"You could have gotten dead," I cut in, voice flat. I met his gaze, and I had no doubt the anger and frustration so evident in his was just as fierce in mine. "Didn't you hear what I said? Jak was just the start. You, and then Riley, and then maybe even Quinn would have all followed —"
Rhoan snorted. "Do you honestly think she would be fool enough to hurt Riley? In any way? She knows Quinn's vengeance would be swift and deadly."
"But she doesn't have to physically touch Riley. Killing you would effectively do that for her."
Rhoan accepted that with a grunt. "Even so —"
"Even so, you're talking about a woman who has every intention of challenging a Mijai warrior, and who fully believes she will best him."
Rhoan blinked and glanced at Azriel. "Seriously?"
"She is delusional, but not stupid," he replied. "She would employ fair means and foul to assure victory."
"Foul meaning what? She's a vampire – a very old vampire, granted – but what fear would any vampire hold for the likes of you?"
"Mijai can be killed, and not just when in flesh form. Hunter knows that."
"Besides," I added, "she's never been just a vampire. She's far more. And she knows magic."
Rhoan met my gaze again. "And Jack?"
Jack Parnell was senior vice president of the Directorate and the man in charge of the entire guardian pision. He also happened to be Hunter's brother. "I'm not involved with either the Directorate or Jack. How much he knows about Hunter and her plans, I have no idea."
"He's her half brother, so one would imagine —"
"Not necessarily," Azriel commented. "While Jack has some tolerance for Hunter's more excessive nature, he would not condone what she is currently attempting if he knew about it."
Both Rhoan and I glanced at him. "When did you read him?" I asked.