"What about Casimir and the others?"
"Casimir may stay to assist you and Nathan in guarding the community. I am recalling Hector and Edmond. Your child will be approached by me or one of my agents when he is of age. If he does not choose vampirism, then perhaps he will consent to work for us."
"That is all I can ask," Aedan bowed his head. "I must sleep soon."
"I know. We will talk again when you wake."
"Why did you change your mind, Honored One?"
"Someone came to me and pointed out the error of my ways."
* * *
"What happened?" Ashe ran downstairs as Winkler and Trajan carried Buck inside the beach house. Blood dripped off Buck's fingers, causing Ashe to stop still in dread.
"He's not dead," Trace was slipping into a shirt after becoming human again. "He's in bad shape, though. Matt got wounded too, but he was wearing body armor. Has a bullet in his arm and two in a leg. He's still working to get a doctor out here for him and Buck. Vamps are putting tourniquets on while he makes calls. Andy's dead," Trace added, the words mumbled.
"Oh, no," Ashe dropped to a sitting position on the steps. And then he cursed while brushing away tears.
"Kid, he died a hero. He stood in front of Matt and took those bullets. They would have hit Matt in the head, if Andy hadn't stepped in."
* * *
Winkler's cell phone rang as he and Trajan laid Buck on the sofa in the media room. "Marcus?" Winkler growled low. "We're a little busy here, right now."
"Somebody needs to come. We almost had a murder here, tonight, and we have four of those Elemaiya bastards here that the vamps took down."
Winkler cursed. "Look, I have problems of my own. How the hell did they get past the Witch's boundary?"
"No idea. We have an attempted murderer to track, though."
"Who almost died?"
"Adele Evans."
* * *
Ashe heard. From yards away he heard Marcus' words on Winkler's cell. "Kid, somebody will drive you. Just hold on, okay?" Trace had an arm around Ashe as he rose to storm out of the house. "They said attempted murder. Your mom is alive, all right?"
"When? When can I go?" Ashe was shaking and brushing away more tears.
"Kid, we have to get help for Matt and Buck. And we have to find a temporary place for Andy and get bodies cleared away," Winkler moved Trace aside and pulled Ashe down to sit on the steps again. "Everybody's had a bad night." Winkler settled beside Ashe and raked bloodied fingers through thick, black hair.
"Andy was a good friend."
"I know. The best. Loren is standing guard over the body. I think Gavin and Tony will help get the other bodies hauled in, but I need to call Shirley to take the rogue wolves out by boat and dump 'em twenty miles out. Matt wants to ID the humans if he can. I get the idea that somebody else might be involved because Matt was their target. They didn't care about the rest of us."
"Can I talk to somebody—just to make sure Mom's okay?"
"Sure. Here, call Lavonna Anderson. I have a feeling she's there with Nathan."
"Yeah." Ashe took Winkler's offered phone and called Lavonna's cell.
* * *
"Ashe, we're not sure what happened," Lavonna sighed. At first, she couldn't imagine why William Winkler's cell number appeared on her caller ID. She'd learned quickly enough that it was Ashe calling.
"Is Mom okay?"
"She's fine, and we don't understand that. She said herself that she was dying, so something had to happen to change that. It's really confusing, and Nathan and Casimir are still asking questions."
"Trace said he'd find somebody to drive me over," Ashe mumbled.
"You have to find somebody to drive you?" Surprise coated Lavonna's words.
"It's a long story," Ashe said uncomfortably.
"Dori's here, would you like to talk with her? I need to see if your mother wants something to drink."
"Yeah."
"Ashe?" Dori's voice came through clearly.
"Dori, do you know anything?"
"No. Half the community is outside your house, though, and all of 'em are asking the same thing. All I heard was there was a bright flash of light after the vampires killed the four Elemaiya. They showed up after your mom was stabbed."
"Mom was stabbed?" Ashe's voice cracked.
"Yeah. Marcus thinks it was a poison dart. I don't know why it didn't work, and I heard somebody say that the wound was closed already."
"That doesn't seem possible," Ashe muttered.
"I don't know whether it's true or not. Your mom is alive, though, and she's answering questions for Daddy and Mr. Casimir."
"Who did it? Do you know?"
"Marcus is in there and he won't tell what your mom said."
"This is ridiculous," Ashe said, rubbing fingers against his forehead. The headache was still alive and pounding out its presence inside his skull.
"For sure. Look, do you think you might come tonight? Things are only gonna get worse, because Principal Wright is expecting shapeshifters to arrive tomorrow morning. Marcus wants to lock everything down and not let anybody in or out, so things might get a little tense."
"Sounds like it," Ashe agreed. "Andy died tonight, Dori."
"What?" Dori sounded shocked. "What happened?"
"Zeke Tanner's trackers happened. Mr. Winkler and his bunch fought back, but Andy took a bullet in the head, I think. He's gone."
"What about the trackers—are they dead?" Ashe could hear Dori's quickened breathing; the night's events were frightening her.
"As far as I know, they all died."
"That stupid jerk," Dori spat. "Doesn't Tanner know when to quit?"
"Apparently not. We lost a friend tonight, Dori. Andy was a good guy."
"I know."
"Look, I'll call if it looks like I can come tonight. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know if you hear anything new."
"I will. Ashe, Wynn is coming. We'll call later."
"Thanks, Dori."
* * *
"I drain my crown to give them enough power to slip past the boundary, and you tell me they are dead?" Friesianna threw the cushion from her throne at Rabis. "I will be helpless for days because of this, and we have nothing to show for it?"
"My Queen, I can only report what I see. Nothing more." Rabis didn't point out that it had been Friesianna's decision to drain her crown.