Michael Devos frowned as he felt the car stop and turn around. “What’s happening? Why are we going back?” he asked, while holding down a button on his armrest.

“Forward car reported a rock slide, the path was blocked, we’re going back around to take an alternate route, Sir.” A voice buzzed over the speakers.

Traveling through mountainous roads meant rock slides were a common problem, but something didn’t sit right with Michael. Something made the back of his neck itch in a strangely familiar way.

“What exit does our alternate route take us to?” Michael asked, following his instinct.

“Forty-nine-E, sir, we’ll be there in a couple of minutes. It shouldn’t prove to be much of a delay,” The driver informed him.

Michael’s unease grew, but it was already too late as the limo slowed down and the SUV’s in front and behind him took up a diamond shaped perimeter around his vehicle.

“What’s going on?!” Michael demanded over the convoy wide channel.

“There’s a figure in the road, Sir.” The reply came from the head of his security detail.

Michael cursed under his breath as he exited his vehicle.

Four of his bodyguards immediately moved to surround him without a word, perfectly keeping pace with him as he walked forward.

And as He reached the front of the motorcade, he saw what had halted them.

A figure wearing black armor stood in the middle of the road. The gaps in its armor glowing the color of searing coals with the rhythm of a steady breath. It rested a rectangular tower-shield at its feet, the shield easily reaching halfway up its towering stature.

A single glowing ember within its helm locked onto Michael as soon as he came into view.

“Sir, that matches the description of the Eve Titan’s specters.” Michael’s head of security informed him.

Michael rolled his eyes at the obvious observation and marched forward, his guards tensing and drawing their weapons as they followed.

He stopped halfway between the cars and the specter

“What business does your master have with me to detain me like this?!” Michael called out, the entity showing no reaction to his question.

“Sir, we can go around it or... Force, our way through, if need be.” The head of security suggested, but as soon as the words left his mouth, the surrounding woods lit with hundreds of embers shrouded in shadow, matching the one ahead of them.

“I believe it would be best to remain where we are for the time being.” Michael replied, looking towards the horizon at the slowly rising sun.

Time passed and the sun’s rays slowly crept closer. Some of his men began to show their nerves as talks of returning to the vehicles began. Thankfully, the mountainous region shielded them from the sun... At least for now.

Rustling from the treeline drew everyone’s attention as a maimed and bloodied man marched out. He didn’t utter a word as he silently glanced at them before marching towards the limo Michael had occupied, entering it as if it was his own.

The armored knight dematerialized like dust in the wind and Michael was left looking between the two in shock and at a loss for words.

***

Katya, I hope this letter finds you well.

I will be taking a short trip east. Should the clan have any business that could benefit from my presence, then please relay the necessary information through Huginn and Muninn.

Enclosed in this letter is a pendant which can activate a rudimentary defense system I’ve been working on for the valley. Should the need arise, please don’t hesitate to use it.

Place your thumb on its surface until a pulse of light appears from within it. This will key it to your energy signature.

To activate all you have to do is break the chain attached and place your thumb on its surface again. A continuous pulse will indicate activation, its brightness and tempo will show the system’s overall status.

Katya held up the small rectangular piece of obsidian, its size a little wider than her thumb and its thickness about one eighth of an inch or a little over three millimeters. It did not reflect the surrounding light, instead greedily absorbing it, giving it an appearance not unlike what one would imagine a hole in reality to be.

She placed her thumb on its surface and a crimson light lit from within before dimming into nothingness.

“What do you think this means, Ma’am?” Silas asked, clearly unnerved by Aleks’s sudden departure.

“I believe we all cope in different ways, and although having only known him for about the span of a year, I would say his method is a tad more violent than most others.” Katya ruminated as she lifted the chain over her head, putting it on.

***

Michael sat uncomfortably across from the corpse-like man, torn clothes and blood-caked hair made for an unsettling appearance, not to mention the patches of grayish-black substance covering parts of his body or the lack of a left eye leaving an empty pit of impossible depth.

“I would’ve gladly arranged transportation if you had contacted us in advance.” Michael Devos commented, not entirely happy with the blood smeared stains soaking into the expensive leather seats.

“I thought it was some sort of custom for your kind to show up unannounced. If I’ve misunderstood, then please, do explain why you would seek out my apprentice without my permission or supervision.” The Titan shot back before closing his remaining eye as if intent on sleeping the rest of the way.

Michael reached over to the minibar and fixed himself another glass, but just as he finished, a bug-like creature the size of a dog scurried out of the shadows on the opposite side of the car, stealing the glass while he was distracted by its sudden appearance, it carefully ferried the glass to its masters waiting hand.

“Thank you.” The Titan said, although to whom it was directed was left unspecified.

Michael was at a loss for words, as he had never experienced this sort of shameless treatment by either Clan nor Court, before.

“This is gonna be a long day.” Michael thought to himself with a sigh as he prepared another glass.

Michael leaned back and considered the situation at hand. After all, one didn’t run a city of sin without making use of every opportunity that appeared.

Granted, this hadn’t been what he’d planned, but it would prove just as effective... All he needed was a way to break the ice.

“I didn’t notice last we met, but you’re purer than I expected.” The Titan stated, surprising Michael.

“...Thank...you?” Michael replied, once again thrown off balance by the man’s strange behavior.

“Those of your kind that I’ve encountered before... The ones from this world. There was a small yet unmistakable presence of chaotic energy, like a miasma seeping out of their skin... however, Yours... It’s remarkably clean.” The Titan explained.

