and pleadings for
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control。 He definitely had everyone’s attention。 “It’s time for you to grow up and take responsibility for yourselves。 Do you think you get to live like this for free？ That all the blood in Seattle doesn’t have a price？” The little clusters of vampires no longer seemed threatening。 Everyone was wideeyed； some exchanging mystified glances。 I saw Fred’s head turn toward me in my peripheral vision； but I didn’t meet his gaze。 My attention was focused on two things： Riley； just in case he started to attack again； and the door。 The door that was still closed。 “Are you listening now？ Really listening？” Riley paused； but no one nodded。 The room was very still。 “Let me explain to you the precarious situation we are all in。 I’ll try to keep it simple for the slowest ones。 Raoul； Kristie； e here。” He motioned to the leaders of the two largest gangs； allied for this brief moment against him。 Neither of them moved toward him。 They braced themselves； Kristie baring her teeth。 I expected Riley to soften； to apologize。 To placate them and then persuade them to do what he wanted。 But this was a different Riley。 “Fine；” he snapped。 “We’re going to need leaders if we’re going to survive； but apparently neither of you is up to the task。 I thought you had aptitude。 I was wrong。 Kevin； Jen； please join me as the heads of this team。” Kevin looked up in surprise。 He had just finished putting his arm back together。 Though his expression was wary； it was also unmistakably flattered。 He slowly got to his feet。 Jen looked at Kristie as if waiting for permission。 Raoul ground his teeth
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together。 The door at the top of the stairs did not open。 “Are you not able； either？” Riley asked； irritated。 Kevin took a step toward Riley； but then Raoul rushed him； leaping across the long room in two low bounds。 He shoved Kevin against the wall without a word and then stood by Riley’s right shoulder。 Riley permitted himself a tiny smile。 The manipulation wasn’t subtle； but it was effective。 “Kristie or Jen； who will lead us？” Riley asked with a hint of amusement in his voice。 Jen was still waiting for a sign from Kristie as to what she should do。 Kristie glowered at Jen for an instant； then flipped her sandy hair out of her face and darted to stand on Riley’s other side。 “That took too long to decide；” Riley said seriously。 “We don’t have the luxury of time。 We don’t get to fool around anymore。 I’ve let you all do pretty much whatever you feel like； but that ends tonight。” He looked around the room； meeting everyone’s eyes； making sure we were listening。 I held his gaze for only a second when it was my turn； and then my eyes flipped back to the door。 I corrected instantly； but his glare had moved on。 I wondered if he’d noticed my slip。 Or had he seen me at all； here beside Fred？ “We have an enemy；” Riley announced。 He let that sink in for a moment。 I could tell the idea was shocking to several of the vampires in the basement。 The enemy was Raoul or if you
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were with Raoul； the enemy was Kristie。 The enemy was here； because the whole world was here。 The thought that there were other forces out there strong enough to affect us was new for most。 Would have been new to me； too； yesterday。 “A few of you might be smart enough to have realized that if we exist； so do other vampires。 Other vampires who are older； smarter… more talented。 Other vampires who want our blood！” Raoul hissed； and then several of his followers echoed him in support。 “That’s right；” Riley said； seeming intent on egging them on。 “Seattle was once theirs； but they moved on a long time ago。 Now they know about us； and they are jealous of the easy blood they used to have here。 They know it belongs to us now； but they want to take it back。 They are ing after what they want。 One by one； they’ll hunt us down！ We’ll burn while they feast！” “Never；” Kristie growled。 Some of hers and some of Raoul’s growled； too。 “We don’t have a lot of choices；” Riley told us。 “If we wait for them to show up here； they will have the advantage。 This is their turf； after all。 And they don’t want to face us headon； because we outnumber them and we are stronger than they are。 They want to catch us separated； they want to take advantage of our biggest weakness。 Are any of you smart enough to know what that is？” He pointed at the ashes at his feet now smeared into the carpet and unrecognizable as a former vampire and waited。 No one moved。 Riley made a disgusted sound。 “Unity！” he shouted。 “We
