Blade to the Keep

by Dane, Lauren

  Rage flowed over Victoriana’s face. “You go too far.”

  Paola focused all that rage and power on Victoriana then. “Is that so? I have not lived this long to tolerate the insolence of children who do not know their betters. If you have a problem with how far I went, you can take me on yourself, or take it up with The First.”

  “He can’t be trusted in this. He’s clearly taking the side of humans because of his freak daughter.”

  “Oh, so you do have a voice.” Clive turned his attention to Marcilius. “I wasn’t sure since you’re acting the lapdog these days. Your lack of discipline is appalling. You dare to speak of your leader that way? You? To a table full of Scions? Pray tell, Marcilius, what exactly have you contributed to the Nation other than mewling and complaining? Hm? Victoriana isn’t old enough to have fought in the war, but you were. And yet, you were nowhere to be found. I have nothing to learn from cowards. The First rules, ever, to protect the Nation. Your silly rabblerousing over Rowan Summerwaite shows your ignorance.”

  “Says the man who’s buried in her cunt every chance he gets.” Marcilius barely had it out of his mouth before Alice had the other Vampire off the ground and against the wall at his back.

  “You need not dirty your hands on this garbage, Scion.” Alice’s incisors were out, her eyes filled with bloodlust. Everyone had gone still, having always experienced Alice’s organized and softer side. Clive knew more about her than anyone else at this table ever would. And even he was surprised by her sudden burst of violence.

  He’d known Alice liked Rowan, but her actions showed deep loyalty to Clive in addition to Rowan. “Dare you speak to a Scion of the Vampire Nation in such a manner? Like a human would?” Alice pounded Marcilius’s head back into the wall for emphasis a few times. “For all your talk of supremacy, you act like an animal.”

  Victoriana made to move, and Clive spoke quietly but clearly, “Do not interfere. Or I will.”

  She snarled at him and he continued to watch, waiting for the moment when he could terminate her. And he would.

  Alice knew things were escalating as she interrupted to address Marcilius. “Stop struggling and make your apologies. I can’t take notes with you in my hands.”

  “Is he denying he’s fucking her?” Victoriana spoke, but did not move.

  Clive remained relaxed, though in his head he mapped out each move he’d make to jump the table and rip her head from her body if she gave him an opening.

  “Though it is none of your business whom I dally with, I do not deny I am in a relationship with Rowan. And yet, my profits are up. My people are in line. My territory is prosperous in the wake of this rogue, whom I remind you, she killed to protect our secret for. When I think she’s wrong I can, and I will, say so. If you’d like to hear my perspective on the Treaty, let us move on with the agenda. But what is never tolerable is an insult to the woman in my life. You can attack her perspective or what she’s trying to do. But she is off-limits.”

  “You say this as a Scion of the Vampire Nation? That our enemy is someone we cannot speak of?”

  “As a Scion of the Vampire Nation I am saying Rowan Summerwaite is my woman. She’s entirely capable of protecting herself, but this is not about politics, this is about basic respect, and if you don’t show it, I’ll educate you as to how you should. Do. I Make. Myself. Clear?” He let the violence come out in his tone. Let the heat and rage show in his gaze. He let them all see he was deadly serious. He would draw blood for Rowan.

  “I apologize,” Marcilius choked out around Alice’s grasp, and she let him go, wiping her hand on a tissue as she returned to her seat.

  “Now, shall we discuss the issue at hand instead of Clive’s love life?” Warren moved them along.

  Clive nodded. “I, too, am hesitant to give Hunter Corp. yet another egress into our business. But the Hunter is right. We did hold back information that slowed her initial investigation. And I did that because I was waiting for permission to share that information. My suggestion is to cut sections of their proposal to make it as narrow as possible.”

  The discussion continued as if Victoriana and her people weren’t in the room. But she’d done some damage, nonetheless.

  Chapter Ten

  Rowan called Susan as she was finishing getting ready.

  Susan’s first words were, “I didn’t know Roth had any plans to show up. I just found out myself. Things are in the middle of some heated upheaval at the Motherhouse right now.”

  “Upheaval?”

  “Nothing we can’t handle. Nonetheless it’s a bunch of caterwauling, and I am quite cross with him. Tell me.”

  “He demanded a meeting when he showed up. Like I was at his beck and call rather than him being the one who showed up unannounced to a Joint Tribunal. I’m too busy for that. I don’t care who he’s banging. Valerie was out of line. I was absolutely within my rights to let her know.”

  “I read your report. You should also know she sent an official complaint. Did you threaten to beat her and leave her bleeding in the snow?”

  Rowan fought a smile. “Not exactly. I also told her after I beat her I’d be sure she got back home on a bus. I was conscious of that. You know, that she got home safely and stuff.”

  Susan laughed. “Darling, people tend to look down on threats to coworkers.”

  “Sure, because we all work for a software design company. Oh wait. Go on and fire me then. But you won’t. Because you need to get shit done and bitches get shit done, Susan. People like Valerie don’t know how to handle business. I do. This place is full of predators who place a great deal of importance on how things are handled. She is fucking with my shit, and I put her in her place. If Hunter Corp. can’t deal, they sure as hell can’t handle what will happen if this devolves into chaos and the Treaty is thrown out entirely.”

