My mind dug through its pathetic store of British history. "Queen Elizabeth?"
"Heavens no, dear. I'm not so old as to have been around during Elizabeth the first. I speak of Queen Victoria." She sighed. "Those were such golden years."
"Wasn't she the big prude?"
"Indeed."
"But you're so, umm…" I wasn't sure how to put this delicately. "Stacey, you're kind of on the slutty side. No offense."
"Yes, I have become quite fast and indecent over the decades. My biology, however, forces me to take action lest I am left childless and bereft of love for all eternity."
"You also use a lot of flowery words. Sometimes I don't even know what you're talking about."
"Indeed. Change comes hard to supernatural and most of all to the British." She smiled.
"What would you do if you had to assault the vampires?" I had the map with me so I pulled it out and showed it to her.
She examined it in silence for a moment. "Stealth is the correct approach. In this, I agree with the girl." She sighed and glanced at the star-filled sky. "Though it pains me greatly to admit it, Justin, you are the closest thing I have to a friend or a companion in this world. I have grown somewhat fond of you and do not enjoy the notion that this girl is leading you to your doom."
"Are you sure you weren't an actress back in the day?"
"A thespian? Why, I would never associate with their ilk."
"If we go with your idea of a night assault, what would you suggest?"
She made a mewing noise and Nightliss scurried over. They meowed back and forth for a moment before Stacey nodded. "Nightliss will scout out your father's location. Once found, she will tell me where you should look."
"Won't that require you to be there?"
"Indeed it will."
"But I thought—"
"I do so enjoy the looks of confusion that cross your lovely young face. Of course I will come despite the presence of that–that guardian girl you so covet."
"Ah. Um, welcome to the team then." I hoped this was not leading to a terrible mess. I might witness a cat fight of epic proportions. "Does this mean you'll come back to my house with me?"
"I will meet you there in one hour's time."
"Am I taking the moggies with me?"
"No, I will bring them myself."
"I really appreciate you helping me, but could you please not start any fights with Elyssa?"
She purred. "Do not worry yourself. I am sure she and I will get along fabulously."
I did not like the smirk on her face when she said that.
Chapter 31
"You what?" Elyssa yelled after I arrived home and told her about our new partner.
"We need all the help we can get," I said. "Just don't go waving your swords in her face, please."
"A night raid? With a felycan? This is suicide."
"But it makes sense, doesn't it? If the vamps will be out partying, we'll have fewer to deal with."
Her violet eyes flashed. She snarled and snatched the map from me then slammed it on the table. She jabbed her finger on one of the many colored dots on the map. "These markers, as I explained earlier, are where their sentries will be. The majority will be sleeping in the main chamber of the basement. We know exactly where they'll be during the day. But at night they'll be awake and wandering all over the place."
"Or maybe they'll be off their guard like she said."
Elyssa stared so hard at the map that I thought it might burst into flames. After several moments of silence she blew out a breath through closed lips. "I just don't know." She shook her head and stared out the sliding glass door leading into the back yard. "Why would you involve her after all I told you about felycans? She might hang us out to dry."
"She'd promised me help before I even knew you were going to show up. At least hear her out." I was feeling more and more out of control of this rescue operation. In fact, I hadn't been in control since Elyssa offered her help. Sexual superpowers or not, even I didn't stand a chance against women. They take over anything.
"Do you realize how difficult it is to switch strategies on such short notice? And Shelton may not be able to help now."
I snorted. "Well I trust Stacey more than him, that's for sure."
"He has his own agenda, but at least he swore an oath he can't break without hurting himself."
"Should I email him about the possible change in plans?"
"Let's wait until I hear what this little slut has to say."
"Hey, wait a minute. Are you jealous?" Hope sparked in my heart.
She glared at me briefly then looked away. "Don't be stupid. I just don't want us getting killed."
"So you do care."
Elyssa stiffened. "Your guest is here."
Stacey's presence felt off-kilter to me and I knew it was because she'd arrived in panther form. I hoped she transformed outside. All that bone crunching and popping made me want to throw up. The sliding glass door opened and Stacey, dressed in black workout pants and T-shirt stepped inside. Nightliss scampered through after her and hopped on the kitchen table.
