by Pace, Pepper
“Kim,” she said simply.
“How are you?” I asked as I walked into the foyer.
“Well. And you?”
“I’m good.” I looked around smelling something unpleasant. When I met her eyes again I saw them suddenly clear as if she was trying to hide her expression.
“Where are your donors?”
She came down the stairs slowly. She wore thigh high boots and a leather mini skirt. Her translucent black blouse showcased perfect breasts. When she stood feet from me she finally spoke.
“They have their own homes.”
I searched her eyes but didn’t feel her lie although she was being intentionally evasive.
“Did you kill anyone?”
She smirked. “Of course not. Killing is punishable by death. I know the rules—probably better than you.” My brow furrowed at her insolence and she smiled. “…only because I have Neratomay memories and you don’t.”
She led the way into the office where we met with the minion and I dismissed the faint stench of decay.
“We have a new member to our family.” I said.
Monica looked at me curiously. “Oh?”
I kept my eyes locked on hers. “Yes. I’ve added a new Assistant.”
Her face froze. “So you’ve finally replaced me.”
I kept my emotions under control. “That could never happen.”
She looked away and I could have sworn I caught an emotion there in the moment before she continued to the office.
“Do I know this new Assistant?”
“No. She’s human, an acquaintance of Paul’s.”
“She?” She turned to me again. “You chose a woman. I’m surprised. You were always so wary about being thought a lesbian.”
I frowned. “That’s not true.” She opened the doors to the office and we entered. “The fact is that I’m not a lesbian and my reluctance had nothing to do with anyone else’s perception.”
She nodded. “I stand corrected.”
I spent the next few moments checking our arsenal. It included silver bullets, silver chains—which I didn’t go near, super soaker water guns filled with holy water and several more religious relics.
“I could have remained your Assistant.” Monica said out of the blue.
I looked at her and she was standing at a distance regarding me solemnly. When I didn’t answer she hid a look of contempt. I could feel it even if I couldn’t see it.
“But you wouldn’t allow that because of that baby.”
Indeed. I didn’t want her anywhere near BJ I didn’t want her near Paul, or me for that matter.
Her posture changed in resolution. “I’ll help her. Your new Assistant if she needs it.” I gazed at her, searching her expression before nodding my head in agreement. “I can take a bit of her blood today so that she can communicate with me-”
“No,” I said flatly. I met her eyes. “I forbid it.”
“Yes,” she replied and non too happily. I tried to figure out if Monica hated me and what I had caused her to become…or if she was just trying to be me.
The territory meeting moved quickly and although Paul, Jason and Tyler had to flex their proverbial muscles a few times there weren’t any deadly incidents. I was especially proud of Sam who never seemed afraid once even though she was face to face with countless Vampires. When I began to talk silently in her head she had a moment of awe but other then that she took to everything with excitement.
After the last meeting, Sam went over to introduce herself to Monica and I could hear them chatting about business matters. A short time later we all left and I flashed myself back to my home to relieve Ran of his babysitting duties. After giving him a full report he returned to his own home.
I was in bed prepared for some late night loving when Paul finally returned home. But sex was the last thing on his mind. He stalked into the bedroom and stood above me.
“She killed someone in that house. A human.”
I stood on shaky legs, my head swimming and my eyes as wide as saucers as I looked at him. That smell … “Oh my God … ”
Paul’s expression was grim. “We didn’t discuss it in the van in front of Sam but Jason smelled it … and Tyler to a certain degree.”
“Fuck,” I began to pace. I gave him a look. “Are you sure, Paul that it was a human you smelled? Maybe-“
He closed his eyes briefly. “I know the smell. A human was killed and left there to rot.” The last word was spat out bitterly.
My face fell. “What in the hell am I supposed to do? She’s my … my child.”
“I know, honey. I know.” He pulled me into his arms.
I knew that I had to face this but for the next few days I couldn’t. Paul didn’t force it but I knew that he wouldn’t let it go and soon I would have to face the possibility of placing a member of my own family on trial.
It did happen and Monica was placed on trial for her crimes—but not by me, by Keada. Keada had discovered who had perpetrated the high profile crimes within her territory.
It was Monica.
There was evidence that Monica had taken a human donor and drained him—probably due to lack of control, or maybe because she just didn’t care. I say the last because there was also evidence that she had committed the high profile crimes within Keada’s territory. Monica had evidently gone rogue and if found guilty, she would be put to death by my Council and by me.
Chapter 6
I stood in the Council house feeling as if I was about to be placed on trial again and reliving the moments after the silver had been wrapped around my body.
Paul kept hold of my hand on one side and Ran held onto the other. The rest of my family was at my house awaiting the outcome of the trial.
Monica sat calmly in a chair facing the Council members as they questioned her. Her expression showed little interest and I blinked at her wondering if she was trying to die. Did she hate being a Vampire so much that she’d done the exact thing that would cause her to be put to death?
