I realized I was standing before the Round Table, studying its little streams of liquid silver and gold that circled the surface in a constant flow. I studied them, breathing deeply. Be the stream. I heard Alucard leave, but didn’t acknowledge him. I felt Talon walking up to me.

“I need a fucking mantra,” I said, not feeling at one with the molten metal stream.

“Want me to kill him?” he asked, not an ounce of hesitation or judgment in his voice.

I rounded on him. “No! Christ, Talon. I’m pissed, but not at him. Not really. I’m pissed that he has to do this. This fucking White Fang prick. He’s twisted everything around.”

Talon arched a brow. “Alucard doesn’t have to do what he did. He could walk into their home and slaughter all opposing vampires. I think the Sanguine Council would approve. Bold.”

I studied his eyes and realized he was being completely serious. That was actually the option he considered most beneficial. A murder spree.

My pet kitty was a psycho.

But… he might be right. Alucard was strong enough that he could have done as Talon suggested. But which was better? Murdering a bunch of scared vampires to make a point, or to do it the way he had, by having the balls to tell me to my face that he needed to cut ties to me.

“If White Fang doesn’t stand to gain anything, why is he stirring up trouble? And if he was working with Zeus, why is he still here?”

Talon shrugged. “Perhaps you will let me kill him? It won’t take me long.”

I thought about it for a few moments before shaking my head. “No, not yet. If anyone sees you around town hunting White Fang, it will only put truth to his claims. Everyone will think I’m trying to silence him. That I really do fancy myself some kind of king.” I swore under my breath, turning back to the table, trying to find my center. What was the best way out of this?

At least Gunnar’s pack had taken care of their own problem. Killing Zeus.

But who else was facing similar issues in town? Who were the newcomers people kept talking about? Was there perhaps some kind of unified group and Alucard just wasn’t aware of it? Was White Fang causing chaos in hopes that I would shut everyone down and remove his competitors for him? But to plan that, he would have to have some kind of plan for after – how he intended to handle Nate Temple after I cleared the field of all these families.

“We’ll be busy with our own problems soon. Let them fight over St. Louis. It’s not important. We’ve dealt with bigger wars than their petty power plays. We’ll sit on the lawn and watch the city burn.”

Talon purred. “Spoken like a true king.”

“Where’s that squirt bottle?” I muttered, patting my pockets. Talon hissed instinctively. I’d actually sprayed him with one a few times – a small squirt bottle I had carried around in my satchel for a few days.

The house rumbled again and then let out what sounded like a sigh. The ravens burst into flight with a squawk but roosted again once the house stilled. Talon purred at their discomfort, but he studied the walls for a few silent seconds before turning back to me.

“How long until that stops?” he asked. Talon knew the truth. He had been there when I found out. I’d also told Pan and Carl, just in case. But that was it.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. She hasn’t been very talkative lately. Maybe it will take a century or something. Or an hour. Without her talking to me, I’m not sure. And the way Kai made it sound – that Beasts weren’t supposed to be free, or to procreate outside of their bonds with a Maker – I’m not sure she would know the answer either. I think this is new to everyone.”

Talon sighed. “Any thoughts on them?” he asked, not pointing openly, but flicking his eyes towards the ravens who were watching us in silence.

“They haven’t spoken to me in a while. Just watched. Ever since the fight with Castor Queen when they bravely flew away,” I said loud enough for them to hear. The two ruffled their feathers in response, but didn’t comment. I growled in frustration. I had spoken with Odin. Twice. He’d been kind of a dick, but not more so than I had expected. Cryptic as hell, but that was par for the course with gods.

But the second time I had seen him, he’d brought a hooded figure into this very room to… look at me, I guess. Odin had asked the wraith if he was satisfied, and then the two had disappeared. I had shrugged it off, assuming it had been Death being a creep. But it hadn’t been my Horseman pal. No one knew who he had been, and neither Odin nor his ravens had deigned to inform me who they had brought into my home, into my most secret room in Chateau Falco.

Some god? Goddess? Friend? Enemy?

I had no idea, but knowing that Odin’s ravens were on my family crest didn’t make me feel any better about it. It just made me feel like I was a pawn on a board, and that Odin was moving me about as he saw fit.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to get to Hell so I could start killing things. But it wasn’t time yet. “I’m going to the Fight Club tonight. I feel like letting off some steam.”

Talon purred. “That sounds positively delightful. Can I come?”

I thought about it. “Only if Carl will stick around Chateau Falco. Just in case…” Talon sighed in understanding. In case Falco decided to deliver her Baby Beast. I needed someone strong here when that happened, in case the Baby Beast arrived in this world hungry and scared.

Only to find a dozen appetizing treats walking around.

My friends.

Since I had no idea what a Baby Beast ate, I didn’t want to risk it.

“That is wise. I’ll stay here with the albino.” He sounded as if he was volunteering for torture. I rolled my eyes, motioning for him to follow as I left the Sanctorum and entered the long stone tunnel that led back to the house proper. Purple flamed torches flared to life ahead of us. I glanced back to see the Round Table silently lowering back into the floor and shook my head.

When all this was over, maybe I would just move back to Fae with Talon and my Baby Beast.