Humans were nothing if not adaptable. Carmilla didn't exactly admire them for that, but she did respect it, and a certain Laura Hollis was at the top of that list of adaptable people. Carmilla leaned on the balcony railing, enjoying the cool night breeze that brought the promise of rain in the air. She heard the soft, unmistakable sound of footsteps behind her. "A little late for you, isn't it, cupcake?"

Laura stepped next to her, resting her hands on the stone railing. "It's not that late."

"It's past midnight." Carmilla shifted to take in Laura's profile, so clearly visible to her with only the glimmer of lamplight spilling out from the open balcony doors. Laura's eyes weren't as red as they'd been in the past, but if the tears had finally stopped, they'd been replaced by something else, something that was keeping her up at night. "Spill it, sweetheart. You didn't come up here just to take in the night air and my sparkling company."

Laura crossed her arms, that small act of defiance becoming so common it was almost endearing. "Maybe I did."

Carmilla raised one eyebrow, and Laura dropped her stance.

"Okay, it's well… The farmsteads." She turned to Carmilla, her gestures coming to life as they always did when she was about to say something important to her. "We need, materials. Wood, and labor. There's just so much to build back up."

"I thought that's what Danny and her crew were for."

"Yes, but half of them are on patrols on the main roads to keep down the banditry. They can't keep the peace, and build, and pay for the wood and materials." Laura took a step closer, her scent becoming just a bit distracting.

"So what do you expect me to do?"

Laura waved her hands. "You have all these guards, yours and your brothers, just sitting around here. Can't they help?"

"One of my brother's guards tried to kill you, remember? Are you sure you want them out in your village?"

"Kirsch could pick the good ones."

That took Carmilla by surprise. "Kirsch? You trust him?"

"LaFontaine does."

Of course, the truthsayer. Why exactly hadn't she locked that one back up? Carmilla pondered Laura's dilemma for a moment. "Bring the tall redhead back tomorrow evening, and we'll talk."

Laura looked at her with a nervous smile. "Um, she's actually here, tonight."

"Don't tell me… at LaFontaine's invitation."

Laura's smiled looked even more nervous. "They do have some good ideas."

A nice cell and a gag. That would take care of Carmilla's truthsayer problem. She glanced at Laura and sighed. "Fine, bring them both up."

"To the audience room?"

"No, the library. And since you are so good at conspiring behind my back…"

Laura's eyes widened. "I'm not conspiring!"

"Conspiring," Carmilla said, again. "Conspire with Jean-Paul to get Kirsch up here as well. I'll meet you there within the hour."

Laura's fading footsteps had a distinct bounce to them as Carmilla returned to gazing out into the darkness. And if her smirk was curving into a smile, well no one was around to see it happen.

An hour later, the library had more face-breathers than it had seen since Carmilla's arrival weeks before. She stepped into a room filled with tension and for once, it wasn't directed at her. Then the tall ginger turned to glare at her. "Well, so much for that," she mumbled.

"Sorry, what did you say?" asked Laura, standing between Kirsch and Danny.

"Nothing," said Carmilla. "Looks like a fight is about to start." She plopped into the first comfortable chair. "Please, don't stop on my account."

Danny waved a hand in her direction. "See, this is what I'm talking about. How can you trust any of them?"

Laura placed a hand on Danny's arm. "Danny, please."

LaFontaine, dressed as usual in a stained top and baggy leggings was the next to take a seat. "It's not really a matter of trust anyway. It's mutual benefit. The Karnsteins want to maximize profit and the clearest path to that is rebuilding the farms and businesses. More goods created means more goods to trade for them."

"Little ginger has a point," said Kirsch, looking none the worse for a few days in the dungeon.

Danny turned on him, pushing against Laura's restraining hand. "And we don't need any more help from you and your Zeta goons."

"Actually, we do," said Laura.

Danny glared over her head at Kirsch. "It was one of his Zetas who tried to kill you, remember?"

Carmilla stretched her legs out and crossed her ankles. "Big ginger has a point."

Danny spun around to glare at her with her mouth hanging open.

"Hey," said Carmilla, "I'm as surprised as you are that we have anything in common." She turned back to Kirsch. "Got any good explanations for that little assassination attempt?"

"I take responsibility," Kirsch said, staring at some vague spot over Carmilla's head. "He was under my command."

Carmilla rolled her eyes. "I wasn't asking for a random act of self-sacrifice. I asked why it happened. Who was that soldier and how long was he under your command?"

"He was new, transfered in just before this mission."

Carmilla nodded. "Figures. And who set up that transfer, my brother?"

Kirsch frowned. "Well, yeah."

"Well, one mystery solved," she said with a sigh.

"I don't understand," said Laura.

"It's pretty simple, creampuff. My brother let you live long enough to take a shot at killing me. When that failed, you became just another loose end to him. Kirsch was sent here to tie up that loose end."

"No way," said Kirsch. "Will wouldn't do that. He sent me here to help you."

"He sent you here to snuff out the last Hollis. And now that you failed, well, there's another messy loose end to tie up, isn't there?"

Kirsch looked around with wide eyes.

Carmilla could almost pity him. Her brother was an expert at treating his devoted humans as disposable tools. "If it makes you feel any better, he probably assumed I would kill you and all your Zetas by now."

Kirsch swallowed hard. "Are you gonna?"

Carmilla tapped one finger on her jaw. "Tempting."

"Carmilla." Laura looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Fine." Carmilla said and sat up straighter. "Any other last-minute additions to your Zetas, Kirsch?"

"No. The rest of us have been together for the past five years."

"And who holds their loyalty, William, or you?"

"Well," he said, delaying.

"Not the time for modesty," she added.

Kirsch nodded. "To me. I'd vouch for any one of my brothers, and they for me."

"Touching," Carmilla said with a sneer. She turned back to Laura. "It's up to you."

"Me?" Laura asked.

"You're the one with a target on your chest, cutie."

"You have one, too."

Carmilla shrugged. "My brother's taken random pot shots at me for a century. I'm used to it. And I'm harder to kill than you are. So you decide whether to trust him and his Zetas or not."

Laura looked up at Kirsch for a moment, then nodded. "I trust him."

Danny took a step closer to her. "Well, I don't, and neither will the rest of the Summers."

"Won't that make for some fun picnics," Carmilla drawled, standing up. "Well, Hollis, looks like you've got your extra labor. In the morning, work up what additional funds you need, but it better be a small number. Let's remember this was a hostile invasion, eh?"

She slipped out of the room with a smirk on her face before the shouting match started up again.