“Don’t you two have something to do?” Canaan said in mock disgust, but he raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the gym.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re going.”
Col turned back at the door. “She really is pretty good.”
“What’s wrong with it?” Grace asked Nardo, more curious than offended.
“Nothing,” he assured her. “If Lord Canaan approves, I have no objections.”
“But?” She looked from one man to the other.
Canaan looked uncomfortable. “Grace, most Ruling Class women of the Paenitentia wouldn’t think of getting sweaty in a gym. They’re pampered and protected. Very few of them have careers and before you get on me about housekeeping being no picnic, very few of them do that either. Most have housekeepers, cooks, and cleaning and laundry services. They spend their time pursuing what the Race considers the feminine traditions like shopping, salons, teas…”
“Tea? Like little sandwiches with the crusts cut off? Oh Canaan, I don’t think I’d be very good at that.”
Canaan chuckled. “Surprise, surprise. Don’t worry about it. We love you just the way you are.” But then he turned to Nardo and there was no humor in his voice.
“Look son, maybe you need to take a few days to decide if you can live in this House. I’d be happy to recommend you to other, more traditional Houses with no hard feelings. We’ve pretty much thrown tradition out the window here. Grace is a Daughter of Man. Otto’s a vampire.” He threw up his hands. “The whole place is going to hell in a hand basket and the worst part of it is we like it this way. I’ve never been a favorite of the Ruling Council and with all these changes, we may lose our charter. There’s no prestige in joining my House.
“Duty, Honor, Service. Those are the three words Guardians live by and I grew up believing that tradition was the fourth. It isn’t. You won’t find it written anywhere. That doesn’t mean it isn’t important to other members of the Race.”
“What will happen, sir, if the House loses its charter?”
“The important question is what happens to this.” Canaan laid his hand over his heart and the skull that guarded it. “If the House loses its charter and I lose this, I lose everything I’ve ever believed in. If the House loses its charter and this remains, then I lose nothing. Duty, honor and service will still be mine.
“I don’t know what will happen to those that stand with me. It’s a risk Dov and Col are willing to take. You don’t know us and you’ll have to take all that I say on faith alone. That’s a lot to ask of any man. If you decide to stay, Nardo, you have to understand that you’re throwing in with a bad lot.”
“I know all about your House. I’ve been communicating with Col and Dov almost daily and I guess it’s no surprise that they gave an honest description. You’re what I’m looking for and my decision’s already made.” Nardo stood with his fist over his heart in a very traditional salute. He bowed deeply from the waist.
“I serve at my Liege Lord’s command.”
Chapter 24
Grace lay on her back, eyes closed, arms spread, enjoying the little aftershocks of lovemaking. Canaan lay beside her in much the same position with a silly satisfied smile on his face. His claim that she would be too sore to enjoy another morning of bliss had proved untrue. Her body was made for his. She was sure of it.
She rolled to her side and pushed herself up until she was nestled into the crook of his arm with her head on his shoulder.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“Mmm. I’m happy to hear it.” His fingers played with her hair.
“Canaan?”
“Mmm?”
“What was that all about this waking? What you were saying to Nardo. Is my living here the cause of it?”
“No. It has nothing to do with you.”
Grace raised herself up and gave him a don’t-lie-to-me look and he answered it with a wry smile.
“All right, you’re a part of it, but just a small part. It’s been inside of me for a long time. Falling in love with you just brought it to the surface.”
“You’ve talked about the Council before. I knew you had issues with them, but this sounds serious.”
“The Ruling Council, hell, most of the whole damn Race hasn’t supported us with anything but money in years. Once we were the warriors that stood between the Race and extinction. Now, we’re looked upon as nothing more than muscle bound barbarians who are tolerated solely for the sake of tradition. And what has clinging to tradition gotten us? What has it done for Otto and Manon? What good are traditions if there’s no one left to uphold them?”
Grace reached across his body to lay her hand on his heart, covering the lilies and skull. “And this? What does it have to do with your tattoo?”
“It’s not a tattoo, Grace. It’s a living part of us. All male members of the race have one. When we reach maturity, the lilies bloom, bound by the ribbon inscribed with Paenitet Me – I Repent. It’s a constant reminder of who we are and where we came from. Some babies are born with a tiny red teardrop. Those are the ones born to be Guardians. After they mature and if they’re accepted, the skull and tears appear. They’re the symbols of our commitment and the sacrifice we’re willing to make. The skull represents our willingness to die for the Race. The tears are for the blood we shed.
“When Otto was turned, his skull faded away as he died. Only the tears were left. His powers faded along with the skull. I wish you could have seen him before the turn. He was one helluva warrior. We all looked up to and admired him.”
“He’s still a powerful man and he loves you like a son.” Her finger traced the outlines of the skull and the five bloody tears. “What does that have to do with you? They wouldn’t try to kill you, would they?”
The concern in her voice touched him. “No, they won’t kill me, but what they can do is take away my House, ban me from the Guardians. In the past, Grace, there have been men who’ve broken their vows and left or been banned from their Houses. Within months, their skulls and tears disappeared along with their powers.
