Meeting Chris Gordon. And his wife?

“Will, ah, Miss Demidova, ah, be with him?”

“No. Not this time. But there are still a bunch of us,” Declan said casually.

“Yeah. That would be fine,” Schulz said, still shaken. The young man nodded, then moved on out of the room. His step-aunt followed but paused by Schulz’s shoulder.

“Just so as you know. All of the team is highly protective of that little girl. A smart man might keep any negative thoughts about her to himself,” she said before stepping out after the witch.

His numbed mind kicked into gear. Smart man indeed.

Chapter 5

Flying east to Europe shortened the day considerably. Darkness came earlier and Tanya awoke while the plane was still in the air. She found her mother had awoken before her.

“So what are we heading into?” she asked.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out. Working my contacts here in Europe,” Galina said, looking up from the computer she was typing away on. “But the short answer is that a charge of Faithlessness is very much like a vote of no confidence in a parliament. It has seldom been used, but then, the Coven has never before undergone so much change so quickly.”

“The other Elders, Tzao and Mausya, feel Grandmother isn’t doing a good job?”

“Yes, in a nutshell. Look at it from their point of view. Thousands of years of secrecy have been thrown aside now that vampires are out in the open. Now weres and witches are exposed too, as well as the creatures of Fairie. Then there are the Vorsook. The Coven is reeling, Darkkin feeling vulnerable and unsafe.”

Tanya frowned. “I haven’t heard any of that,” she said.

Her mother gave her a small smile. “Sweet Blood, you, and that Chosen of yours, are at the heart of all of this. Angels, vampires having souls, vampires having babies, not to mention that unholy machine of yours.”

“Omega? Vampires use computers all the time,” Tanya said, nodding at the notebook computer in front of her mother.

“But this computer of yours uses vampires,” Galina said. “But your machine is the tip of the iceberg. Here, look at this news aggregation page.” She spun the notebook around.

“Global Organization for Human Advancement Pressures Congress to Pass Laws to Control Supernaturals.”

“Thousands Flock to Rome, Seeking Answers from the Pope.”

“Reality Show Says It Has Tracked Down Vampire Leaders.”

“UN Security Council Split Over Alien Threat.”

“US FDA Again Fails to Approve Controversial Demidova Treatment Programs.”

Tanya felt a presence behind her moments before a sleepy voice spoke up.

“You gotta read that reality show article,” Lydia said at her right shoulder. “It’s hilarious.”

Ignoring her snarky near sister, Tanya frowned at her mother. “Why didn’t the other Elders come to me? Why attack Grandmother?”