were halfway turned. I finished the job. The ten Catriona tried to destroy this morning are all Vampyres now.”
“Oh my God, Astrid,” Ethan choked out. “You bit Zombies?”
“Yep, and I don’t want to do that anytime soon again. So, what’s the plan here?”
“At this point, we’re winging it,” Ethan said. “Being that the crazed bitch is holding a silver spike at the ready to shove into my brother’s heart, I think it’s the most prudent plan. He’s an asshole, but I don’t want him dead.”
“Vampyres are insane,” Levi said. “I don’t see how you idiots stay alive with all the winging you do.”
“You have a better idea?” I asked.
“Actually, yes.”
“Spit it out.”
“You people have laws. Right?” he asked.
“Umm… yes,” I said, realizing I had no clue about the minutiae of Vampyre law.
“We do,” Anastasia confirmed. “Tell me where you’re going with this, Demon.”
“Well, Vampyre,” Levi shot back coolly. “What’s the punishment when just cause has been served.”
Anastasia’s smile was positively wicked. “Death.”
“Just cause,” I said, getting excited. “It was in my dream, and my Baby Demons talked about it. As did Uncle Fucker. That’s it! Do you guys know what it means?”
Levi rolled his eyes. “Might be different for you wingers.”
“Probably not,” Anastasia commented dryly. “Notice must be served. A sufficient and fair investigation must take place, witnessed by an unbiased observer. Proof must be presented. If the burden of proof is met, punishment is doled out.”
“Close enough,” Levi said. “As I see it, the only part missing is the notice and the punishment. The woman turned a child. That alone is enough to put her out of our misery.”
“You’re awfully fair for a Demon,” Anastasia pointed out.
“Only on Tuesdays,” he replied sarcastically.
“It’s Wednesday,” she shot right back.
“Fuck,” Levi said with a grin and a shrug. “I meant Wednesdays.”
“An eye for an eye is also on the books,” Anastasia added.
“No can do,” I said forcefully. “That would mean Sarah would have to fight Catriona. I don’t see that ending well. She’s the only one who actually saw her.”
“Agreed,” Anastasia said. “We’ll stick with just cause. We still get to kill her.”
Vamps were a bloodthirsty sort. Today, I was feeling all Vamp.
“I would be delighted to serve notice right now,” I told them. “Levi, can you call Lizard and have him bring Sarah back. I need to satisfy the burden of proof.”
“You sure you want Sarah here?” Levi asked.
I closed my eyes. We could potentially end this with no violence if we could prove to Wilhem and his army what Catriona had done. Sarah was a Vampyre now—she was my Nana. Nana would want to take down the bad guy. I had to assume baby Nana was the same. “She saw Carolinainnia. She can identify her. As long as eye for an eye is off the table, we can keep her safe.”
“On it,” Levi said, walking away so he wouldn’t be overheard. “But I’m going to request extra Demon backup for Sarah.”
“Perfect,” I said, even though I knew I was all the backup Sarah would need. If necessary, I would end every single Vamp from the South American Dominion to keep Nana safe. However, doing it the legal way would ensure that the undead who took issue with my and Ethan’s leadership wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. “Anastasia, seeing as how you’re not a citizen of the North American Dominion and you witnessed the investigation, would you be so kind as to verify that the investigation was thorough and fair?”
“Hell to the yes,” she growled.
“But first, go get Walter. He might be useful,” I instructed. “He’s in the dungeon. You can’t miss it—totally typical dungeon. Play stupid with him. Pretend you’re breaking him out. Be worried about Catriona. Get him to talk.”
“You are absolutely brilliant,” Anastasia said, pulling out her cell phone and hitting the record button. “I’m on it.”
She poofed away in an icy pink mist.
“Where did Miss Hoity-Toity go?” Levi asked, glancing around.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I eyed him. “You like her.”
“I don’t like her. She’s a fucking Vampyre.”
“I’m a fucking Vampyre,” I reminded him.
His eye roll was Oscar worthy. “I have no plans on fucking either one of you, literally or figuratively. I’m a Demon. I don’t do Vamps.”
“Are you speciesist?” I demanded.
“That’s not even a word,” he replied.
“Actually, it is. Even if it weren’t, you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I know what you mean. And I’m not answering you. We have far more important shit to handle at the moment. You feel me?”
“My