“There’s no shame in not being able to do it yourself. I wouldn’t think less of you.” Liam made eye contact, assuring Amaia of the sincerity of his words.
There shouldn’t have been any reason why Amaia couldn’t kill him herself. He was a human. Killing him should have been natural. If it came down to it, though, she knew she couldn’t take his life again. “Thanks, Liam. I just really don’t think it would help matters.”
Liam shrugged and returned to his carving.
“What are you going to do?” Meg was really asking if Amaia would uphold her promise.
His pull tempted her to surrender. How would Michael look this time? It was a silly thought. He would be a baby. What interest did she have in a baby? There was no reason to run off and see him. None at all. “I’m not going to him, Meg. I made a promise.”
Meg grinned and patted her hand. “Good. You’re doing the right thing, Amaia. I know it’s hard, but if you need me, I’m here.”
She’d made a promise, and she would strive to keep it. Besides, she could always change her mind later. She had no need to break her word to Meg today.
Chapter 18
Kiev, May 1691, 17 years, 8 months later
“Zenas has an assignment for us.” Lawrence stood in front of the fireplace, speaking to Amaia aloud out of respect for Liam and Meg.
“What kind of assignment?” Even though they were always subject to Zenas’s command, they could go years without a specific assignment. He had too many children and had been alive too long to micromanage. When life was measured in centuries, giving orders every few years seemed frequent enough.
“Some of Ezekial’s clan in the Far East encroach on our territories. At first, they were simply a nuisance, but now their squabbles with our clan threaten to expose us to the humans. He wants us to travel to Lhasa and take care of the problem.” Ezekial’s clan wasn’t as keen on subtlety as Zenas’s. At times, Zenas and the leaders of smaller clans were all that stood in the way of Ezekial attempting to conquer the human race. There were some, like Ezekial, who thought humans should be treated as cattle. Others believed it was best for all involved for vampires to remain in the realm of myth. At the moment, Amaia didn’t care either way.
“Lhasa?” Amaia felt her energy vibrate as her emotions built, threatening to start her hands trembling. “But that’s so far away. Surely there’s someone closer he can send.”
Meg shot her a sharp glance, and Lawrence narrowed his eyes. “It’s not our place to question his orders, my dear. He wants us: me for my loyalty and you for your ability to blend in with humans. You’re the best we have.”
“Won’t we make even more of a spectacle? We’re clearly foreigners.”
“Exactly. We’ll stand out, but we’ll be able to blend in as humans. The local vampires aren’t able to handle the problem. If he sends anyone else, they will draw the same amount of attention but won’t be able to withstand as much scrutiny as we can. You should feel flattered that Zenas trusts you with such an important task.”
Lawrence was right, of course, but Lhasa was so far away. Much too far to make side trips to see Michael. If she were to go, she would forfeit any opportunity to see him. For the last seventeen and a half years, she had resisted the impulse to go to him by telling herself she could always go tomorrow. Zenas was stealing her tomorrows.
“I’m honored he would select me. I just wonder if I can live up to his and your expectations.”
“You’ll be fine, my dear. Trust me. I would never set you up to fail.” Lawrence gave her one of his warm smiles that made her feel everything would be all right. She wondered how he would look if he knew the truth behind her reluctance.
“What about you two? Will you join us?” Lawrence turned to Meg and Liam.
“Naturally. We’re with Amaia.” Meg’s voice was firm, and Amaia was grateful for that. If she was going to make it through this transition without betraying her secret, she would need the support of her best friend.
“Fine. It might be best if you travel as our servants to keep you from having to blend in as well.”
Liam and Meg didn’t have a lot of interest in blending in. They didn’t have much need as it usually wasn’t an issue, but they would attract attention as foreigners. Amaia saw the wisdom in Lawrence’s plan.
“Hmph. I don’t mind putting up appearances, but don’t expect us to bow and scrape to you. That’s where I draw the line.” Liam’s voice was gruff as he crossed his arms over his chest. His pride was one of the things Amaia admired in him.
“I wouldn’t dream of insulting you like that, Liam.” Lawrence reassured him. However, Amaia knew Lawrence had no qualms about insulting anyone if it served his purpose.