Warriors of Poseidon 06 - Atlantis Betrayed

society without the fear of mobs with torches for the first time in our existence. Leave us be.”
    “If Telios has his way and starts a war against humanity, you’ll be right there with those torches again,”
    Christophe said. “You’re going to have to choose sides soon.”
    “Perhaps. But not tonight. Now leave.”
    They left.
    Fairsby Manor
    “What do you mean, you can’t find him?” Gideon kicked the cringing vampire in the ribs again. “How difficult can it be to find a single insane vampire?”
    “I don’t know where he is,” the vampire blubbered. “We lost several of our number when they attacked that human, except he’s not human—no way is he human—and those of us who are left can’t find Telios.”
    “No, Christophe is definitely not human,” Gideon agreed. “But what?”
    “I don’t know that, either,” the vamp whined.
    Gideon kicked him again. “I wasn’t asking you, you pathetic waste of space. Get out. Try again. Follow any rumor or possibility, no matter how far-fetched.”
    “Well, there was one thing, but it was ridiculous.”
    “What?”
    “I heard he was seen entering a shifter hangout, but that’s just stupid,” the vamp said, all but falling over itself in the hope to prove useful.
    “Go!” Gideon screamed. “Go now. To that shifter place and find that vampire or I will chain you in a box with silver and crosses for the rest of eternity, you miserable leech.”
    Atlantis Betrayed – Warriors of Poseidon 06
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    The vampire leapt out the window so fast it nearly flew. Or maybe it did fly. Gideon didn’t know and didn’t care. All he knew was that if Telios was suddenly going to shifter venues, then the vampire might very well have discovered the Siren’s secrets. Which could be bad for Gideon.
    Very bad, indeed.
    At least until he figured a way to fix it. So Gideon did what he had always done best: he started drawing up a strategy to make others suffer and bleed. He would call in another of his minions, this one Fae.
    They’d put part two of his plan into motion.
    And that was very good. Very, very good.
    Campbell Manor
    “That was a useless night,” Christophe said as they walked up the stairs from the garage.
    “No, it wasn’t. We learned what is not true, so we can start to deduce what is true. The shifters don’t have the sword, or they wouldn’t have reacted like that. Telios terrifies even the vampires he might recruit to be on his side. There are even rumors, although I think it’s ridiculous, that he might be the real Jack the Ripper.”
    “Aha!” Christophe shouted.
    Fiona shushed him. “Aha, what? Also, be quieter, please.”
    “Nothing. Just a hunch I had. Anyway, Telios may have the sword. A powerful enough vampire could get past the security in the Jewel House easily enough,” Christophe mused. “He doesn’t seem to be the type who would share the news, either. So we can’t rule him out.”
    “So tomorrow we go after Telios?”
    Christophe shook his head. “Tomorrow I go after Telios. Alone. A very old, very powerful master vampire is my domain, not yours, won’t you agree, partner?”
    She narrowed her eyes, and he tensed for another battle, but then she sighed and smiled. “Yes, I do agree. There’s not much I can do other than get in the way. But I’m going to be working on a plan for how to clear the Scarlet Ninja’s name.”
    “Agreed.”
    A sound in the hallway alerted them to Hopkins’s presence. “Glad to see you home safely, Lady Fiona. I’ll say good night.”
    “You didn’t need to wait up for me, Hopkins,” she said, smiling at him.
    “Of course not, my lady.” He bowed and retired to his quarters, leaving Fiona staring after him with a mixture of fondness and exasperation.
    Christophe knew how she felt. “Annoying, isn’t it, when nobody does what you say?”
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    She stuck her tongue out at him and ran down the hall to her room. He gave her exactly three seconds’
    head start, and then he gave chase.
    He burst through her door and she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she’d headed to the bathroom to freshen up. He slowed to a walk, trying not to look like a love-struck fool, and someone pushed him from behind, and then laughed.
    Fiona’s laughter. She was shadowing.
    He removed his daggers and then grinned and ripped his shirt off over his head, not bothering with the buttons. “I’m happy to play, Princess.”
    She