“Or perhaps their birth was simply biology,” Alejandro interjected in response to Enlai’s words to Nathan. “It’s not like hunter twins have never occurred before.”

“We’re getting off track,” Nathan said. “If Moscow and San Fran pulled out of our community because of my alliance with the vampires, they would still be communicating with all of you. It makes no sense for them to make themselves more vulnerable by being on their own from here on out.”

“Perhaps they are in contact with each other,” Edward suggested.

“Perhaps,” Nathan agreed. “But until I have proof of that, or proof this was a decision they willingly made, then I suggest you take every precaution necessary. Including evacuating, Bhavin.”

Bhavin leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.

“Shit,” someone muttered from behind Nathan.

Nathan turned toward Leonard. The young hunter sat before the computer replaying the footage of Moscow. His blue eyes were the size of saucers, and he’d gone nearly as pale as his blond hair.

“What is it?” Nathan demanded.

Leonard glanced at him, then the screen, and back again. “At first, I thought it was a shadow or… or… anything else.”

Nathan walked over to stand behind Leonard as the seventeen-year-old hit a couple of keys and the video rewound. On the screen, the hunters in Moscow moved backward as Nathan searched for what had caught Leonard’s attention. Then, Leonard paused the screen.

Nothing looked odd about the faces frozen on the screen, or the houses behind them. Leonard lifted his finger and pointed at something beyond the hunters and their homes. Nathan’s blood ran cold when, through the shadows of night, he spotted a head. The man’s head peeked over the top of the wall; his fingers curled into it as he peered at the hunters below.

All that could be seen was the man’s forehead, eyes, and nose, but it was impossible not to notice the incredible white-blue hue of the man’s eyes. Those eyes shone from the sunken sockets of a face made gaunt by hunger.

He’d seen eyes that color only once before, on Kadence. All other vampires he knew had eyes that turned red when their emotions ran high. But his sister, the only hunter he knew who had become a vampire, had eyes that became a white-blue when provoked.

The sick feeling in him turned into a tsunami of emotion, but he kept his voice steady and his face composed as he spoke. “Get me a close up of that man, and also put the original photo up where the other leaders can see it.”

When Leonard started pecking at the keys, Roland wheeled over to help him, and less than a minute later, the original photo and the close-up materialized on another screen.

“I know him,” Enlai said with horror in his eyes. “He’s Marat’s second-in-command in Moscow. He’s lost about twenty pounds, but that is or was Sergei.”

Nathan tried to recall the one time he’d met Marat and Sergei in person. When Nathan was ten, his father was called to Moscow to confirm the nomination of Marat as commander of the stronghold there. Nathan had gone with him, and Sergei had been there too. Nathan barely remembered the man, but staring at the photo of the starved vampire, the memory of Sergei emerged in his mind.

“Every stronghold is to evacuate now,” Nathan said. “Even if you’re not missing any hunters, you have to move. We all know too much about each other to risk staying in our current locations. Bhavin, you have to go now.”

Bhavin opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, his screen went blank.

“Oh, shit,” Roland breathed.

“Go now!” Nathan barked at the others. “And keep the location of wherever you’re going a secret. If you’re missing anyone, do not contact them with your new location. Consider them dead. Keep your phones until you either call me with your new number, or I give you mine.”

Nathan didn’t wait to hear their responses before he turned to Roland. “Shut down the feeds; we won’t be linked to the strongholds anymore, and issue an evacuation order to everyone here.”

Roland stared dazedly at him for a second before nodding. Turning away from the computers, Nathan strode past the bewildered hunters in the room. He gestured for Logan and Asher to follow him as he swiftly descended the stairs. Walking outside, he dialed Ronan as his eyes latched onto the sun sinking low on the horizon.

They had to leave here before they lost what remained of the daylight. Nathan didn’t have any hunters who’d been missing for an extended period, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

“We have a big fucking problem,” Nathan said when Ronan answered. “I know where Joseph is getting some of his newest recruits. We’re evacuating the stronghold and going to Falmouth. Meet me there in two hours. Bring Kadence with you. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

“What is going on?” Ronan snarled.

“I don’t have the time to explain. Kadence will be safe if she’s with you.” He hoped she would be anyway, but he figured she was safer with Ronan than without him. “Is Vicky there?”

“No.”

“I have to go.”

He hung up and called Vicky again, but she didn’t pick up.

• • •

“I gotta admit, I thought I’d see you in Hell before I ever saw you in a sewer,” Abby muttered as she brushed aside a cobweb hanging from the ceiling of the tunnel.

“It’s an old sewer, long out of use, and don’t forget I have killed a human, so Hell might not be far off for me,” Vicky replied.

“Save me a seat there then,” Brian said.

When Vicky met his gaze, she saw an understanding in his eyes that she’d never seen from her brother-in-law before.

“You killed those hunters to save yourself,” Vicky said to him.

“You were starving, and you killed to feed yourself,” he replied.

Vicky blinked at him; she’d been unprepared for him to try making her feel better about what she’d done. Brian wasn’t the complete asshole she’d believed him to be when they first met, but he wasn’t exactly compassionate. It seemed Abby was rubbing off on him.

“We’re almost there,” Vicky said as she turned away from them. She didn’t know how Sister June and Duncan would react to her bringing more vampires into their home, but she hoped they would be okay with it.

“Nathan has been doing this with you?” Abby asked for possibly the hundredth time.

“He’s come with me a few times.” Vicky stifled a giggle when the double entendre of her words hit her. Then, she was struck by the irrational urge to cry. She’d resolved to end it with him, but she missed him.

It’s for the best.

Then why do I feel so awful?

Because she hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to give him up, or how much she would grow to care for him. It was one thing to miss his touch, his taste, and the way he made her body come apart in ways she’d never dreamed possible. It was an entirely different thing to miss him because he’d stolen a piece of her heart and soul.

She didn’t know how many years she’d be able to live without him, but she did know the days making up those years would feel like an eternity.

“And you two were working together?” Abby asked.

“For a little bit,” Vicky replied flippantly. “He’s not so bad, for a hunter, and he did help me destroy Duke.” She ran her fingers over the scar on her wrist as her thoughts briefly turned to Duke and what he did to her.

“Hmm,” Abby murmured, still a little sore Vicky had kept Duke’s death from her until today. “And because of that, you were trying to help him find Joseph?” Abby asked.

Vicky had heard that question at least five times already.

“Our need for vengeance bound us together for a bit.” Vicky held her hand over her heart in a theatrical way and batted her lashes at Abby. “Alas, I haven’t been anywhere near as helpful to him as he was to me.”

Keep your answers shorter! She scolded herself. Abby was a bloodhound on the scent; more concise answers provided a smaller trail.

“What an odd word choice,” Abby murmured.

“What word is that, vengeance? I do occasionally read something other than magazines, and I can throw out some big words too, egghead,” Vicky teased.

“No, not vengeance, bound. You could have said your need for vengeance brought you together or had you working together. Instead, you said it bound you together.”

Vicky briefly contemplated sororicide, but no matter how much Abby irritated her, she didn’t know what she’d do without her twin. She also didn’t know a response that wouldn’t make her seem defensive or like she was hiding something.

“I may know some bigger words, but sometimes I don’t always put them together correctly,” Vicky said. “Nathan and I were working together for a bit.”

“And you’re still working with him?” Abby asked. “That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

“No, we’re not,” Vicky replied. “I’m here because I’m going to finish what I started, and I have friends I need to make sure stay safe down here.”

“Of course,” Abby murmured. “But I’m sure Nathan will appreciate it if we do find something.”

Vicky refrained from replying and digging herself in deeper.