"Then we must assassinate Nedas. If he is dead, he cannot activate the obelisk," offered another Venator, one of the older ones. Perhaps he was nearing fifty.
"That would have been our hope," Wayren agreed. "But once the… mm"—she squinted down at her papers, plugged a word with her finger, and looked back up—"shadow has been broken and has wrapped around the being who broke it, even assassinating the holder of the obelisk will not solve the problem. Its power can be transferred quite easily to another. And another. We certainly do not want any other demon or vampire to obtain it and its powers."
"Beauregard would be waiting to snatch it up with both hands if Nedas were taken from the picture," agreed Zavier.
That caught Victoria's attention. "Beauregard?"
"A rival vampire to Nedas. He's older and very powerful; but Nedas is Lilith's son, and has been given more favor as a result. If only we could turn their attention to the other, and engage them in their own internal battles, we could let them destroy each other."
Aunt Eustacia was nodding. "Indeed. In fact, that is how we were able to stop the horror in Praga thirty years ago. But I do not think it will work now, for from what we have been able to learn, the obelisk's shadow has already been broken. Nedas has already begun the steps to activate the obelisk, and Beauregard, powerful as he might be, is no match for Nedas with his obelisk. There is no chance of distracting them in that manner."
"What can we do, if the obelisk cannot be destroyed and Nedas is already bound to it?"
"Two things. We must prepare for the worst, and expect that Nedas will succeed. We shall commence with that discussion shortly and put our preparations into place immediately, for we have less than two days. The only other possibility is for someone to get close enough to assassinate Nedas and steal Akvan's Obelisk before its power can be transferred to another."
"I will do it," volunteered the same Venator who'd first suggested assassination.
"You will not get close enough to do so," Eustacia told him. "The moment the Tutela recognized you as a Venator, you would be slain. As would any of you." Her eyes lingered on Victoria. "Except perhaps one."
"I have already agreed to do it," Victoria said, rising. "In London I agreed. There is no question that it must be me." She had not told Aunt Eustacia what had occurred at the opera house last night—that she had been seen by the Imperial, who would recognize her as a Venator. Or of her conversation with Max.
She opened her mouth to speak, then decided better of it. There was no one else who could do it. The others here would more certainly be recognized as Venators than she would.
There was a chance—slim, yes, but a chance—that the Imperial vampire had not betrayed her to the Tutela, or that he did not know for certain that she was a Venator.
And then she remembered what Max had told her: Nedas is going to win. He is too strong. You will be needed after this is all over.
However and for whatever reason Max had become involved with the Tutela and with Nedas was no longer important. The worst was going to happen, and he accepted it. He would allow it to happen. Somehow he knew that Nedas would succeed.
At that moment her last vestige of deep-seated hope poofed like a staked vampire. There would be no help from Max. From anyone.
She really was on her own.
Chapter 20
Lady Rockley Dines Out
When Victoria arrived home from her visit to the Consilium, a carriage waited in front of the villa.It was past teatime, nearing supper—late for a casual social caller.
Her steps were quick as she hurried up the stairs to the entrance.
"You have a visitor, signora," the butler told her; but she was already flinging the parlor door open.
Sebastian looked up from the newspaper he was perusing. "I don't know who you were expecting, my dear, but I'm sure you must be disappointed. Such enthusiasm could not have been meant for me, much to my regret." His attention wandered over her figure in a way that reminded her of the last time they were in this room.
And then of his threat to call on the Tarruscelli twins when he became inexplicably angry with her.
And then back to last night, when he'd called her mine. And casually invoked the name of a powerful vampire.
"It's a bit late for tea, Sebastian," she said coolly, trying to keep her breathing easy and her stomach from fluttering. The way he was looking at her… it made her want to cover her cheeks to hold back the blush, to touch his thick, golden brown hair, to back out of the room before he put his hands on her, as it was clear he intended to.
Apparently something had changed since he'd chased the vampires away from her neck.
"We must talk," he said, but there was a wholly different message in his eyes. Now she couldn't stop it—the unfortunate warmth billowed up from her bosom over her neck and to her cheeks. "Will you permit me to take you for a drive?"
"It is unfashionably late for a drive in the park," she countered.
"Other than my attire, I thrive on being unfashionable. Will you come with me?"
Victoria knew that if she accepted his invitation, it would be tantamount to accepting whatever was to develop between them. Most likely to continue what they'd started in this very room only a few days ago, but what had been simmering betwixt them for more than a year.
And then there was the minor fact that he had questions to answer, and having him closed up in a carriage with her would be conducive to getting those answers… among other things. She gave him a thoughtful look, then said casually, "I'll freshen up, and then I will be delighted to accompany you."
"Merci, ma chère."
Victoria hurried up to her bedchamber, calling for Verbena. It didn't take long for her to have her hair re-pinned, to change into a more flattering gown of rose pink, and to pull on a matching pelisse to keep the cooling fall air away. It had long sleeves that buttoned tightly from elbow to wrist, and would keep her arms warm even if she had occasion to remove her gloves.
Which would come in handy with Sebastian around, since he seemed to have a penchant for relieving her of her handwear.
"You look much refreshed," he told her in the foyer when she returned back down the stairs. "I took it upon myself to ask for a dinner basket to be prepared for us; it will be some time until we arrive at our destination, and I would not wish you to become famished."
"I did not realize we would be gone for so long."
Sebastian paused in the act of placing the tall, curly-brimmed hat on his head. "Do you have another engagement this afternoon? This evening? I did not realize."