“I’m sorry. I’m Chrysabelle Lapointe. And yes, I’m comarré.” At least for a little while longer. “Augustine sent me. He thought you might be interested in what I have to offer.”

“Augie, huh? Didn’t know he knew any comarré, but then again, with Augie, nothing really surprises me.” Khell nodded absently, like he was thinking. “So what’s this deal?”

She watched him closely as she spoke the next word. “Guardianship.”

He swallowed, his eyes rounding a little. He rolled the edge of his damp cocktail napkin back and forth. “What about it?”

“I was told you might be interested in the position.”

Was he trembling?

“I might be. Except it’s not available.”

“Yes, it is.”

He leaned in, keeping his head down. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but if you’re trying to get me to challenge Sklar, you can get the hell out of here.”

“No challenge. Sklar’s gone.”

Now he sat back, his mouth open. He snapped it shut and looked around before coming back to her. “If he’d been killed, word would be out. A fight like that? People would be talking.”

“No fight. He resigned.” Just saying the words washed anger and guilt through her.

“Yeah, I’m sure he did.” Khell sipped his beer. “When did this resignation supposedly take place?”

“A few hours ago. No one knows yet. You want the position, it’s yours. All you have to do is come back to Loudreux’s with me and tell him and the rest of the elektos you accept.”

“And I should believe you why?”

He wanted to believe, she could see it in the way he couldn’t stop fussing with the label on his beer and the nerves that kept him from sitting still.

“Just a moment.” She turned around, found Mortalis in the crowd, and tipped her head ever so slightly toward the table. A few seconds later, he was standing beside her. “This is Mortalis. He can vouch for what I’m telling you.”

“I know who he is.” Khell knocked back the rest of his beer and stood. “Did Sklar really resign?”

Mortalis nodded. “He did.”

Khell’s brows rose and he let out a low whistle. “No kidding. How the hell’d you manage that?”

“I didn’t,” Mortalis answered, hooking his thumb toward her. “She did. She’s very persuasive.”

Chrysabelle flashed her most charming smile while leaning her elbows on the table so that her sleeves fell back to reveal her wrist blades.

Khell swore under his breath, looking at Chrysabelle with new respect in his eyes.

She straightened. “And now all you have to do is announce your intent to the elektos.” Then Loudreux’s demands would at last be satisfied.

“I know the drill,” Khell said, nodding slowly. “Get the elektos together. I’m ready to accept.”

Tatiana bounced Lilith on her shoulder, but still the crying didn’t stop. “Octavian!” she yelled again. No point in being quiet since quiet wasn’t helping the child calm down. Where the hell was he? She’d heard him come in. Or thought she had. She opened her mouth to yell again.

“I’m here,” he called back from somewhere in the depths of the house. A few minutes later, he strode into the guest room Tatiana had converted into a makeshift nursery while her staff stripped the library adjoining the master suite and turned it into a proper space for a vampire princess.

Octavian dragged a timid female kine from the city along with him. “This is Oana. She gave birth a few days ago, but the baby was stillborn. She can nurse the child.”

“Her family has been paid?”

“Yes.”

Tatiana circled the girl, Lilith’s screams almost drowning out her own thoughts. “She’s clean? Healthy?”

“Yes. Kosmina vouches for her, but I also had the kine doctor look her over. That’s what took so long.”

“Oana, you understand this child is the most precious thing you will ever lay your kine hands on? If you cause harm to come to her in any way—”

Oana shook her head so vigorously a few loose brown curls escaped the clip holding them back. “Never, my lady. It is my honor to help.”

Good choice of words. Tatiana held Lilith out to Oana. “Feed her.”

Oana took her with a shallow curtsy. “Yes, my lady.” She went to the nearest chair, unbuttoned her blouse, and put Lilith to her breast. The crying stopped almost immediately. A second later, Oana cried out.

Tatiana whirled toward the girl, maternal instinct raging through her. “What’s wrong?”

Oana colored. “Nothing, my lady. I was not prepared for her bite. Everything is fine, I assure you.”

“Blood and milk?” Octavian said softly. “What a curious creature your daughter is, Tatiana.”

She smiled at his words. Her daughter. “Isn’t she, though?” She watched Oana for a moment, pangs of longing niggling at her, but there was nothing she could do about it. She was no longer capable of nursing an infant. She turned away, unable to bear it anymore. “The kine comes from a good family?”

He nodded. “As I said, Kosmina vouches for her. How’s she working out, by the way?”

“Very well. She’s an apt replacement for you.” She glanced back at Oana and Lilith one more time, then took Octavian by the arm and moved him into the hall. “Daciana should be in Paradise City by now. I didn’t have much time to talk to her before she left, but she’s got the same portfolio of information I gave to Laurent.” Tatiana let go of him and paced a few steps away, wringing her hands. “I have little hope for her success.”