“Wasting a lot of time,” he said frankly. He couldn’t tell her about the fight to come, once the timing was just right, the suicide mission. She’d find out soon enough. However, she knew about the three Keys, so maybe he could try to keep the conversation going. “We’ve been trying to find the final Key before the Kurjans do, and so far, tonight was the best lead we’ve had.” Which, of course, had led them right to Grace and not to the one missing Key. “You know you can’t share details about yourself ever again on the internet, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Figured that one out on my own. Sorry.”

Her own inability to heal her injured wrist still didn’t make sense to him. “Perhaps we should make an appointment with the queen.” Queen Emma Kayrs was the best geneticist, scientist, and doctor in the entire world.

“I’m meeting with her when she returns home. She’s attending the same symposium as my sister and Ronan.” Grace’s gaze traced his face, a sadness in her eyes that caught him in the chest. “You seem even angrier than before, and that’s saying something. What else have you been doing besides searching for the last Key?”

His gut ached. “The Kurjans have been taking enhanced females, and we’ve had to rescue several before they were either forced to mate or be killed.” Often too late, unfortunately. The Kurjans were a powerful and frightening race that just needed to be put down, and he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to make it happen. If he could give his blood brothers and Grace a decent future, he’d do it.

“Since the Kurjans can’t go out in the sun, I’d think you all would have a huge advantage,” she murmured.

“You’d think.” It was amazing how much evil could happen without daylight.

She shook her head. “I just don’t understand why they want to kill all enhanced humans. After all, they need mates, too.”

Adare’s body thrummed at being so close to her, and he struggled to keep the discussion going. Vampires and Kurjans produced males only, unlike the other races. “There’s a possibility they have a cure for their poison and can keep their mates safe. Plus, I think perhaps Ulric is the only one who wants enhanced females dead, because he’s psychotic. Thinks he’s some sort of religious cleanser. But don’t worry. We have him contained in a separate world, and he’s not getting free.” Which was a falsehood. There was no doubt Ulric would eventually free himself, and Adare meant to make sure he had nothing to return to—no forces to use in a fight.

Grace snorted. “Not even I believe that.”