Ben hadn’t wanted to talk about Catlin, the aswang or Sebastian to Ashley, or to anyone if truth be told. He had a lot to process and Ashley had understood and left him to brood. They would talk the following evening, mainly about how they would deal with the investigation, but first Ben needed to survive whatever Sebastian had meant by dealing with him. He couldn’t settle and was rereading the same page of a book that had failed to grab his interest when Sebastian sailed into his office.

“Sebastian, I didn’t think you be with me quite so soon.”

Sebastian dropped into the chair opposite. He had stopped ageing in his early twenties, and while in theory Ben had been the same, Ben passed as nearer thirty than the fresh-faced innocence Sebastian managed to pull off when he wasn’t in a murderous rage or hungry. “Anthony just wanted a bit of assurance, and I’m taking him to Italy once you’re sorted. He’s always fancied seeing where the Renaissance kicked off.”

“He mentioned you’d been… spending some time apart.”

Over the last decade he could count on one hand the number of times they had met when it was only the two of them. Those who didn’t know Sebastian were fooled by his boyish good looks and charm, but there was nothing young or na?ve about Sebastian Hewel. Even dressed in casual modern clothing he put out an aura that could make a priest reach for his rosary. Sebastian’s dark, almost black hair, with pale skin and piercing green eyes was an alluring package, not one he was stupid enough to flirt with.

“He’s learnt his lesson now. You Crofton Men can be awfully stubborn at times.”

He didn’t believe that was fair. “I like to think I broke the mould a little.”

Sebastian snorted. “Come off it, Benjamin. You’re as Crofton as they come.”

He’d take that as a compliment whether it was meant as one or not. “So you’ll be off soon?”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Keen to get rid of me?”

“What? Of course not. I just thought you’d be busy, that’s all.”

“I’ve still questions about the original reason I was here. How’s the investigation going? I’m assuming the aswang is a piece of luck you couldn’t believe fell in your lap.”

Ben squirmed. “What do you mean by that? I’m naturally devastated about Catlin, and I don’t intend to use this situation to divert the duty of the Invigilators.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Ben, you might have fooled everyone else, but I’ve been on this planet longer than most, seen more than most, and can’t be easily hoodwinked.”

“I…” He really hoped Sebastian wasn’t alluding to what Ben thought he was and thought he should have checked with Alex what had happened to the knife soaked in the anti-vampire potion in case he was about to lose his head.

“I knew from the moment I met you that you would be perfect. Later Charles told me you had dreams in your childhood about the castle where the Vampire Council met, that premonition was not something to be ignored. You’ve always had a destiny and I am grateful it was within my House.”

“Thank you. I had wondered if there was more to the dreams.”

“The castle has bursts of sentience, it’s happened a couple of times.” Sebastian leant forwards. “But let’s not get distracted… it’s your activities over the last few months that have confirmed there has never been anyone more suited to be the next Dark Earl of Crofton.”

He wasn’t sure what to say to that, and decided playing neutral was his best option for now. “It is my honour to be able to serve the House of Hewel.”

“I imagine it would be. Once you were ready, and on your own terms.” He crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knee. “The development of your work under your dead little sister’s name has been thrilling to watch, but pulling the trick with the protocol, now that was borderline genius. I don’t think I could have come up with something better myself.”

“I… er… you knew?” Ben glanced to the door, Sebastian didn’t appear to be angry but he should be prepared to make a swift exit. He wouldn’t get far but at least he’d have tried.

“Of course I did.” Sebastian laughed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “There’s probably only a handful of people who could even think to do something like this, let alone do the research and have the household members to support it.”

“I didn’t do it because I didn’t want to be the earl,” he said quickly, since Sebastian knew he had to put forward his justification and hope for the best. “I just needed a bit of time.”

“To finish A Third Eye for Cauldron Gazing, yes I know. I read the manuscript yesterday. One of your best.”

“You’ve read it? How?” He’d sent the corrected manuscript a few days back, but hadn’t followed up with his editor because of the developments with Catlin.

“I was one of the original founders of your publisher. I might have sold my share but when I have an interest no one is going to deny my request. I knew immediately you were Evelyn Howes, using the pen name of a girl you couldn’t save as a young man before you were turned. Then there was the writing style, so quintessentially Ben.”

“I only needed a few months, I didn’t expect to have the Invigilators crawling all over the hall.”