“What I’ve begun to question is who do we make our commitment to? Is it to the Council, to the Race, or to some Higher Power? If it’s to the Council, we’re screwed. If it’s to the Race or something greater, then we have a chance of survival, but only if we change. I want to take that chance, make some changes. That’s the road I want to take, Grace, and I want you to take it with me.”
She entwined her fingers with his and brought both their hands to the lilies and skull. “Where you lead, my lord, I will follow.” She brought her lips up to his and sealed her promise with a kiss. “Manon believes that my destiny lies with you. I believe she’s right.”
Canaan drew her up onto his chest and rolled until she was beneath him. “I believe that I could make love to you for the rest of my life.”
“Mmm.”
*****
“And that’s it, Canaan. I know you’re not going to like any of this, but I’ve made up my mind. I can’t fight demons any more, but I can still be of service. I won’t draw attention to myself and I don’t expect you to take any heat from the Council on my account. As much as I love this House, I need to be with Manon. When the house is finished, we’ll move back to the city. In the meantime, we’ll commute.”
Otto had been going on for half an hour, presenting his plan and countering every argument that Canaan could make though Canaan had yet to make one.
Canaan sipped his Talisker’s and listened patiently without interruption until Otto ran out of steam.
“You know, running back and forth to Manon’s is going to be a huge waste of time.”
“It’s my time to waste,” was Otto’s retort. “I don’t belong to this House any more, not since I turned. It doesn’t matter whether I’m here or not.”
Canaan finally smiled. “Otto, shut up and drink your beer. I’ve listened to you, now you listen to me. You don’t have to do what I say, just hear me out.”
Otto still looked ready to
argue, but he sat, snapped off the top of his beer and nodded before taking a swig.
“Thank you. First off, you’ll always be a part of this House as long as I’m Liege Lord and don’t you ever think otherwise. Secondly, I don’t see how you’re going to accomplish anything if you spend half your time running back and forth to Manon’s. Quit snarling and let me finish. You have perfectly comfortable quarters up on the third floor and I don’t see why you and Manon can’t live there until your house is habitable.”
Canaan laughed outright. Otto was dumbfounded. His mouth kept opening and closing but no sound came out.
“Never thought you’d hear those words from my mouth, did you? Relax. I owe you and Manon a lot, including an apology for my role in keeping you apart. Offering her a temporary home is the least I can do. Whether she can bring herself to share a place with me is another matter. Talk to her. Tell her Grace would be delighted.”
Otto sat back and stared at this man who looked exactly like his Liege Lord. He’d come here ready for battle and Canaan had knocked the wind from his sails.
“You’re right, Otto. This has been our House for a hundred years. It’s time we made it our home. The Council may take our charter, but it can’t make us leave the neighborhood.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying all this.” Otto shook his head in disbelief. “I thought you’d fight me. What the hell happened to you?”
“The Meeting of Congregants happened, when they referred to us as an honorable but dying breed. You happened, when you got angry and made me see a few home truths. Grace happened, when she waltzed into my kitchen and made me feel like a love sick kid. It’s not just the sex, Otto, though even that’s like nothing I’ve experienced before. I love her. I look forward to every waking with that woman, hearing her laugh, listening to her voice, watching her move around that kitchen. It’s the best part of my night and I’m not willing to give that up for anyone’s traditions, not even my own. I never knew it felt like this. Otto, I was an ass. I could ask your forgiveness every day for the next hundred years and it wouldn’t be enough to make up for the harm I did to you and Manon.”
“Now it’s your turn to shut up and listen.” Otto bowed his head for a moment to gather his thoughts. “If it’ll make you feel any better, I’ll forgive you for any part you played in separating Manon and me, but the truth is the blame falls squarely on me. Manon blames all of you because she loves me, but deep inside she knows. I had a choice to make. I and I alone, made it. I was afraid to take the chance. I didn’t have your courage. I want you to know, Canaan, I’ve always been proud of you but I’m prouder of you today than ever before. Whatever the future brings, I’m your man.” Otto stood at attention and placed his right fist over his heart. “I serve at my Liege Lord’s command.”
Chapter 25
“Nardo!” Canaan shouted as he slammed through the door from the garage. Boxes and cans went tumbling to the floor.
Nardo was going to have to schedule someone else to do this job. Never in his one hundred and forty years had Canaan ever failed at something he’d decided to do. It was a humiliating experience. He was equipped to teach a trainee to shoot a dozen different weapons, throw anything that had a sharp edge, or strangle someone with anything that happened to be at hand. Shit, he had to teach them how to rip a demon’s heart out with their own bare hands. What he wasn’t equipped to do was teach Grace how to drive. It was exhausting and nerve wracking. Hell, it was downright frightening.
“It wasn’t that bad, Canaan.” Grace followed him through the door. She jogged to catch up with him and slid her hands about his waist. He stopped and breathed deeply when she pressed the side of her face against his back. “You’re such a big baby.” She slapped his back playfully.
“Nardo!” He turned in her arms and grasped her shoulders. “You could have gotten us killed.”
