“You killed and tortured people on his behalf.”

“I found and captured the people he desired. Someone else did the torturing.”

“Why are you here?”

“You have the potential for greatness, beyond even what your father predicted. You could be one of the best in the world, and so far, you are building an outstanding force of Elite to make that happen. You have seen qualities in magical people that others have missed. Quite simply, I want to be on the winning team. Henry is great, and a real asset, but I am better. With my direction, I can take your intelligence operation to the next level. I’ve identified five people we could get that would make your Elite sing, and have word on a dozen more that could be a great second string. More importantly, I can start stockpiling information on the Demigods of Hades and come up with strategies for dealing with them. I am excellent at what I do, Demigod Kieran, you know that. I can make you stronger.”

“I killed your boss less than a year ago,” Kieran said. “Why would you possibly want to work for me?”

“Working for Valens wasn’t personal. Working for you wouldn’t be, either. The arena of Demigods is a cutthroat snake pit. I understand that better than most. You don’t deal in secrets without knowing the risks. I want a challenge. I want to be with the best, with the most ambitious, because complacency bores me. With Alexis on your team, you don’t have the luxury of complacency, particularly given how you got your start. You’ll constantly be fighting, probably for years to come. I want to win that fight, starting with the Magical Summit. The blood oath will give you a leash that should quell your concerns. I’m happy to take it immediately. You know I’m not making this offer lightly—I’ve done my homework.”

“That explains the somewhat neutral soul,” I said, her gaze making me squirm uncomfortably. It made me feel like she had stripped off my outer layers and was looking at the vulnerable, squishy stuff hidden inside. Like she was gleaning all my secrets without my permission. A leash was definitely a good idea for her. “She goes where the wind takes her.”

“She doesn’t have a moral compass,” Kieran said.

“Correct,” she replied. “I am the perfect employee. My compass is defined by my employer. They take the fault, and glean the benefits, of my actions. I am simply the vessel.”

“Thank you, Amber. I’ll take it under advisement. Give your information to Henry and I’ll let you know.”

She stood gracefully, followed by everyone around the room that had been sitting. The way cleared as she passed. At the front door, she stopped and turned. “I will inevitably accept placement somewhere. If I don’t take it with you, I will take it against you. On the dark offer boards, you can see who is offering what. That might help you make up your mind. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Her sleek, graceful walk entranced me as she made her way to a plain Kia that in no way fit with her personality or her outfit. I had expected a sports car at the very least. Something exotic and fast.

When the door closed, I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding.

“Henry,” Kieran said, walking back toward the breakfast table. “Find that dark offer board.”

“On it.” Henry jogged out of the room, heading for his computer.

“Everyone, sit. We can contemplate this as we finish our breakfast.” Kieran resumed his seat, and the rest of us followed suit.

“She was like a sexy viper,” Daisy whispered. “I can’t tell if I have lady wood or am envious.”

“She’s a little light on morals, though,” Mordecai said. “She’s not someone I’d want hanging around.”

“Oh, she’s totally morally bankrupt. You heard her, though—the Demigod arena is like a snake pit. Demigod Aaron tried to kidnap her. Obviously she doesn’t need to concern herself with morals.” Daisy jabbed a piece of cantaloupe. “I loved her vibe. Didn’t you love her vibe? She’s vicious and lethal and smart, and she doesn’t give two fucks about being the villain.”

“Daisy,” I reprimanded.

“Sorry. Two craps,” she said. “That one got away from me.”

“My knee-jerk reaction is that I don’t want anyone that worked with my father,” Kieran said, lifting his plate and heading to the microwave. “But that is emotion speaking, not logic.”

“You’re sure the blood oath gives her a leash?” I asked, pushing my half-filled plate away. I was no longer hungry.

“A blood oath forces the oath taker to put my best interests first. I can also control or curb her actions as I see fit. Demigods alter the amount of leeway on a person-by-person basis. Amber was allowed a lot of leeway by my father. As far as I know, he never had a problem with her, and he kept his dick in his pants to ensure they didn’t have any personal distractions. Something he didn’t do with many of his more attractive staff members.”

“How much leeway do you give your…all your blood oath people?” I asked, knowing he didn’t think of the newer members of his inner circle in the same way he did his Six, the original oath takers and his friends. His family.

“I’ve never used the blood oath to rule the Six,” he said, confirming my suspicion, “but I’m keeping stricter control over the newer members until we establish a firmer trust.”

“We all know how good she is,” Boman said.

“If she is wanted as badly as she hinted, and still has her freedom, she is exceptional,” Jerry said. He’d barely been back in his seat for half a minute, but his plate was clean. The guy had inhaled his food. “If your goal is forming the best team possible, she’d be a good addition. But if you think she can’t be controlled and might find a way to wiggle within the blood oath just enough to create problems, then the danger is too great.”

“Control wouldn’t be a problem,” Kieran said, returning to his seat with steaming food. “As I said, my knee-jerk reaction is emotional. But it packs a helluva punch.”

“You won’t turn into your father just because you employ the same incredibly talented and uncomfortably sexy woman he did,” I said, stabbing down to the real problem.

“Right? Like…I think it’s lady wood,” Daisy said, frowning as she looked out the window.

Henry stalked back into the kitchen with his laptop open in front of him. “She made it easy to find that private dark board.” He sat down in an empty seat, ignoring his plate on the other side of the table. He whistled. “She’s worth a pretty penny. The highest bidder is offering half a million a year. What did your father pay her?”

Kieran shook his head. “I never heard.”

“I can look that up,” Henry muttered.

“Who’s the highest bidder?” Thane asked, standing with his empty plate. He eyed the plate I’d pushed away and grabbed it when I nodded.

“Give me a second.” Henry leaned closer to his keyboard.

“How would you feel about her coming in, Henry?” I asked, knowing being upstaged was never any fun.

“I wouldn’t mind learning from the best. It wouldn’t be a bad thing for Daisy, either. We’ll just have to make sure the little princess keeps her more…delicate sensibilities.” He grinned.