Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)(4)

“You know what the f*ck I’m talking about. Now start yapping before I kick your ass all over this place.” Just a little pulse of power, a squeeze if you will, and I settled back in my seat with a grin. That was usually all it took. Though I wasn’t one to brag, next to Arys and Alexa, I was the most powerful vampire in this city.

The two vampires exchanged a look before dismissing their victim. The human fled the table with relief plastered across her features.

“How did you hear about that?” Scar asked me, his upper lip lifting in a strange grimace due to his slight facial deformity. When I continued to wait in silence, he huffed and swore. “That’s privileged information. Only those in our group are privy to that info.”

“Your group? Like a band of merry men? Like Robin Hood?” I snickered. “Seriously. Stop wasting my time.”

That remark got Scar huffy, but he was smart enough to restrain his irritation. We shared a long look, and whatever he saw in my eyes was enough to convince him that I was worthy to know of his secret society.

“It’s a small but steadily growing rebellion. We believe Arys Knight is a dictator that must be stopped before his woman turns and amps up his power. That motherf*cker has been putting the pressure on us, going all out to make sure we all know who rules this city.” Scar followed up with a bout of curse words. It was a poor attempt at playing the tough guy.

“So? What’s wrong with that?” I asked. “He wouldn’t be the first power player to enforce his status.”

“Yeah, well maybe we don’t want to be governed by some * on a power trip. Maybe we just want to do whatever the hell we want whenever the hell we want. Knight’s been doing that demon’s dirty work, killing for him. Killing our kind.”

That gave me pause. No vampire worked closer with Shya than I did. If Arys was moving behind the scenes for him, it wasn’t common knowledge. I’d be willing to bet that Alexa didn’t even know.

“I’m pretty sure there’s more to it than that.” And I was. Arys wasn’t the kind of guy to fall in line no matter who was giving the orders. “How big is this so called rebellion?”

“Big enough. A dozen or so for now, but that’s only because everyone else is scared shitless of him.”

“As you should be.” I couldn’t resist saying it. This was disappointing so far. I’d hoped to hear something good.

“Fuck that. We have a plan. It may not be the best plan, but it should work. We’ve got to try something.” Scar ran a hand through thin hair, caught himself performing the nervous gesture, and crossed his arms tightly against his chest.

“And this plan would be?” I held up a hand, waiting for him to tell me what I wanted to hear. As far as assassination attempts go, most of them failed and pretty much all of them were made by guys totally out of their league. Of course, some of them did succeed.

Scar made a sound of annoyance. “Why should I tell you anything? What’s it to you?”

I cast a glance back at the bar to find Willow watching us with veiled interest. The bar was loud, and though I knew he couldn’t hear me, I felt uneasy anyway.

“I promise you, nobody wants Arys Knight dead more than I do.” Hearing myself say it, to strangers of all things, disturbed me.

“Oh?” Scar’s interest was piqued. “And why is that?”

The moment of truth. I never considered telling a lie. “Because I’m in love with his wolf.”

Both vampires laughed as if they thought I was bullshitting them. When I maintained a serious expression, their laughter faltered.

“Seriously?” Scar asked in disbelief. “Man that is the wrong woman to fall for. I’d face the sun with a smile on my face before I’d get anywhere near that crazy bitch.”

The power went out from me, commanded by emotion rather than conscious intent. It slammed both vampires back against the booth seat, crushing them from the inside out.

“I don’t give a good goddamn what you think of Arys, but you will always respect Alexa. She is your queen whether you like it or not. I will not hesitate to kill anyone who f*cks with her in any way. Are we clear?” I smiled, a promise of pain in that small act.

“Take it easy, dude. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’ll never even mention that chick again.”

I released my hold on them but only because I wanted to know what they planned. I wasn’t convinced that these clowns could be a threat to anyone other than an unsuspecting human.

“Talk,” I commanded. “You must have a plan. Let’s hear it.”

Scar was reluctant. He looked around the nightclub as if seeking an escape. Finally he gave in and accepted that he was a small fish in a very big pond.

“We’re going to lure him into a trap. We’ll use someone he cares about if we have to. It’s not the most elaborate plan, but I think it’ll work.” There was uncertainty in Scar’s eyes. He shrugged. “Maybe it won’t, and he’ll kill us all. But we have to try.”

“That’s stupid, and it will never work. You need to think bigger. Be more creative. This vampire has lived much longer than you. And he’s not an idiot.” I shook my head, disappointed with their plan. It lacked much in the way of finesse and genius.

“Will you help us then?” Scar’s tough guy demeanor vanished, exposing the run of the mill monster beneath. “Maybe you can lure him.”