“Say hi to Emmy for me,” Ashley said when I dropped her off at her apartment. “Someday maybe I’ll actually get to meet her.”

  “Someday it’ll happen,” I agreed, wondering just what the meeting would look like and how much of a train wreck would it be. Probably totally hilarious and completely embarrassing at the same time, I figured.

  “I did not mind that little trip to San Jose,” Emmy said when we got home to our house in the Hollywood Hills Monday night. “It was much better than sleeping alone here in Los Angeles.”

  “I’m sorry it was so boring for you, babe,” I told her. “At least here you have Jackson and Lee to work with, and our friends to hang out with. Up there, everybody we knew has moved away.”

  “James and Imogen are still there,” Emmy protested.

  “Yeah, and it’s a bummer you missed 'em when they came to the club on Saturday night. Next time we go up we should schedule a day trip to do some wine tasing with the two of them.”

  “That would be lovely- and we should have dinner at The Laundry,” Emmy said, enthusiastic about the idea.

  “We should do that even if we can’t hook up with the Athertons,” I said. “It’s been a while since we’ve eaten there.”

  “It has,” Emmy agreed, thinking about it. “Too long. We- we should be more social,” Emmy said.

  “We’re social,” I protested. “The guest list for dinner on Wednesday night is over twenty people!”

  “I guess I do not mean that we are not social,” Emmy said, thinking about it as she looked at me in the bedroom mirror while she removed her stud earrings. “We should be more… I am not certain what the word is. We should be in the public eye more. More visible? Is that right?”

  “More visible, sure,” I agreed. “But why do you think we should do that?”

  “I think it is very close to the time we should announce Night Children to the day walker world,” Emmy said, watching me for my reaction.

  “I don’t think we have a lot of wiggle room on that,” I agreed. “It’s really going to need to happen fairly soon, but Em… maybe it should wait until I tie up some loose ends?”

  Emmy turned around to look at me better. “Leah, I have not asked and you have not volunteered, but am I correct in assuming that these loose ends you refer to are those who instigated the attack against us? I thought you had told me that you had already dealt with them.”

  “Yes… and no,” I admitted. “Yes, we eliminated the Night Children cell in New York that launched the attack. They’re wiped out completely. Gone, soon to be forgotten. But a man from Istanbul had promised them a lot of money if they killed you and Angela. A man we suspect is working for King Marfan. The next step, Em… It’s scrubbing the Marfan family off the face of the earth. I want to finish that off before the big announcement.”

  “You really plan to do this thing?” Emmy asked, stunned. “It will be impossible!”

  “No, it won’t. It’ll take a lot of intelligence and careful planning, but we have the basics already in motion. Em, by this time next year another family will lead that nation, a family that won’t be so antagonistic to us and ours.”

  “What family?” Emmy asked, still trying to grasp the enormity of it all. “And how will they usurp the Marfans?”

  “It’s a family with a long, proud lineage over there, a family with a lot of support but that the Marfans have done what they could to sideline. Once the Marfan line is gone, they’ll step into the power vacuum,” I explained.

  “But… How will you eliminate King Marfan? Even if you can, one of his sons will simply assume the throne,” Emmy objected.

  “Not if they all die the same night,” I said.

  “All of them?”

  “Every last one,” I told her. “Every last member of the family. We can’t leave any of them alive.”

  “This is…” Emmy trailed off, at a loss for words, anguish clear on her face.

  “This is necessary,” I told her, getting up off the bed and crossing the room to take her in my arms. “They’ve shown that they’re a continuing problem and can’t be ignored. We can’t just hope they’ll stop making problems for us, Em, because they won’t.”

  “But killing them all? How can you even manage to do that? And what about family members that have had nothing to do with harming us?” Emmy objected.

  “Like our babies did nothing to harm them?” I countered, perhaps a bit more harshly than I should. Realizing I was being insensitive, I softened my tone. “Em, that family is a poisonous tree. They’ve been terrible forever- the only way to ensure they don’t regain some sort of control is by pulling the whole thing out by the roots.”