"Thanks for wearing clothes," I said with a tinge of regret.
She dropped a black sack on the table. "It was inconvenient to carry them in my mouth. But I knew the girl might have delicate sensibilities."
"Delicate sensibilities, my rear end." Menace filled Elyssa's voice. "This had better not be a trick. If I get a whiff of betrayal coming from your feline ass, I'm gonna shove my sword up it."
Stacey gave a feral grin. "I would like to see you try, Templar."
Elyssa stalked toward the shorter woman. "Anytime."
I squeezed between them and shoved them apart, somehow nailing both of them right in their boobs. Thankfully, they were both too intent upon staring each other down to notice my inadvertent grope.
"This isn't very helpful," I said. "Can we please agree to be civil until this is over?"
Stacey shrugged. "I am not the one behaving untoward."
"I don't trust her," Elyssa said.
"Why would she go so far out of her way to betray us?" I said. "Someone would have to be really mean to do that."
"I've heard stories of her kind."
"Yeah, well in case you hadn't noticed, you're helping demon spawn. Honestly, if stories were all you had to go on, who would you trust more, a crazy cat woman or an incubus?"
Stacey giggled.
Elyssa rolled her eyes and backed off. "This goes against everything I know. But we'll hear her out."
I sighed in relief. "Okay, Stacey, the floor is yours."
Nightliss leapt up to Stacey's shoulder and perched there. Her huge green eyes gazed intently at each of us. Stacey scratched the cat's ears. "My little friend here will find Justin's father and scout out the location of sentries. Depending upon what she finds, here is what we'll do." She leaned over the map and went through a short but detailed summary of what she'd explained to me earlier.
It sounded a lot like Elyssa's plan except for the timeline. Elyssa seemed to be restraining herself the entire time, probably wanting to find something terribly wrong that she could point out.
After Stacey finished, Elyssa stared into space for a few moments before speaking. "Email Shelton. Tell him we're hitting the compound tonight."
"The plan is good?" I asked.
She clenched her fists and her face reddened. She muttered a few indelicate curses which were not very kind toward cats. "Yes."
Stacey purred.
Shelton replied almost immediately to my email with surprise, but agreed to come over. He showed up thirty minutes later. I checked the clock. We were cutting it close. According to Stacey, the vampires needed time to wake up, throw on some fancy clothes, and shift into party mode. Most of them slept from dawn to around sunset. It seemed kind of funny thinking of bloodsuckers getting all spruced up for a night out on the town. Then again, I figured they weren't much different from the rest of us schmucks.
"What kind of an operation are you running here?" Shelton asked when he surveyed the motley crew. "This is nuts."
I felt like correcting him. I wasn't the one running it. "You're welcome to back out if you want," I told him. "But you have to do it now."
He looked from Elyssa to Stacey and then to me. "Let me hear this new plan of yours."
"You're quite young for a sorcerer," Stacey said.
He shrugged. "I'm old enough."
"You, young man, are not a year over twenty-five."
"Your point being?"
"One quarter of a century is hardly enough time to obtain proficiency."
"How would you know?"
She tapped her temple. "I have my sources."
"That's all very well and good," I said, "but I've seen him in action. Anyone who can shoot fire out of a stick is okay by me."
"My wand is hardly a stick, kid."
"And I'm hardly a kid to you, kid. You can stop with the condescension right now."
He chuckled. "Fair enough." He dropped into a chair at the kitchen table. "All right, show me this new miracle plan Goldilocks thought up."
Stacey pursed her lips. "Goldilocks, eh?" She ran a fingernail down his neck. The hairs stood on end. "Shall I see if baby bear is home?"
Shelton cleared his throat uneasily. "The plan, please," he said in a choked voice.
Stacey gave a throaty melodious laugh. "Of course, magic man."
By the time she was finished, Shelton looked pretty peeved. "How am I supposed to get any bounties with this plan?"
"If all goes well, you won't even be needed," I said.
"Exactly my point. I won't get in a lick of action."
