Maybe Forge had a point. Maybe I couldn’t do this.
You can, Selena. You have something no one else in this room has, something they’d kill for. Forge’s voice caressed my mind, so confident that I almost believed him.
I didn’t let go of Forge’s hand as he strode through the crowd, most parting to allow him passage, some averting their gaze, others looking me over with rapt interest, until I felt stripped naked.
Along the way I caught snippets of thoughts—mostly petty grievances—as we skirted the table. I stole a sideways glance to put faces with the voices. So inconvenient, such short notice… Forge is finally going to get his… Who is that delicious-smelling human…
I forced myself to remain impassive, to remember why we were here, and what rode on this meeting. We took two seats next to each other, and I made sure my leg fell against Forge’s, savoring the now-familiar feeling of touching him. In response, he laid his hand on my thigh, making me instantly feel better.
Dobson, the asshole, slid in through a side door like the snake he was, took one look at me and licked his lips. I didn’t need to read his mind to tell what he was thinking, especially when Forge’s rage spiked in hot waves through my head. I did what any savvy woman did—I stared right at the smarmy blonde and pretended I didn’t see him. His mocking smile dimmed a bit, and a rush of triumph went through me.
Somehow, this strange assembly reminded me of the Langston-Forge board—pompous, self-interested people who thought they ran the world. Of course, these vampires had teeth and could tear me apart, but the concept was the same. The realization brought clarity and took some of the edge off. Hell, I dealt with assholes like this every day.
Just like in the human world, the Elder showed up last, two huge, pit bull bodyguards taking up positions behind him. Classic power move that only worked on the newbs. I took note of the vampires who instantly took their seats, one of them sliding his cell phone into his pocket. The older—and I assumed more powerful—vampires took their good old time milling around, then choosing their seats strategically.
Dobson set his back against the wall behind the Elder, smirking. We were directly across from them, where I could keep my eye on them both. The internal hum of voices hadn’t stopped since we’d arrived, and it was becoming harder and harder to sort through them, while keeping my gaze on Dobson and the Elder.
The Elder had some kind of bald and evil vibe going on, with a full-on turtleneck, the kind I hadn’t seen since I was little, paired with a wool jacket with actual elbow patches. Someone seriously needed to bring this guy’s wardrobe into the twentieth century.
Shit, at least Forge knew how to dress.
Thank you, Selena. Your approval means the world to me.
I squashed my smile and waited for the Elder’s thoughts to float to me on the air, like the other’s had, but I got nothing. He rapped his knuckles on the table, and instantly, the voices in my head—and those around the table—stopped.
He spoke in a gravelly voice, in a language I couldn’t understand—at least, not until Forge began translating in my head.
He’s welcoming the Assembly and going over the rules. For some reason, Forge skipped those, so I’d have to figure them out for myself, apparently. Now he’s asking for votes to move his motion forward.
Around us, most of the participants raised a hand, or nodded. Two young ones’ hands shot into the air. Jeez, teacher’s pet, much?
Forge paused as they took a count, then continued his commentary. He’s listing out the charges: murder, torture and treason. Seems like he’s hitting all the highlights. He must really want to bury me today. I really didn’t like the sound of that.
The Elder spoke again, his indifferent gaze skimming the table. The second his eyes fell on me, I felt it, the jolt traveling through me like I’d been plugged into an electric outlet. A corner of his mouth quirked up in pleasure before he struck. The crawling sensation encompassed my entire body, until all I heard was the scratchy wiggling of worms as they ate at my brain. He was scraping away my shield, a little bit at a time, and there was nothing I could do to stop him.
Put your head down. Break the eye contact.
Forge’s deep, steady voice cut through the sensation, pulled me back to the here and now, and I did as he said, the vampire still trying to dig his way inside. Forge’s shield locked into place over mine, creating an impenetrable barrier that made me feel safe. I hadn’t thought I’d need his help, not until I experienced the power of the Elder.
Hang on, Selena. He can’t touch you now.
I knew Forge wouldn’t let him get to me. I knew he’d do everything he could to keep me safe. But I was afraid to tip our hand as the Elder poked and prodded at me, a cat with a canary. The Elder was scowling now, his careful mask gone, and he murmured something indecipherable to Forge.
Who didn’t bother to translate, so it must have been bad.
The Elder finally gave up, shooting me a look that clearly said this wasn’t over, then went back to droning on about Forge and—I assumed—all the really bad things he was going to do.
Forge’s shield slid away, allowing snippets of the other vampires’ voices in, and this time, I focused on Dobson. Not that I wanted to know what he was thinking; it just seemed like he was a major player in this charade.
Even though I knew what he sounded like, it took a bit of trial and error to pick him out of the vengeful crowd, most of whom hated Forge with a passion and were eager to see him get what was coming to him.
As I was here to ensure Forge did
