The Dresden Files/Codex Alera is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.

The Raith estate featured an immense mansion occupying about fifty acres of land in upstate Illinois. Nestled among the crags of Lake Michigan, the estate was build in a colonial manner with white columns and looked like the White House had been enhanced with plastic surgery.

I knew from drawing down in The Deeps that parts of the estate pre-dated the arrival of Native Americans. It had been the seat of power for the White Court for a long time. My Father, Lord Raith, had been the head of the Court for generations as well, though he was the head in name only now that I had turned him to my own purposes.

The helicopter landed, and I walked briskly off the pad and into the waiting Escalade.

Jim Hughens, the driver, smiled as he opened my door. "Happy to see you back, Ms. Raith."

"Happy to be back, Jim."

"I assume you wish to see your father?"

"Why else would I be here?"

"Very good, Ma'am." He grinned and raised the privacy shield.

I poured some champagne and sipped it while being driven through the estate, around the back of the mansion to the private entrance. Spring was in the air, and the grounds were starting to green up with the hedges, trees, and bushes all showing the promise of summer. The pool sparkled brightly in the afternoon sun as we pulled into the rear entrance.

Elisa stood waiting for me, opening my door. She was about the same height as me but had gone all-in on the piercings. She had several in her eyebrow, one in her nostril and lower lip. Seeing them, I thought of Karrie and felt my face flush as I remembered the delightful new experience of her tongue stud.

"Hello, Sister," Elisa said, giving me a warm hug.

"Hello, my darling," I said, kissing her on the cheek. "Happy to see you've recovered."

"Yes, that was the sickest I've ever been. This COVID virus is no joke."

"Are you able to taste and smell again?"

She grinned. "It's coming back slowly. I can smell lemons at least."

"Good good," I said. "You frightened us there for awhile."

"Thank you for providing me such excellent care, Lara. I wouldn't have pulled through without you."

"Nothing too good for my baby sis," I said, hugging her again.

She smiled, wiping away a tear.

"So, what does father need."

"I'll let him tell you."

I sighed. "Can't you give me a hint?"

She pointed to the walls. He can hear us.

I shrugged, nodding. We all could, if we tried hard enough.

Father was in his study, sitting in his favorite chair. Napoleon and Ceasar, his twin hounds, lay at his feet. I think he loved those dogs far more than he ever loved any of his children.

"Hello, Father," I said, walking over to him.

"Ahh, so kind of you to grace us with your presence," Father said. I kissed both of his cheeks softly.

"Well, you know. Busy, busy busy. And COVID."

"Ah, yes, the trials of young life, I suppose."

Elisa and I sat in smaller chairs opposite him near the flickering fire. It warmed the room to a temperature I found uncomfortable, but father was still wearing his smoking jacket. He took out a pipe and filled it with tobacco, tamping it down.

I resisted an urge to pull out a cigarette. It was tough.

"So, why did you need to see me?"

"Can't I just be concerned about my eldest daughter?"

I sighed. "You and I both know that isn't true, Father."

He put the pipe in his mouth, letting the blue smoke stream through his nostrils. I always found the pungent aroma of pipe tobacco invigorating. Today it smelled like sandalwood and citrus—a change for him.

"Is that a new flavor, father?"

He smiled. "Yes, trying to be bold."

I nodded, smiling, rubbing the back of my neck and shaking out my hair a little. I was uncomfortably hot and wanted to take off my jacket, but that might indicate I'd be sitting here for longer than intended.

He smoked awhile, staring at me. It was a technique he used to make us feel uncomfortable. We called it The Gaze. It was as if he were peering into your soul, assessing your worth, weighing your value, and judging your ability. It used to creep me out, but since taking my father down a few notches and assuming control of Raith Enterprises, I weathered his gaze with grace, casting my own eyes upon him as well.

He broke eye contact first, and I knew I'd won.

"Your sister, Inari, has resurfaced."

"Oh?" I said, but it disguised my elation. Inari took off after The Battle of the Deeps (see Blood Rites) with Bobby. It was like she stepped off the Earth, and considering the means at my disposal to locate her, that took considerable skill.

"Mhmm," Father said, continuing to smoke his pipe.

I rolled my eyes. I didn't have time for this. "And?"

"She's in Arizona," Elisa said finally. "Scottsdale."

"We have an office in Scottsdale," I said. "I can have someone—"

"You will not interfere," Father said.

"Maybe she's in trouble? Has she turned?"

Father sighed. "I do not know the answer to that. If you remember, she had yet to gain her first kill. I can't imagine she's gone this long without turning, but you never know, do you, how impetuous youth can be."

I knew that was a dig at me, but I didn't care. "Yes. And one can never grow too comfortable with the aged, as their ideas grow stale."

"Touché," he said.

"So you could have texted me this information. Why have me come out here?"

"Inari presents us with a problem, Lara. As I'm sure you can see."

I nodded. "A problem for you, maybe. A daughter not under your control."

"A problem for you, Lara."

"In what way?"

"She still has access to family resources and funding. She can still enter Raith property. She still has all her accounts, email, all the rest. She could damage our reputation, or worse, mount a coup, all without us knowing."

I rolled my eyes. "Inari has zero desire to do any of that."

"Regardless of her current intention, she is a weakness that needs to be dealt with."

"And how exactly, should I deal with it?"

He puffed on his pipe some more, then got up and looked out the window over Lake Michigan. "When you wrested control of the Family from me, you took on certain responsibilities, Daughter."

"I recognize that."

"One of those responsibilities is a ruthlessness to capitalize on weaknesses. House Raith would not be where it is now both financially and historically without a ruthless character at its head."

I nodded. "I'm as ruthless as I need to be, Father."

"Are you?"

"Of course."

He turned, and his eyes were fire. "Then why do you come here, lying to me, about who you really are!"

The door opened, and two guards entered the room. He nodded to them, and they both grabbed my arms before I had a chance to defend myself.

"Take her to The Deeps," Father said.

I struggled against their grips, but even using my enhanced strength, I couldn't wrest free. "I can explain!"

"The time for explanations has passed. Whoever you are, you are not my daughter!"

They muscled me out the door and through the hallway.

My heart pounded as my options dwindled. I had no resources, no magic, nothing to combat them with. Or did I?

They were both male, and both obviously part of the family, which meant they were relatives somehow. Which mean, I as the leader should be able to—"

I centered, closing my eyes, focusing. I embraced the Lara side of myself completely, allowing my Demon to be set free, allowing it to cloak me not only in strength but in the magic I could utilize.

They loaded me into an elevator, both still physically restraining me. A touch of skin was all I needed. I felt the sheen of my Demon slide over me. I could see my eyes flashing silver in the mirrored surface of the wall as we descended down.

As quick as I could, I licked the side of the first guard, drinking in his essence, feeling it flow into me. I turned my head again and attempted to lick the second guard, but he had seen my move and had tucked his head down. Unless I jumped somehow, I couldn't touch actual skin.

No worries. As I fed on the first guard, I drank in his soul as quickly as I possibly could, draining him. I could feel his lifeforce filling me, strength flowing down my body. As the door opened, I finally was able to break free of their grasp and dart out the door, jumping into the cavern.

Unfortunately, my father predicted my course of action, and a gas filled the entrance. The hiss of it startled me, and I inhaled a deep lungful.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt a great lassitude sweep over me. I kept running, trying to make it to the entrance of the caverns, but my legs felt like lead. I stumbled, then dropped.

Darkness overcame me. My last vision was of the second guard, speaking into a radio.

"We got her," he said.

Oblivion intruded.