“That is bullshit,” Raiden moved forward. “If they detonated explosives around the base of this building, they could not guarantee which direction it will collapse. It takes engineers and explosives on multiple levels of a building to ensure that it collapses downwards, rather than to the side.”
“The vampires’ habit of buying entire city blocks has made it possible,” the blonde woman replied with just the shadow of smugness. “The buildings around this one are all vampire owned. We don’t particularly care if every building in the so-called Vampire Square becomes rubble. Now,” she met Cecelia’s eyes. “Shall we sit down and discuss this civilly?”
Nate appeared at Ashlynn’s side and put a hand over her mouth. He indicated for her and Cael to move further back from the stairwell door. As they edged their way through the darkness, Ashlynn saw Rebecca move to stand behind Cecelia, who turned her head ever so slightly as if listening to something whispered inaudibly to human ears.
Ashlynn returned her gaze squarely to the blonde woman. “Very well,” she dropped her power, plunging the room into darkness. “Follow me.”
The werewolf alpha female walked unerringly through the obstacles of the foyer, her vision wolf-keen. The human woman, however, dazzled by the flash of Cecelia’s power-light and the sudden return to darkness, was not so surefooted.
As she edged her way through the barricades, Dior glowered down at her, an imposing mass of man. She looked up at him and for the barest moment, she looked intimidated, before clutching her laptop tighter and hurrying her steps behind Cecelia.
Raiden held the door open for his mate and followed the two women into the stairwell, the door swinging closed behind them with a whoosh of air that sucked Ashlynn’s hair forward.
Nate’s head tilted, listening to the retreat of footsteps. “Right,” he commanded the room. “Whilst the wolves keep her busy, let’s verify the presence of explosions around this building and see what we can do about them.”
There was a flurry of activity and voices as the vampires called the next shift down from an upper floor, freeing those currently on duty to search for the explosives, and those behind the barricades, took the stairwell down or edged out of the other exits, to examine the exterior walls.
Nate went to the glass front of the building and lifted a little of the obscuring weaves. “They have fallen back,” he murmured. “They may have done so anticipating an explosion.”
“So, they have moved the trap from the stronghold to this building,” Cael observed in an undertone. “We should seek our vampire, Ashlynn.” His meaning was clear, that if the building fell, he and Ashlynn would ensure the survival of their vampires and each other.
They made their way to the stairwell and up a level, before creeping down the hallway. Rebecca and Jacinta lingered outside a door and met their eyes as they passed. Jacinta placed her finger against her lips to indicate that they should not speak. Ashlynn could hear her parent’s voices behind the glass.
Down the hallway, they eased open the door to Elior’s office. He was talking on his phone, and looked up as they entered, his eyes ruby red as his Other dominated. He repeated Jacinta’s signal for silence.
“No, John. You are forcing my hand.” He listened for a moment, and then sighed heavily. “I regret that, very much.” He disconnected and stood, tugging down his waistcoat. His jacket hung over the back of his chair. “What is happening?”
“A woman came,” Cael told him. “Wanting to speak with you about the surrender of Ashlynn and Cecelia.”
Elior froze, his gaze turning inward. “Clever, Caleb. What was our response?”
“Mum said that you and I weren’t here,” Ashlynn rested her hip against his desk tabletop. “And said she wasn’t prepared to talk until they turned back on everything they had turned off.
“The woman said that she couldn’t do that, because they had disconnected the building in anticipation of blowing it up. Nate is verifying the presence of explosives, and mum has taken the woman into a room down the hall for a chat.”
“Shit,” Elior placed his palms to either side of his laptop and leaned forward. His hair was still loose from his kiss with Cael and swung over his face hiding it from her until he straightened again. His expression was grim. “They could be seeking to verify the presence of their main targets in the building by sending the woman in.
“If Caleb has told them about the effects of font blood, they may be looking to take you and your mother out of the equation Ashlynn. If we surrendered you, which we would be foolish to do, then they would have your blood. If they kill you and your mother, then they equal the playing field – no one has access to your blood.”
