“So they die or they’re made a vampire?” Brigid said. “That’s not fair.”

“Nothing about this is fair,” Baojia said. “At least it’s an option they didn’t have before. We give them the option. They take it or they don’t. It’s more than what we had before.”

“How do we know it’ll work?” Carwyn asked. “No offense to the brilliant minds here, but other vampires have tried. They’ve drained the infected blood and given their humans their own. It didn’t work. They died of blood loss because their bodies couldn’t make the transition.”

“They didn’t use Saba’s blood,” Makeda said. “She’s the only one with antibodies that work.”

“Is she?” Tenzin’s eyes glinted. “I wonder.”

“She’s the only one we’ve tested,” Lucien said. “So she’s the only one that matters.” Lucien rose. “Okay, it’s getting near dawn. Does everyone have a secure room? Baojia, if you don’t, you’re welcome to rest in our quarters, but the rest of you need to leave.”

Tenzin smirked. “Protective much, Thrax?”

“Yes,” he said. “Not that you would understand.”

“Now that’s just mean.”

Makeda watched the tension between the two vampires. Lucien had told her Tenzin was thousands of years older than he was, but somehow she seemed more childlike. Or perhaps she was simply more playful than Makeda’s serious mate.

“We’ve all been taken care of,” Brigid said. “Saba’s people are frighteningly efficient.”

“I believe one of Inaya’s daughters has taken over hosting logistics,” Makeda said. “Every place we go, we gather more people.”

Carwyn asked, “What is the plan for Athens?”

“Boat,” Lucien said. “But we’ll talk logistics tomorrow night. For now, all of you get out.”

Makeda woke to Lucien stroking up and down her spine with long fingers. He was awake but silent. She let herself sink into the comfort of his body. The warmth. The possession. The long, smooth line of his legs and his skin pressed against hers. His blood stirred in her, and she felt her heart beat twice.

“What are you thinking of?” she asked quietly.

“Infected humans.”

Knowing what must have been weighing on his mind, Makeda asked, “Will she agree to it?”

“I don’t know.”

They’d never directly asked Saba about siring humans affected by Elixir, but Makeda had a feeling the ancient immortal knew it was a possibility. Saba was too intelligent to not see the connection. If her blood was the only thing that could heal immortals, why would it be different for humans? They’d hoped, but the backup plan had always been Saba.

“She can be… mercurial. At best,” Lucien said. “It will likely depend on why the human was infected. Our patients in California who were infected against their will? She would have sired them if they wanted it. Young people who took Elixir looking for a new thrill? I doubt it.”

“That’s not how medicine works,” she said. “We don’t get to pick our patients.”

“But this isn’t medicine. It’s Saba. And siring a human in the traditional manner—even if that human is weakened from Elixir poisoning—has a myriad of consequences.”

“Can we do the stem cell treatment instead?” Makeda asked. “Is there any reason the procedure we use on the vampires wouldn’t work on humans?”

“Maybe.” He frowned. “If it’s not blood, it might… It’s worth looking into.”

“And we will.” Makeda took a deep breath and said, “When this is over, you and I will look at all the options. At least we have one solution, Lucien. We didn’t have that before.”

“I know.” Lucien’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “I want to crush Laskaris. Wipe him from the planet. From history. I want his name to be forgotten.”

“You will.”

“No, I imagine Kato will. Or Saba.” He huffed. “I doubt they’ll give me the chance. But this evil he spread over the world…”

“Saba will end it.”

“I hope so.” He hugged her closer. “I hope it’s not too late.”

Makeda thought of the ship Emil Conti was sending from his port in Civitavecchia to Crotone. The immortal army Kato had gathered would travel by boat from the Ionian Sea to the Aegean. There was little doubt the council of Athens knew they were coming, but no one seemed to know what that would mean for the physical assault on the island.

“I’m glad Baojia is here,” Lucien said.

“Because it’ll mean there’s someone else watching out for me?”

“Yes.”

She shook her head. “One-track mind.”

He sat up, taking her with him. “We should feed and join the others. No doubt there will be more excitement tonight, especially now that Carwyn and Tenzin are here.”

“Lucien?”

“Hmm?”

“When this is over, what will we do?”

“Go back to work. Between the two of us, I know we’ll find the answers to put all this to rest.” He paused, then he kissed her hard. “And then we’ll do whatever we want.”

Makeda watched Lucien from the corner of the room. When it came to planning battle, she had little role to play. She felt Baojia settle next to her and cross his arms, watching the older vampires argue over a map.