“I assume you’re referring to the late Baroness?” Michael inquired, settling into the easy expression he used for business.

“I am,” The Titan responded, his eyes becoming distant for a moment, an almost imperceptible flash of red crossing his iris.

“Well, Sicilia was known to indulge in the less savory parts of our nature, I heard once that she was quite fond of opium before being turned, with the perspective of today’s knowledge, I can’t help but think the two are connected.” Michael responded equanimously.

“Her behavior hasn’t seemed all that rare to me, but then I guess addiction isn’t either.” The Titan responded with a sigh.

“Sicilia was a tolerated existence. Coincidentally, the night she ran into you, she was in the midst of forming an alliance with the only other court that would have her. You cut the head off that court as well.” Michael revealed.

“You speak almost as if you benefitted from such an event... Are Sanguinares that callous to their own kind?” The Titan prodded.

“Not any more so than humans.” Michael retorted.

Michael had spent over a century honing his charm in the arena of business, but even he couldn’t help but admit his interactions with the man sitting opposite of him were going surprisingly well... Yet for some inexplicable reason, he felt uneasy, a sensation like riding an elevator with a pickpocket.

***

I couldn’t help but like the Sanguinares in front of me. He had an easy air about him, honed like a blade, but not ceremonial. His edge was sharpened for use, not idle waving.

Gere and Freki had lost the scent of my target, and I had simply needed a mode of transportation that was unaffiliated with the Eve Clan, but now I was starting to think I might enjoy myself for a little while.

“Tell me about your court.” I asked, the Sanguinares narrowing his eyes at my question.

“I would prefer Clan, but what do you want to know?” Michael responded.

“You’re based out of a casino?” I asked.

“Several. I like to think of the entire City of Las Vegas as the home of my organization.” Michael corrected.

“No competition?” I asked with skepticism.

“There were, but they were slowly brought into the fold or chased out... Now we welcome all sorts: Therianthrope, Sentire, Sanguinares and Witches.” Michael explained proudly.

“I imagine such a melting pot can’t always have been easy to maintain... There are bound to be frictions.” I pushed.

“There were, early on... I tried to integrate a Noble-Pack and a Pack of partial shifters, their interactions grew increasingly antagonistic, and one night the latter wiped out the former before anyone could interfere.” Michael revealed, with a hint of regret in his voice.

“Of course, they were punished, but that was forty years ago. Today they provide a third of our entire workforce, and their numbers are growing.” Michael continued.

***

Marabel paced her room with a scowl.

In less than two weeks she had gone from being the head of one of the most prestigious and well-respected orthodox circles of the new world, boasting of over a hundred disciples... And now only six remained, the rest either killed or recalled to their familial Covens.

While she had been restricted to her room like an unwanted child.

“I should have killed that slithering snake when I had the chance.” Marabel hissed to herself as she pictured the smug expression on McKenzie’s face as she was taken away for her own safety.

After his grand reveal, she was soon deemed inadequate as the grand covens now vied for his favor, revealing themselves while condemning her for doing the same, hypocrites, all of them.

A knock at her door snapped her out of her grumbling.

“Enter.” Marabel said, the door opening to reveal four men in cheap suits, her security detail.

“Ma’am, your location has been compromised. We need to evacuate the premises.” One of the unremarkable men informed her.

She had refused to learn their names as their appearance made them all but indistinguishable from each other.

“That’s just perfect. I thought you assured me this location was secure, fools.” Marabel Snarled as she followed them into the hallway of the barracks, their location disguised as a decommissioned military research facility.

“Madam Lenore! Madam Lenore!” an obnoxious voice called out to Marabel, the owner one of the most irritating human beings Marabel had ever had the misfortune of knowing.

He had been assigned to her as an aide, but Marabel suspected he was simply a way for those who thought themselves above her to keep their distance, placing him as their go-between.

The bespectacled and hunched young man came stumbling down the hall with all the grace of a newborn, tripping over himself half a dozen times along the way.

And as if to make matters even worse, the fool fell just before reaching her, his body slamming against the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Marabel looked away from the pathetic man with an expression of disgust as he rose, that is... until she felt a sharp prick on the side of her neck, her head quickly turning back to him only to see the befuddled façade fade from his face as he took off his glasses with a mocking smirk.

“Of all the people I’ve made lower their guard, you were among the easiest, I swear. The moment I reflected back the bumbling buffoon you considered me to be was the moment you disregarded me as a threat of any kind.” He taunted as he pulled the syringe out of her neck, her limbs already feeling numb.

“Don’t even bother, thanks to the plentiful supply of your sisters you’ve helped us capture, we’ve had ample chance to find the perfect mix of sedative and neuro-inhibitor to render you powerless. Honestly, it surprised us how easy it was.” He continued as her vision blurred as she fell to the floor.

***

“Team Alpha, target neutralized. Bravo through Golf, move at your own discretion.” Bryan ordered with a hand raised to his ear as the six other teams moved in to capture the rest of the problematic witches.

He had been placed with the insufferable old crone as a safety precaution. Camouflaged through mediocrity, he had been a hidden countermeasure, but his superiors had struck a deal with far more capable parties and had deemed Marabel Lenore a liability.

However, their plans had been hurried along when an energy signature from the Eve Valley moved towards their location, it had only been thanks to the barracks being separate from the main facility that some observant communications operator noticed that the energy signature seemed narrowed in on the barracks and not the main facility.

“Move her to the FE shielded vehicle and hand her over to the EPI division. I’m sure they’ll be happy to have another freak to experiment on.” Bryan ordered before leaving.