Grace tapped him on the nose with her finger. “Hey, big boy. Pay attention here. You’re Paenitentia. It’s going to take a lot more than a fender bender to kill you.” She giggled. “Even then you’d get a second shot.”
She slid from his arms and jogged backward into the kitchen. “No one was hurt. No damage was done. Although what you did to fix that guy’s fender was pretty impressive.” She stopped and put her fists to her hips, jutting out her chin, still laughing. “It wasn’t my fault anyway. I wouldn’t have slammed on the breaks and he wouldn’t have hit us if you hadn’t screamed ‘Stop!’ fifty feet before the sign.”
“I did not scream,” he said to Otto and Manon who were entering from the gym.
“He did, Uncle Otto.” Grace danced around the island to avoid Canaan’s grasp. “Screamed like a little girl. Squinched his eyes shut and grabbed the dash,” she mimicked her words, “and I’m pretty sure I saw a tear slide down his cheek.”
Nardo entered just as Canaan threw himself over the island, captured Grace and tossed her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Grace squealed and playfully punched his back.
“Can’t take the heat, can you, big boy. Now the whole world knows you’re a big baby, a fraidy cat, a wimp, a wuss, a little weenie. Hey!” She laughed again when he smacked her behind. “All right, you’re not a little weenie, but the rest of it’s true.”
Nardo cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt but when you have a chance, sir, I’d like to show you something.”
Canaan slid Grace along his chest to the ground. “Now’s as good a time as any.” He kissed the top of her head and followed Nardo down the hall. “I need to talk to you about some schedule changes in the duty roster.”
“This is why I forgive him.” Manon squeezed Otto’s arm and winked. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. Surely you see it too. Canaan has found what is really important.”
*****
The restaurant was closed for the night. The used tablecloths and napkins were stowed away for laundry pickup. The chairs were turned upside down on their respective tables and the floor had been mopped. Mr. Cappaletti had said good night and retreated to his apartment upstairs, leaving Cynthia to lock up. She took one last look around to make sure everything was ready for the following day, buttoned her coat against the cold and headed out the front door pausing only long enough to hear the lock slide into place behind her. She jumped when she heard her name.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You startled me, that’s all.” The tension eased immediately. “I thought you left an hour ago, Andi. Why didn’t you come inside?”
Andi hung her head as if in shame. “I should have but I didn’t want all of them looking at me and asking each other why I was hanging around. I know they don’t like me.”
“Oh that’s not true.” Cynthia laughed a little. “Well, maybe that used to be true, but everyone has seen the change in you these last couple of months. You’re really taking care of yourself and it shows. You smile more and you do nice things for people and haven’t you noticed that people are smiling back and being nicer to you?” Cynthia shivered and started walking toward her car.
“I know I’ve been a bitch, but I’m trying to change.” She kept the apologetic tone.
Abyar had schooled her well in how to act and what to say. He had made sure she made the changes slowly and she had learned her lessons well. Her backside had the welts to prove it. He’d done it for their future and his strictness was about to be rewarded.
“You’re doing a great job.”
“I knew you’d noticed. That’s why I thought I could come to you. You see, someone else has noticed, too.” She lowered her eyes shyly and brought her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I have a date tomorrow night. I wanted to ask your advice.”
“A date! That’s wonderful, Andi. Who’s the lucky guy?” Cynthia seemed genuinely happy for her.
She wasn’t of course. Abyar and Andi had discussed this. Cynthia was well schooled as well. She would keep her pleasant façade no matter what she felt inside and what she felt inside was jealous
y of Andi’s new good looks and manners.
“He’s a neighbor and he’s taking me to a really nice restaurant across town.” Andi sounded as if she was about to cry. “That’s the problem, Cynthia. I don’t know what to wear. I bought three dresses and I don’t think any of them are right. I know this is asking a lot, but you’re so good at this kind of thing and I was wondering if you could stop by my place on the way home and help me choose. Please?”
“It’s awfully late, Andi.”
They had reached the car and Cynthia was pulling the keys from her purse. It was now or never. Andi put on her most pitiful face.
“I know. I know I should have asked you before, but I was afraid you’d say no. It’s all right. I shouldn’t expect someone like you to help someone like me. Not after the way I’ve behaved in the past.” Andi sadly turned away and had taken two steps before she heard Cynthia call her name. Gotcha.
“Get in the car, Andi. How long can it take to look at a few dresses, right? You’ll have to give me directions. I don’t know where you live.”
Andi was grinning from ear to ear as she got in the car.
*****
“I think things may be worse than anyone suspected, sir. Your hunch is pretty damn good.”
Canaan clapped Nardo on the back. “Thanks for the compliment, man. What do you have?”
Nardo slid his chair from screen to screen his fingers flying over keyboards as he talked. “I’ve entered all the incidents from your log for the last year and cross referenced them with other sources, police reports, missing persons, hospital emergency rooms, morgues…”
“Is this legal? Don’t they protect this stuff somehow?”
“Uh, no, it’s not exactly legal, but it’s the only way to get the information I need if I’m going to do this right.”
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