“Yeah, I figured that,” Ashlynn agreed. “And I am guessing mum did too, which is why she told the woman that we weren’t here. The question is, what do we do about it, Elior? We are stuck in a building that they can explode at any time. If we surrender, they may still blow it up. If we don’t, they probably will.”
“We need to leave,” Elior agreed. “The subterranean tunnels are not an option.” His eyes went to Cael. “We may need to use portals.”
“The sort of portals you are talking about,” Cael ran his fingers through his hair restlessly. “To transport the number of people you are talking about, Elior, the portal would either need to be open for a considerable amount of time, or…” He trailed off.
“Or what?” Elior prompted.
“Maybe multiple portals would work,” Cael was thoughtful, hesitant, and uncertain. “If we could cast many portals, each transferring a small number, they would be open for a shorter duration. We may pass undetected, or…” He grimaced. “Multiple portals may generate interest. I do not know.”
“Interest from your people?” Elior was catching up with the conversation. “I remember Ashlynn saying something to that effect.”
“Yes. We do not want to attract their attention,” Cael said severely.
“We really don’t want to attract their attention,” Ashlynn agreed. “The slave owning devils are the nicer of the two parties, according to Cael.”
“So, the option is to get blown up, or to open portals that might bring a new enemy upon us?” Elior looked from one to the other.
“Pretty much,” Ashlynn confirmed. “Cael did say that the portals were dangerous.”
“I would say that staying in a building that might explode and collapse is more dangerous,” Elior decided, leaning on his arms against the tabletop and looking to the devil. “Cael?”
Cael shrugged, but she caught a glimmer of something in his eyes that told her he wasn’t as casual about it as he acted. “If I could think of any other way, I would suggest it.”
“Would Alatar’s portal make it safer?” Ashlynn suggested trying to mediate the danger that she saw in his eyes. “Rather than yours?” Her understanding of portals was, as Cael had pointed out earlier, minimal.
“Great,” Elior closed his eyes. His mobile began to ring. He answered it. “Elior. Mhm… Hmmm. F-k.” He drew in a breath his eyes meeting Cael’s. The devil shrugged. “No, leave it. Tell the warlock and his companions to begin whatever process they need to create multiple portals… Yes, multiple portals. And organize them on each occupied level. Tell them they have to be quick with them – open, through and closed quickly. Begin evacuation immediately… Destination?”
His eyes met Ashlynn’s, and he inhaled through his noise. “I am really going to have to find a better fall-back location,” he grumbled. “The destination is pack lands.”
“Can’t do anything about the explosives?” Ashlynn guessed as he disconnected.
“Pressure rigged to explode if disconnected wrong. Nate thinks he might be able to work it out, given time – but not without risking a detonation.”
“So, portals,” she looked at Cael. The devil looked worried, which made her uneasy. The devil had shown no fear of anything else, not her father, not the vampires, not the gargoyles and not the humans. If Cael was afraid of his people, she thought, it meant they were truly terrifying.
“We will be okay, Cael,” she said reassuringly, reaching out for his hand. “The portals will be there and gone in a flash.”
“We are yet to see the outcome of Cecelia’s chat with the human ambassador,” Elior added thoughtfully. “If we have sufficient time, we may be able to stagger the portals. Many, brief portals, over a period of time. That might not catch your people’s notice as much?”
“We can hope,” Cael agreed, but his tone was grim.
Elior’s phone rang as if on cue. “Elior. Mhm. Yes, Raiden, I am listening.” He was silent for a long time and moved around the table to sit before his laptop. He pinned the phone between his ear and shoulder as he typed. “Put me on speaker phone.”
His eyes met Ashlynn’s again. “It is time,” he said to her. “We have done everything we can to avoid this.”
She blew out a breath understanding what he was telling her. “I know you have.”
