enemy of my enemy is my friend ?” Roland drawled.
Bastien’s lips tightened. “We all have. That’s precisely my point. If we can convince the vampires that they have a new enemy—one the two of us share—who poses an even greater threat to them than we do, then perhaps we can work together to defeat Emrys. For whatever reason, the vampires today are more willing to band together.”
“Again, I think we know whose fault that is,” Roland drawled.
“Why not use that to our advantage?” Bastien persisted. Melanie silently applauded him for not rising to the bait. “Why not have them band together and work with us instead of against us? Find a way to make it worth their while?”
Roland emitted a bark of laughter. “If you think I’m going to work with vampires, you’re out of your bloody mind. And I’m sure as hell not going to let Sarah work with them.”
Sarah’s eyebrows flew up. “I’m sorry. Did you say you’re not going to let me?”
He cleared his throat. “I meant I’m sure as hell not going to let them work with you .”
“Shouldn’t that be my decision?”
He smiled. “Only if you agree with me, sweetling.”
Sarah laughed and shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“I know.”
“Roland made a good point,” Marcus threw in. “How do you know the vampires won’t side with Emrys against us? It’s too great a risk.”
“They stand to lose as much as we do if Emrys gets his hands on them,” Bastien insisted.
“The vampire king didn’t think so,” David stated. “Emrys promised him an army if he would capture and hand over Ami. I’m sure there are many vampires out there who would leap at such an offer. And many others who might leap at less. Their mental instability does not leave them with the best judgment.”
“So we convince them the offer is bullshit,” Bastien persisted. “Tell them Emrys is the one who killed the vampire king. That we were only able to defeat the king’s army because Emrys got there before us and destroyed most of them. Make us seem like the lesser of two evils and make the point so clearly that even a complete psychopath can see it.”
Us? Melanie stared at him. That was a slip.
In the silence that followed, Tanner cleared his throat. “It worked before.”
Seth turned his attention on the blond. “Elaborate.”
“The vampires who served under Bastien feared him.”
That surprised Melanie. Not because she doubted Bastien was capable of inspiring fear. He had frightened her a bit the first time she had met him in person and had no trouble in the intimidation department. But Cliff and Joe spoke so highly of him. Vince had, too.
“Most of them did anyway,” Tanner qualified. “It was the only way Bastien could control those who were starting to lose it mentally. He had strict rules. And the vampires feared what he might do to them if they disobeyed those rules.” He held up a hand when Roland started to speak. “Yes, some of them broke the rules anyway, but a majority of them didn’t or else there would have been a hell of a lot more Missing Person reports.” He looked to Chris. “Am I right?”
Melanie wondered just how much it galled Chris to nod his agreement.
“My point is,” Tanner continued, “the vampires considered Bastien the lesser of two evils. They knew they had a greater chance of survival with him than if they were on their own. And they knew that defeating the immortals would increase their safety. If they think Emrys and his soldiers—or whoever the hell he commands—pose a greater threat to them than you do, they’ll get the word out to the other vamps and the more stable ones may work with you to defeat him and help keep the others out of his hands.”
Richart studied Tanner curiously. “How can you be certain the vampires will listen to us?”
“They’re vampires,” Tanner said. “You can’t be certain of anything with them. But, as you know, enough listened to Bastien that he was able to
Bastien’s lips tightened. “We all have. That’s precisely my point. If we can convince the vampires that they have a new enemy—one the two of us share—who poses an even greater threat to them than we do, then perhaps we can work together to defeat Emrys. For whatever reason, the vampires today are more willing to band together.”
“Again, I think we know whose fault that is,” Roland drawled.
“Why not use that to our advantage?” Bastien persisted. Melanie silently applauded him for not rising to the bait. “Why not have them band together and work with us instead of against us? Find a way to make it worth their while?”
Roland emitted a bark of laughter. “If you think I’m going to work with vampires, you’re out of your bloody mind. And I’m sure as hell not going to let Sarah work with them.”
Sarah’s eyebrows flew up. “I’m sorry. Did you say you’re not going to let me?”
He cleared his throat. “I meant I’m sure as hell not going to let them work with you .”
“Shouldn’t that be my decision?”
He smiled. “Only if you agree with me, sweetling.”
Sarah laughed and shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“I know.”
“Roland made a good point,” Marcus threw in. “How do you know the vampires won’t side with Emrys against us? It’s too great a risk.”
“They stand to lose as much as we do if Emrys gets his hands on them,” Bastien insisted.
“The vampire king didn’t think so,” David stated. “Emrys promised him an army if he would capture and hand over Ami. I’m sure there are many vampires out there who would leap at such an offer. And many others who might leap at less. Their mental instability does not leave them with the best judgment.”
“So we convince them the offer is bullshit,” Bastien persisted. “Tell them Emrys is the one who killed the vampire king. That we were only able to defeat the king’s army because Emrys got there before us and destroyed most of them. Make us seem like the lesser of two evils and make the point so clearly that even a complete psychopath can see it.”
Us? Melanie stared at him. That was a slip.
In the silence that followed, Tanner cleared his throat. “It worked before.”
Seth turned his attention on the blond. “Elaborate.”
“The vampires who served under Bastien feared him.”
That surprised Melanie. Not because she doubted Bastien was capable of inspiring fear. He had frightened her a bit the first time she had met him in person and had no trouble in the intimidation department. But Cliff and Joe spoke so highly of him. Vince had, too.
“Most of them did anyway,” Tanner qualified. “It was the only way Bastien could control those who were starting to lose it mentally. He had strict rules. And the vampires feared what he might do to them if they disobeyed those rules.” He held up a hand when Roland started to speak. “Yes, some of them broke the rules anyway, but a majority of them didn’t or else there would have been a hell of a lot more Missing Person reports.” He looked to Chris. “Am I right?”
Melanie wondered just how much it galled Chris to nod his agreement.
“My point is,” Tanner continued, “the vampires considered Bastien the lesser of two evils. They knew they had a greater chance of survival with him than if they were on their own. And they knew that defeating the immortals would increase their safety. If they think Emrys and his soldiers—or whoever the hell he commands—pose a greater threat to them than you do, they’ll get the word out to the other vamps and the more stable ones may work with you to defeat him and help keep the others out of his hands.”
Richart studied Tanner curiously. “How can you be certain the vampires will listen to us?”
“They’re vampires,” Tanner said. “You can’t be certain of anything with them. But, as you know, enough listened to Bastien that he was able to
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