At Blade's Edge

by Lauren Dane

  When they entered the larger conference room and found everyone sitting around, Rowan knew something had to be done or they’d have meetings about having meetings forever because everyone was too cautious and nice to just stand up and lead the charge.

  The other Hunters who’d worked in the field or at the other Motherhouse had begun to trickle in and sit, stand or lean against every available space. They all sought the heart of Hunter Corp. to reconnect and then redouble their efforts.

  She strode to the head of the table and tossed her things down with a clatter that got everyone’s attention.

  Within, Brigid was a warm, solid presence. Rowan shoved the panic aside that she’d make the wrong choice, say the wrong thing and tip the balance wrong. She couldn’t afford to think that way.

  She had to trust her instinct because it was her path. It had been beaten into her head over and over. Now was the time—more than any other in her life—to believe in her abilities.

  To believe she was born to be right where she was at that very moment because no one could handle this better.

  Or something.

  “Here’s what I propose. No more of these meetings about meetings. I don’t want to do that and no one else does either. With the exception of the same two people who constantly suggest such things. If we need a meeting, let’s have one. Otherwise, stop wasting time. “

  Susan raised a brow but smirked and made no move to intervene, so Rowan kept on.

  “Susan, will you please create whatever size force you think is necessary to hunt down and execute any remaining rogue ex-employees of Hunter Corporation?”

  No one argued. Rowan continued.

  “We’re at war. We can pretend it away or we can accept what is happening and make plans to meet our enemies on our terms.”

  “We need to find who our true enemy is,” Celesse said.

  “I agree.”

  “Bon.” And then the trap sprung. “I think you’re the best person to liaise between the Conclave and the Nation. They’re involved in this too and have not insignificant resources.”

  Sneaky bitch.

  Rowan really had been learning from the best for a very long time.

  “I’ll do it if Rex will handle the revision of the Hunter roster. We need everyone to be trained to the greatest extent possible. Yes, we need people here in the Motherhouses managing things, but the weight is wrong. We have too many administrative positions and not enough field Hunters.”

  “I didn’t hire on here to fight monsters,” someone called out.

  Rowan shrugged. “Sarah will decide what sort of staff we’ll need here. But overall, a Hunter hunts. Fighting monsters is the job.”

  Rex was a brilliant strategist. It had been his training that’d helped Rowan form her team in Vegas. Which would now need to be enlarged. Another thing for later in the conversation.

  “You can’t just turn everything upside down. It’s not fair,” the same whiner said.

  Rowan didn’t bother to hide the curl of her lip. “Fair? Fuck fair. And fuck you too. With everything this organization has been through of late and you want to cry to me about fair? Our co-workers and friends sold Hunter Corp. and the Treaty out. Now isn’t the time for fragile. And it’s really not the time for fair. We’ve been compromised. Our agents have been exposed. Our people have been assassinated. Because of our own. No one could have killed our brethren without the aid of Roth and Hilary. It makes you uncomfortable to stare that in the face and own it? I don’t care! That’s some fucked up, weak bullshit. Fuck you for expecting someone else to always bear the cost.”

  Truly angry now, she pounded the table and looked each person in the room in the eyes, one by one.

  “You’re a Hunter or you aren’t. If you’re not, get out now so we can wipe you clean and send you on your way.”

  Some feeble attempts to talk about emotions and healing and a bunch of crap only pushed her to the very end of an already frayed rope.

  “Oh. My. Goddess. Shut up! There’s no more debate. You’re in or you’re out. Period. You know the penalties for betraying us and you know I’ll personally make it my life mission to find you and kill you myself if you do. You leave here, you get your memory and life scrubbed and we forget about you. Bye.”

  She waited until two people got up with so much energy she knew they expected others to follow suit. But none did.

  Rex stood, smoothing a hand down his tie. He gave a quick hand signal to several of the others who came forward to escort the soon to be ex-employees from the room.

  At the door he paused to give Rowan a measuring, proud look and she nodded her thanks.

  “Now, for the next agenda item,” she continued once they’d gone. “Some re-organization. We need to be more nimble. Which means less emphasis on two or four Motherhouses full of Hunters and more smaller cells working out in concentric circles from a hub in the center. There’s no reason to get rid of London and Paris because we’ve got excellent networks in place, though we’ll have to assume our current protocols have been compromised so we’ll need to rebuild new caches, safe houses, contacts and the like.”

  Celesse took that on, thank the Goddess.

  “I assume we’ll be adding a Motherhouse in North America?” Susan asked as she pulled the map down from the ceiling.

  * * *

  Rowan came into the house just as the sun was setting. She held up a hand to quiet everyone who’d gotten in her path.

  “I’ll be back down shortly.”

  Clive had woken up and she’d felt it.

  Like, inside her stomach, when he’d started to surface toward consciousness she’d simply known.

  He met her in the sitting room, pulling her into his arms.

  She’d known and it hadn’t freaked her out. It had settled her. In that exact moment, it had been all right. He understood her and gave her the room to kick ass and be bitchy. And even though he could have barged right into her consciousness to check on her, he’d let her come to him.