He hit a key on the screen. “Miss Devereaux, this is Elior Cohen speaking. I understand the proposition. At this moment, my children will enter the room,” he paused, listening for their entry. “Rebecca and Jacinta will be taking your electronic devices whilst I consider your proposition. You will be supplied with a beverage whilst you wait. Do no leave the room. The door will be locked, for the duration.”
“I am to report every hour on the hour,” the woman’s tight voice responded. “No earlier, and no later, or they will explode this building. I do not wish to die, Elior Cohen.”
“Understood,” Elior glanced at the old-fashioned, elegant, and expensive wrist piece he wore. “According to my watch, that allows me forty-five minutes in which to consider your proposal.”
“That corresponds with my clock,” she agreed.
“Good. We will speak again before the forty-five minutes is up.” He disconnected and dialled another number on his phone. “Nate. There is a forty-five minute duration in which we must evacuate this building… Mhm. Get it done.”
He rose to standing, closing the laptop, and sliding his phone into his pocket. “It is time we leave, my mates.”
The office door opened, and Raiden and Cecelia entered the werewolf couple beginning to show the dishevelment of the situation, Raiden’s curls standing on end as if the werewolf had dragged his hands through them, and Cecelia’s lipstick having faded into crease points of colour on her lips.
“What is the situation?” Raiden was all brisk business, the Other in his eyes flashing gold showing his agitation.
“I have issued orders to my military forces,” Elior told him heavily. “Nate has verified that there are explosives as Ms Devereaux claims, and they have rigged in a way that makes their removal difficult. It is evident that we need to vacate this building. Cael has proposed we use portals to do so. We have the coven opening them on every occupied level in order to evacuate.”
“Where to?” Raiden immediately wondered, and then saw the expression on Elior’s face and groaned, rolling his eyes back into his head. “Again, Elior?”
“My sincerest apologies,” Elior said with genuine feeling.
“These vampire wars are costly on my pack,” Raiden said darkly. “The last one cost me my sister.”
“I know, and I wish I could think of an alternative location,” Elior apologized.
“This isn’t a vampire war,” Ashlynn corrected her father. “It is a human against Other war.”
“Focusing on vampires,” Raiden wasn’t letting go of his resentment.
“It wasn’t Elior they wanted,” Ashlynn replied. “It was mum and me. The last I checked we are pack. And I am pretty sure I know that the Wingless are working with the humans and would be behind that request – making sure the vampires don’t have access to our blood.”
A muscle in Raiden’s jaw ticked as he bit down on his rear teeth. “As you say, Ashlynn,” he conceded reluctantly. “The vampires are welcome to take shelter with the pack, Elior.”
“Thank you,” Elior inclined his head. “I suggest that my mates and I do not join them. I would like to keep this battle off pack lands, Raiden, as much as you do. Whilst I will send the majority of my people there, my children, my mates and I will relocate to a building that I suspect the humans do not know we own, as it was bought by one of my investment companies.”
The office door opened and Alatar stepped in. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“Is everything okay?” Cecelia asked him anxiously.
“Evacuation to pack lands is underway,” Alatar told her. “No problems. The gargoyles and I had an idea, and I have re-rigged the spells on the building, so that if they do explode it, they will get more than they bargained for, and the gargoyles are armed with a wide range of spell pouches. Ashlynn and Cael’s spot of spell-casting was rather successful, so I thought we would give them another taste of what Others can do.”
Cael’s grin was evil. “I want to do that, too.”
“Me too,” Ashlynn agreed with a sneer.
“The two of you are flying targets,” Elior reminded them. “If they realize who you are. And after your social media post, Ashlynn, you and Cael are entirely too recognizable.”
“Shit,” Ashlynn complained, but she couldn’t deny the truth of his words.
“Our relocation destination will have a good view, I would think,” Elior offered as compensation.
“What about Ms Devereaux?” Raiden asked.