  “I think you should speak with my parents about this,” Emmy said, still visibly troubled. “They might have a better idea.”

  “I have been speaking with your dad about this,” I told her, holding her close.

  “What does he have to say?” Emmy asked, her voice muffled since her face was buried in my shoulder.

  “He says that I had better do it completely or not do it at all. The last thing anybody needs is a protracted war.”

  “He supports you in this… plan?” Emmy asked, leaning back to look me in the face.

  “He supports me, but can’t be seen as doing so. He’s made it very, very clear that this is my war, not his.”

  “Can you… Can you win? Can you do this thing?” Emmy asked.

  “I am confident we can,” I said. “But like I told you, it’ll take some careful preparation. I’ve been getting the pieces together, and soon we’ll start our intelligence gathering. When it comes time to strike, it’ll be decisive and complete.”

  “I do not like this,” Emmy said, burying her face against me again.

  “I don’t either, but it needs to happen,” I replied. “So, please, wait to announce until after we’ve done what needs to be done. There are some other considerations, too- the Japanese, they want to coincide their announcement with ours, and your parents, they want to have things ready in Europe for when the news breaks.”

  “You really do speak to my parents?” Emmy asked.

  “Well, your dad mostly, but yeah,” I admitted. “We talk.”

  “I do not know what to think about all this,” Emmy confessed.

  “I haven’t wanted to tell you, Em, mainly because I didn’t want to burden you. You don’t need to know about any of this. You just need to be our shining star. That’s all our people need from you. You be their angel. I’m O.K. with being the devil. It’s worked so far.”

  “Leah, I am so sorry-” Emmy started, but I cut her off.

  “Don’t apologize for bringing me into the world of the Night Children,” I said, shushing her. “When I said that I would be by your side, I meant it. ‘For better or for worse’ aren’t just words, Em. True, I wouldn’t be the person I am now if not for you, but I wouldn’t be the person I am now if I didn’t accept the role, either.”

  “But-”

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  “Nope. Not gonna hear it,” I said, putting a finger on her lips. “I am the devil queen of the Americas. I am the one who is feared by our enemies and obeyed by our people so that you can be the angel queen, beloved and adored by all. These are our roles, Em. This is how it is. I’m O.K. with that. If it means a better life for the people in our shadows it’s a very, very good thing.”

  Emmy’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I do not think you are a devil,” she said.

  “Neither do our people whose lives have been improved by joining us,” I told her. “They know I’m working for them. They know it, but they know I’m the strict parent, too.”

  “I should involve myself with our people more,” Emmy said in a quiet voice. “I have been remiss.”

  “Em, if you want to do that, I can’t say it’s a bad idea. You remember the Seattle lunch? Just getting to meet you and talk to you was so wonderful to our people there. If you’re up for it, I’d like to schedule more of those meet and greets. It’s really good for our people to know that you, well, really are what they imagine you to be,” I said.

  “What do they imagine me to be?” Emmy asked, leaning back to look me in the face again.

  “Honestly? An ideal. You’re everything they wish their queen could be. Charming, talented, beautiful, friendly. You’re all that, Emmy De Lascaux. You are their ideal queen.”

  Emmy laughed, breaking the somber mood. “What does that make you?”

  “The one who does what has to be done. That’s me,” I told her.

  “I should be-” Emmy started to say, but once again I put a finger on her lips to shush her.

  “No. You should be the aspirational one. Our people need you to be a shining star as much as they need me to get my hands dirty. I’ve accepted my role in all this, Em. You need to accept yours.”

  “In Chicago,” Emmy said, “I saw you get your hands dirty, and I was… ‘terrified’ is not the right word. I was stunned by your… your ruthlessness. That might not be the right word, either. I saw you in action, and it was… It was hard for me to process. Obviously I know you train very hard, but to see you in action, Leah… It is something else entirely. I did not see what you did in Atlanta until I watched that video online and it was truly frightening. I watched when you grabbed that man and broke his wrist with one hand, and then twisted his head around. You were so…”

  “Why does everybody mention that particular part?” I groaned.