  “You don’t know what it means to me that you let me come to you. I know you want to push and get in my space and demand things but you let me come at you how I need to. Thank you.”

  She put her head on his chest and simply loved him with every single bit of herself for long moments.

  The sounds of the household came to life all around them, slowly pulling her back to herself.

  “I’m quite enjoying marriage so far,” Clive said as he kissed her neck before letting go. “I’m glad you’re alive and appear to have shed no blood today.”

  “Not even a stubbed toe.” She reached out to knock the doorjamb.

  “I need a cup of tea and doubtless you need dinner.” He turned her so she stood at his side, her hand in his.

  “I don’t actually need dinner as someone arranged for food to show up at work every five minutes. You can’t feed people or they will never go away. Haven’t you learned that?”

  “I had two meals and some snacks sent. Don’t be so ridiculous. I knew you’d be busy and wouldn’t take the time on your own so I helped you along a little.”

  “Well, I must admit having ice cream delivered was awesome. I took a pass on the kale smoothie thing though.”

  “Of course you did. Tell me what happened today while you eat dinner. You had lunch, but dinner comes next. You have broken bones. Your body needs the calories.”

  “You’re a nag.”

  He didn’t argue but she did hear his tiny sigh at the sight of a full table in the dining room as they entered.

  “I told you what would happen when you started feeding people.” She lifted a shoulder briefly. “Elisabeth’s an awesome cook too.”

  “I made you coconut cake,” Elisabeth called out as she brought a cart into the room and began to serve all manner of delic
ious looking things from covered dishes and bowls.

  Genevieve waggled her eyebrows at Rowan from her place at the table. “I brought tea and some information.”

  “Price of admission for dinner, easily,” Rowan assured her.

  Everyone filled plates and got comfortable before Rowan spoke again. “I’m going to set up a Motherhouse in Las Vegas.”

  Clive managed to cover his near choke well enough for everyone but Rowan. She’d come to London ready to walk away from Hunter Corp. and now she’d just gotten in even deeper with them.

  “You’re going to have to negotiate that with the Vampire Nation,” Clive told her.

  “Believe me when I tell you I’ll shove a dozen reasons up anyone’s ass who gets in my way,” she replied cheerfully. “I haven’t had to stake a vampire in a week or so. Don’t want to get rusty.” And with their little rogue problem in London, she could weight that around their necks and run past them to do what she wanted. She needed to corner Warren when she saw him next to poke at him over the resolution to that problem.

  “It’s my territory,” Clive added as if that made any difference.

  “No it isn’t. They’re your Vampires. I don’t want them anyway, so have at them. The ground? Well, you don’t own that. And I don’t need to ask you to occupy it. I already do occupy it. I occupied it before you were named Scion, as it happens. Maybe you should ask my permission.”

  He gave her an arch look and she felt immensely better.

  “This is a Treaty-based decision. You know that and so do I.”

  “Look, if the Vampire Nation hadn’t allowed the Blood Front all that freedom without a single bit of oversight, this might have been dealt with sooner. We’re at emergency decision-making time. I won’t ask permission to clean up a problem the witches and the Vampires could have dealt with long ago. You didn’t and that’s reality. So, if you want to go down this road, let’s go. I’m feeling mean.”

  His smirk made her want to laugh, but she didn’t.

  David didn’t bother to look up from his plate. Rowan guessed he was used to all this by now. Pride warred with concern. She’d brought him into this world of constant danger, had enabled him to meet these challenges successfully. But she worried for him. Not just over his physical safety, but what this life would do to someone like him with all that heart.

  “You don’t need to seek permission from the Conclave.” Genevieve said this with a flutter of her lashes and amusement on her mouth.

  “Troublemaker,” Clive muttered.

  “You said you had information?” Rowan asked her.

  “A few names. One I think is a dead end, but the other two might get you somewhere good,” Genevieve said. “I have my people looking into it, but I thought you’d like the opportunity to do a bit of investigation on your own as well.”

  “Yes, yes I would. Thanks. I was volunteered to be the liaison between Hunter Corp. and the Conclave so this is handy.”

  “It’s because you’re so diplomatic,” Clive told her.

  She snickered, reaching out to squeeze his wrist. Just a quick, affectionate touch. Something she rarely did. And yet it had settled them both.

  His gaze met hers, soothed, incited as well.

  “I’ll have you know I can diplomatic it right the fuck up there with the best of them. I don’t need people to be my best friend. I need them to do what I say. But they can’t know that’s what they’re doing.”

  “You should write all these chestnuts down. Keep a collection of Rowan wisdom.”

  “A-plus sass there, sir. Well done.”

  “I knew a few things before you rocketed into my life.” Clive winked.

  Happiness had seeped into her to the point she was loose and warm with it. Her dining room at her table. Next to her husband, surrounded by friends. This was the most delicious thing.

  Not normal really, given who and what they all were. But as close as she’d ever been to it. She’d never have a picket fence and two kids. Never have a baby shower or a work holiday party.

