“I gotta call Tanya,” Chris said. “If I can reach her.”

“She has just come up out of the no-technology zone. I was getting ready to connect her to you to discuss the twins. Here she is now,” Omega said. The wall monitor changed, half of it now filled with Tanya’s image.

“Ah, hey, everyone,” she said, looking momentarily confused. “Omega, I just wanted to talk with Chris,” she complained, frowning.

“He adjusted that because we have a theory you might want to hear,” her husband said.

“Well, fill me in. Then I want to hear about the babies.”

Chris took a breath and then laid it all out in broad strokes. When he finished speaking, her face went blank for a half a second, then her brow furrowed in anger. “The twins good?”

“Twins are great. Toni is with them and Jetta’s gonna help her while we search for this demon.”

“Okay. I’ve got to talk to Mother, Grandmother, and Lydia about this idea. We have a short break and we’ll need every second to run this down. And Chris… when you find this bitch, save a chunk of her for me. I’d like to express my thoughts regarding her interference with my family.”

“No problem, zayka,” he said with a nod. She turned and left the frame, then Omega cut the connection.

“Was that abrupt?” Holly asked.

“She’s in battle mode,” Nika said. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall of that meeting.”

“I would like to have one of my insect drones there too. The witches employed by the Paris faction are too thorough, however,” Omega said.

“Let’s go find this demon. Remember: be careful, be stealthy, don’t scare her into fleeing or attacking. If you think the house you’re looking at might be the one, alert Omega and fall back. He’ll surveil the property and we’ll know for sure,” Chris said. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 21

“Bring forth Sergei Zhvikov,” Mausya commanded.

A tall, thin vampire strode into the chamber, black suit immaculate, wingtip shoes gleaming in the flickering light of the skull sconces. His white hair was cut short, almost military, and Tanya thought its color was natural platinum like Stacia’s, as he did not look like he had been old when he was turned. Maybe a physical age of mid-thirties, but certainly a vampire age of less than one hundred.

“Sergei, you are the designated speaker for the younger Darkkin of Russia?” Mausya asked.

He nodded. “I am that, my Elder.”

“And what message do your brothers and sisters wish you to deliver?”

He hesitated, glancing at Senka, who again stood in front of the other two Elders.

“Go ahead, Sergei. No recriminations will be cast upon you. You are simply the messenger.”

“I am requested to express concern in regards to our path,” he said, now looking straight at Mausya and carefully not at Senka.