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The Lord of Blackpool kissed her hand before leaving with his retinue. “It was a pleasure to meet a woman worth fighting for.”

The remaining London vampires left the battlefield, all bowing and paying homage to her on the way out. Despite her face burning from the attention, she held her chin high and gracefully acknowledged their praise.

Only Vincent, Lydia, Rafe, Cassandra, and Neko, the Lord Vampire of Edo, remained.

As they watched the flames burn away all evidence of the carnage, Rafe pulled Cassandra into his arms. “At first I wanted my arm back to feel whole again and to not appear weak before my enemies. Now I only want it to hold you.”

Epilogue

Three months later

Cassandra wiped her brow as she bent over her patient, wrapping her hands around the vampire’s forearm.

She met the studious gazes of her three students. “To heal this arm properly, it must be broken again. We must work quickly before he wakes up. Now hold him down.”

Akio and Hiroshi seized the patient’s shoulders, watching closely as Cassandra used her new preternatural strength to snap the bone that had healed the wrong way.

“Kaito, hand me the splint.”

Quickly she splinted and bound the arm, just in time, before the patient woke up, hissing in pain. Akio gave him a small dram of laudanum.

“You did very well,” she told her students.

Neko, the Lord Vampire of Edo, had called in her favor from Cassandra the week before. She’d sent three of her vampires to London as soon as Rafe established a hospital where Cassandra could treat their people. Cassandra was teaching the vampires of Edo medicine so they could have their own healing establishment.

Thankfully, they spoke English, were extremely competent, and had no hostility in taking orders from a female. Such a refreshing change from her experiences in the mortal world.

The only drawback to the experience was watching the Japanese vampires endure English ignorance. Several times they had to be restrained when they were laughingly called “Chinaman.”

“Remember, you can bite them all you like. Just do not kill them,” Rafe had admonished.

Cassandra sympathized. She herself had preyed on nearly every man who’d mocked her for her sex. And with the blood of an ancient running through her veins, she had to take care to control her strength.

“Someday, you may be more powerful than me,” Rafe had teased, though his eyes were serious.

Just thinking of Rafe made her pulse quicken with anticipation.

She bade her students to clean up the operating area and packed away her supplies before putting her gold-and-emerald wedding ring back on her finger. They had been married on Christmas Eve.

Hiroshi remained behind with the patient while Kaito and Akio walked out with her.

“Thank you for your lesson, Dr. Villar.” Kaito bowed before he and Akio turned in the opposite direction to return to their flat.

Once she returned to Burnrath House, it was all she could do not to throw herself into her husband’s arms.

As if sensing her need, he pulled her into his embrace. “Querida, I’ve missed you. How was your evening?”

“Quite well. My students helped me reset James’s arm. I think it shall heal correctly. Their training is progressing well. Honestly, I am happy to pay the Lord of Edo this favor.”

“Thank God she hasn’t called hers in from me yet.” Something in his tone made her look up at him with concern.

“What is it?”

“I’ve received letters from Blackpool and Rochester, calling in their debts. Blackpool wants me to keep an eye on his great-niece when she makes her debut this Season. That’s easy enough, though quite a nuisance. However Rochester…” He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “He wants Lenore.”

“Lenore?” Cassandra’s chest tightened at the thought of the frail vampire who had been kidnapped and tortured by Clayton’s rogues. “What does he want with her?”

“He didn’t specify except to say that he needed more vampires with her loyalty and courage.” Rafe gave a rueful shrug. “I don’t think he means her ill, but she is still terrified of being in the company of males. I do not know if she can handle the strain of changing territories.”