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I took a deep breath, trying to tamp down my frustration How many times had I heard that lecture over the years? Like I didn’t knoas different Like I hadn’t spentto be the perfect vae If I had to hear one her forto puke

"You will apologize now" Lavinia’s voice didn’t leave any doubt this wasn’t a request but an order

I sed down the knot of resent my throat It didn’t help, but it’s not like I had a choice about apologizing "I’m sorry I should have tried to defuse the situation before it got out of hand"

Tanith and Persephone eased back in their chairs a bit, but randmother’s face was cold and her shoulders stiff Her eyes held er ht of this development, ere tempted to suspend your duties until further notice"

My heart dropped into er "However, after soht actually work in our favor We have anotheri her, but if itto be suspended, I was all ears "Okay?"

"Your target is Clovis Trakiya"

I alht have said it aloud if the shocked looks on their faces were any indication I wasn’t really paying attention because I was too busy trying not to pissto forh fro the situation "But we have a truce with the so foolish? Surely they’d refuse, knowing it could lead to another war"

Mages and va in several wars The conflict boiled down to va ere the true descendants of Lilith, while oddess Hekate The syes have for humans didn’t help matters However, after the War of Blood, which lasted for a couple of centuries, the two races had agreed to sign a treaty of sorts, called the Black Covenant A, as well as requiring vamps to feed only fro things Some felt another as inevitable, but thus far it had been avoided If the es sided with the Dominae’s enemy, it would be seen as a declaration of war by hts "At this point, we believe he ismancies off the street and has yet to approach their Council However, his nu We want to stop hi to recruit our own?" I asked

Lavinia spoke up "His church, called the Te all of Lilith’s descendants Souided vampires believe all of us--vaether"

I re half-dee to unite the va the Dominae Add mancies to that mix and he’d be almost unstoppable

"Obviously, the situation is quite troubling," said Lavinia "He must be stopped And ant you to do it"

"You want e about killing demons, which I hated to admit was slianization, find out his plans, root out his spies, and then kill hi people, but I certainly wasn’t a spy

"How?" I asked

"We believe Clovis has spies high up in our organization Perhaps high-ranking e of this unauthorized killing last night and suspend you--at least this will be our public position Meanwhile, you will do everything you can to bolster the belief that you are in the iance to us"

"However," Tanith cut in, "you’ll have to convince him you’re serious You’ll be tested"

I didn’t care about tests or even the inevitable fallout once the vampire community believed the Do Clovis as a way to lessenDavid Another part ofof the Dorandmother that I wasn’t just some fuckup

"I’m in," I blurted

"Excellent" Lavinia smiled, an expression so rare on her pale face, I expected her skin to crack

"Sabina, there is one sin this task," said Tanith "No one must know that you have not actually broken from us Clovis may have several operatives planted within our ranks No one outside this roo was that once word spread that I’d broken froht decide to punish me for my disloyalty "And what are my instructions should one of your people decide to come after me?"