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Silas clearly didn’t understand any of it--not the loo ould rule And she just as clearly had deluded herself into believing she could win Whether it was because Kle her believe it was her oer rather than his that fed her rise in his ranks, or if she was simply that stupid, Aden didn’t know But he did know that one of the reasons she’d remained loyal to Kleames, permitted her to take weaker vampires and torment them, to kill humans for the fun of it Never mind that Klemens orn to protect the very vampires Silas had tor her to prey on hua It wasn’t uncommon for a vampire’s children to be reflections of himself And Kleardless of why Silas was the way she was, it was too late for her If she’d conition of his greater strength and pledged her fealty, he would have rewarded her, even given her a city of her own Not asuitably profitable

But after everything that had happened, he wouldn’t trust her out of his sight, and he didn’t like her well enough to keep her in his sight If she walked out that door right now and came to him on bended knee, it would only make it more convenient when he chopped off her head

Aden did a final check of his va his strength, he sent out a wave of power, searching the warehouse, wanting to know exactly aited for theht so et an accurate count He didn’t bother trying It wasn’t worth the expenditure of energy

"She’s brought more than I can easily count, so stick close and expect trickery," Aden told his valanced over at Freddy, who stood closest to the entrance, and nodded

The big va track, entering first when Aden would have done so Aden had to smile at that It was vampire instinct to protect one’sfor Lucas

Aden entered the warehouse and i the entrance for the rest of his vahts inside The only illuh the dirty s, but darkness was hardly an impediment for a vampire

Silas’s people waited for hianized rows, their aggression palpable, raising whatever power they had in preparation for the fight to co their lack of significant power Silas stood in the very last row, surrounded by the buffer of her minions She was a petite woman, so short that he only knew she was there because of the dirty-penny shine of her eyes in the dark warehouse

"This is your party, Silas," he called out to her "You and your pretentious invitation We haven’t used hus in a century orher that he was far older and more experienced than she was He raked the asseaze directly on Silas "But all I see are underlings Are you refusing to fight? Again?"

"At least I havein an odd way that told hi it louder, and what a waste of energy that was "Unlike your pathetic four," she continued "If they do nothing else, my many children prove my fitness to rule"

"Silas, Silas," Aden chided "They do no such thing Your need for the but your weakness"

Silas snarled angrily "Kill hied Silas’s vausted by the nature of the battle He despised having to kill so many vaht with everything he had

He and his four attacked as a teay, while at the sath froness to die for the to isolate hith of nu at a lion, but even dogs can do dah of theh by theht theed to strike the rare lucky blow that left hi, he knew her true objective was for them to weaken him for her She didn’t want them to kill Aden, she needed to do that herself, needed that notch on her belt if she was going to coe with any honor But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have her , unable or unwilling to use his dwindling energy to heal himself

That was how Silas saw the situation Aden had other plans

Aden let Silas’s people wound hi they’d beat hie of power that told him she believed her triuathered around him like rats, their eyes ruby sparks in the darkness, their defenses lowered, confident he was bested And then he killed theh wheat, his power a sharp-edged blade that cut through their bodies with ease