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Six steps.

After spending the day strapped to a table, he burned with restless energy. Doc wanted the drug out of his system before he released him. As a precaution, Jericho had been bled out, then forced to feed from one of Doc’s donors. Nausea rolled at the memory. He hadn’t fed from anyone but Alex in weeks.

Six steps.

How long did it take to run one last blood test? If Doc Randall didn’t release him soon—

The sound of Doc’s loafers clipped down the hall. Finally.

The door swung open, and Victor entered.

Jericho’s feet rooted in place.

Victor’s sculpted-marble expression revealed nothing while speaking volumes. The clan leader was here on official business. “You’re looking well,” he said in the way of a greeting.

Jericho was in no mood for pleasantries. “Where is she?”

Victor steepled his hands at his waist, his composure unruffled by Jericho’s belligerent tone. “In a secure location.”

“You locked her up?” he asked through gritted teeth.

Victor’s nostrils flared, a sure sign his benevolence was nearing an end. “Your newly turned sympath killed five men with little more than a thought.”

“Because she was defending herself after she’d been blown up, captured, and left in the clutches of a rogue. Do you know they had a rosewood box picked out for her?” His voice tightened. “Asmallbox at that. They planned to place her dismembered corpse in it and deliver her to you.”

For once, the clan leader had the decency to look unsettled. He ran a finger beneath the collar of his shirt. “I was…unaware.”

“She shouldn’t have been there.” Jericho’s voice broke. “I asked you not to send her.”

Victor was quick to regain his composure, saying in an emotionless voice, “The situation with Zion took precedence over your request. Tiberius’ interference in the investigation—”

“Was a blow to your pride,” Jericho spat, swinging his verbal blade. The angry glint in Victor’s eyes said he’d hit a nerve. “Both you and Tiberius have been circling each other for years. You sent Alex into that nest of vipers because of some personal vendetta you have with him.”

Fury rolled off the powerful male, the temperature in the room dropping. “There is nothing personal about the threat Zion represents to us all. This so-called revolutionary seeks to tear apart the very fabric of our society. I fear he might have already infiltrated the Council.”

Dread pooled in Jericho’s gut. “You believe Zion has someone in the Council? If the Council is corrupt—”Chaos.

“Even if we discover the source of the corruption, the loss of faith in the Council would have devastating effects. And Zion will have won,” Victor said in a gallows tone.

If the Council fell, so did the underworld alliances, and that meantwar. And not just with the underworld but also the humans. With no laws to govern them, it wouldn’t be long before their existence was revealed. History had demonstrated the destruction that would follow.

Victor smoothed the front of his embroidered jacket. “Using Alex was the only way I could question Marcus without alerting the magister to my suspicions.”

Just when the clan leader started to make sense, again he used Tiberius Steele as an excuse. “You mean it was the only way to keep you out of the line of fire. Alex isn’t one of your warriors. She didn’t volunteer. She was blackmailed and manipulated. You sacrificed her to protect yourself.”

Victor narrowed his eyes, staring down his nose at Jericho. “While you’re casting blame, perhaps we should discuss how you changed her to a vampire. Now that she’s survived her transition, she’s a danger to those around her and herself. Council law is clear on what must be done.”

Hell would freeze over before Jericho allowed them to harm one hair on her head. For Alex, he’d risk anything, even the clan leader’s wrath. “Council law didn’t mean much to you when you were using her. With Alex’s new powers, you’ve lost the upper hand. You’d allow her to be executed, so the Council won’t discover your crimes. Alex is proof of the lengths to which you have gone.”

Again, the temperature dropped ten degrees. “Careful, old friend.”

The warning only served to fuel Jericho’s anger. “Tiberius Steele’s nephew was murdered when that car exploded. The magister will want blood. When he can’t find Helen, he’ll come looking for you, eager for someone to blame.”

Victor canted his head, his eyes flashing. “He will try.”

The corner of Jericho’s mouth quirked. “Not even you are immune to the Council’s demands. When Tiberius turns them against you, Alex could be a powerful ally.”

“Or a powerful enemy.”