  Rowan told Susan all the things she’d called Valerie on and the laughter died down. “Roth is a powerful enemy. But you were within your rights, though I do wish you’d keep the threats of breaking limbs to a minimum.”

  “Yes, well, it’s just me being me. I have an enormous gift. And look, I get it. He’s all protective of his girlfriend’s kid. But this isn’t the soccer team, and I’m not prone to letting her act like a dong when this is something incredibly important. She’s out of her depth here. I’m a partner too. Sure, he’s powerful, but if he comes for me, he better be ready for me coming right back his way.”

  “Roth’s interests are more than just Valerie’s treatment. He has an agenda and it is counter to yours. Maybe Rex should come out. I want someone else there who will have your best interests at heart.”

  “If I can’t fend off some trifling bullshit, I’m not fit to have this job. I need to do it myself. And Celesse, despite her annoying qualities, understands the situation. I’m in charge here. Period.” She took a last look at herself in the mirror and decided on some deep red lipstick. She rarely wore makeup, but there was something that made her feel ready to kick faces in when she wore red lipstick. And if Roth came for her, she’d kick him in the face if she had to.

  “I have to go. I’ll check in with you soon.”

  “I’ll be expecting that. We are invested in your success. You can do this.”

  Rowan smiled. As she headed out into the hall, David took up next to her. “Much appreciated.”

  “Mr. Wesslyian is attending the meeting.” David said this without even so much as a sneer.

  “Of course he is.” She said nothing else as they ascended into the main entry and crossed to where the meeting would be held. Cataline was exiting the room with an empty tray.

  “There you are. I’ve laid out some coffee and tea along with some water and juice. We’ll be right back with some other light snacks, unless you’d like something more substantial?”

  “Dinner is in two hours so I’m sure whatever you pr
ovide will be fine.”

  Cataline’s smile was brittle at the edges. “Okay then.”

  “Is everything all right? Is he...in a mood?” For Theo to tumble into one of his states during a Joint Tribunal would be very bad for everyone.

  Cataline shook her head. “No.” Her eyes darted to the room, and she saw Roth watching them carefully.

  “Did he give you any trouble, Cataline?”

  “Some people don’t understand why humans serve Vampires is all. It’s fine. Don’t you get yourself into any sort of tangle over it. I don’t like it when you do that.” She gave her best maternal glare and Rowan smiled.

  “I don’t get into tangles. I’m sweet as pie, you know that.”

  David choked, and it made Cataline chuckle. “We’ve got your number. I mean it now. Behave.”

  Hmph.

  Rowan patted Cataline’s arm and went into the room. It was a Hunter working group so all the faces were familiar. The snacks were delivered, and Rowan closed the door after everyone else had gone.

  “David will hand out the materials, if you’ll take a moment to look them all over.”

  She ignored Roth while she poured herself some coffee and got her PowerPoint ready to go. This was her turf and she had no plans to give him the upper hand and let him ruffle her feathers and shift the focus away from what she wanted to work on.

  “After dinner we’ll have the first big meeting regarding exactly how the Treaty should be changed. It’s important to know what it says and what it doesn’t say.”

  “I’d like a moment of your time, Ms. Summerwaite.” Rowan knew Roth wouldn’t be able to take having to wait. He was just that sort of self-important asshole.

  She gave him a once-over. “As you’ve been informed, once we’re finished, if there’s time left over we can take on other issues. But my time is limited.”

  “Perhaps the group should decide that. What we talk about, I mean.”

  Time to shut this gasbag down. She turned to her assistant. “David, can you tell me how many subcommittees there are in the Joint Tribunal?”

  Without missing a beat, David tapped away for moments—though she knew he had the information in his brain and was just taking his time—and looked up again. “Fourteen.”

  “How many are active? By that, I mean, how many are convened at more than eight of ten Joint Tribunal meetings?”

  More tapping.

  “Seven.”

  “And how many are meeting here at this meeting?”

  “Three.”

  “Those are?”

  “Treaty, which is this one, the main committee that sets future agendas, decides what will be heard at the next Joint Tribunal as well as the controlling subject matter of the current one. It’s the predominant committee. The Nation has a Companion Committee. That’s the one meeting after dinner this evening. There’s also a Rules Committee, which writes sample amendments to the Treaty and any ancillary material the Joint Tribunal will sign or agree upon. And a Leadership Committee. The Leadership Committee is a joint one, staffed with the top two Members from the Nation and from Hunter Corporation.”

  She looked to Roth. “Agenda-setting meetings have been taking place for the last three months. These were open to all junior and full Partners in Hunter Corporation. I should know this because several of them were standing room only. And you were at none of them. We enabled people to phone in, to connect in via video conference and to submit questions and comments via mail, hard copy, interoffice mail and email as well as voice mail. Again, I did not see any from you.

