by Pace, Pepper
Thursday I was to visit three of the shelters and meet with some of the people who had been victimized while under my protection. Their testimonies would determine who would be punished … and who would be killed.
There are eleven Councils within the United States. The land is separated with no rhyme or reason that I could determine. Julie is my First Lieutenant, and under her are Masters. There is no limit to the number of Masters within a territory. When you’re a thousand years old, you automatically become a Master. Or, like me, you can become a master earlier because you exhibit great strength.
Here I am a Master due to some fluke, but I’m nowhere near as strong as a thousand-year-old Vampire. It’s not uncommon for someone to be turned into a Master one day and be dead the next. It’s the nature of the game.
The Masters are my police but also much of my headache. Vampires are a selfish breed, and having to answer to someone they look down their nose at is always a pain. Tyler flanking me makes it easy to keep them from jumping on me, and Julie with her sharpened senses can anticipate something foul like the countless traps I’ve avoided.
The doorbell rang, and Monica hurried away to answer it. I picked up the planner and made some additional notes.
The door to the room slammed open, and I jumped.
Monica stood in the doorway looking pale.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. I stood and hurried out of the room when she only stared at me wide-eyed.
In my entryway was my entire Council.
Including Tony.
CHAPTER 9
I came to a halt in front of them.
I walked past them to close the front door for lack of anything better to do. Tony’s presence was especially distressing. He still wore the faint impression of the four long marks I’d given him down his cheek. Guilt caused me to avert my eye, but not before I saw his eyes widen at the sight of my scar-less body. I turned back to face the rest of the Council while trying to hide my discomfort with a look of confidence.
“I wasn’t aware that there was a Council meeting tonight—and in my home.”
They stared at me, stared at my lack of scars, stared at my exposed flesh.
Cyrene broke the silence. “We were informed by the Barcelona Council of an altercation that happened last night.”
I gestured for them to follow me into the newly redecorated living room. Bastards hadn’t wasted any time telling on me!
When I went to close the door after them, I saw Monica watching from the other room so I decided to keep it open. There would be no secrets between us concerning this matter.
I reentered the room and sat in a new wingchair upholstered in a mellow mustard fabric. A rich brown silk pillow offset it and my outfit perfectly.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” I said.
Kaniji chose the sofa, and Frank sat near her. Keada chose an oversized leather chair, and Cyrene sat in the matching chair opposite her. Tony remained standing, watching me. I met his eyes even though I wanted to ignore him. I needed to gauge his mood but couldn’t.
“Where’s Malarias?” I asked. “Shouldn’t he be here for this little gathering?”
“Malarias is on his way to Spain,” Tony said. “It seems there were two deaths last night. One was a Council member, the other an Elder. I think you may have met them.”
Esmeralda? I was speechless, and there was nothing I could do to hide my surprise. Lordy, what had happened after we had left?
“There is to be a ceremony at Epic Cu,” Cyrene said. “A death ceremony for the fallen Elder.”
“I suppose I wasn’t invited,” I said.
“Currently, none of us are invited,” Keada said.
“What happened to your scars?” Frank asked. “They were a distraction in our dull meetings. I think I will miss them.”
I turned to him. “Sounds like you’re coming to me for answers now. I don’t recall any of you being forthcoming with the answers when I was asking the questions.”
Kaniji rolled her eyes. “Your memory is short.”
I flashed my eyes at her. “I paid you well for your information. Didn’t you get what you wanted?”
Kaniji glared at me.
Frank smiled.
Tony frowned.
“The Barcelona Council told us what happened,” Cyrene said. “But we want to know what really happened.”
This was new. It almost sounded as if she realized there were two sides to every story. Did that mean they’d have my back? Nah. They were likely trying to trick me into incriminating myself.
“What did they say happened?” I asked.
“They said that you brought Alexis into a Council meeting,” Tony said, “and between you, your Lieutenant, and your assistants, you proceeded to attack the Council members, maiming the Master of Barcelona who is now bald.”
“And you couldn’t tell that they were lying?” I asked.
“They weren’t lying,” Keada said. “But they weren’t telling the complete truth, either.”
Cyrene stood and faced me. “Was Alexis there?”
I stood and faced her. I could feel she wanted to take a step back, but she wasn’t letting a newly turned wannabe upstage her. “Alexis never left Epic Cu the entire time I was there.”
“She doesn’t lie,” Keada said.
“How did Esmeralda die?” I asked Keada.
Kaniji smirked. “Athena killed her: In a jealous rage. Esmeralda had been Alexis’ longtime lover. Athena suspected that Esmeralda had sneaked into Epic Cu and shared a night of passion with him. She went to Esmeralda’s home and … Let’s just say that what was left was not a pretty picture.”
I looked away feeling my heart pounding in my chest. I tasted coppery fear on my tongue.
“Isn’t it odd,” Kaniji continued, “that you went to Spain to help Alexis and you come back with no scars, and his old lover ends up dead for spending an illicit night with the very man you had gone to.”
