Empath (Book 1 of The Empath Trilogy)
Page 29
Ch. 23
When work was over my personal hero picked me up from Henry’s watch and we went home for an early dinner before heading back to campus for my evening Eastern Philosophy class. Having heard about her visit, James was on high alert, scanning for Gina the entire time we were outside of his house, but she didn’t appear again.
When my day at school was done, I sat studying at the dining room table while James was researching an upcoming trip to Scotland on his laptop. I was so deep in thought about the psychosocial aspects of human sexuality that I didn’t hear James the first time he said my name.
“Claire,” he teased. “Oh, Claire.”
“Hmm? Sorry, interesting topic.” Folding a piece of notebook paper into a bookmark, I closed my textbook. “What did you ask me?”
“I asked if you have ever been to Scotland. My next trip to Edinburgh is scheduled for next week. I was supposed to leave Sunday. However, in light of recent events I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here.” He was rocked back in his chair watching something on his monitor.
“So you’re telling me you would get in trouble with your editor and blow a piece just because of your girlfriend’s dumb luck? Not bloody likely. I think you want to whisk me away to faraway lands and do unspeakable things to me with no one to stop you,” I teased playfully.
His eyebrows rose archly as he took the bait. “Do you have any objections to that?”
“None in the slightest. How long were you going to be gone?”
“We would leave Sunday and return Wednesday. That gives me time to do some travel pictures, write the story up quickly and attend some meetings.”
The dismissive way he mentioned them caught my ear. “What meetings, James?”
His chair came down. “Henry has asked me to speak to some of my contacts in Edinburgh about what is happening here with Bradley and his incoming coven.”
“Is it smart for me to go with you if you are doing vampire things?” In spending more time with my new friends, I had become privy to lots of information previously unknown to me about our world and theirs. For example, yes, some vampires hated humans and saw us merely as food. Others, though opposed to our extinction, were not enthralled with the idea of us in their business or knowing about them. James and Henry were crossing a line by bringing me into the fold. Granted, it was due to Henry’s animal connection that I had even been introduced. Still, it was not something the larger vampire population would be taking lightly when they found out.
I was fairly certain Bradley and his lot were spreading all sorts of propaganda about our family right about now. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to hear his crowd arguing that I would blab the whole thing and they would all have to go into hiding in the woods somewhere. If there was one thing I had learned about vampires and weres, it was that they loved the modern conveniences of city living. There were not many farming vampires or werewolves, so needless to say, they would be pissed off if they had to go into hiding somewhere off the grid.
James didn’t want to answer my question but when he did, he met my gaze unflinchingly. “If we are to have a future together, we must eventually make our appearance before the members of the Court for approval. We might as well do so now, it might even afford you some extra protection.”
“What are you talking about?” Never in any of our conversations about how his society was run had he mentioned such a technicality. “There’s an approval process?”
He nodded once, slowly. “Yes, vampires wishing to consort with humans are left to clean up their own messes when they’re finished.” I gasped. He went on calmly, “The few who seek a longer term arrangement must gain approval through the ruling body. If we are to maintain the necessary secrecy to survive, we can’t be running around telling everyone how vampires make for great lovers.” His attempt at levity did nothing for the fear in the pit of my stomach.
“So we have to go meet with the mightiest of mighties on their turf, and ask if it’s okay that I’m your girlfriend, while you are also there asking for help reining in one of theirs? Doesn’t that just prove Bradley’s point that your loyalties are confused?” This didn’t sound like a vacation I wanted to go on at all now. Screw Scotland. I’d go sometime when I was old and I would take a bus tour of old castles or something.
His brows knitted in consternation. “You sure have a way of putting a damper on my vacation plans.”
“This was supposed to be work, not a vacation. Now, it sounds like I’ll be asking a bunch of vampire politicians if they’ll let me, a lowly human, keep on breathing.” How could he not understand how I could be upset? I was a human. These were vampires. Some of who wanted to wipe out my kind.
“Claire,” he laid both hands on the table. “Do you think I would put you in a situation where you are in any significant danger at all?”
“Significant?” I squeaked.
“Asking for an audience with the Court is a formal occasion, yes. It does carry some amount of risk, but it is both manageable and necessary.” He held up a hand to postpone my arguments. “However, they will not disagree with our relationship. Henry and I are held in high regard due to our history with the Court. And then there’s the biggest piece of evidence on our side, you haven’t said anything.”
“What do you mean, ‘I haven’t said anything’?”
“Exactly how it sounds. If you are deemed to be trustworthy and will swear to uphold our secret, you have nothing to fear.” He reached for my hands across the table.
After a long moment of consideration, I realized that the details under which I met his “people” didn’t matter. I would follow him into the jaws of hell if he asked. I took his hands, “If you are comfortable with this, then I am too. I have to trust you on this one since I have less than no experience with meeting in-laws.” He threw back his head and laughed and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at the sound. A couple of happy fools; that was us.