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“Yes, he does,” Cian sighed.

Cassandra pivoted toward him. “So what did we accomplish tonight?”

“You delayed the inevitable,” Rachon answered, smoothing the dirt with her hands into a mound. “And discovered the truth. ”

“Which is basically that the big bad necromancer is back from the dead in the body of a hot chick and we're all going to die fighting him and his Aztec bitch-vamp,” Eduardo summarized.

“You missed something,” Rachon said, standing and wiping her hands on her jeans.

“What's that?” Cassandra asked.

“Etzli was wearing the same ring, too,” Rachon replied.

“Fuck me,” Cassandra grumbled.

“Can I? And your girlfriend, too?” Eduardo teased.

Cian knocked Eduardo off the headstone with a punch to the jaw. Eduardo sprang up, growling, but didn't attack. Sulking, he slid back onto his perch.

Looking a little impressed, Cassandra said, “Thanks, Dad. ”

“Don't say that unless you mean it,” Cian said crossly.

Startled, Cassandra said, “Okay. So what do I call you?”

“Cian,” he answered.

“Okay, Cian. ”

He looked into Cassandra’s eyes and knew he would not hurt her. Eduardo's crass remark had sparked inside of him something that had long been missing from his internal makeup. He had felt a father's protective love for a second. It had felt wonderful.

“Wait,” Rachon said, looking mystified. “You have a kid?”

Cian slightly smiled at Cass as she grinned back. “Yeah. Isn't she beautiful?”

“So I'm an aunt?” Rachon lifted her eyebrows in disbelief.

“If I forgive you and don't kill you. ” Cian regarded his vampire sister thoughtfully.

“You can't blame me for fulfilling his last desire. Vengeance against the one who killed him. ”

“Then Etzli and Santos could have killed me, taken Austin, and began their quest to dominate Texas and Mexico. ”

Rachon shrugged. “That's what she said they wanted. I told her I didn't care how it went down after Amaliya was dead. ”

“And now?” Cian arched a brow.

“Honestly, I want that asshole dead. He killed Prosper and he would have done worse to me if you hadn't shown up. I. . . ” Rachon fell silent.

“Now you know how it feels to be his pawn, huh?” Cian knew his manner was barbed, but he couldn't help it. “He played you perfectly through Bianca. And it wasn't you he turned to, but Etzli. ”

“Maybe he's right,” Rachon said, lifting a shoulder. “Maybe I'm too attached to my family for his tastes. He never liked split loyalties. I always made sure he never saw mine. ”

“Until now. ”

She nodded.

“So are you in?” Cassandra asked.