“Shut up, Kaniji,” Tony said.
“Well, that is pretty strange,” Frank said. “You must admit that, Tony.”
I was fucking speechless because these bastards had me cold busted, and with one word from them, Athena was going to annihilate me.
“What’s going to happen to Athena?” I whispered.
“How are we supposed to know?” Cyrene snapped. “This goes beyond Council and Elder business. This is old business.”
I looked up and met Tony’s eyes. “So you’re here to gloat?” Although I only looked at him, the question was directed to all of them.
Tony didn’t say a damn thing. Kaniji watched us with interest and then she reached out and placed her hand on his. He stepped away from her but glared at me. Kaniji grinned at me, and I ignored her.
“You have some nerve,” Cyrene said. “Our relationship with the Europeans is fragile at best. They look down their noses at us New World Neratomay. We can’t do anything as well as they can. Then you go over there and—”
“Oh, leave her alone!” Frank interrupted. “You’re not mad because she hurt American-European relations. You’re mad because Kim does things that none of you would have ever had the guts to do!”
“I’m not jealous,” Keada said. “I killed men with my bare hands in my time! I could give a shit what she does in Europe. But now the Elder Council is going to judge us all.” She raised her hand and glared at me. “Look, if you go down, we all go down.”
Wait? What? I was amazed at this show of camaraderie, even though it was self-serving.
Tony stared at a spot past me and stayed as still as a statue. Kaniji was pissed that she couldn’t play with my fear. Cyrene was still speechless at Frank’s snapping at her. Keada seemed in control now.
“So it would be in your best interest to tell us what actually happened,” Keada said.
“All right.” I sat. “I went to Epic Cu.” That seemed a safe place to start, seeing that the Barcelona Council already knew about it. “It was booby-trapped.” Not exactly a lie. “
But evidently being in such close proximity to Alexis meant that he could … share my body. We’re bound so he’s in me. And yes, he took my remaining scars. When my people and I tried to leave the country, we were stopped and forced to face their Council. They said they wanted to question us about going to Epic Cu, but it was Esmeralda who wanted to question me about my relationship with Alexis. She was angry about our … bond.”
I glanced at Tony, but he had not budged and still looked at a space beyond me.
“It was their poor choice to force us to go there,” I said. “It’s their own fault they didn’t know Alexis was in me. They struck first when Esmeralda smacked me, breaking my neck, and bloodying my nose.”
I could feel Tony’s eyes move to me then.
“And when Tyler tried to protect me, Esmeralda broke her wrist. Julie was thrown across the room, and only then did Alexis come. But he came from inside of me.”
Frank nodded. “Her words are not lies.”
“Well,” Cyrene said, “it seems that they weren’t very hospitable to an American Council member.”
“Why don’t you ask her what she said to cause her to get slapped?” Kaniji asked.
“I asked her why she was asking me so many questions about Alexis,” I said.
“And she slapped you for that?” Frank asked.
“No. She didn’t just slap me. She hit me with her power and it knocked me out of my chair and broke my neck. I couldn’t even turn my head when my people began to scream. If Alexis hadn’t been inside of me, they may have killed us all.”
“You didn’t have to go,” Tony growled. “You didn’t have to put them at risk.”
“Yes,” Kaniji said, “she did have to go. Alexis is bound to her. She loves him.”
Though her words were true, she only said them to hurt Tony.
“You said that we’d be investigated by the Elder Council,” I said to Keada. “I’m not very popular with them.”
“True,” Frank said. “They wanted you dead when Alexis fought for your life.”
I watched Frank with wide eyes. He was telling me something I already knew, but he was giving me the information willingly, something Tony had yet to do.
“Yes,” Frank said, “Alexis fought for your life while you were in a coma. And he was punished for it. He almost killed Malarias, that old bastard, and good riddance. I wanted that black chick to sit on the board. She is hot. And I’m sure Tony wouldn’t mind another sista seeing how you tried to kill him and all.”
God, you couldn’t like that asshole, Frank. He’d do something to make you drop your guard one second and the next he was a complete prick!
Tony moved to grip Frank’s throat. Frank wasn’t a Council member for nothing, and he blocked the move and flashed himself across the room.
“Don’t piss me off, Frank,” Tony said. He sat on the couch next to Kaniji.
Not that I cared. I meant it when I said I was done.
“Malarias doesn’t like you, that’s true,” Cyrene said. She shrugged as if to say that it was understandable. “But I don’t believe that the Elder Council doesn’t have some … fondness for you.”
“When they return from Esmeralda’s death ceremony, they will speak to all of us concerning this matter,” Kaniji said. “I for one look forward to speaking to them. I want off this Council.”
“You can’t dictate what Council you’ll serve on,” Frank said from across the room. “Not unless you plan on seducing and murdering another Council member.”