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don’t have it！ What kind of a threat can we pose when we won’t stop killing each other？” He kicked the dust； sending up a small black cloud。 “Can you imagine them laughing at us？ They think taking the city from us will be easy。 That we’re weak with stupidity！ That we’ll just hand them our blood。” Half the vampires in the room snarled in protest now。 “Can you work together； or do we all die？” “We can take them； boss；” Raoul growled。 Riley scowled at him。 “Not if you can’t control yourself！ Not if you can’t cooperate with every single person in this room。 Anyone you take out” his toe nudged the ashes again “might be the one who could have kept you alive。 Every one of your coven that you kill is like handing our enemies a gift。 Here； you’re saying； take me down！” Kristie and Raoul exchanged a glance as if they were seeing each other for the first time。 Others did the same。 The word coven was not unfamiliar； but none of us had applied it to our group before。 We were a coven。 “Let me tell you about our enemies；” Riley said； and all eyes locked on his face。 “They are a much older coven than we are。 They’ve been around for hundreds of years； and they’ve survived that long for a reason。 They are crafty and they are skilled and they are ing to retake Seattle with confidencebecause they’ve heard the only ones they’ll have to fight for it are a bunch of disorganized children who will do half their work for them！” More growls； but some were less angry than they were wary。 A few of the quieter vampires； the ones Riley would have called
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tamer； looked skittish。 Riley noticed that； too。 “This is how they see us； but that’s because they can’t see us together。 Together； we can crush them。 If they could see all of us； side by side； fighting together； they would be terrified。 And that’s how they’re going to see us。 Because we’re not going to wait for them to show up here and start picking us off。 We’re going to ambush them。 In four days。” Four days？ I guessed our creator didn’t want to cut it too close to the deadline。 I looked at the closed door again。 Where was Diego？ Others reacted to the deadline with surprise； some with fear。 “It’s the last thing they’ll expect；” Riley assured us。 “All of ustogether waiting for them。 And I’ve saved the best part for last。 There are only seven of them。” There was an instant of incredulous silence。 Then Raoul said； “What ” Kristie stared at Riley with the same disbelieving expression； and I heard muttered whispers around the room。 “Seven？” “Are you kidding me？” “Hey；” Riley snapped。 “I wasn’t joking when I said this coven is dangerous。 They are wise and… devious。 Underhanded。 We will have power on our side； they will have deception。 If we play it their way； they will win。 But if we take it to them on our terms…” Riley didn’t finish； he just smiled。 “Let’s go now；” Raoul urged。 “Let’s get ’em out of the picture fast。” Kevin growled enthusiastically。
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“Slow down； moron。 Rushing into things blind isn’t going to help us win；” Riley chided him。 “Tell us everything we need to know about them；” Kristie encouraged； shooting Raoul a superior look。 Riley hesitated； as if deciding how to word something。 “All right； where to begin？ I guess the first thing you need to know is… that you don’t know everything there is to know about vampires yet。 I didn’t want to overwhelm you in the beginning。” Another pause while everyone looked confused。 “You have a little bit of experience with what we call ‘talents。’ We have Fred。” Everyone looked at Fred or rather they tried to。 I could tell from Riley’s expression that Fred did not like being singled out。 It looked like Fred had really turned up the volume on his “talent；” as Riley called it。 Riley cringed and looked away quickly。 I still didn’t feel anything。 “Yes； well； there are some vampires who have gifts beyond the usual super strength and super senses。 You’ve seen one aspect in… our coven。” He was careful not to say Fred’s name again。 “Gifts are rare one in fifty； maybe but every one is different。 There’s a huge range of gifts out there； and some of them are more powerful than others。” I could hear a lot of murmurs now as people wondered if they might be talented。 Raoul was preening like he’d already decided he was gifted。 As far as I could tell； the only one around here that was in any way special was standing next to me。 “Pay attention！” Riley manded。 “I’m not telling you this for entertainment。” “This enemy coven；” Kristie interjected。 “They’re talented。
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Right？” Riley gave her an