Nathan twisted around in his chair. “Cyrus is her sire. You really know how to put your foot in it, don’t you?”

I almost snapped that I didn’t care, that jerk could say anything he wanted. It certainly would have earned me some points with this crowd. But beneath my current tangle of confused emotions was a lingering ache from being separated from my sire. The pain I’d felt through the blood tie would be nothing compared to the emptiness I’d feel if he actually were killed.

I finally knew what my mother meant when she’d said, just because you love a person doesn’t mean you have to like them.

Miss Thin Dark and Annoying stopped directly in front of us. Nathan was certainly appreciative of the view.

“Since our first mission failed and the council still wishes to see Cyrus exterminated, we’ve been ordered back in.”

Angry shouts and groans of disbelief erupted around the room. Some people grumbled about nonrefundable plane tickets and jobs they needed to get back to.

Max actually stood up, like a character in a town meeting from an old movie. “Now that Cyrus knows we’re in town, he’s going to hightail it out of here. Not to mention the fact the Soul Eater is going to up his guards.”

I couldn’t tell if the outraged voices agreed with him or not.

The leader waved her hands to silence everyone. “Cyrus isn’t going anywhere. The Movement has pulled passenger lists for upcoming domestic and international flights. None of his known aliases are traveling, passenger or cargo. As for the Soul Eater, he successfully shipped himself to…” She pulled out a Palm Pilot and punched a few keys. “Washington, D.C. The council wants one volunteer to follow him—”

“Yo,” Max said as he raised his hand.

She narrowed her eyes and keyed something in. “Fine. We also need a small group to infiltrate Cyrus’s mansion and assassinate him.”

Nathan tore his gaze away from the woman, finally, and turned to me. His eyes were so intense I thought he’d shoot lasers from them as he stared at me. I knew he was making a decision from the way he furrowed his brows.

A decision that obviously concerned me.

Not that he would consult me on it. “I’ll go.”

The woman smiled. “Thank you, Nathan.”

“Then I’m going, too!” I claimed as I raised my hand, despite Nathan’s persistent attempts to block it. We ended up looking like we’d engaged in a very sissy slap fight.

“Absolutely not!” He didn’t bother to lower his voice. “He’s your sire. You’re too much of a liability.”

Anger burned hot on my face. I’d had just about enough of people telling me what I could and couldn’t do. I wasn’t going to let Nathan face Cyrus alone, partly because I feared for his safety and partly because I needed to see Cyrus die with my own eyes. “Pardon me, but I do believe she said volunteer. I’m volunteering, and I don’t think it’s any of your business!”