Sebastian snorted. “Is that what you kids are calling it these days? But I suppose it does describe what you and Niall’s boy have been up to. When’s the wedding?”

Ben spluttered. “Bit too soon for that.”

“Nonsense, any idiot can see he’s your Eternal. Do you think he stayed around to help you deal with an aswang because the sex is good?”

“He’s also here as a warlock. Ashley is a professional. Besides, Eternals are an old-fashioned concept.”

“Oh stop talking bollocks, Benjamin. For someone so bright you don’t half talk nonsense. Are you telling me, once he’s finished with his report, he’ll walk out of here and that’ll be the end of it?”

Sebastian’s tone was incredulous, and he was right Ben had every intention of ensuring Ashley would be a regular visitor to the hall but that didn’t mean he was in a fairytale. “Well, no, but that’s different.”

“No it’s not. You’re not going to give him up. Sooner or later you’ll make it official… I can see you two going the whole hog and getting married.” Sebastian clapped his hands in glee. “I can’t wait to see Devereaux’s face when she hears. One of mine banging Niall’s pride and joy.”

The thought of Ashley’s father was another worry, and he’d yet to broach it with Ashley. “Do you think there’ll be any repercussions because technically he was in charge of the investigation?”

“I take it Ashley knows the truth?”

Ben nodded. “They figured it out.”

Sebastian smirked. “They? So it was Jack Webb, right? He’s a clever lad, that one. Don’t get many like him these days, even if he does get a bit scaly now and again.”

There didn’t seem much Sebastian didn’t know, and he was coming to realise that he kept out of most things and let his descendants deal with it, no doubt preferring to focus on the more interesting things of his afterlife. “His siren heritage is a touchy subject.”

“No shit. I bet when you tried to look him up you didn’t find much, he’s too valuable in terms of his magic and brains to be hounded out because his granny had a singing voice that could sink ships. Niall made sure he was well taken care of, him being best friends with his boy was only one of the reasons.”

They’d been more than best friends but he would have to learn to bury that piece of petty jealousy. “We still need to close out the investigation.”

“That’s the easy part. Especially with the aswang posing as Catlin Redbourn, who could then be blamed for the accusations as part of their plan to become the Dark Countess of Crofton. You couldn’t tie that up better if you put a bow on it.”

“I suppose I should tell Charles.” He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. “Will you tell Anthony?”

“Good Lord, no. Anthony couldn’t keep it a secret. I love him dearly, but he has zero ability to be subtle and Charles can be a pompous arse. He’ll think he shouldn’t step down and then there’ll be questions.”

He wouldn’t argue, he hadn’t wanted them to know. “Charles wants to retire, and if I give him a reason not to, he’ll end me.”

“Most likely, but there’s no reason for him to know. To be frank he’s had enough of the Council and we need a bit of fresh blood, if you pardon the pun. It’s good to have a changing of the guard, make the Vampire Council more modern.”

“I suppose the Dark Duke of Marchent changed not too long ago.”

“And Marcus is a breath of fresh air, not literary but you know what I mean. Next it’s you, and it won’t be too long before Claude steps aside and Robin becomes Viscount Whetford—although he’s got other fish to fry first.”

“The MacLove business?” He thought Robin would try to put off his arranged marriage for as long as possible.

“Yes. We’ve all got our duty. But less of him, I want this investigation wrapped up and you back in front of the Vampire Council within the week, understood?”

“Within the week?”

Sebastian’s nostrils flared. “If not sooner. As I said, I think you’re perfect material for a Dark Earl of Crofton, but if I thought for one moment you would double-cross me, or this was done for other reasons than we’ve discussed, your head would be on a pike before sunset.”

“Right. As soon as possible it is then.” He needed to speak to Ashley and Jack, and they’d have to get Niall to call an ad hoc Council meeting but there was no way he was going to defy Sebastian. He’d been lucky his antics had been thought of as the epitome of his House and its capabilities, he could have been in serious trouble, and if he didn’t do as Sebastian ordered, he would be.

“I thought you’d see it that way. I look forward to seeing you in your swishy cape.”

“You’ll attend?”

Sebastian grinned. “If I can. The four Heads like to get together every so often, and I’ve things to discuss. Can’t guarantee it but we always like to get to the successions.”

Ben didn’t want to know the details and was relieved when Sebastian left. He needed to see Ashley as soon as possible, get the report filed and his arse in a Council seat in four days or he thought what had happened to the aswang would be a walk in the park compared to what Sebastian would do to him.