A muscle worked in Thomas’s jaw. “Yes.”

“I propose Claire to act as our liaison. I have devised a way to more easily open a doorway and can give Claire this ability as well. She will act as—”

“Ambassador,” Claire volunteered.

Rue inclined his head. “And maybe she can just come for a visit now and then, too.”

Sarafina met Claire’s eyes briefly and suppressed a smile.

“If she chooses,” answered Thomas.

Rue glanced around at the ruins of the Coven. “Do you require more diamonds to repair the damage?”

Thomas shook his head and grinned very slightly. “What you gifted us with before has been well invested. We have enough to repair the Coven and run it for the next hundred years. Thank you for your offer.”

Theo had thrown Stefan over his shoulder. He walked over with Adam and Jack. “I was tempted to kill Stefan, but I thought up something better than death, if Rue agrees.”

“Tell me,” said Rue.

“Take the warlock back to Eudae with you. Lock him up, make him a slave, do whatever you want with him.” Theo paused, his expression growing dark. “Just make sure he’s miserable every damn second of his life and can never get back here.”

“Do you want a pet warlock, Rue?” Thomas asked, with a brow raised and a smile playing around his lips.

Rue rubbed his chin. “I’m sure we can find something useful for him to do on Eudae.”

Thomas put his hand on Micah’s shoulder. “Ultimately, it’s Micah’s call. What do you think we should do with him?”

Micah’s face took on a brutal expression. He stared hard at Stefan before answering. His hand was white on the handle of his sword. “Lock him in Gribben, send him to Eudae, put him out with the trash—I don’t care.” He paused, a muscle working in his jaw. “Just make sure he’s got no magick before you do it. He should suffer the fate he’s inflicted on us.”

Rue opened his hand and a blue orb popped to life above his palm. All of them took a step back. Fear clenched Sarafina’s stomach at the mere sight of it, and she was sure she wasn’t the only one.

Stefan roused on Theo’s shoulder, as if somehow knowing the fate that glowed so deceptively and innocently in Rue’s hand.

Theo tossed him to the floor.

Stefan exploded in a flurry of French cusswords. At least Sarafina was pretty sure they were French cusswords.

Theo stepped forward and pinned him to the floor with one booted foot on Stefan’s chest. “Watch your language.”

“Fermes ta gueule et laisses moi me lever!” He shook his head in agitation and switched to English, since French wasn’t getting him very far. “Shut the fuck up and let me go.”

Clearly, he had no fire left or he would have used it already.