“Once my people have been evacuated, we will release Ms Devereaux from her room, and let her leave,” Elior replied. “In just under,” he glanced at the time piece on his wrist. “Thirty-nine minutes, my military forces will make themselves known.
“I expect Ms Devereaux and company will detonate the building in retaliation, believing my people to be still within it. That should prevent the search of pack lands for them.”
“You are very good at this,” Ashlynn was impressed. “You came up with all that in the time since we came into your office.”
Elior smiled and shrugged. “A lifetime of practice, my mate. Raiden, take your mate and warlock, and leave. Thank you for your help. I hope you will remain undisturbed from this point on-wards.”
“How are you evacuating?” Raiden wondered, his eyes on Ashlynn.
“I am sure that my mates can help with that,” Elior smiled a little.
“Perhaps Cael,” Ashlynn suggested hurriedly. “I tend to fly into windows.”
Cael snickered, and her mother and father hid their sudden smiles.
“It took a while for you to catch on to driving,” Raiden offered once he had composed himself. “But once you got the hang of it, you excelled.”
“Aww, thanks dad. You wouldn’t say that if you had seen the Audi after the Wingless totalled it. It was insured,” she added hurriedly. “Fully.”
“Time to go,” Alatar decided, before Raiden could respond. “Kiss your cub goodbye, and let’s go.”
Ashlynn embraced her parents tightly and stood in the door of the office watching them hurry down the blue-green carpet of the hallway to the stairwell entrance.
Elior checked his wrist piece again and put his phone to his ear. “Nate. Is the evacuation nearing completion? … Good. Well done. The gargoyles with you?… Meet us up there with Rebecca and Jacinta. We need to ask the gargoyles to help relocate us… Hmm, I know, and I am sorry.” He disconnected chuckling. “Nate dislikes flying,” he explained as he returned his phone to his pocket.
“Time to leave?” Ashlynn asked.
He glanced at his wrist. “Close enough. Let’s collect Ms Devereaux and take her for a walk up the stairs with us. I think she could use the exercise.”
“That is going to suck in those shoes she is wearing,” Ashlynn smirked.
“My thoughts exactly,” he grinned back at her.
They went to the room where Ms Devereaux was secured, and he unlocked the door, swinging it open to reveal the ambassador sat at the head of the long conference table, with a half-drunk glass of water on a coaster before her. She looked a little sweaty in the poorly ventilated room but had kept her suit jacket on stubbornly.
“Good evening, Ms Devereaux,” he said.
“Mr Cohen,” she stood, smoothing her hands down her pencil skirt, as she moved around the table. “I am not surprised to find you on the premise. Nor you Ms Grenmeyer,” she nodded to Ashlynn. “Despite your parent’s protestations otherwise,” she pointed out sourly.
“Mrs Cohen,” Elior corrected her. “According to my people’s traditions, Ashlynn is Mrs Cohen.”
“Mrs Cohen-Jovil,” Cael murmured almost inaudibly.
“Apologies,” Elior smiled at him warmly. “Of course, she is Mrs Cohen-Jovil,” he told the other woman. “My mates,” he gestured expansively to include Ashlynn and Cael. “Ashlynn Cohen-Jovil, and Cael Jovil-Cohen. I guess you may call me Elior Cohen-Jovil as well, for the sake of consistency,” he sneered the last derisively.
The woman paused, non-plussed by the tangle of names. “My apologies. You introduced yourself as Grenmeyer on your recent social media update,” she said to Ashlynn.
“Convenience,” Ashlynn shrugged unapologetically. She had, but she had been using her family name to invoke the werewolf connection. Maybe she was Mrs Grenmeyer-Cohen-Jovil, she thought to herself. Politically it covered all bases. Something, she added, to discuss with her mates at another time.
“Join us for a walk,” Elior gestured the woman to proceed them down the hall.
“Mr Cohen, I am certain that time has progressed to the point that I need my devices in order to report in,” she said, but she complied and led the way towards the stairwell.
