Dark Obsession (Vampire Royals of New York #3) - Sarah Piper Page 0,59

Colin. “Serious question, mate.”

“If only I’d chosen my post-doctorate studies more strategically.” Colin flashed a dimpled grin, then sipped his bourbon. “To be fair, I thought I’d be delivering babies and setting broken arms at this point, not trying to recreate a cure for vampirism, summoning a lord of hell, and plotting against an army of demons.”

“You make it sound like drudgery when you say it like that,” Aiden teased, then settled back into his chair, his eyes darkening with the same worries the rest of the group obviously shared.

For a while no one spoke, and Dorian allowed himself to be lulled by the comforts of a crackling fire, a fine scotch, and the company of friends and family. It’d been a long time since he’d felt anything close to it, and though Malcolm’s absence left a particularly sharp ache in his heart, Dorian couldn’t help but be glad for the moment.

Still, thoughts of Malcolm were never far, and now they clawed at his insides anew, filling him with a mixture of sadness, betrayal, and guilt—a cocktail of pain he’d associated with his family for far too long.

Bloody hell, he still wanted so badly for things to be different.

If only, if only, if only… A refrain as closely connected to thoughts of his family as the disconcerting feeling churning through his chest.

“I have a crazy idea,” Charlotte finally said, bringing him back from his dark thoughts. He looked at her and smiled, warmed by the firelight dancing in her eyes. With a mischievous smirk, she said, “What if we got Rogozin to do it?”

“Rogozin?” Gabriel scoffed. “Yes, let’s hop into bed with more demons, since my brother had so much luck bedding Chernikov. And wasn’t it Rogozin’s demons who attacked at the Tribeca penthouse?”

“Indeed it was,” Dorian said, recalling the taste of Rogozin hellfire in his lungs as Duchanes had poisoned him and tormented Charlotte before his eyes.

“And Chernikov’s who attacked us in Central Park,” she countered.

“Your point?” Gabriel asked.

“Demons and vampires are mortal enemies, and right now, in the wake of your father’s death, all of the demon factions are testing the boundaries. I’m not saying Rogozin is the perfect ally by any stretch, but there are no perfect options here.”

“We can’t trust him, Charlotte,” Gabriel said.

“With this? I think we can,” she said. “You guys said it yourselves—Rogozin is after territory, not human vessels. There’s no way he’d want Chernikov’s plan to succeed. If it did, Rogozin would be forced to give up all his territory and fall in line, just like everyone else. With his organization backing us, we’ve definitely got the numbers, right?”

“It certainly gives us better odds,” Colin said.

“My enemy’s enemy is my friend,” Aiden said. “A classic strategy, to be sure. But I’m not sure that’s enough to win him over. What’s in it for Alexei himself? Why would he risk his own organization, his reputation, and his life to align with the royal vampires?”

“Because if he doesn’t,” she said, “the moles in his organization will sell the precious Blade of Azerius to his enemy, basically ensuring Chernikov’s victory and sole dominion over all life on earth, human and supernatural alike.”

Dorian sighed. As much as he loathed the idea of working with Rogozin—with any demon, for that matter, especially after Chernikov’s treachery—Charlotte had a point.

“How are you seeing this play out, love?” he asked.

Through another cheeky grin, she said, “We offer him something no demon can resist: A deal.”

“You’re out of your bloody head,” Gabriel said. “Demon deals are a one-way ticket to hell.”

“Not if we read the fine print,” she said, “and not if we’re the ones making the deal.”

“What is it you think we have to offer?” Dorian asked.

At this, the sparkle in her eyes dimmed, and she let out a long, slow breath. “Two things, actually, and you’re going to hate them both.”

Dorian took a long pull on his scotch, steadying himself.

“One—sell him the Blade of Azerius,” she said. “Direct buy, half of what he’s supposedly paying Estas, none of the hassle.”

“Why would I give up the one weapon we’ve got that can eradicate demons?” Dorian asked.

“Because it’s not actually all that useful to you. Think about it—you can only use it on one demon at a time. If that’s your grand plan against Chernikov, it’s going to take a while.”

“I agree,” Isabelle said. “In the hands of a vampire—even the king himself—the weapon is more symbolic than anything else.”

“A symbol of our power over the lesser supernatural beings,” Gabriel said.