“As they should,” Myanin replied matter-of-factly. She had to set her emotions aside, including the crazy ones attempting to focus on a certain warlock. “I have committed an act of treason against my people. No matter the reason, it is something I know I cannot atone for. But I am going to at least try.”
“Why?” Peri asked. “At what point did you have a sudden change of heart from when you killed your elder to when you found yourself in cahoots with the Order?”
Myanin wasn’t offended by the high fae’s question, no matter how snarky it was. And she appreciated the couple of small growls that came from Gerick at Peri’s words. The djinn could feel warmth coming from where he stood, as if his own magic were attempting to comfort her. She let that reassure her as she answered Peri. “It wasn’t a sudden change of heart,” Myanin explained. “It has been happening since I’ve been in the human realm. Regardless of what I’ve done, I’m not okay with what Ludcarab and the Order are trying to accomplish. Being around them has made me realize I refuse to become what they have become. Even if I die today, I don’t want to add anymore to my transgressions.”
Peri stared at her, appearing to weigh her words. Myanin knew they rang true because she meant them with every ounce of her being.
“And if I was to bring the djinn council here, right now?” Peri asked.
“I would accept my fate,” Myanin answered without pause.
Myanin saw Gerick move out of the corner of her eye but didn’t take her eyes off of Peri.
“Stand down, general,” Peri said dryly. “I will not hand over your female … unless she gives me reason to.”
The rush of excitement that flowed through Myanin was unexpected. A male had rushed to her defense. Thadrick had never done that. That she suddenly had the urge to share her cotton candy with Gerick was even more shocking, so much so that she almost felt the need to give herself a stern talking to. Sharing cotton candy was serious business. She and her overexuberant magic were going to need to have a long discussion about not being a cheap date.
“Do you have any information for us now?” Peri asked, pulling her back from her inner thoughts.
Myanin nodded. “The Order is working on rebuilding their army of vampires,” she said.
“Unfortunately,” Tenia added. “We had to help them in order to prove we’re loyal.”
“What did you have to do?” Peri asked, her voice markedly gentler than when she’d been speaking to Myanin.
Tenia’s face tightened, her lips drawing in a severe line. “We had to bring in humans for them to change.”
Lilly sucked in a breath, and her face appeared to drain of blood.
Tenia hurried to continue. “We tried to figure out a way to keep from taking innocent people.”
“We used humans who were incarcerated,” Myanin said. “We realize it wasn’t a perfect solution. There are those who’ve been wrongly imprisoned, obviously, and there are others who…”
“Are horrible human beings, locked up for a reason and now they’re being turned into something even more evil that will allow them to act on their evil impulses?” Peri said, interrupting Myanin as she flicked her hands in the air.
The djinn nodded. “It was either that or take the Wendy Rhodeses of the world and turn them into bloodsucking monsters, which, even if they are a bit crazy with a weird accent, don’t deserve to be turned into monsters that like to poke holes into humans and suck,” Myanin said, sounding a tad defensive.
“Oh, the things Jen could have done with that last sentence,” Peri sighed, sounding sad that whoever Jen was, she wasn’t there to oblige her.
“Who’s Wendy Rhodes?” Tenia whispered, obviously unconcerned about this Jen character, who sounded rather interesting.
“A female I met when I was making my way to the Order. She had a thing for playing cards. She thought I was crazy when I told her what I was and why I was in the human realm,” Myanin answered. “Wendy was funny. Though I thought I was going to have to dispose of her at one point if she didn’t calm down. She was ready to call the human authorities.”
Myanin glanced at Tenia. The fae’s eyes were wide. “You told her what you are?”
The djinn nodded. “And why I was here,” she reminded. “She didn’t take it well.”
“I would think not,” Tenia said, her lips turning up slightly. Apparently, she found the situation humorous.
“I didn’t dispose of her,” Myanin added, her gaze jumping to Gerick briefly and then back to Tenia, hoping to make it abundantly clear that she’d not killed anyone else.
“Thank the Great Luna for small miracles,” Tenia sighed.
“Perhaps we should try to stay focused,” Lilly said.
“Right.” Tenia nodded. “So, Cain, who is now the vampire king since Sincaro was dispatched, is changing the humans. But the problem is Ludcarab and Alston thought our idea to get humans from the prisons was a little too brilliant—”
“Naturally,” Peri interjected.
“And they’ve been gathering humans from prisons all over the world,” Tenia continued.
“We were selective in who we chose,” Myanin added. “We tried to make sure not to take the most vile, the ones who hurt children and women.”
The two males in the room growled, and Myanin wanted to growl with them in agreement.
“Ludcarab and Alston will have no such reservations,” Peri said.
“No,” Myanin agreed. “If they give it any thought, they will purposefully find the most violent humans they can.”
“How many have they made so far?” Lilly asked. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her
