Liuz stepped up to the podium and called the meeting to order. Finn paused, then took the nearest seat he could find, which put him several rows in front of Keira. For him to look at her he’d have to twist round, but she had a grand view of him. Or, at least, of the back of his head and powerfully built shoulders.
Stefan went through his tiresome, illogical rhetoric again. And at the end of his speech the room exploded into applause. Keira clapped along with everyone else and watched Finn for his reaction. He seemed just as enamored as the rest of the crowd, which really disappointed her. She’d thought if nothing else his innate intelligence would save him.
“Now, before I dismiss you all,” Stefan said, beaming a look around the room like a doting father, “I’d like Keira O’Brien and Finn Evnissyen to stay afterward so we can talk.”
Her stomach dropped. Most of the people in the room turned to stare at her. The curiosity in their eyes made her wonder if Stefan requesting audience members to stay behind was an unusual occurrence. Or maybe they were curious about her, since she was new to town. Whatever the reason, she’d find out soon enough what he wanted with her. And Finn.
Stefan met her eyes, his own expression unreadable, and she did her best to suppress her growing panic. With another glance at the room he said, “Thank you all for coming. Victory will be ours!”
There was more applause, which eventually petered out and stopped. Keira slowly made her way up front, her pace in no way reflecting the racing beat of her heart, and reached the rogue leader at the same time that Finn did. While Stefan finished a conversation he was having with another follower, she murmured, “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not the only one who’s surprised.” Finn stood close and gazed down into her eyes. His voice low, he said, “What the hell are you doing?”
She raised her brows. What did he expect her to say with Stefan—a vampire with very good hearing—standing right there? “I’m here for the same reason everyone else is,” she said. “I’m tired of being treated like…no, worse than second-class citizens. It’s time we do something about it.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Stefan chimed in before Finn responded. The leader murmured something to the man he’d been speaking with, and the man walked away, purpose in his strides. Stefan put an arm around Keira’s shoulders and then did the same to Finn, though he had to reach up quite a way to do so. “Come with me,” Stefan said.
He led them to one of the rooms that lined the corridor outside the large meeting room. He closed the door behind them and took a seat in an overstuffed armchair. That left a loveseat for Keira and Finn. She sat down and tried to stay as far away from Finn as possible, though the settee was so small she could feel the heat from his strong body next to hers.
“Now, let me say first of all how pleased I am to have the two of you on our side.” Stefan leaned forward and clasped his hands between his knees. “You both bring such solid abilities to the team, we’re fortunate to have you.”
“Thank you,” Keira murmured.
Finn stayed silent and watchful. Keira knew he was wondering the same thing she was: What the hell was Stefan up to?
Stefan gave a slight smile and went on. “I have an assignment for you that will put those skills to good use.”
There it was. She exchanged a glance with Finn. Stefan was going to test them—both their skills and their loyalty, she had no doubt.
Stefan stood and pulled out a small clasp envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket. “Hold out your hand, Keira,” he said and walked over to her. Opening the envelope, he poured several rough diamonds onto her palm. He smiled at her gasp. “Each of these is at least two carats. They’re fake, of course.”
Keira picked one up and looked at it more closely. It was a damned good fake, that was certain. She’d seen a lot of diamonds in her days, and at a glance this would fool even the most reputable jeweler.
“I want you to go to a local shop and swap out a couple of these for real ones.” Stefan sat back down. “Specifically, Beynard Jewelers. They just received a shipment of raw