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“What’s our next step?” Danaus inquired.

“We meet with Cynnia. She better have a plan. If not, I will. Aurora struck first and struck hard. She is threatening to expose not only her own race, but also the nightwalkers. Such actions will not be tolerated by the nightwalkers, lycanthropes, or the magic users. It’s time for her to be put down before we find ourselves faced with the Great Awakening.”

And no matter how badly we wished it to be true, everyone knew that mankind was not ready for the Great Awakening. They had recently survived floods, earthquakes, and economic turmoil that left thousands homeless and helpless. Humanity wasn’t ready to know that its nightmares were real as well. We needed to kill Aurora before the truth was finally released to the world.

Twenty-nine

Danaus was kind enough to keep Cynnia and her companions occupied while I slipped upstairs in the Savannah town house. I donned black leather pants, leather boots, and a thick leather top that provided an extra layer of protection against a blade. I was ready to step into war that night and I would take no prisoners. If they stood against us, they died. That was all.

When I finally entered the parlor, my gaze immediately fell on Rowe, as the naturi smoothly rose from the chair he had been sitting in on the opposite side of the room. Cynnia remained seated next to him, while her sister Nyx stood in the back of the room with a carefully blank expression. Rowe flashed me a mocking smile, but I ignored him. My main concern was Cynnia’s all-too-silent sister. She and Rowe were the experienced warriors, not Cynnia.

“Thank you for your assistance with Daniel,” I said, forcing my jaw to unclench. I never thought the night would come when I would not only invite Rowe into my home, but also thank him for his help. After centuries of torment and conflict, I nearly gagged on the words.

Rowe’s smile grew as he stared at me, soaking up the hatred that filled my tense and tightly clipped words. “You know me,” he said with a careless wave of one hand. “Always looking for a way to lend a hand to mankind.”

I swallowed my next comment and turned my attention to Cynnia, who was looking more than a little uncomfortable. Most likely her discomfort came from the common knowledge that Rowe had performed more than one human organ harvest during his time here on Earth, separated from his own kind. Rowe didn’t help humans. He slaughtered them every chance he got. How she expected me to believe he would actually help us was still beyond my comprehension.

“What can you tell me about the occurrences in Savannah during the daylight hours?” I demanded, turning away from Rowe before I lit his smug ass on fire. “Was Aurora actually in the city?”

“She was here,” Nyx replied evenly.

Cynnia twisted around in her chair so she could look over her shoulder at her older sister. “Are you sure?”

“I spent more time around Aurora than you ever did. We’re closer in age. I know when she’s close. She’s currently attempting to cloak herself so I can’t pinpoint her exact location, but I can sense that she is just beyond the reach of the city. She is hovering close, waiting.”

“Were you able to kill any of the naturi that were setting the fires around the city?” I demanded.

Nyx shook her head. “Rowe and I were outside the city during the day, meeting with the head of the animal clan. He and his people have just arrived, but are unwilling to actually enter the city until they meet with the Fire Starter. Kane is not exactly convinced this isn’t a trap.”

“I don’t blame him,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. “Was there no one else available to stop the light clan from their attack?”

“The only naturi in the area are those acting as my personal bodyguards,” Cynnia said. “The rest were outside of the city.”

“And they didn’t see fit to stop Aurora from entering the city?” I cried, raising my voice.

“They have been instructed not to directly engage Aurora,” Nyx interjected, drawing my attention away from her younger sister, as if to protect her from my wrath. “We’re not going to be the ones that start this war.”

“Unless you haven’t noticed, the war has been started,” Danaus commented in a low growl. “Last night when she tried to burn the city down.”

“How many were killed?” I inquired, turning to look at Danaus, who was standing near me at the entrance to the room.

“The news says the body count is still rising, but the last figure released was forty-three human lives have been lost.”

The front door swung open then and Knox entered the town house, followed by a couple dozen nightwalkers. I directed the other nightwalkers to the upper floors so the naturi wouldn’t feel more threatened than necessary—I still needed them to stay focused on the problem at hand. To my surprise, Knox was accompanied by Matsui and the four Soga nightwalkers.

Knox sidled into the room and stood in front of the fireplace, while Danaus and I also moved to the side of the room opposite Rowe and Cynnia. The Japanese nightwalkers remained in the entrance. It was getting more than a little crowded, but it gave me a feeling of security against Aurora.

Knox sighed heavily as he pushed one hand through his hair. His clothes were still stained with dirt and soot from digging me out of my basement. He was also starting to look a little weary as the weight of the world pressed on his broad shoulders. “Word is still spreading, but it appears that at least ten nightwalkers were killed, including Amanda.”

“Gabriel?” I asked before I could stop myself. Now was not the time to worry about my broken bodyguard, but I knew my mind would not be at ease until I finally knew what was happening. I tried to take Shelly’s absence as a positive sign.

“Hanging on,” Knox replied. “Shelly is with him now, doing everything she can to speed along his healing, but she doesn’t seem too hopeful that she will be of much help. Gregor and two other nightwalkers have been stationed at the hospital to watch over both of them.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. Knox always knew exactly the right course to take. He had just reassured both me and Cynnia that our friends were being watched over in the event that Aurora tried to strike again at those that meant the most to us.

Looking around the room, my gaze finally fell on the four Japanese nightwalkers. I had assumed they would immediately leave town, considering our disagreement regarding the naturi alliance and their attempt to kidnap me.

“Forgive me, but I’m surprised to find that you are still here,” I said to my foreign companions. “You know the course of action I plan to take, and I am not changing that course, particularly now that Aurora has openly attacked the people of my city. I have also been in contact with Our Liege, who knows of my plans. There is nothing you can say that will sway me from my decision. I am also not willing to leave here to help you.”

Tetsuya bowed his head to me before finally speaking. “In truth, we had thought to come to your aid after what happened during the daylight hours. We had assumed that the queen of the naturi would pursue a quiet war among the other races and not seek to expose us all. However, it seems she has chosen to show the humans that they are not alone in this world.”

“ ‘Had thought’?” I asked. “You’ve changed your mind already?”

“Your choice of who you have decided to work with does not sit well with us,” said the one nightwalker I had yet to be introduced to. He was smaller than the others and looked considerably younger as well. However, I had no doubt that he was not only the oldest of the quartet, but was truly the leader of the group.

I opened my mouth to ask what he was talking about, but Rowe beat me to the punch by speaking up first. “Nomura happens to be talking about me,” the naturi announced, meeting my gaze for a second. The one-eyed naturi then turned his narrowed stare on the Japanese nightwalkers and forced a thin-lipped smile to his face. “It’s been a long time. I didn’t expect to ever see you again, let alone in Mira’s home.”