Dexter looked taken aback for a moment, but then his face broke open with a smile like a kid whose just been given the keys to a candy factory. “Can I steam some milk and do the foam thing?”

“Sure, but you break it, you buy it.”

He raced behind the counter and started pulling levers on the giant espresso machines.

I laughed. “Oh my God, he is so excited. Look at him just—”

“Listen,” Lina interrupted, leaning in close over the table and whispering. “The hearing is set.”

“Oh . . .”

“It’s next Sunday at midnight, at the—”

“Sunday? That’s a week from tomorrow.”

Lina blinked. “I thought you’d be happy.”

“I just . . .” I glanced over at Dexter, at his giant, gorgeous smile as he mixed up something probably disgusting for Lina to drink. I cleared my throat. “I need time to prepare is all.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And Reg has rehearsals every day after school, and I’m so busy with the hoopla coming up—I’m on the planning committee, you know . . .”

Lina placed a hand over mine, and her whisper coated over with honey. “Charlie,” she said. “It’s okay to change your mind.”

“I don’t. I haven’t.” I pulled my hand from under hers and tucked it in my lap. “I’m surprised is all. After weeks and weeks of no, I didn’t think the yes would come so quickly.”

Lina sighed. “Then this is your chance. The Elder Seat never meets in the same place, and they won’t be back in the US for more than a year. You got lucky that we caught them in time and that they’re meeting so close. I’m actually surprised they’re not overseas with the Blood Clan.”

“Sal mentioned the Bloods have been causing trouble,” I said. “But what else is new?”

“As I understand it, they’re getting careless about exposure laws. The council’s been very preoccupied with it. The fact that they’re meeting here and not there is almost”—she chewed the inside of her cheek, thinking—“almost too convenient to be a coincidence.”

“What do you mean?”

“It just makes me wonder if they have other business here.”

I found that hard to believe. “What business could the Elders possibly have in Nowhere, other than to deliver more vampires to Sal’s doorstep?”

“You might be surprised to—”

“Oh no, that’s it, isn’t it? We’re getting roommates.”

“I don’t know if—”

“Well, that cottage is too small already. I’m not sharing a room.”

Lina threw up her hands in surrender. “I’m sure you won’t have to worry about that.”

“Not for very long anyway,” I said. “So, where exactly is this meeting?”

“Minneapolis.”

Cold and dark. Sounds about right.

“How do we get there?”

“I’ll drive.”

“You drive?”

“I’m literally older than cars.”

I smiled. “And buggies.”

“Watch it.”