rranted. Red velvet curtains, dim lighting, and furniture that was expensive five years ago. It sat on the border bet

rity. Marcus-Daemon's Marcus, not the Council one-was watching from across the street, fa

glasses while human servers moved between tables with practiced efficiency. The bartender was human too, a middle-

the bar and sl

the bartender asked

ip across the bar-worth a hundred credits, enough to

e chip, then to Sera's face. "Don'

ough this area. I know The Crimson Rose does more than just serve legal bloo

der still hadn't

might be involved." Sera met his eyes. "I'm not law enforc

. "There's a guy. Calls himself Kieran. He runs an operation out of the old textile dist

arted, ambitious and willing to take risks most wouldn't. If he'd moved up t

the textil

this from me. Kieran's connected. He's got protection from someone high up, someone who makes s

my chance

s mind about talking. She found Marcus waiting

ing useful

started walking, and Marcus fell into step beside her. "The bart

orthern Court as a blood courier about five years ago. Got fired for skimming product.

ch o

influence in the Grey District for years. A black market blood

meeting-Vivienne positioning herself as opposition t

k out that wareh

d a black car parked at the curb. "We report back to Lord Ashfor

lessness had gotten her into this mess with Daem

man districts giving way to vampire territory, the architecture shifting from cramped and practical to spra

at gap. Sera was starting to under

lue eyes scanning data with inhuman speed. He looked up when Sera entered, and somethi

ack. Any

ation with the bartender, the name Kieran, the warehouse lo

house location with a red pin. "Vivienne has been building influence in neutral territories for years. A black marke

res," Sera said, understanding dawning. "People w

ned. "It gives her the perfect excuse to accuse the Northern Court of negligence, to ca

ehind the poisonin

urt, turn vampires against humans, create the chaos she needs to seize power." Daemon turned

estigate the warehouse, find evidence l

arched. "I don't recall

esides, I'm the only one who can walk into that warehouse without immediately being flagged as Northern Court. I'

pire obviously affiliated with you, and Kieran will know something'

ly unhappy with the direction thi

ered. "But sitting here doing nothing while vampires die a

this carefully. Sera goes in as a potential buyer, wears a wire so we can monitor, and Marcus s

erst

bound to me by blood debt, which means your safety is my responsibility. If something happen

think he wasn't just talking about blood debts and vampire law.

king about

eful," Sera

ve Sera time to prepare her cover story, get the equipment ready. I want ful

ed. "Sera? For what it's worth, you're handling this w

mans are

led slight

m shift. Without Marcus as a buffer, the connection be

id?" Daemon a

d. "But fear doesn't chan

ay something similar.

p. "Don't talk about her like

not to step back. "But that doesn't mean I didn't know her, didn't recognize her cou

d. Cowards don't ru

were intense. "I hid for a century, Sera. I enforced laws without questioning them, maintained order without asking if t

posed to make m

hope, eventually, you might understand why I'm trying to be better. Why I'm willing to risk

y she'd hurt for ten years. But another part-the part that could feel his genuine regret through

mo

he said instead, deflecting. "Resea

emon gestured to the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. "And S

g. The blood debt

Or are you choosing this because you wa

she wasn't sure herself anymore where the

nd about Kieran Reeves and the black market blood trade. Daemon worked at his desk, occas

n goal in comfortable silence. Sera hated how easily she was adapting to it, how nat

nothing but her mother's killer. But the reality was more

e buzzed. He answered, listene

call. "Fourth victim. Different cou

d, standing. "Whoever's be

vampire community is starting to panic. Social media is full of rumors, conspiracy theor

ing the Blood Accord, for restricting human movement, for retaliation. One part

wants," Sera said. "Fear. Cha

her. "Tomorrow night, you investigate the warehouse.

purpose. Kieran wi

me degree-not enough to fool another vampire, but enough to pass as a different person to

's ri

ng you into danger alone, blood debt or not." Daem

uring in a way she didn't want to examine too closely. He was dangerous, y

"But if this goes wr

r en

g their cover story. By the time Sera returned to her quar

and immediately fell

found a message from Ivy on her phone:

ck immediately. "W

the past year like you asked. Most are legitimate-proper licensing, regular inspections, the works. But there's one that sta

nd

yees, no actual business operations. But it's been moving massi

ckened. "Where's

ry accounts-standard money laundering tactics-but I was able to trace some of

's war

unding the black market op

sed. "I cross-referenced the company registration with court recor

he Council meeting

ou're a

ous. "Sera, if Lady Vivienne is funding a black market blood operation and that operation is connected to t

glanced at the clock. Sunset in two hours. "Listen, I'm going to the ware

't do the 'if I don

vy

and you have a vampire lord protecting you." Ivy's voice was f

he event that had shaped her views on vampire-human relations, that had made her cau

ra promised. "I'll ca

to Daemon. His response was immediate: *This cha

posed position would wear. She pulled her hair back in a simple ponytail and deliberately didn't wear the expensive jewelry Daemon had

Daemon's study, she

t, his dark hair was styled differently, and somehow his features were slightly altered-cheekbones le

ive," Se

a button. "Communication device. Pin it inside your jacket. It'll transmit audio to Marcus, who'll be m

arefully. "What about yo

goes wrong, I'll know." Daemon's expression was serious. "But that also means you need to

essure

and touched her shoulder brie

ore. But she nodded anyway, be

era and Daemon would go in as potential buyers, ask questions, look for evidence of the

t a hero. You're a courier looking to make money. Stay in cha

t i

hen manufacturing moved to automated facilities outside the city. Now it was a maze o

ling into decay. But there were signs of activity if you knew what to look for. Fresh tire tracks

nce. She knocked-three sharp raps, the si

id open, revealing a p

g the phrase the bartender had whispered

oor o

ere humans sat with IVs in their arms, processing equipment in the center, storage units filled with blood bags. At least a doz

rket operation. This was in

brown hair, sharp eyes that missed

ked, his voice friendl

run courier operations in the Grey Distr

ues." Kieran's smile didn't reach his eyes

voice was different, rougher, less cult

by our standards." Kieran gestured to the operation. "As you can see, we run a quality

here willingly? Some looked fine, sipping juice and chatting with technic

arefully. "We have clients with specific ne

per into the warehouse. "We have an extensive donor net

old-rows of blood bags marked with red labels. The same red labels that had been

" She pointed to t

oment, but it was enough. "Premium stock.

." Daemon moved closer to the sto

t, last longer." Kieran stepped between them and the storage room. "But

id quietly. "Clients re

house we

ted. "I don't know who you think y

aristocratic configuration, and power radiated from him like heat. "I'm Daemon Ashford, Lord of the Northern Court.

aist-a weapon, probably. But Daemon moved with vampire spe

Daemon said, his voice de

what you're

und Kieran's throat. "I can

Sera moved to the storage room and started pulling red-labeled b

d to the blood, supposedly to enhance potency. But Sera recognized some of the ch

up the clipboard.

arm b

ing Kieran and moving toward Sera

es flooded in-at least a dozen, all we

alked in

cus Crane, Vivienne's lover, wear

"Lady Vivienne sends her regards. Sh

contin