Page 10 of Caller of Crows

Altair took a deep breath, his heart racing with adrenaline as he surveyed the aftermath.

"Clean this up," he said, his voice hard and cold. "And take these pests outside."

Mordyn and Iskander stepped forward to escort the battered vampires out of the club while the rest of Altair's vampires started mopping the blood from the floor.

Predictably, almost all of the club's paying patrons had left during the fight. The violence had been necessary, though. It was the only language the east side vampires understood, and if Altair hadn't acted decisively, they would have been back the next night.

"Handled like a true leader," Keegan remarked, clapping Altair on the shoulder.

"They think we're weak."

"They're idiots," Mordyn said, coming back inside and dusting his hands. "We taught them a lesson."

Altair nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He'd focused on the crows sitting in the trees outside the club, watching the enemy vampires as they took off. Through their eyes, he saw them lick their wounds. Through their ears, he heard them curse Altair's coven.

"Let's hope the lesson sticks," Iskander said.

Altair wanted to agree, but then Keegan voiced the question that was on his own mind as well. "What do you think they'll do when they find out we're keeping a mortal?"

The four vampires glanced at each other, expressions grim.

"Well, we're not gonna let them steal from us, that's for sure," Mordyn announced, one hand reaching for his blade as if their enemies might be back any second.

Iskander agreed with Mordyn, but Keegan kept his gaze trained on Altair, waiting for his response because it was the only one that mattered.

Altair's jaw clenched, knowing that he had to act in the best interest of the coven, not just his own self-interest.

Still, he wasn't going to hand his possessions over to another vampire.

Sven had come to him, and Altair would keep him.

"Let them try," he said, voice low and dangerous. "I won't let anyone take what's mine."

ChapterFour

Sven had trouble falling asleep that night — or was it already morning? In a room without windows, without a clock, and without his phone, it was impossible to tell. His eyes closed, but his brain would not shut up.

Had he made the right choice coming here?

He hadn't been able to think of any other way to save his mother. Every day, she got worse, and if Sven didn't do something, she would die.

And it would be his fault.

All because he hadn't listened…

If not for him, his mother would never have been attacked by that thornefang.

Sven drew a breath deep into his lungs.

He might not be able to change the past, but that only meant he had to do everything in his power to shape the future.

For now, that meant finding a way to convince the vampires of his value.

His eyes closed, and his mind showed him an image of the coven's leader. Altair. Leaning over him to lick the blood off Sven's lips.

Sven's breath hitched at the memory. What the hell had he been thinking daring the vampire in such a way?

All he'd wanted was to see Altair's aloof facade crumble.