The master vampire smiled. “Lacking a soul is why most vampires don’t continue past their thirty-year death anniversary,” he explained. “By then, the people who loved them and have been giving them blood are either undead as well or simply dead. Blood from someone who doesn’t love you is a thin meal, and without a soul, an undead vampire has a difficult time convincing anyone that he or she loves them. It makes it hard to form an emotional bond that is real and not contrived.” He shifted, the scent of vampiric incense coming clear to me. “It can be done, but it takes a lot of finesse.”

Somehow, I didn’t think Rynn Cormel had that problem. “So if I can save Ivy’s soul…,” I prompted, not liking where this was going.

“It will allow the undead to continue to form auratic bonds with new people, extending their undead existence forever.”

I leaned against the counter and crossed my ankles. Sipping my coffee, I thought that over, remembering that when Ivy had bitten me she had taken a portion of my aura along with my blood. The theory went along nicely with my private theory that an undead vampire needs the illusion of a soul or aura about it or the brain will realize it is dead and drive the vampire into the sun to kill it, thus bringing the mind, the body, and the soul back into balance.

“I’m sorry,” I said, thinking that the pope would have a coronary at my thoughts. “It can’t be done. I don’t know how to save Ivy’s soul when she dies. I just don’t.”

Rynn Cormel’s gaze roved over the scattered herbs crushed underfoot, and I warmed, wondering if he knew I’d been experimenting with ways to safely curb Ivy’s blood lust.

“You’re the one who broke the balance of power between the vampires and the Weres,” he accused so very softly, and I felt cold. “You found the focus,” he continued, and my pulse quickened.

“My boyfriend—my ex-boyfriend—did that.”

“Semantics,” he said, waving a hand. “You brought it into the light.”

“And I buried it.”

“In a Were’s body,” he exclaimed, showing a hint of anger.

It might have been to cow me, but it had the opposite effect. Hell, I had already bound a demon tonight. I was on top of the world. “If you touch David…,” I said, setting my cup aside.

But Rynn Cormel only raised his eyebrows, his anger disappearing at the amusement he found in my threats. “Don’t try to bully me, Rachel. It makes you look foolish. I’m saying you broke the balance. The artifact is out. Power is shifting. Slowly, with the gentle pace of generations, but it will shift to the Weres.”

He stood. I kept my attention off my splat gun, but I could feel it—utterly too far away.