"Where they used to come once every few months, The Others are now testing our border defenses once a week." Minister Atropa rises from her seat at the head of the long table. "By our calculations, there will be one attack a day by this time next year."

Flax raises his big furry hand. "The Goddess Cannons will be hard-pressed to keep up with that kind of energy demand. We are already preparing to tap into our energy stockpiles."

"I have to ask the same question I've asked for what seems like decades now," Vice-Minister Tombs cuts in. "Why can't we retrofit the cannons to run off of dwarf gems instead of our current non-renewable fuel?"

"We have tried and the demands of the cannons destroy the gems after one to two uses. We'd destroy our renewable resources."

"Sounds like the energy company trying its usual shenanigans."

"Sounds like the ministry's usual baseless accusations," Flax snarls.

"Baseless?" Tombs scoffs. "Deflecting, as always.

As the politicians argue, I sit back and wonder why me and the others foreign exchange needed to be here. I turn to my left, wondering if Terry and Jihun feel similarly, but both are enrapt by the debate... well, enrapt by Vice-Minister Tombs specifically. I watch as they both mouth his words as they leave his lips. Everyone is so preoccupied, it looks like I'm the only one who notices.

The crazy part is my dad's journal insists that controlling a victim is draining on a vampire, so draining they are incapable of dominating the minds of more than one person at a time. After our meeting out in the hall, I'd thought that Sasha might have done something to them, but chalked it up to my imagination. She'd definitely done something to me which should have meant she couldn't do anything to them. Clearly, I'm watching the wrong vampire. The Vice-Minister had them both at least partially enthralled. Which meant he was either immensely powerful or my dad's journal is wrong.

Marcus Smalls has been wrong about a lot of things in his life, but he knows his monsters.

...

I'm suddenly back in the cool waters of the pool. Sasha takes my hand in hers and rests her head against my chest. I still hear Tombs and Furstein arguing, but they are far away, in another room, in another life.

What's happening?

I told you before, silly. You're mine to toy with whenever I want.

Is that what you did to the others?

No. No, Daddy did them. In the elevator, I told him you were mine.

Why are you doing this?

Because I can.

No, seriously.

Fine. Daddy needs you humans to tell your masters and the public exactly what he tells you to. She chuckles. He has a plan.

I scoop her up and move us to the edge of the pool. Sitting her on the tiles, I look into her devious red eyes. She Wraps her arms around my neck and leans forward to kiss my lips. I will my arms to stop her, but they only flop at my sides like a trippy Harlem Shake video.

I want to bite you so bad, it's making me insane. But the others will notice and Daddy will be pissed if I get in trouble. She sucks on my lower lip. You smell so different, even from the other humans. I have to know what you taste like!

I desperately struggle to wake up. As I strain the lights begin to flicker.

...

Back at the conference table, I take a deep breath as if I'd forgotten how to breath for a moment. I look around the room, sure everyone notices my strange behavior, but, the only person paying attention to me is the reporter, Ada Silk. She raises an eyebrow and jots something down a pad. There is a bit of commotion on the far wall where the vainglory and the men in white stand watch. It looks like Sasha has fainted. Wax and two of the peacekeepers quietly rush her out into the hallway.

"All of this is why we need to find resources from somewhere else," Minister Atropa says. I get the impression she's been monologuing for a while. "Our new friends on the other side of the veil are the key to getting ahead of this crisis before things are beyond our control."

She sits and it's like a mike drop. The gathered attendees start clapping and, after a moment, so do Tombs and Furstein. I join in, embarrassed that I have no idea what the point of all this is.

A few other politician-types take turns to talk about local issues, and Furstein gives a presentation about a new type of cable that will streamline dwarf gem power transfer. It both takes forever and is over too fast. Before I know what's happening, Vice-Minister Tombs thanks us all for coming and Obera hurries me out into the hallway. The Captain takes a few minutes to talk to the vainglory operatives assigned to Terry and Jihun, then we leave.

"That was interesting," I say to the lift.

"Sorry you had to sit through that," The Captain says. "Minister Atropa wanted to make sure you and the others had a chance to hear about our political position, first hand"

"At least you got to sit," Obera mumbles under her breath.

"I'm not sure I understand it all."

"In its simplest form: Our nation, El'Enara, is at war with a coalition we've dubbed The Others. After three armed conflicts, we have been at a military impasse in a big part sustained because of our border defenses."

LN. El'Enara.

"The Goddess Cannons."

"Right. But we are running out of fuel and The Ministry is looking for a solution. Atropa thinks your world is the answer."

We needed a special stone to exit the lift on the twentieth floor. The Azi'Zoro apartments take up three levels of the building with a condo-like suite that would easily run someone a couple hundred million in New York City. The fact that this is their vacation home really puts things into perspective for me. They are a lesser family of House Black, House Black is one of twelve ruling political clans. Until this moment, I hadn't seen their family as more than well to do, but this opened my eyes. These women are rich.

It shouldn't have made me feel awkward, but it did.

"Are you okay, Marlon?" The Captain asks me as she carries my travel bag into the room they've assigned me.

"Let me get that!" I rush over and take the bag from her. "I'm fine. It's just... wow. Look at this view."

I put the bag down in front of the huge window overlooking the Gemknight skyline. She moves up beside me and we watch a flock of griffons fly over the low rooftops. I look at her from the side of my eye and my breath catches in my chest. The way the light plays off her scales is magnificent.

"Back home people struggle all of their lives to afford something only a fraction as beautiful."

Her cheeks darken. "You find the view beautiful?"

"Very. I like this place... a lot."

"I think this place likes you too."

I slowly slide over and reach for her fingers, but they find mine. We stand together as the sky dims and nighttime falls. Thoughts of vampires and cannons, mushrooms and The Initiative play through my mind, but all I really care about is the peace I feel.

A knock at the door makes us both jump.

"Mr. Smalls, I have your tea," Chai says, her hands shaking as she looks from me to The Captain. "I didn't mean to interrupt, Mistress."

"It is okay, Chai." she gestures for her to come in.

Chai brings over a cup of the cloying flowery tea she always seems to have on hand.

"Thank you."

"Mistress Colette wanted me to tell you that your ride will be here in twenty minutes."

"My ride?"

"For your date," The Captain says, a bit of the warmth absent from her tone.

I look back at her.

"I... I could cancel."

"Why? Letty's been looking forward to this all day."

"Because we–"

"We were just enjoying the view, Mr. Smalls." she returns her attention to the skyline.

"I'm Mr. Smalls again?" I'm not sure what to say. "I like you, Captain. I like you a lot and I'd love to–."

"My sisters really like you." She turns to leave. "Go enjoy yourself. I'll send Obera along to keep you company. I suddenly don't feel up to it."

Chai shrugs apologetically and backs out of the room, leaving me with the splendid view and tasty tea.

Why is everything so complicated?