They departed, leaving us in the parking area.
"You're not actually going," Marco said.
"I am."
"That's a trap. Has to be. They'll use the convening as a cover to eliminate you."
"Possibly. But if I don't go, Selene loses her position. And that creates more problems than it solves."
Viktor had been quiet throughout the exchange. Now he spoke. "If you're going into vampire territory alone, you should at least take precautions. Weapons, wards, something."
"I'm taking my power. That's enough."
"Your confidence is going to get you killed one of these days," Sarah said.
"Maybe. But not today."
--
I spent the next three hours preparing.
Not with weapons or magical defenses, but with information. I had Tommy pull up everything we knew about vampire court proceedings, their customs, their hierarchies. Elena briefed me on the bloodlines that would be present and their particular interests.
