Page 93 of How to Stake a Vampire

“So what do you suggest?” Melody snapped. “Wait for him to come to us?”

A fraught hush ensued. I glanced at the clock on the wall and clenched my jaw. We were wasting precious time.

“We should set a trap,” Cornelius said. “Use bait he won’t be able to resist.” His gaze flickered to the Tremaines. “It seems he was after the blood of another powerful vampire lineage, after all.”

The room’s temperature dropped.

“Absolutely not,” Gregory said, his voice so quiet the hairs rose on my nape.

Constantia’s expression had grown feral beside her husband.

“I agree with Gregory.” A muscle jumped in Barney’s jawline. “It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s logical,” Cornelius pressed. “It’s why he attacked the coffee shop where your son works?—”

The power that flooded the chamber made everyone wince and had Bo shooting under my chair. My wolf stilled where she watched the proceedings from behind my eyes.

The air churned violently around Barney where he’d risen to his feet, his gaze a violent scarlet and his hands curled into fists at his sides.

“I said no,” he growled.

I ignored the way the sound grated across my nerves and addressed the room coldly. “I agree with Barney and Gregory. We cannot risk someone’s life just to stop Ludvik.”

Victoria nodded. “Abby’s right.”

Wendall crossed his arms and scowled. “Then what do you suggest we do, wolf?”

I bit down on a sharp retort and took a steady breath. “What Daria said. We find him first.”

“How?” the dragon newt asked irritably. “He could be anywhere.”

“Mindy and Nigel are trying to find the wraith working with Ludvik,” I explained through gritted teeth. “They’ve already covered a lot of ground. We should help them as best we can.”

There was still the small matter of the strange message we’d found in the hidden room in the subbasement. Mindy’s best guess was that the wraith had left it. What it meant, no one yet knew.

“He can’t have gone far,” Samuel said, frowning. “The ritual requires specific conditions, namely a ley line.”

Titania groaned. “Amberford is full of ley lines, Samuel.”

“It’s better than sitting here doing nothing,” Samuel retorted.

“We need to pool resources,” Portia said firmly. “Each faction contributes to the search and covers one area of town.”

“Who coordinates?” Melody asked suspiciously.

“I will,” Daria replied.

“Vampires should lead,” Gregory protested. “It’s our problem.”

“Like hell it is,” Finnic growled. “This affects everyone.”

“Dwarves do have the best tracking ability,” Titania murmured.

“Fae and witches have underground connections,” Melody countered.

Cornelius dipped his chin.

The thin thread of my sanity finally snapped. The power I’d manifested at Springhill General flooded my veins and lit up my blood. The chandelier trembled and the floor shook as I stood up, my nails and fangs lengthening even as I maintained my human form.