Kaniji ignored him. I was more than ready to kick Frank and the rest of them out.
Keada stood. “Then we have our story. Is there anything you would like to change, Kim? You know better than most how they will enter your brain to search for the truth that they want.”
“I haven’t lied,” I said. “That’s the story I want told.” I decided to make my next question sound casual. “And what of Alexis?”
“And this is what got us in trouble the first damn place,” Frank said. “Don’t even think about lying to her or she will be on the next plane back to Spain.”
My heart leaped in fear.
“There is nothing to tell about Alexis,” Cyrene said. “He is still confined to Epic Cu and as far as I know has refused to speak about any of the events that transpired.”
That was a relief.
Tony stood. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew a sealed, miniature envelope. He dropped it on the table then disappeared.
Kaniji stared at the envelope but she disappeared, too.
Cyrene threw up her hands in exasperation. “Does no one adjourn properly anymore?!” Then she disappeared.
Keada stood and bowed slightly in my direction before disappearing.
Frank ogled me from across the room. “Nice outfit.” And then he, too, disappeared.
I closed my eyes. “Monica!”
Julie appeared before me. Monica appeared two seconds later on a run.
“Did you two hear everything?” I asked.
Julie nodded. “What would make me think this had ended?”
“It was too good to be true.” Monica sighed.
I stood and paced. “Julie, what punishments do you think I could receive from the board for something like this?”
“Well, for going to Epic Cu you could get exiled for a number of years,” Julie said. “But if they think you’re responsible for an Elder’s death, it could mean your death.”
I sighed. “No chance I could take her place on the Elder Council, huh?”
“No,” Julie said. “Doesn’t work like that with them.”
“What do you think is happening to Athena?” If that woman is let loose, she would come straight for me and I wouldn’t have to worry about the Elders. It seemed that Alexis had killed two birds with one stone by setting Athena on the trail of Esmeralda instead of me.
“I’ve never known of one as powerful as Athena being punished,” Julie said. “But then no one knows much about the powerful ones.” Julie walked toward the door. “I’ll go home and make some calls. I still have contacts in Spain, and sometimes you can get more info from the low men on the totem pole than from the chiefs.” She disappeared.
Monica turned to leave. “I can do the same. I’ll call the ladies and have them do some digging, too.”
“Thanks Monica.” I collapsed on the couch. Before I could begin to relax, I saw the little envelope sitting on the table.
Frowning, I picked it up. It was too small for a letter, and I felt something lightweight inside. I carefully opened it and poured the contents onto the cocktail table.
It was my crucifix.
I picked it up and closed my eyes. “Shit, Tony.”
~***~
We spent the majority of the evening making calls. I didn’t have many contacts so I left the calling up to the ladies.
After several hours I had time to think and had come to a conclusion. I needed to talk to Tony. It should have never ended the way it did considering how important he had been to my recovery—to me. And of course I still loved him, but I couldn’t be his woman, not after a betrayal like this. What Tony wanted was an old school relationship where he’s the man and the woman is a distant second.
This wasn’t about throwing Tony away for Alexis because it would be a long time before I could be with Alexis. I just only wanted some closure.
I materialized on Tony’s front porch and rang the bell trying not to think too hard.
Mei Wah opened the door. “Miss Kim. Come in.”
“Hi, Mei Wah.” I entered the mansion. “Is Tony home?”
Mei Wah shut the door behind us. He sighed, which was something I hadn’t seen him do before. “He is here. I will tell him you are here.”
I folded my arms in front of me. “Thanks.”
I went to the living room and sat tensely. Tony made me wait, and the longer I waited, the tenser I got. Ten minutes later he strolled into the living room. He exhaled a long breath then sat on the couch and watched me.
“You are so damn stubborn,” he said. “But that’s your call, baby. If you can throw us away just like that, even with our bond, then it was never real in the first place.”
“Not true,” I said while shaking my head. “Every time you kept something from me it only made me have to scrape harder to catch up. You think you’re protecting me. What you’re showing me is that you have no faith in me.”
“Fuck,” he said. “Faith? You’re talking to a Vampire, not a human. I protect mine the best I can!”
“I’m not yours, Tony. I’m not yours to make decisions for. I’m not yours to keep up on a shelf.”
“I don’t keep you up on a shelf.” He frowned. “I know what and who you are. I understand your capabilities. Your area kills more Vampires than any other.”
“But they’re Rogues!”
“You’ve killed more Vampires than me, and I’ve been a Vampire for damn near a hundred years. Everything about you is controversial. We Neratomay follow an internal instinct that you have no concept of. To break out of our mode is damn near impossible. I’ve had to think about it myself. Do I really want to deal with your desire to modify rules we’ve had to live by for thousands of years? This ain’t a fucking soap opera! This is the Vampire Nation, Kim!” He sighed. “You’re angry because I didn’t tell you that Alexis was imprisoned. You called for him, he didn’t answer, and you felt rejected.”
