share of the profits?
I shifted my body weight forward to launch myself toward him. But before I could move, I was stopped by the same thing that had kept McKetrick from me—humans.
This time, a family moved in front of me.
Mother and a double stroller of sleeping children in the lead; father with a sleeping infant on his hip pulling a red wagon that held a third sleeping toddler. The entire family was tethered together with ribbon. It was a wagon train of family.
By the time they’d moved their caravan out of the way and I looked up again, Paulie was gone.
I wasn’t entirely sure how to break the news to Ethan. How did you tell your boss that for no apparent reason, your enemy had confessed her evildoings and gone willingly into the arms of the Chicago Police Department?
Turned out, I didn’t need to. After picking through the protesters to get into the House, I found half the House’s vampires in the front sitting room, eyes glued to a flat-screen television that hung above the fireplace.
Tate stood in front of a podium in a charcoal gray suit, every hair in place, and a soothing smile on his face.
“We’ve discovered today that Celina Desaulniers, thought to be in the custody of officials in the UK, made her way back to Chicago. While here, she continued to create the chaos she’d begun before her first capture.
We’ve also learned that she was responsible for the increase in violence we’ve seen in the city.
Now, finally, the city of Chicago can breathe a sigh of relief. Life can return to normal, and vampires can return to being a part of the city, not antagonists. Rest assured, Ms. Desaulniers will stay in the custody of the Chicago Police Department in a facility we created just for the purpose of keeping the public safe from supernatural criminals. I also need to give credit to Merit, the Sentinel of Cadogan House.”
“Oh, shit,” I said aloud, half a dozen of the vamps in the room turning to stare at me, finally realizing I’d stepped into the room behind them, probably smelling of kebabbed meats and deep-fried candy bars.
“She was a crucial part,” Tate continued, “of efforts to locate and apprehend Celina Desaulniers. Whatever your opinions of vampires, I ask—on behalf of the city—that you not judge all the individuals based on the actions of a few.”
My beeper began to buzz. I unclipped it and glanced at the screen. It read, simply, OFFICE.
I blew out a breath, then looked up at the vamps in the room and offered a small wave. “It was lovely knowing you,” I assured them, then turned on a heel.
I hustled down the hallway. The office door was cracked, so I pushed it open and found Darius, Ethan, and Malik inside. They were all seated at the conference table—Darius at the head, Malik and Ethan on the window side.
I didn’t like the symbolism there, and my already-raw stomach began to churn again.
“Come in, Merit,” Darius said. “And close the door.”
I did as I was told and took a seat opposite Ethan and Malik. Ethan’s expression was completely blank. My stomach tightened, but I’d already decided I wasn’t going to be afraid any longer. It was time to talk.
“Sire,” I said, “may I speak candidly?”
I heard Ethan’s warning in my head, but I ignored it. There was a time to be meek, and a time to take a stand. At this point, I had nothing to lose.
Darius regarded me for a moment. “Speak.”
“V was moving through the city. It was hurting our vampires, it was hurting humans, and it was hurting our relationship with the city. With all due respect to the concerns of the GP, we have to live here. We don’t have the luxury of returning to another continent, and we couldn’t simply ignore the problem. Shifters and humans were already turning against us. If we didn’t act, we’d be in the middle of the war the sorcerers have predicted. I stand Sentinel for this House, and I acted in a manner consistent with the House’s best interest, even if that interest, in your opinion, does not coincide with that of the GP.”
When I was done, Darius looked at Ethan.
“Tonight’s events do not reflect well upon the North American Houses or the Greenwich Presidium. We should not be involved in altercations in a public festival in one of the largest cities in the United States.” He looked up at me. “We do not need the publicity, nor the heroics. What we need is respect for authority, for hierarchy, for chain of command.
Assimilation is how we’ve done that for centuries. Assimilation is how we’ll continue to do it.”
His gaze went ice-cold, as did the blood in my veins.
“Merit, consider yourself officially reprimanded by the GP. Your file will be annotated to reflect what you’ve done today. I hope you appreciate the seriousness of that action.”
I actually didn’t have any clue how serious it was, but that didn’t matter. It felt like I’d been slapped in the face, every sacrifice and decision I’d made since becoming a vampire called into question.
I tried to obey the warning look Ethan shot me from across the table, but I was done playing GP doormat and blame magnet.
I stood up and pushed back my shoulders.
“Will my file be annotated to reflect the fact that I followed the leads to Celina, and that she admitted spreading V around the city? Will it reflect the fact that she helped arrange the raves so she could institute her new world order—which it sounds like she plans to institute without the GP? Will it reflect the fact that today we closed her down and saved the city and the GP a lot of trouble down the road?”
Darius was motionless. “Celina is a member of the GP and must be afforded the respect due to a member of the GP.”
“Celina put dangerous drugs into the hands of vampires, drugs that could only lead to their destruction and incarceration. She is a murderer and an aider and abettor of murder. GP member or not, she needed to be stopped. I was a Chicagoan before I was a vampire, and when I have an opportunity to help this city—to do right by this city—I’m going to. GP be damned.”
Silence.
“Your file will be annotated, your demerits noted. And while I find your bravado intriguing”—he slid his gaze to Ethan—“I strongly recommend you learn to control your House and your vampires.”
When I looked back at Ethan, his expression was stony, his gaze on Darius.
“With all due respect, Sire,” he bit out, “I do not control my vampires. I
He looked at me with eyes that were radiantly green, this man who’d just stood up for me, defied his own master for me, trusted in
I was floored. Speechless. Moved to tears, and suddenly very, very nervous, both at the sentiment and its political cost.
But regardless of the surprise of Ethan’s words, their generosity, his defense of my actions, Darius wasn’t buying. He maintained the party line, and the House would suffer for it.
“Appointment of a receiver is clearly an inevitability,” he said. “There is no way to avoid GP oversight of Cadogan House at this juncture.
I expect you will give the receiver the same access and respect that you would give me. Is that understood?”
Ethan bit out words. “Yes, Sire.”
“In that case, Charlie has a car waiting and I need to get to the airport.” He pushed back his chair and rose, then started for the door. “I can see myself out.”
