* * *

I sent the message to Theo for analysis. The group call took a little more time to coordinate, but with a scant half hour until dawn, everyone was available via screen.

Gwen in a very dull-looking CPD conference room. Roger, Theo, Petra at the OMB office. My parents at Cadogan House. Me, Alexei, Lulu, and Connor at the town house.

“Gorgeous room,” my mother said, getting the ball rolling. “Your home is beautiful, Connor.”

“Thank you,” he said and looked to me.

“Thanks to everyone for joining in,” I said, ignoring him and looking at their boxed images on-screen. “This is a weird, supernatural Brady Bunch view, but it’s appreciated. Long story short, Levi remains on the loose, and Nicole Heart is coming to Chicago to deal with Clive and question me. So we’ve got a stalker and a bureaucrat.” And hopefully no Testing.

“You look like you’ve got an idea,” Gwen said approvingly and crossed her arms. “Let’s hear it.”

“I have a sandwich of an idea,” I said, “made up of the information and ideas that everyone else has contributed. So thank you for that.”

“Leave it to your daughter to use a food metaphor,” my father said to my mother.

Theo smiled. “And taking responsibility for your problems doesn’t mean you have to solve them alone.”

“It’s appreciated. Let’s start with you—I assume Levi hasn’t been located?”

Theo got Roger’s nod, reported. “No. He wasn’t at the hotel, and it appears some of his personal effects are missing. Some clothes, some shoes.”

“He’s on the run,” Connor said.

“Most likely,” Roger said. “We’ve also identified the two AAM vampires who assisted him—Klaus and Sonder. They’re gone, too.”

“What did Clive have to say about that?” I wondered.

“Still in denial,” Theo said. “Gwen and I talked to him, and he’s still talking about false accusations and perfidy by Chicago’s vampires.” He rolled his eyes.

Gwen took the reins. “We searched the hotel, including the Bureau’s suites. We found nothing that links Levi’s stalking activities to the Bureau. But we did find a set of bloody clothes in the closet in Levi’s room.”

“Blake?” I asked.

She nodded. “Housekeeping had cleaned the space, but we found traces of his blood in the sink, shower. That’s still being tested.”

“It will be Blake’s,” I said. “It would have been very messy work.”

“Another reason to use the Pedway,” Petra said. “So you don’t attract attention while you’re literally covered in blood.”

“We didn’t find a sword,” Gwen continued, “probably because he’s taken that with him. But given his sloppiness, there’s a good chance we’ll find traces on that, too. When we get him. Which we will.”

“What about the letters Levi sent to Cadogan House?” my father asked. “Do they help?”

“Not yet,” Theo said. “There were some references to Chicago—including a friend who’d lived here once, who we thought might have offered him a place to stay. But the friend moved to Philly ten years ago, and his apartment is now home to a very nice human family. We didn’t have any more leads until he sent you that very sloppy message.”

“That’s our ticket,” I agreed. “I think we pick a time and place, and we lure Levi out. Maybe send him a fake newsletter saying Connor and I will be there for some kind of event. Something that will make him think he can get to both of us at once.”

My mother frowned. “He may be too smart to fall for that.”

“Not if we add one more element,” I said. “Not if we tell him we’ll be at Cadogan House.”

There were sounds and nods of agreement. “He’ll want to come back here,” Dad said. “He can close old wounds.”

“That’s my thinking.”

“And we’ll be there to wrap him up,” Gwen said.

“How does this help with the AAM?” my father asked.

“We know the AAM only selectively enforces the prohibition on making new vampires. When I talk to Nicole, I can offer him up in exchange for her dropping the issue.” I leaned forward. “He’s killed another vampire, attacked a human, stolen a car, hit a shifter. He’s doing damage throughout the city, attracting human attention. She’ll want him wrapped up. And that might be enough to have her drop her claims against me—especially if I offer not to press charges.”

“It’s a good argument,” my father said. “I don’t know if she’ll agree, and it presumes you can get Levi to Cadogan House, but it’s a start.”

“Clive isn’t going to like that at all,” my mother said. “Assuming he’s been released by then, he might see his brother’s arrest as your fault, regardless of what the AAM does.”