  “Leah, it was unreal,” Emmy said, again looking me in the eyes. “You were not acting out of anger or hate- your face was impassive. You were merely doing what had to be done at the moment, looking around for what needed to be done in the next. Leah, you had already forgotten that man by the time he died in your arms. You snapped his neck- I did not know that was even possible- and dropped him without a second thought. Leah, I do not know how to express how terrifying that was. If I did not know you as I do, I would be in mortal fear of you.”

  “But you do know me,” I said.

  “And I know you to be a very loving, kind person who cares very deeply for your friends and family. I know you to be strong, but gentle to those you care about. I do know these things. But if I did not, I would be very terrified of you.”

  “Well, I guess it’s a good thing you do know me, then,” I said, “so you can be in love with me instead of terrified of me.”

  “It is a very good thing,” Emmy agreed. “Because I am very much in love with you.”

  “How do you feel about going out tonight? I know it’s been a long day, but…” I suggested.

  “What are you thinking?” Emmy asked, curious.

  “Like you said, being seen is important, right? But we don’t just need to be seen by the Hollywood elite and paparazzis. We need to be seen by ordinary people, right? Let’s go hit a couple of places we own. That’ll actually serve another purpose, too. If you’re seen with another Night Child or two, then people might start to recognize that you’re part of a certain ethnic group, right?”

  “Should we bring Jeremy?” Emmy asked.

  “He has today off,” I told her. “I didn’t think we’d need him tonight, and he had something he wanted to do. We’ll be fine,” I assured her. “Los Angeles is under our complete control, and besides, nobody knows our plans so they won’t be prepared.”

  “Can we take the convertible?” Emmy asked.

  “It’s kinda cold,” I said doubtfully.

  “Those cars have excellent heaters,” Emmy countered. “Yes, it is a little bit cold, but it is a beautiful evening and if we are going out to be seen, what better way?”

  “Alright,” I said, giving in. “But if I freeze my ass off I’m going to require you to heat me up when we get back home.”

  “I am perfectly willing to do that even if your ass stays nice and warm,” Emmy declared. “In fact, I think that must go on our agenda for tonight in any case.”

  “This is sounding better and better all the time,” I said with a grin, leaning down to give her a kiss.

  Emmy was right- with the car’s heater turned way up, riding with the top down on a November night in Los Angeles wasn’t bad at all- it fully justified the pain in the ass of pulling the hard top off to expose the rag top underneath. At Emmy’s insistence we took a very roundabout way to Venice Beach, getting lots of stares and waves as we drove down Hollywood Boulevard, then through Santa Monica. Emmy was happy to wave back and blow kisses when people spotted her and called out her name.

  The brewpub on Abbott Kinney didn’t have a valet or even its own parking lot, so I had to find a spot on the street about half a block away, but that was fine. It was a nice night, and walking hand in hand with Emmy was a great way to spend a few minutes. I did put the top up once we parked, though, just to keep sticky fingers out of the Z8.

  I didn’t know the hostess at the door and she had no clue who I was, either, but she certainly recognized Emmy.

  “I would like a table where we can see the football game,” Emmy told the pretty college-aged girl.

  “I was thinking you wanted something quiet,” the girl said, surprised.

  “The Rams are playing tonight,” Emmy said.

  “Oh! That’s right!” the hostess said, her eyes wide. “That football player who sang at your house- he plays for the Rams, right?”

  “You have seen that video?” Emmy asked, surprised.

  “Like a dozen times, maybe?” the hostess answered shyly. “And the one with Theodore Behr- I had no idea he could sing so good!”

  “I will tell both of them that you enjoyed watching them sing,” Emmy said.

  “Emmy- as good as they were, you’re much better,” the girl said, turning pink, embarrassed by her own admission. “I saw you at the Coliseum- that was the best concert I’ve ever seen in my life!”

  “I am very glad you think so,” Emmy told her. “Lee and Jackson and I have been talking about doing a secret show- if you give me your phone number we will text you the details when we have something finalized.”

