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Julian thought back to the video. “I don’t think he wants me dead, at least not immediately. So, you’ll have time.”

Clement walked in carrying a black case. He stopped before Julian and opened it. Inside was a tool that looked like a medical stapler. The tracker was one millimeter wide and one millimeter deep. Since vampires had the ability to control their blood flow, meaning they could move the tracker anywhere in their bloodstream, only a top-of-the-line full body scan could detect it. All the vampires in the city’s employ had one, in case they went missing or went rogue.

Julian stretched out his arm for Clement to insert the tracker. “Assemble a team. After the week with humans, everyone will spoil for a fight.”

Click. A pinprick on his arm. His skin knitted closed in a blink.

“Can you see me?” he asked the security analyst, who pulled up the program that monitored the trackers. A few key strokes. The image zoomed to this room, where several green lights lit the screen. Then one light turned from green to red.

“Yes.”

“Good.” To Marek, he said, “Don’t send anyone after me tonight. I don’t want anyone trapped in the sun if the Hunters are waiting. If I’m still alive tomorrow night, then you can follow me, taking a different route.”

Marek nodded.

When he left, Julian didn’t say goodbye. Nothing that implied he wouldn’t return. If he was honest, he was not one hundred percent confident he would survive. He could be wrong about Dmitri, and the Hunters would destroy him the second they had a chance.

If that were the case, his only regret would be his failure to save Leah. After living a thousand years, he’d finally found something worth dying for.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Afewhourslater,Julian pulled into the warehouse's parking lot with the Hunter chained to the front passenger seat with duct tape over his mouth. A black SUV was parked in the middle of the lot. In addition to the three Hunters in the SUV, he sensed around a dozen more hidden around the building, some on the roof, some behind walls.

There was no sign of Leah.

No surprise there.

He pulled up next to the SUV, shut the engine, and stepped out as the doors to the SUV opened.

Two Hunters, as big and tall as Julian, emerged from the car. They wore black leather jackets, dark jeans, combat boots, and were armed to the teeth.

“Where is Eric?” the one on the left asked.

That must be the prisoner.

Julian opened the car door, leaned over, and broke the chains. “Get out.”

The Hunter, with the chains loosened, untangled himself. The clanking was the only sound in the deathly silent parking lot, broken only by the loud rip of the duct tape.

Turning back, Julian asked, “Where is Leah?”

“Get in the car.”

He narrowed his eyes. So far, he’d been correct in his assumption that Dmitri had something other than instant death planned for him. “How do I know she’s still alive?”

One Hunter took out a cellphone and dialed a number. It rang two times before someone picked up.

An annoyed yes came from the other end.

“Put Leah on camera.”

A second passed. Two. The Hunter turned the phone toward Julian.

Leah was asleep in her prison cell. She’d washed up. No more blood and dirt caked her, and she had changed into clean clothes. Metal shackles were attached to chains clamped to her wrists and ankles, long enough to give her some mobility. At least they hadn’t left her dangling in the spread-eagle position from earlier.

“Wake up!” A loud voice reverberated through the phone. Leah’s eyes snapped open.

“Happy?” The screen blanked. “In the car. Now.”