“I’m sorry, Mom, but we also can’t take a chance,” Ben interjected. “I’m a fire fae, and I’m friggin’ terrified of what might happen next. I’m not entirely opposed to temporarily monitoring the fire fae.”
“You want to pin this on my people?” Sherus snapped. His hands constricted into white-knuckled fists, as he made additional efforts to maintain his composure.
Nuriya gently squeezed his shoulder. “No. He wants additional protection measures where our people are concerned.”
“Exactly.” Ben sighed. “I’m one of your people, too, if you think about it. You rule over all the fire fae, no matter where we live. I know it’s hard to hear this, but we can’t ignore the pattern. Whatever is going on here, it’s coming from us.”
Raphael nodded. “We should start our investigation on the Fire Star, then.”
“Agreed. Raphael and Herakles, you two are definitely on the team. You’ve been involved from the very beginning, and I trust you’ll keep doing a good job,” Derek said, then looked at Taeral. “I need you to help them, too.”
Taeral’s eyebrows shot up. He seemed surprised.
“They’re your people, too,” Sherus said to his son. “I concur. Get to the bottom of this, son. You’re the crown prince now. It’s time you act like one.”
Taeral nodded slowly. “Okay. I’m in. But I’d like Varga to come along, too. His vampire-sentry skills are a prerequisite for any investigative mission if you ask me.”
Varga grinned. “Thanks, bro. I’m with you.”
Draven raised a hand. “Eva should be on the team,” he said. I finally understood why she’d been invited to attend the meeting. I had nothing against the girl—on the contrary, she was beyond impressive. “Serena insisted.”
“Why, though?” Jovi asked, raising an eyebrow at the young Lamia-vampire. Eva, in return, narrowed her eyes at him. From what I could tell, she didn’t get along with everyone. Certainly not with Jovi.
“Because she’s aced her training and exams,” Sofia interjected, wearing a dry smile. “I, personally, evaluated her performance. She needs field experience now, and I also trust Serena’s instinct. If my great-granddaughter thinks that Eva will make a valuable contribution to this investigation, I will second that.”
Jovi offered a faint smile. “Nothing personal, Eva. It’s just odd to see you here.”
“I bet the elder GASP thought it odd when you first showed up as a GASP agent, too,” Eva retorted, her yellow eyes twinkling with amusement. “We all have to start somewhere, right?”
“Exactly,” Anjani replied, then gave Jovi a less-than-delicate nudge in the ribs. “Be nice!”
There was ancient history between them, and it all stemmed from the marriage arrangement that Tamara had pushed for Draven and Eva. Of course, that had all passed, and Eva herself had come a long way since, but clearly not everyone was convinced. I figured this was her chance to prove herself, and she didn’t strike me as someone who would wuss out.
My dad’s voice threw me back into the present reality. “Amelia would be useful,” he said.
“Wha… Wait, what?” I blurted, feeling my eyes eager to pop out.
Dad, however, didn’t relent. “Her intelligence and speed of reasoning are well-known in GASP, by now. She’s a wasted resource if you keep her in an office or a control room. Let’s not forget, she’s also a damn good vampire.”
“Oh, Erik, I know that. You trained her, after all,” Derek replied, smiling. He exchanged a fleeting glance with Sofia, then gave Dad and me a solid nod. “Amelia. Congratulations. You’re in.”
“Whoa. Hold on,” I said, while mentally counting my breaths to retain some sense of self-control. I really didn’t like being under the spotlight. Emphasis on really. “I’ve never been on field missions before. Isn’t this a bit of a jump?”
Eva smiled. “Honey, it’ll be my first time out, as well. You don’t see me moaning about it.”
For a moment, I had to think about whether I still liked Eva or not.
“Amelia, your mind is a brilliant thing,” Dad chimed in. “You could easily help steer the investigation in the right direction. I doubt there’s anyone else in GASP with your analytical skills. And trust me, I’m not saying this as your father.”
“He does have a point,” Derek said. “I believe it was Amelia’s research and analysis that helped capture the Purgaris Three.”
The Purgaris Three were a band of murderers who targeted incubi soldiers. They’d pretended to be rebels, when, in fact, they had personal motives to kill their victims. GASP’s investigative crew had spent the better half of a month tracking down imaginary dissidents, when, in fact, the Purgaris Three had been right under their noses, and even sabotaging the course of the investigation. Derek wasn’t lying when he said I’d helped… I’d spent days poring over all the field reports and evidence to find the pattern.
Riza then stood up. “I’d like to go,” she said.
That, somehow, surprised everyone even more than Eva’s or my nomination. Including her parents, who stared at her in disbelief.
“What are you talking about?” Aisha asked.
Riza gave her a shrug. “Eva is forfeiting her future as Lady of the Lamias to go on field missions for GASP. I’m sure her mom’s not happy about that. Amelia over here gets to leave her office—” She stopped, then shot me a grin. “Finally, I might add! And I could be of value, as well. I have traveled more than all those selected for this mission. All of them put together, to be specific. I can provide cultural insight, beyond any anthropological or historical research that Amelia might have to offer.”
“I’m still not clear on what it is you’re trying to say,” Horatio replied. He clearly wasn’t too thrilled with letting his daughter out on a mission. But I did understand Riza’s fire. Eva’s too, despite her snark. Heck, had I not been such a hermit, I would’ve been just as adamant about this. Deep down, I wanted to go. We were all ready, in our own way. It felt like it was our turn to prove ourselves.
“Okay… Let me see if I can run this down for everyone,” Riza said. “I guess Raphael was selected because he’s a Perfect and therefore has a wide array of skills and abilities to offer. Especially if brute force is required. Am I right?”
Raphael chuckled. “You’re not wrong.”
“And I hear Herakles is one hell of a tracker. Right up there with the Blackhall wolves. Correct me if I’m wrong,” Riza added.
Dmitri shook his head. “Nope. You’re on point.”
“So, their purpose is well established in this investigative crew you’re putting together,” Riza replied. “Next, Taeral. Crown prince of the Fire Star, with a sworn duty to protect his people. On top of that, his mix of jinn and fae abilities will come in handy, too. Plus, I know him well enough to vouch for him. Dude’s smart as a whip. He’d get to the bottom of this, for sure.”
The shadow of a smile flickered across Taeral’s face. Riza, however, wasn’t done yet.
“Varga… well, Taeral was quite clear about why he’s needed. And Eva. She needs field experience, which I totally get. She’s also noticeably attractive, and I imagine that would help loosen some tongues along the way,” she said, prompting a gasp from Eva. “Come on, girl. We’re all thinking it.”
Jovi burst into laughter. It cost him another elbow in the ribs from Anjani.
