“It’s too dangerous,” protested someone and an argument began again.
“While we’re all safe?” Micah asked suddenly, appearing suddenly in the shadows. Several Others in his vicinity jumped in surprise. The other vampires in his coven hovered behind him, shadows against the darkness—but shadows with glittering eyes. “We lost five vampires in that attack,” he said. “That never happens. We are the predators. It’s only when we hunt each other that there’s such carnage. No one is safe.”
“I’m now the last medusa,” the hostess of the bar said bitterly. “My cousin Hypatia is gone.” Many Others murmured their sympathy and several touched her shoulder.
“Plus four bear-shifters,” said the one who had ordered a beer. “It makes me sick to think of how our numbers have dwindled.” He drained the beer, and then another shooter, pushing the glasses across the bar in a silent request for refills. His companion did the same.
“One selkie,” Nyssa contributed.
“Three djinns,” said one djinn, who was rotating between his human form and that of a wisp of smoke in his agitation. Another djinn waved a sheet of paper, one that must have come from Maeve’s book.
“Another two demons,” Rosanne said, also holding up a sheet of paper. “I found this in my trailer after the attack at the Circus of Wonders.”
“Ivan, Natasha and their twin sons,” the bar shifter said, shaking his head. His companion slapped a sheet of paper on the bar and Caleb could see that there were names crossed out of a list. The bear shifters ordered another round.
“Yet no dragons,” Wynter said, her voice silencing the crowd once more. “How can that be?”
“We got lucky?” Niall suggested.
Wynter looked Theo up and down, her disdain clear. “They say you escaped Fae. How exactly did you manage that? What was the price you paid?”
“More than a month of captivity,” Theo countered, his gaze sizzling. He rose to his feet and Caleb could see the shimmer of blue that heralded his shift. The last thing they needed was a dragon shifter fighting a wolf shifter at Bones.
“Not enough for the Dark Queen I know and despise,” Wynter replied, apparently not as interested as Caleb in keeping the peace. “What else?”
“Nothing else, as far as I know,” Theo said.
“As far as you know.” Wynter shook her head then jabbed a finger in Theo’s direction. “I think you made a deal,” she accused. “You dragon shifters are late to this alliance and you have a reputation for wanting to play everything your own way. I think you made a deal and left us out of it, a deal that keeps the Pyr alive while the rest of us go down.”
“That’s not true,” Theo said calmly, even as there were nods of assent in the bar.
“Even though you were captured with her daughter?” Wynter asked, turning to face Mel. Mel stood a little taller, her hostility at least equal to that of the wolf shifter.
“Don’t expect me to defend my mother, or understand all of her choices,” she said.
Mother?
Caleb felt as if he’d missed a cue. Mel was Maeve’s daughter?
Murray caught sight of his surprise and nodded. He’d known then, but Caleb hadn’t.
“You have a deal with her, too, then,” Wynter accused.
Mel held up her hand, the one with the red string on her wrist. “If you count being cursed as a deal.”
“But you’re a shifter, too. Why hasn’t she killed you? She must be cutting you some slack due to blood ties.”
Mel paled but shook her head. “She’s just not done playing with me yet,” she said softly. “You could take a lesson from that.”
“Maybe you should explain,” Wynter challenged.
Mel sighed, then braced her hands on the bar. She nodded once, then spoke clearly, her voice carrying over the quiet bar. “You think she’s targeting shifters and you’re right, but there are three kinds of shifters and she’s only after one. Maybe two. But the third kind could be allies.”
Mel held up a finger. “First, there are all of you. You’re shifters because it’s your nature. The ability to change forms is part of what you are. You were born shifters and you will die shifters. Your children will be shifters. The majority of you can take two forms, one of which is that of a man or woman. Most of you can choose to shift, although some of you are compelled to do so under some circumstances.”
“Full moons,” Wynter said with a sigh.
Mel nodded. “Some of you have other powers, but the