  “Seriously?” the hostess squeaked. “That’d be so awesome!” Taking a pen and a little notepad from her pocket, she wrote her name and number down and shoved it in Emmy’s hand before Emmy could change her mind.

  “Bianca, we will message you soon,” Emmy said after glancing at the info.

  “So awesome!” Bianca said again, completely forgetting to set down the menus she was carrying as she went back to the front. She returned a moment later to hand us the forgotten menus, saying that Isaiah would be our waiter.

  “I hope you meant it,” I said once Bianca had left. “You’ve gotten her hopes up.”

  “We have been talking about doing a series of unannounced shows here in Los Angeles,” Emmy said. “Just small venues with no promotion at all. We need to remind ourselves of what it is like to play in front of audiences we can actually see. We enjoyed the arena tour, but it was a bit dehumanizing at the same time.”

  “I guess I can understand that,” I admitted.

  Isaiah bowed his head respectfully when he arrived at our table. “My queens, it is my honor to serve you tonight. My great honor.”

  “Isaiah, how is it working as a server?” I asked him.

  “It was difficult at first, but I’m used to it now,” he said. “Once I got over my nervousness I found that I enjoy talking to our guests. I hadn’t expected it, but it’s true.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” I told him. “I’m really proud of how well you’re doing. Very proud.”

  “That means everything to me,” he said.

  After Isaiah left, Emmy asked me about him, and I told her as much of his story as I knew.

  “He seemed happy and healthy,” Emmy said. “Stories like his remind me of why we are doing all that we are.”

  “Em, babe, there are so many stories like his I can’t even tell you. We have, by last count, a little over two thousand people in our shadow right now. Virtually every one of them have stories like Isaiah’s.”

  “That many?” Emmy asked, surprised. “I had no idea!”

  “It’s still a small fraction of the numbers the nations in the Old World have, but it’s a far cry from when we started,” I agreed. “Our best estimate is that there may be as many again in our regions that haven’t joined us, but that’s changing with time, too. More and more are trickling in in established areas, now that they’ve seen the benefits we offer our people.”

  “That makes sense,” Emmy admitted.

  “Isaiah,” Emmy said when he came back to ask what we wanted for dinner. “Do you know my music?”

  “Of course!” he replied, surprised that she would even need to ask.

  “My bandmates and I have been planning on doing some secret shows here in Los Angeles. Would you like an invite to see us?” Emmy asked.

  “I would like that very much!” Isaiah said, his eyes wide, excited by the idea.

  “When we have our plans finalized I will ask Leah to reach out and extend you an invite. It will be for two, so bring a friend.”

  “Can I bring Keenie?” Isaiah asked, looking back and forth between Emmy and me.

  “You can bring whomever you wish,” Emmy said.

  “Does Keenie still use the city bus to get around?” I asked.

  “Yes, she does,” Isaiah replied.

  “Then I’ll send a driver to pick you two up when the time comes,” I told him. “And I’ll make sure you both get that night off from work.”

  “Thank you,” he said, and that was enough. His gratitude was palpable.

  After dinner we again took a less-than-direct route to our next stop, the bar in Westwood done up like an English club reading room. I’d hoped that some of the Night Children on staff would be working that night, but none were. Still, it was a nice way to wind down the evening, and quite a few college students approached our table to talk to Emmy. Gracious as ever, Emmy posed for selfies with a smile.

  Enjoying our end of the day soak back home, Emmy said that what we’d done that night was exactly what she’d meant earlier when she said we should be more visible.

  “I enjoyed this evening very much,” Emmy said, relaxing against my chest and wrapping herself in my arms. “We should do that more often.”

  “Do which part?” I asked, kissing her hair.

  “Going out, spending time with each other,” Emmy said. “Driving in the convertible with the top down, having dinner at the kind of place most people go out to… It was all very nice. Thank you for all of it.”

  “There is still one more thing on the list tonight,” I told her, cupping her breasts in my hands. “The whole hot and sweaty part.”

  “I had not forgotten,” Emmy said with a laugh. “I have been looking forward to that part of our night for hours!”