  “Members of this committee have spent a great deal of time and energy to set this agenda. They have worked above and beyond their normal workloads at Hunter Corp. to do this. Their effort is incredibly important to me and to the Joint Tribunal in general. The things we discuss here are not whim, but set because we have a limited time to get our issues heard and decided upon by the main body. We do not simply add things to the agenda as if we’re all sitting at a coffeehouse talking about a book. We have an agenda that was set by members of this committee more than a month ago.”

  He narrowed his gaze her way, but she turned her back on him and moved to the first slide and began to talk about how they’d present their amendment to the Treaty.

  The discussion was spirited, and she did not ever recognize Roth though he raised a hand to speak more than once. Once she’d not only shut him down, but underlined the importance of the efforts and time of those on the committee, she knew they’d solidly be on her side.

  “I’m on my way to the Rules Committee meeting now with this sample language. I’ll see you at dinner and then the meeting afterward.” She gathered her notes; though of course David would have taken better ones, she liked to jot down her thoughts and impressions to go over later.

  Celesse met her at the door to walk with her. “I had an interesting conversation last night after dinner with Tahar Emaleh. He’s talking like he’s on the fence, but I got more of a sense that he was inclined to just let the changes go forward than play games over it. But he indicated there was some staunch opposition.”

  “I think there’s another player—”

  “I didn’t have the time to ask to have my issue heard,” Roth interrupted as he approached them.

  Celesse huffed. “Roth, we’re a bit busy at the moment, as Rowan explained.”

  “I told you I could meet with you right before dinner. That’s all the time I have for last-minute things.”

  “Isn’t that convenient?”

  Rowan hated people who thought they were super clever when really they weren’t. Roth seemed to be a member of that tribe. Also, he was pulling that shit men sometimes did with women. Their automatic attempts to assume leading any subject, discussion or whatever. Patronizing bullshit.

  “Nothing about your sudden arrival and insistence on bringing personal bullshit into incredibly important negotiations is convenient. I have a job to do. I’m here to do it.”

  “From what I understand, I hear you’re here to threaten people.”

  She kept walking to the room where her next meeting waited. She turned and blocked the door with her body after David and Celesse went inside. “I’ll be with you in a moment.” She turned back to Roth.

  “I will not allow you to derail important meetings with this bullshit. Don’t come for me unless I send for you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we can continue this talk about your girlfriend’s daughter when I’m not on my way into a meeting. You’re free to check the papers I filed yesterday regarding her behavioral infractions and my response to them in the meantime if you wish.”

  She closed the door in his face and started her meeting.

  * * *

  Clive didn’t bother to hide the way he looked for her as he entered the dining room. But she wasn’t there. Probably cornering a Vampire making a case for this amendment to the Treaty.

  “Perhaps a trip toward the library might net you results,” David, Rowan’s valet, said quietly as he passed.

  Before he knew what he was doing, he’d left the room and sauntered in that direction, listening carefully. David had a way about him. Clive approved of the protective nature of his and Rowan’s relationship. It went both ways, clearly. Rowan dealt with him with an openness and affection Clive rarely saw from her. There was a softness, a trust that felled him.

  Clive scented her before he caught sight of her. Oranges and clove. Sweet and spice.

  He smiled but then heard she was speaking with someone.

  “You are in over your head, little girl.”

  “Are you done now?”

  Clive paused, shifting to fit himself in a corner alcove, using his power to pull shadow around him and watch the interchange between Rowan and this human male.

  “You cast your lot with the wrong people.
Or animals, in this case. You’ve made a powerful enemy in me.” The human eased closer to her, intending to menace, but Rowan wasn’t susceptible to such threats.

  She pushed closer, getting right in his face. “Doesn’t look so powerful from where I stand. By that I mean, where I stand as the Liaison to the Joint Tribunal. Looking at a man who is...not.”

  “You’re a fool. I’ll end your position with Hunter Corp.”

  “What I am is someone who dealt with bigger predators than you before I was five years old.” She stepped back and gave him a look filled with derision and loathing. “You’re nothing to me. Your girlfriend’s daughter is a moron. She shouldn’t have the job she only has because her mom is banging a dude with some pull. This is my job. I earned it at an age when you were still getting spankings from your friends at private boys’ school. You go ahead on and try to remove me, but you stay the hell out of my way during this Joint Tribunal or it’ll be me who ends you.”

  “Stupid whore. You got a little taste of Vampire cock and you think you’re clever.” He grabbed her upper arm, and before Clive could move to intervene, she’d spun, broken his hold and pushed him against the door face-first, his arm bent high enough to pull the shoulder out of the socket if she pushed much more.

  She pressed her mouth to his ear, and the weight of her body kept him in place. “This little girl will fuck your shit up if you ever touch me again. Understand something, weakling. You have no ability to take me on. I am stronger than you. I am smarter than you. I have more power from places you could not begin to imagine. I will crush you before you register I was coming for you. My lot has been cast since my birth. I don’t have a side, I have a path. Do you understand what that means?”

  His face grew redder as she continued to hold him there.

  “Working at Hunter Corp. is a job to you. You gather your petty little ducks and think that makes you powerful. This isn’t just a job. This is my fucking destiny, and you have nothing, no amount of power or influence, that can sway me from that. I pity you that you could ever imagine that you could threaten me.”