I looked at the sword that lay across the council table. It was the one piece of silver that was handled by any and all of us. Its handle was gold and embedded with priceless jewels while the blade was heavy and of the purest sterling silver. A human would have a difficult time welding it but we handled it with ease.
I forced my eyes away from it and focused on the trial—one that I already knew the outcome. Tony was staring at Monica grimly.
“The remains of a male human was dumped in the alley of Hermit Street; a street within a residential district of the Dynasty of the Kipchaks; Keada Borejka’s territory. The body had been drained of blood and marks upon the neck were still visible. It was with luck that a friend of the Neratomay was in charge of handling the body and much of the information could be held back from the human news and authorities.
“You state that you did not kill this human and yet upon investigating your home there was evident that the death was delivered at the home that you claim as your own.”
“That is true,” she replied almost casually, “Yet I had nothing to do with this human’s death.”
We all could smell her lie. Oh my God … she had to know that we could smell her lies! I squeezed both Ran and Paul’s hand. It was done.
The Council communicated to each other mentally but it was a brief communication. They waited for me to agree but I said nothing and soon they just ignored me.
Cyrene stood and spoke.
“The Council of the Neratomay finds you guilty in the unsanctioned murder of the human being in question. We also find you guilty of crimes that would jeopardize the secrets of The Neratomay Nation; including robbery, brutality and breaking and entering. For this reason you are deemed a rogue and will be put to death immediately.”
“I’m innocent,” she said simply.
I frowned suddenly and looked at her. She was telling the truth. There was no lie in that statement!
“Wait,” I said while jumping to my feet.
Kea
da rose and glared at me. “If you interfere you too will be put to death, Councilwoman!”
Monica stood and her chair hit the floor. Her face grew fierce. “I said I am innocent and you will not threaten my sire!”
Keada picked up the sword that lay across the table. She would use it to behead Monica—I’d seen her do it to other rogues.
“I will make this quick my beauty-” and then Keada leaped across the table swinging her sword with almost impossible speed.
I tried to scream wait but before the words could leave my mouth Monica flung something at Keada. It glinted through the air and hit her in the face. A flash of light and the sound of sparks filled the air and Keada faltered and landed on the floor at Monica’s feet, the sword skidding harmlessly across the floor.
The Councilwoman screeched and came to her feet, hands shielding her face. And then I saw what had struck her—Monica’s crucifix.
There was a hiss as the other Council members reacted to the sight of the religious relic as well as to the smoking, screeching Vampire that was darting blindly around the room.
Frank jumped into action and went after her but just as he reached her Keada disintegrated into a pile of ash.
I stared in shock and Malarias raised his hand in Monica’s direction to cast some form of punishment.
Monica’s loud voice rang out. “I believe I know who the murderer is!” Malarias’ movement faltered and Monica continued. “A human donor of mine vies for my exclusive attention. He must have been killing off his competition and making it look like burglary.” Her angry glare swept the room. “And if you weren’t so bent on punishing someone instead of discovering the truth you would know that it couldn’t be me because I cannot kill a human. I have been forbidden to do so by my master.” Monica’s eyes flitted to mine, “And she has never released me from that restriction.”
Malarias allowed his hand to drop. Her words were true and everyone in the room could smell it. Monica hadn’t killed the human.
She placed her hands on her hips and glared at the members of the Council. “You dare to threaten me and my sire? Now you can pay me my just dues--and then I will do the job that you hadn’t been able to do yourself!”
Tony closed his eyes in resolution.
“I claim my rightful place on this Council.”
~***~
Monica was given the place that she had won on the Council of the Neratomay. As deemed by Vampire law, if you kill a Council member in a fair fight then you gain that Council seat. If it is deemed to be an unfair fight then the Vampire in question is put to death. It seems that a ‘fair fight’ occurs when someone condemns you to a crime that you did not commit and you do what is necessary to save your own life.
It also seemed that it worked for Vampires that conspired to trick the Council into believing they had committed a crime…I did not believe for one second that Monica had not orchestrated the entire thing in order to be forced to kill a Council member so that she could take that Council members position.
Things moved so fast that I barely had time to digest it. Monica relinquished the manor once owned by Johan in order to manage her new territory. JoJo Seck, Keada’s First Lieutenant was immediately put to death for her attempt to murder her new Master upon learning of her lover and former Master’s death.
Within days of claiming her spot on the Council, Monica did as she promised when she captured one of her own human blood donors for the high profile murders and robberies.
It was so unbelievably obvious that I couldn’t believe that she was allowed to get away with it. It was more of a curiosity for me then an attempt to undermine Monica, but I needed to know how this could be allowed. While I hadn’t exactly liked Keada, she had been one of the few that sometimes gave me the benefit of the doubt.
“I am pretty sure that I am not the only one that knows that Monica manipulated her way onto the Council,” I said to Cyrene one evening. I was in her home for the first time ever because I needed to talk to a Council member about the way this had all gone down. More importantly, I needed to talk to someone other than Tony who would give me the information that he thought I best needed and not necessarily the full truth. In other words; I didn’t want anyone trying to bullshit me. I wanted to know why they didn’t question Monica’s involvement in the crimes that had taken place and why they were allowing themselves to be duped.