Cael opened the door for her. “Thank you,” she said to him in automatic politeness. The devil leered threateningly, his pretty features contorting into something feral and very unsafe, and the human reacted accordingly, gasping and scuttling ahead of him in a flight for escape.
“Up,” Elior corrected her when she started down the stairs. “We have to go up, Ms Devereaux.”
“Is that where my devices are?” She asked him, starting up the stairs obediently, her steps hasty and her eye on Cael.
“You will want to increase your pace. We have,” Elior checked his wrist piece. “Twenty minutes, and twenty-seven flights of stairs.”
“Mr Cohen, you are joking,” she looked over her shoulder at him, appalled out of her fear.
“You might wish to discard your shoes,” he recommended mildly.
She did so and set her pencil skirt to straining as she hurried up the stairs. “Mr Cohen,” she said, slightly out of breath. “What is your response to our proposal?”
“I have twenty minutes until I am required to answer that,” he replied.
Up the stairwell, Ashlynn could hear the deep voices of the gargoyles. They were enough ahead of them that they were out of sight, although their conversation and laughter drifted down to them echoing off the concrete walls in deep tones, the seduction in their Other raising the hair along her arms.
Looking up, she saw Nate peer down the hollow between the banisters, gauging their location.
“Ten minutes,” Elior said on the eighteenth floor. “That is approximately one stairwell per minute, Ms Devereaux until our time is up.”
“Mr Cohen!” The woman was red faced and gasping, her hair tumbling from its bun, and her shirt plastered to her with sweat. The seam of her pencil skirt had split at the vent extension, and her jacket had been discarded six flights before. “I protest!”
“Nine minutes,” he smiled.
She put the final push in, trotting up the stairs, and burst out onto a roof busy with gargoyles and Elior’s three children wincing as the rough concrete under foot tore through her stockings and into the pads of her feet.
Rebecca stepped over to Elior and handed him a phone with calm indifference, as if there was not time frame to their flight.
Elior passed it to the ambassador, who was doubled over, her hands braced on her knees, as she fought for breath. “There you are Ms Devereaux. You may report in.”
“Your answer Mr Cohen!” She pleaded, dialling the phone and holding it to her ear as someone literally clutching at a lifeline.
The gargoyles began to take shift and take flight, their wings catching the air, the whomp of their strokes impressively loud, causing them to lift their heads to watch the spiralling flight as they rose into the sky.
Ashlynn saw Nate clinging to the broad shoulders of a monkey gargoyle, his expression miserable. Jacinta looked happier, born aloft like a child in the arms of a dragon gargoyle who murmured seductively into her ear as he lifted her aloft. Laughter followed them.
Rebecca stood on the lip of the roof, waiting for Elior to conclude his conversation. Dior waited at her side ready to carry her into the air.
“My goodness!” Ms Devereaux exclaimed watching as the gargoyles filled the sky around the building, deliberately circling like birds of prey in order to impress upon the humans below with their number and ability. “What are they!”
“Gargoyles, Ms Devereaux,” Elior told her, his face lifted to the sky. His smile was broad. “Isn’t it a magnificent sight? It has been a long time since I have seen so many gargoyles in flight.”
“Wings,” Cael murmured to Ashlynn, taking her by the elbows and easing her towards the lip of the building’s roof.
“Oh, yeah.” She had been so taken by the sight of the gargoyles, like Elior, that she had forgotten. She tensed as the wings pushed out of her skin and groaned in the pleasure of their release flicking her feathers out.
“Oh my god,” Ms Devereaux breathed, the extension of both Ashlynn and Cael’s wings catching her eye.
“Two minutes, Ms Devereaux,” Elior prompted, drawing her attention back to him. He smiled sweetly. “And as to what my response is… You can tell them that they can go f-k themselves.” He stepped up to Cael, and the devil put his arms around him, winked at the astounded woman, and stepped off the edge of the roof.