business, and I’m in the way, aren’t I?” he mused out loud as he placed his nearly empty glass on the bar countertop.
Katrina looked up with a mildly guilty expression, while Alton simply smiled in a disarming manner that might charm a charging rhino.
“Perhaps you could stroll the corridors a little bit, dear boy,” he suggested. “There are excellent views of the city from multiple large windows situated along the hallways. We won’t be long, and you two can resume your discovery of London in earnest.”
Caleb smirked and shook his head as his presumption had proven correct. Vampires and their secrets. Still, who could blame them? It has to be habitual to have lived this long in secrecy, right?
“I’ll come for you soon, my love,” Katrina promised with a penetrating stare. “And I appreciate your patience.” She felt a momentary pang of desire course through her as she registered his scent and the sound of his heartbeat from across the room.
Caleb smiled in silent reply and turned to exit the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door shut, Katrina raised her voice to a normal conversational level.
“What is it you want to tell me, Alton?” she insisted with a hint of irritation in her voice. “You were more than kind to sponsor Caleb’s upcoming visit to Dr. Guilhelm, but I knew there was another reason you wanted me here. I promised Caleb a vacation, you know.”
Alton sighed. “I assure you, I’m not trying to hijack your holiday. So, as always with you, I’ll simply cut to the chase.”
She scowled at her friend’s prescient, yet sardonic, wit.
“Recently, there’s been a shift in vampire politics abroad. I’m part of a select group of our kind who are interested in collaborating at global levels to curtail events like what took place with Chimalma last year,” he explained. “The ’other’ vampires on my payroll are helping to scope out certain unsavory elements among our kind in and around central Europe who have turned hostile in opposition to the new venture. In fact, you could say that tensions are rising among us, depending upon from which side of the fence the venture is being viewed.”
Katrina sat motionless as a statue as she absorbed everything that he told her. Somehow she wasn’t surprised by his revelation, but she was certainly dismayed. While she respected her former mentor’s reaching out to her for support, it caused her to pause. Granted, she felt a definite sense of obligation after all he had done for her last year, including nearly losing his life himself. Nevertheless, she resisted the idea of getting involved in global vampire politics.
“Alton,” she began with a sigh. “My mate and I barely survived a battle with an ancient one of our kind, and frankly, I’m more interested in sitting this venture out.”
He regarded his former pupil with an expression of stoic patience as he considered her reaction. “Katrina, I’m not drawing you into a war,” he countered. “I just want you to keep an open mind and perhaps attend an upcoming gathering in Europe during the summer with me. There’s a group of stakeholders who will be in attendance, or at least their designated representatives. It’s really just a preliminary project proposal to gauge interest among the major players of our kind.”
Her expression turned to one of surprise. “You mean, a vampire summit of sorts?”
“Perhaps that’s a good description,” he considered. “But your presence would be a powerful symbol among the attendees. After all, you not only foiled a global vampire murderer, you’ve declared a territorial claim in a major American metropolitan area.”
Her temper flared as she realized the implications of his last statement. “A territorial claim that you suggested, I might add.”
“And a good one, nonetheless,” he reassured her calmly. “Most vampires wouldn’t want to challenge your authority or show up unexpectedly. That makes things safer for Caleb, you realize.”
“Yes, yes, we’ve already been over that,” she replied impatiently. “But once again, you’ve guided me into uncomfortable waters.”
Alton stared into Katrina’s eyes and deliberately softened his expression, once again adopting a disarming visage.
“Stop trying to charm me,” she admonished. “It won’t work. I’m wise to you after all these years, you know. Well, for the most part, anyway.”
“I suppose the only person who can charm you is roaming the hallways as we speak,” he speculated with a grin.
She smirked in silent reply as she sipped at the blood in her glass. Yes, he does have that magical quality. When I