"If we notify the local authorities that Black Mist is attempting a takeover, it will cause widespread panic. If we don't notify them and an attack happens anyway, lives will be lost. This is the worst kind of mess," Norian raked hands through his hair in frustration.
"They need to know, boss," Lendill walked over to stand next to Norian.
"I suppose you're right," Norian sighed. "Get the Chancellor on the communicator—see if he can come down here himself." Lendill nodded and pulled out his communicator.
* * *
"It isn't just vampires—it's humanoids and possibly rogue wizards as well," Norian and Lendill were trying to get the Chancellor to calm down—he was about to condemn all vampires, even as he was surrounded by them at the moment. We weren't about to alert him to that fact. The Chancellor was still railing several minutes later when I tired of listening to his rant.
"It is in times like these that we learn what our leaders are made of," I barked at him. He was so shocked he shut up for a moment. "That's better," I said. "Now, this could have been any world under attack by Black Mist. They chose yours, for reasons known only to them. What do you intend to do about it? How are you going to keep your people safe? Now is the time to act, Chancellor. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may be too late." I watched as his mouth worked for several seconds—he wasn't bad looking or particularly old and I wondered what his qualifications had been for his election. Of course, none of that mattered now—it was what he did from this point forward that would define him and his rule.
"We will not succumb to these threats," he said finally. "I must tell my people that Black Mist wants our world and we must stand strong and refuse to let them take it."
"The Alliance already has three legions on the way, but you must have your security personnel ready to coordinate and get the population involved. We will invite the media in, too, and this story will be spread across the Alliance. All will know that Black Mist is attempting to take control of Darthin." Norian nodded with satisfaction.
Put all the Alliance worlds with long nights on alert, I sent to Norian, who nodded discreetly to acknowledge my sending. And alert the other cities here—the ones we caught didn't have information on other attacks, but that doesn't mean there won't be any.
"Already on it," Norian muttered, knowing I would hear. That's how we ended up in two more cities later that evening; Norian's agents had found twelve more vampires and sixteen humans. They'd all been taken into custody before the sun set; the agents were waiting for Norian and the rest of us to arrive and question the vampires after nightfall.
We also found the bombs set in those city sewers, and they were shipped offworld to the bomb squad on Tykl. Gavin and Tony began their questioning after I told them that the oldest of these vampires was barely two hundred. That had Norian raising an eyebrow and hauling me out of the questioning tank, Rigo right behind.
"Do not harm my Queen," Rigo eyed Norian's hand, which gripped my upper arm.
"Do you think I would?" Norian gave a snort but dropped his hand anyway. "You can tell the ages?" We were back to that again.
"Norian, I have no idea what you've learned about me or whether any of it is true. Maybe we should get together later and discuss it. In the meantime, you and Rigo should try to get along. You have some things in common, after all."
"And what would that be?" Norian snapped. He was about to get hissy, I figured, and that didn't need to happen with so many others close by.
"I think you could have a long conversation about poisons," I grumbled and attempted to move past Norian.
They were both staring at me now—Rigo and Norian—as if I'd let the most important cat out of the biggest bag ever. "Look," I said, "If both of you think you're going to end up in my bed, then all my mates need to know. Therefore, 'fess up."
"They have already guessed about me, after Satris," Rigo grumbled.
"You did that? Then you have my support and admiration," Norian clapped Rigo on the back. "I couldn't have done better myself."
"He almost killed my tiessa," Rigo defended his actions.
"You think I don't know that?" Norian displayed one of his famous grins. "I might have hunted him down myself. You saved me the trouble."
"See, you do have a lot to talk about. I need a drink." I moved away from them but they caught up almost immediately. Neither of them was satisfied with sitting on the opposite side of the booth at a nearby bar, so I was wedged between Rigo and Norian while I sipped a fruit drink.
Norian was quite impressed with Rigo and his story, and I had a feeling Norian would be studying up on his Hraedan history just as soon as possible. Rigo was Rigovarnus I. Six other Rigovarnuses ruled Hraede, but none were good enough for the turn, according to Rigo. I bumped his shoulder and teased him about it—he doesn't like the formal version of his name much. He leaned in to kiss me, which caused our server to raise eyebrows.
We had to take Rigo to a nearby ASD office later so Norian could make the turn and Rigo, after he recovered from the initial shock, asked Norian if he could have poison to work with. Norian carries the poison glands all the time; they're just well hidden while he's humanoid. He showed Rigo the sacs, located on the sides of his neck.
"I can extract some for you, but I have to release it," Norian explained. Rigo nodded—he had extensive knowledge and a healthy respect for all poisons. Rigo and Norian were well on their way to a strong friendship when we got back to the others. The information regarding Black Mist's attempted takeover had already been distributed to the media across the Alliance, so we were watching the news reports as they were broadcast.
* * *
"Do you see this?" Viregruz wanted to smash the vid screen with his fists, but he needed the information and another vid screen might be hard to come by at that time of night. Viregruz looked sixteen of his thirty-six hundred years, and anyone who failed to respect him when they were looking to join Black Mist, died in the most painful way possible.
Viregruz's two Blood Captains nodded deferentially to Viregruz. They were talented as vampires—both could turn to mist, but neither held the complement of talents that Viregruz held. He not only had misting ability; he could mindspeak and shapeshift. Viregruz became a falcon when he shifted, and while falcons were day flyers, Viregruz's alter ego could see as well as any vampire in darkness. He could take that shape in an instant, rather than waiting lengthy minutes to become mist. Many were the times when he'd gotten into a closed room as mist to commit murder and then shifted to falcon and sat in the rafters or some other out-of-the-way place while everyone went looking for a humanoid perpetrator.