Present day

Ivar looked out his bedroom window that towered above the beach below. The place had cost him ten-thousand a week. Just to watch water and sand? Bah.

He picked up his cell phone and spoke in his native tongue to his leader, “I’ve found the witch in a small burg by the ocean.”

“Good. When can I expect you back? I’ll have a car waiting for you at the airport.”

“Calm yourself, Gregor. There are complications.”

“Isn’t there always?” Gregor sounded more irritated than usual. “I expected this done by now. If you had just grabbed her in New York, you’d be home and I’d be enjoying the fruits of your labor. I’ve been more than patient. There is much at stake, cousin. If you cannot handle it, I will.”

“I’ll handle it in my time.” He slowly padded over to the coffee maker. He wasn’t about to admit that the woman had proved more resourceful than he’d predicted. Even without the use of her powers. Imagine what she could do when the curse was lifted.

“It’s my decision, and by being overly cautious, you missed your best opportunity to bring her home to me! That’s the trouble with you, Ivar, you’re too cautious.”

“And you are too reckless, cousin. I’m here. You’re not. Stay out of it. She’s my niece and I will choose how to get her home.” Ivar spat and made an ancient curse. He filled the glass jug, put in the stupid pouch, and pushed the on button. The coffee would taste like shit. Leave it to the Americans to ruin even the most basic of foods. “I am merely giving you the courtesy of updating you.”

“You promised her to me.” The man’s voice was an irritated whine.

“You’re impatience will only get you into trouble.” Ivar made a guttural sound at the back of his throat. “As long as I am here, there are some things I’d like to get set up. There is potential for money to be made. A clan I might like to have as my own.”

Ivar picked up his binoculars and scanned the area. The beach was empty, except for a few people with fishing poles. Several others sat in wooden benches at the top of the dunes.

“What if she mates in the meantime?”

“Makes no difference in the long run, does it? If she mates well, it could be better for all of us to wait for the child of that union. Better to get more pure blood, no? We’re not even sure how the Romanians managed a half-breed. Another generation removed would do well to remove the taint. You need to think more in terms of the future of the clan, not just the worm between your legs.”

“Are you reneging on your promise?” Gregor sounded alarmed.

“Relax. When have I ever let you down? You can have her when I get home. You already have too many whores and your wife to please. You can’t keep the half of them happy.”

“Bastard. You know what I want. I want to mate with the witch. I want that fucking vortex in my own line.”

Ivar snorted and put on his sneakers. “You have grandsons almost old enough to bed the woman. Give her to one of them. Better for us to find a powerful mate for her here and take the child.”

“Bah. None of them are powerful enough. Weaklings, all. They would never match her. We will lose the vortex for all of our descendants. You may be the last one left. Think on that.”

Ivar walked out of his colossal rented house, down the steps over the dunes.

“Does she have a clue of her origin?’ Gregor had a mouth that would not end.

“No. The couple we put in charge of her was careful to keep her caged and ignorant.”

“Too careful. We almost lost her. What were they thinking?”

“Who knows, perhaps the man you put in charge was waiting to mate with her, himself. Give me time and I will bring her home.” Ivar sneered into the phone. “And what of your part in this? Did you find the sister of the girl’s grandmother? The abhorrent healer that caused this disaster to begin with? Without her, we won’t know if our seed will take.”

“Not yet. But I will.”

“Ha. I’ll bet you five thousand rubles that I will be home and fucking your daughters before you find her.”

“Bastard. Sniff around any of them again and I’ll cut your balls off.”

Ivar laughed. “As long as I’m here there is potential retail business. Check my secure FTP site for details. You’re going to need more mules. This clan has some enterprising poppy potential. Philadelphia is very close and New York City not many kilometers away from that.”

With that, he hung up the phone. Gregor would go to his FTP site and see the money to be made, and happily offer up perhaps more than one daughter as a reward. Meanwhile, Ivar would need to finish what he started last night without inciting a clan war–at least not yet.