One Crossroads Later

Chapter Eight

Flynn felt like he'd entered the lion's den.

Timothy shut the door behind them and walked to the other side of the room as if becoming another member of a silent council. While Rose remained seated beside Sabrina, Timothy stood against the wall and folding his hands in front of him. Flynn couldn't read the look in his eyes, but something about them made his skin crawl.

He focused on Sabrina. "Good evening, Mistress," he said. "I remember you saying we'd be talking about what happens next."

"Yes, but I'd wanted to talk to you about that last night. By the time I looked for you, you were nowhere to be found."

Recollections of the night before, with all the licentious things he and Robin had done, made his skin prickle. "I kept company with Robin. He's still upset about what happened to Demetrius, but I think I might have his temper cooling."

"Is that what they call that?" Rose asked, entering the conversation with a giggle.

He looked at her. "Were you helping the Mistress look?"

"Rose was helping me look for you, yes, as was Timothy. When Rose said you and your brother were busy, I decided I'd find you again tonight," Sabrina said. The same thing that haunted Timothy's eyes provided an undercurrent to the way Sabrina spoke. "Forgive me for dragging you from your room. I wanted to make sure I got to you first."

"Understood."

Flynn's instincts told him not to look unnerved. Something about this made him anxious, though. As if he'd walked into his own assassination. Don't let them see it and you might yet keep control of the situation. He walked to the chair opposite where Sabrina and Rose sat and took a seat as well. "So, tell me what our next plans are," he said. "Who would you have me stalk?"

Sabrina grinned. "Well, we've proven we can get to the elder of an established coven," she said. "I want the other covens to know Matthew's weakness means they're weakened, too." When she paused, it looked almost like she wanted to taste the name before she spoke it. "Patricia McCarthy. You remember me mentioning her, correct?"

While her name took a moment to place, Flynn nodded once he remembered. A local to the area, she had inherited the coven from her maker, a contemporary of Matthew's who'd left to travel in Europe. While it wasn't a large coven, losing their new mistress would devastate them. "What do you see happening to her people?" Flynn asked. Maybe, he thought, if he argued to reason, she'd at least consider it. "If they flock to Matthew, that'll only increase his standing."

"Fortunately, her second-in-command has already been told to lead the vampires of their coven to us." Sabrina chuckled. With no warning, she uncrossed her legs and rose to a stand, pausing only to smooth out the creases in her clothes. "That's what a genuine show of power does, my darling. It brings people flocking to you for protection."

That she walked toward him made him that much more uncomfortable. Memories flashed in his mind of what happened whenever she came close to him, and how much of his mind he lost. She'd never been wanton with her seduction, holding it in her pocket like a card to be played at the correct moment. He vaguely remembered a moment like that before he'd agreed to kill Demetrius.

"Then I'm thankful for the new vampires who'll be in our coven," he said, trying not to sound frantic. In fact, he flashed an agreeable smile, hoping to pepper his flattery. "Is this our goal, Mistress?"

"Is what our goal?"

"To conquer the covens of Philadelphia. I know you told me you wanted to secure our future."

"And our future will be secure when nobody stands in our way, don't you think?"

"Elegant, sure, but there will be a time when someone resists us. What do we have planned, then?"