  That knowledge used to hurt so bad she avoided it at all costs. Pretended it didn’t matter or that she was ridiculous to care at all.

  Over the last three years she’d grieved over the loss of that future. Of even the chance at such things.

  And then she’d put it away. Even then she hadn’t quite imagined something like this wondrous thing in her chest. Love and a sense of belonging.

  “Stop eye-fucking and focus on the problem at hand,” Genevieve said.

  “That’s a remarkably modern saying from such an old creature,” Rowan told her.

  Genevieve’s brow knit for a moment and then she glared before bursting into laughter. “Did you just call me old?”

  “I did. But out of love.”

  Genevieve snorted. “When do you go back to the United States?”

  “Next week. First we’re going to Germany. For a thing. A family thing.” Four days of parties. Theo was out of his fucking mind. He’d said a simple announcement party. He’d planned something ridiculously over the top.

  Clive had tried to hide his glee, knowing she’d be cranky about it. But she also understood that for him, so much flash being made about his bonding to Rowan by The First was a huge deal.

  It solidified his power in ways that took other Scions at least two centuries. Which was why she’d attempt to keep her complaining to a minimum and let Clive have his day. Days. Ugh.

  “The party your father is throwing? It’s all the talk. I’ll be there on the last day.”

  “He invited outsiders?” Rowan asked Alice.

  “The first three days are closed. Vampires only with the exception of the acolytes of Brigid and the Espys. The send-off reception is open to some others. Humans of considerable power, members of the Conclave Senate.”

  Sure. Because she’d be so relaxed by that last day. No big deal.

  “I think we should see if your magic can also spell me some valium. It won’t work on my metabolism. But your pain blocker spell worked. If I have to deal with four days of celebration, I need help,” Rowan told Genevieve.

  “He’ll need to keep you sexually satisfied. That’s amazing for your system. But I’m sure we can work something out,” Genevieve replied.

  “He does a good job.” Rowan tried not to blush. “Anyway, we’re headed back to Las Vegas after that. I’ve got a Motherhouse to build and an investigation to continue.”

  “My information tells me the people you’ll be looking for are reportedly on their way to New York City.”

  At least it was on the same continent as home for a change.

  Rowan itched to head to New York right then. But she couldn’t. This party thing Theo was doing wasn’t optional.

  First she’d go to the Keep. Handle her duty there and head home. There was a lot of work over the coming weeks as she reorganized all the Hunters in the United States. David seemed to get a boner over organizational charts so she’d give him a rough sketch of what she wanted and let him do all the fancy stuff.

  It would keep him out of danger for a while anyway.

  “I’ll forward the information to my guy back in Vegas so he can get a head start.” She’d asked Carey to Germany for the wedding stuff but he said his wedding present to her was to hold the fort down so she could truly enjoy herself.

  It had been a kindness—one of many from him over the years—that had enabled her to not be so agitated about the level of pomp Theo was hoisting aloft.

  Without even really planning it, Rowan had ended up with a family of her making. Weird and broken. A lot like she was.

  After dinner, David dashed off to get Carey started with the new names and intelligence Genevieve had given them. There were Hunters in New York, ones she trusted, so he’d connect with them.

 
Clive was in his office behind his massive desk. He indicated the phone and soon enough she heard one of his lieutenants back home on the other end.

  She made to leave but he stared her down and indicated she sit. Nearly made it sort of look like a request instead of some sort of imperial command. She plopped down on the overstuffed loveseat. Tucking the pillows all around her, she watched him work.

  “Rowan has just joined us.” Clive looked up to her once more. “Craig’s been house hunting for us, but I thought with your new professional plans we should hold off until you decide on the location. I want us to be near wherever the new Motherhouse is.”

  He hadn’t done it for points. He’d simply thought of her and adjusted his life appropriately. Which is why she didn’t point out the absurdity of a Vampire named Craig.

  Though she hadn’t missed the part where Clive’d had one of his employees looking for a house for them without even telling her.

  Baby steps, she supposed.

  She’d re-establish her boundaries with him when he wasn’t being the boss. And then she let Clive see that in her eyes, let that flow through their link. He furrowed his brow.

  It was ridiculous that he could be so damned frowny and furrowy and get no wrinkles because he was a Vampire. And even when he did manage to look like a man in his fifties and sixties, he’d be craggy and handsome.

  Rowan told him, “Since our last location was compromised, we’ve been working out of the office at my place. While I’ve been here, Carey has been living in the guest room there since our hours are so different. You’re the one who needs to think about distance from work because you have to deal with a regular commute.”

  “Not always a big problem when one can fly.”

  Oh that smirk of his. Damn it he looked sexy behind a desk like that.

  “Like you’d let me forget.”

  “There’s a house already about seventy percent through construction. One of the properties my predecessor had started and naturally left unfinished.”

  “I’m not living in any mansion made of gold and rubies with peacock skin floors or whatever the fuck that asshole thought was so classy. He had zero taste.”