“I think there’s a pretty good risk of that. But I also think, if we can get Clive to Cadogan House and he sees his brother, maybe he’ll have a reckoning.”

“That’s a gamble,” my father said.

“I know. And that leads me to my next option.” I gathered my courage, looked at Connor. “As Alexei suggested: a duel.”

“No,” Connor and my father said simultaneously.

I held up a hand. “At least hear me out before you start with the pronouncements. If we can get the pieces in place, it’s a way to wrap up everything at once. To put Levi behind bars, and deal with Clive.”

I laid it out for them: my Canon hunt, the Rule of Satisfaction, and the likelihood Clive was going to be a problem we had to solve, regardless of what the AAM did.

“And if they hurt you?” Mom asked.

“I have no intention of getting dead,” I said. “I get to pick the weapon, and I’m very good with a katana. I’d rather fight for my life than be forced into seclusion by the AAM. Or worse,” I added, willing her to understand the real choice. “You’d do the same thing in my place.”

As if resigned, she sighed, looked at my father. “Thoughts?”

“The Rule of Satisfaction hasn’t been used in a long time. But based on what we know of him, Clive may welcome the opportunity to best you. And rules can be put into place—limitations on the scope of the duel—that would reduce the risk.”

Clive would never agree to limitations, but I didn’t need to voice that here.

“I want the rest of the AAM out of my city.”

We all looked at Gwen, at the ferocity in her eyes. “I’m just getting to know many of you, and you seem to be good, honorable people.” She made a point of looking at me, which I appreciated. “They aren’t. I want Heart’s agreement to move them back to Atlanta as soon as Levi is in custody. We’ll let the attorneys worry about prosecution.”

“We’ll do what we can,” my father said. “I’ll talk to the guards, and we’ll arrange for additional, but unseen, eyes and ears on the grounds. Nicole will arrive shortly after dusk. She plans to speak with Clive and the others before your discussion.”

“Which is at midnight,” I said. “So we should try to get Levi here by one a.m. at the latest.” I looked at Petra. “Think you could mock up something we could send back to him?”

“Oh, I’m sure I could.”

I nodded. “When he takes the bait, which he will, we’ll need everyone ready to grab him. And be prepared—he has unique glamour,” I said, and told them about it. “That’s how he got into the loft. So don’t be surprised if he seems to appear from nowhere.”

“Appreciate the warning,” Gwen said. “We’ll tell any uniforms assigned. There’s danger here,” she added, shifting her gaze to my father. “This plan comes to a peaceful resolution—for you, for Cadogan House, for Hyde Park, for Chicago—only if the vampires all act reasonably. And they haven’t shown much reason or logic so far.”

“We’ll be as ready as we can,” he said.

I looked back at the group. “Any questions?”

“Watch your back before then,” my father said. “Levi’s out there somewhere, and will be especially attentive after you drop your bait.”

“Same goes,” I said. “You’re all friends and family, and you could all be targets. So please be careful.”

“I don’t know about everyone else,” Petra said, “but I’m definitely feeling the love.”

* * *

* * *

“Clever girl,” Connor said, when Lulu was tucked into the town house’s guest room and we sat in front of the fire in the master. “But if you get hurt, you will have hell to pay.”

“From you and Dad both,” I said. “Do you think Petra’s note will work?”

It was an impressive bit of design—a faux newsletter designed to look like a gossip sheet for Chicago socialites—that said Connor and I had been seen around Chicago together and were reportedly going to an “important” party at Cadogan House tomorrow night with several dozen other guests.

“I do. And I think he’s most likely to try for you on the way in or out.”

I nodded. “Dad’s going to leave the gate open, set the lights so it looks like there’s a party outside. Levi will like the shadows, I think. Sneaking in and among the people.” I sighed. “Unless he realizes it’s a ruse, and we lose our chance at him.”

One way or the other, we’d see tomorrow night. Because dawn approached, and sleep beckoned.

I toed off boots and jeans, decided sleeping in my T-shirt was good enough, and climbed onto the sumptuous mattress.

Connor undressed and climbed into bed in boxer briefs that—glory to the world—left very little to the imagination.

“Come here,” he said, and I slid into the crook of his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me, sighed heavily. “I’ve wanted this for hours. Just this. Peace and quiet and you.”