Cyrene rolled her eyes at me as she lounged on a silk and brocade settee. A shirtless blood donor was there, gently massaging her feet with oils. “What I know is that your liege is a member of the Council and having to deal with two of you is the most frightening thing I can imagine.” When I didn’t react to her sarcasm she finally waved her donor away as if he was nothing more than her slave. When he had left the room she continued. “Yes, Councilmember Monica James did what most do in order to gain a position on the board. Keada was stupid and fell into the trap. It is done.”
Damn. No love there … “Monica was obviously responsible for the crimes in the territory-“
“But someone else killed the human and she was about to be put to death for a crime that she did not commit.”
“But she obviously had someone else do the crime and then she rewards him by turning him into her First Lieutenant.”
“And yet Keada didn’t figure out that she was being set up until it was too late. I earned my place on this board by killing my predecessor and so did each and every one of us, including you. One day someone slicker, smarter or stronger will kill each of us for our position. It is the nature of our existence. Face what really bothers you, Kim; she tricked you too. And … perhaps if it had been you welding that sword you would now be dead and Monica would own all that you claim as your own.”
I folded my arms before me. “Thank you for your time,” I spoke and then vanished from her house. Perhaps Cyrene was right. Did I feel that she had tricked me too? I should be happy that she had gained a seat on the Council, only I wasn’t. I was even more afraid of the power that she now held.
My memory went back to our last territory meeting that included her as one of my board members. She would now preside over her own territorial meetings. She would no longer be one of my ‘Ladies in Waiting’. I remembered wondering what type of Master she would become.
She had looked at me as if she could read my mind and I averted my eyes in guilt but happy of one thing; that she would always be under my power.
~***~
A week later Ran and I flashed ourselves to the first Council meeting that would include Monica as more than a rogue on trial. It felt strange not to see Keada who had always reminded me of K.D. Lange with her androgynous look.
Monica sat waiting in a wing chair for the meeting to convene. She wore a stark white pantsuit that looked familiar. And then I realized that it was one of the outfits that Tony had purchased for me when I’d first moved in with him. Much of my wardrobe had been left behind as it didn’t reflect the real me. I glanced at him wondering if he recognized it but he seemed to be ignoring Monica and sat across the room far from her.
Her eyes were locked on me as soon as I appeared, obviously sensing my arrival even before I materialized. Ran and I crossed the room to her and she rose with a smile.
“Kim,” she greeted me and leaned forward to briefly embrace me first and then afterwards, my First Lieutenant.
“Are you getting settled in to your role as a Master?”
“Very easily. Having been with two Masters I’m comfortable in my role.” I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it lightly in hopes that this would be what she needed to return her to something I knew and could again love.
Cyrene rose and called the meeting to order while Malarias stood in the shadows and watched on silently.
And that is how our world moved on. Everyone but Ran and I ignored Monica and as the weeks turned to months I soon realized that I had not been a ‘special’ case; the Council disliked all new members equally. Even Kaniji side-eyed Monica hatefully. She still had
eyes for Tony although he was actively ‘dating’ several Vampires and didn’t show her or Monica even the slightest bit of interest. For that matter he didn’t show me much interest but I still felt that thread that connected us. However I was sensible and knew that it would never be acted upon on either of our parts.
Unlike me, Monica didn’t take a back seat in the Council meetings. She often took control to Cyrene’s chagrin. No one was considered a true ‘leader’ of our Council meetings unless you considered our Elder to be in that position—but Elders seldom took that role. So, as we had no true bylaws on how to operate within the meeting--everyone had been fine in leaving Cyrene to her own inflated sense of self-importance. So when Monica began to grab the reigns no one but Cyrene could complain.
I certainly didn’t care. I just wanted to give my reports, preside over any punishments, judgments etc. and then get home to my own family.
Cyrene stood livid a few months after Monica joined us.
“Let’s move past all of this and right to the point.” Monica had interrupted Cyrene as she discussed a rogue that would need to be ‘put down. “I’m sure that we all have busy schedules-“
“Excuse me-“ Cyrene said with an angry gasp.
“In the matter of Adam Tedesco; he is a rogue but still should be jailed until we have a true trial-“
“Wait just one damn minute!” Cyrene shrilled.
Monica’s eyes flashed to her as she continued to talk. “And no more of these spur of the moment judgments that don’t allow one to defend themselves without it resulting in the death of another member of this Council.”
Frank snickered.
“We have a history of how things are done here! I suggest you get in line and learn-“ Cyrene said hotly.
Monica’s voice wasn’t loud but it easily drowned out Cyrene’s. Perhaps in its calmness it seemed that she had a much more important point to make. “And I suggest that you realize that you’ve lost two Council members in just three years. Had you initiated fair trials then this could not have happened! My sire and I both gained a place on this Council because you tried to murder two who ultimately turned out to be innocent.”
