, and it was only a matter of time before someone in the coven decided to pluck out that thorn.

As much as it galled me, I was not the greatest threat to Mira. The coven was. And now there was Gaizka.

“I am here to deal with the naturi,” I said, finally unclenching my jaw. “Right now, vampires are not my main concern.”

“That’s the best I’m going to get, isn’t it?” Peter said.

“You’re lucky you got that.”

“Thought so. Good luck.” Peter shoved off the wall and pushed one hand through his damp hair. I followed him to the front door and locked it behind him. Turning back to the kitchen, my footsteps were halted by an odd sound that trickled through the silence of the town house. It took me a moment to realize it was coming from my cell phone. I jogged back up the stairs into the bedroom and picked up the slender phone from the nightstand, but I didn’t recognize the caller, and only James knew this number.

“Mornin’, Sunshine,” Mira’s voice cheerfully replied when I finally answered the phone.

I lumbered back down the stairs to the coffee that was waiting for me, shoving my left hand into my hair to push it from my eyes. I stopped when I encountered more than one knot and dropped my hand back to my side. “How did you get this number?”

“James.”

“Did you threaten him?” My Themis assistant knew better than to give out my cell phone number to anyone. He was lucky I answered it when he called. Hell, I doubted that even Ryan had this number.

Mira’s sultry laugh rippled through the phone, but lacked its usual feel. It was nice to see that her powers had some limitations. “Of course not. James loves me,” she replied, almost purring.

I snorted, turning to gaze out the bank of windows that looked down on the city. The streets were clogged with cars, their windshields reflecting the last tendrils of sunlight. Men in suits carrying briefcases crossed the square, hurrying to one of the many parking lots that dotted the terrain.

“We have some business to attend to tonight,” Mira said, but I was no longer paying attention. It had suddenly dawned on me that there was a lot of sunlight left, way too much for the sun to have set already.

“Mira, the sun is still up,” I said, unable to keep my voice from hardening to a brutal edge.

“Danaus, not every nightwalker sleeps until sunset,” Mira replied. There was no missing the mockery in her voice.

“You do,” I snapped. “You sleep late.”

The nightwalker laughed again, but this time the sound was darker, colder. There was none of the carefree joy that seemed to accompany Mira wherever she went. This was the other side of Mira, the one I saw when she was dealing with the coven in Venice and when she spoke of the naturi. It was the laugh of a ruthless, calculating killer.