Finally Damon looked at me. “They still bear something inside them that can be tracked to their makers. This specialist recognized it, Icarus said.”
“So this outbreak we’re dealing with…” Horror bloomed inside me. “If we don’t contain it soon, we’re going to start having more and more vamps flood in, aren’t we?”
A few seconds passed, then Damon said, “I had word that Orlando was being evacuated. Even the parks are closing up.”
⸸
The Assembly was located nearly twenty minutes outside of East Orlando. In times of emergency, it could act as a haven, but there was no illusion among anybody in East Orlando who could seek sanctuary here.
One wanting to find safety at HQ had better be on a list of the who’s who among the elite.
It was pathetic, really.
The Assembly had been formed, we were told, to protect the newly-exposed non-humans. We were tithed, governed, watched.
But the protections we had were mostly the ones we took for ourselves.
Maybe that was why so many humans bitched about politics and government.
An air of desolation clung to the place. It sank into my bones as I climbed out of the car. Damon stood there, waiting for me. Again, he asked, “How pissed off are you?”
“I already told you…” Then I stopped and sighed. “I’m pissed. But it’s more than that and it’s not all at you. And all of it can wait.”
He held out his hand.
I took it and looked over as the others in our party climbed out. Chang was the last to approach, talking quietly on his phone. He ended the call just as he stepped up to greet Damon.
During the call, he’d spoken in a friendly, amicable tone.
Now, as he looked from me to Damon, the placid mask he wore fell away and when he spoke, his voice was pure, arctic ice.
“The news I’ve been able to obtain isn’t good, Damon.” Chang glanced at me. “Kit, perhaps you should…”
I cut around him and started for the doors.
Damon caught up with me, one hand on my arm.
“Hold up, kitten.”
“Don’t,” I said, not looking at him, or anybody else. My focus was on the building in front of me—and the vague screaming that had started in the back of my head.
“Kit, just…let’s talk to Chang for a minute,” Damon said, circling around and coming between me and the building that had taken up my entire vision.
I stared at him, my eyes burning, dry and hot. If there were tears, they were trapped inside me.
“Why?” I demanded.
Damon looked at Chang, then at me, clearly struggling to find a way to convince me.
And I knew why.
“Why she should linger?” Rana asked.
As Damon turned his gaze on her, I sucked in a breath, ready to tell her to stay the hell out of it.
But her words silenced me—and apparently him. “Has it not occurred to any of you how…terribly strategic all of this has been? A few carefully struck blows that weakened the smaller houses was all it took to throw this town into chaos. You’re being played like pawns on a chessboard, all of you.”
“This isn’t a fucking game of chess,” Damon snarled. “You said you knew what this is about, so you should already know that.”
“I said you were being played.” Now she looked at me. Although all I could see of her face behind that shrouding headscarf were her eyes, I saw something unmistakable. Compassion. “It’s a cruel game, never doubt that. But it’s a game, no less. And more than a few players are involved. But don’t let your emotions blind you to the strategy.”
“Please explain this…strategy,” Chang said.
“Didn’t I already?” Rana cocked her head. “The vampire houses, all of them, weakened by just taking out the smallest one and then further weakened by the assassinations. Chaos ensues when vampires from outside the territories flock in—that happens when there is this much bloodlust. It’s already started. I saw it last night. If it hasn’t been reported yet, it will be.”
I resisted the urge to look at Damon.
“I’m not privy to the machinations playing out in your territory but I expect there are other power struggles at hand, something that doesn’t involve the vampires at all. Somebody is using you, all of you, to seek their own end. It’s strategy.”
“That has nothing to do with why Kit needs to deal with this shit,” Damon bit off.
“I can’t see the plays if I’m being tucked up and put away like some delicate little doll,” I said woodenly. Slowly, I looked back at the doors of HQ, closer now but still, I felt like they were strangely, oddly distant.
Safety, I thought. They were supposed to offer safety.
“Kit, please.”
I looked at Damon. “I already know what’s going on. Houses are broken and scattering. For Jude’s name to have been brought up at a time like this, and for them to say there’s a caucus…there’s no use in protecting me from what I already know. And Rana’s right. Something bigger is going on.”
“Yeah, your crazy grandmother sent the boogey-man to my city,” Damon snapped.
“But why?” I asked. Reaching up, I curled my fingers into his shirt. “I’m not running away anymore, Damon. We’ve already talked about that. And I can’t run from this. I can’t hide from it. So why talk about it? It won’t change it. And I’ll be damned if I run away like some broken doll.”
“Kit…”
Shaking my head, I went around him.
I heard voices behind me.
But only two stood out.
Damon’s, saying my name again.
Then, oddly enough… Rana’s.
“She’s stronger than you realize. But she’s stronger with you at her side. So why are you still standing here?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The room we were lead to was one all too similar to the one where Jude’s trial had been held.
A circular room with a raised dais, chairs spaced around it in a half circle. There were more chairs in the back, but those three were clearly set apart.
They were for the Regents. I’d already seen one of them, standing quietly off by himself and I’d recognized him.
He’d been one of the judges who’d attended Jude’s trial.
His eyes met mine briefly, then moved away.
“This is just for show,” I said flatly. “If they have the Regents here, the decision is already made.”
“Let’s go sit, Kit,” Chang said, offering me his arm.
It looked like a courtesy and to anybody watching, that was all it was.
But I knew better.
Chang knew me better. He led me to a specific chair, and I had no doubt this one had been meant for me. It was at the center of the circle, facing that raised dais. I wanted to go anywhere else. But once we reached it, I nodded at Chang as if I’d desired just this fucking seat and smiled brilliantly at him. “Thank you, Chang.”
His brows furrowed over his eyes briefly then smoothed before he gave me a polite bow. “At your service, as ever, Kit.”
I’d taken in the faces as we walked. I knew quite a few. To my surprise, a number of them were friendly and they’d already taken seats to my right and left. I don’t know if it was some symbolic gesture or it was just protocol. Regardless, I felt better not being surrounded by an unending wall of vampires.
And there was what seemed like an unending wall. They’d taken notice of me as I came in—faces in varying shades of pale going blank as I appeared in the door. Skin of ivory, soft gold that would have been a deeper bronze with the kiss of the sun, cool browns with an undertone that promised a richer warmth had their altered biology been more congenial, one by one, they all paused to take me in.
Then, dismissing me, they went back to speaking amongst themselves.
Save for a select few.
Maxine of House Amund came toward me. When she broke ranks, more than a few paused yet again, but this time, it was to stare at her and the eleg
ant disdain was unhidden.
“I had no voice in this, Colbana. I spoke against it and nobody listened,” she said, her eyes wintry, her voice like ice. “I do not approve.”
She looked at Damon and…waited.
Damon, with that bored expression, studied her for a long moment, then shifted his attention back to the absolute nothing he’d been eying in thin air. “Our enemies are those who come at us, Amund.”
The name he used with her puzzled me at first, until I realigned what I knew of vampire traditions in my mind. She had inherited that title when the Amund I knew took his own life.
Damon continued to speak, uncaring of my revelations.
“Whether from the front or at our backs. I prefer those who’d attack straight on—that’s how he would have done it. I expect that’s how you’ll do it. I’ve got no quarrel with you.”
Maxine seemed to accept that and offered him a slower, deeper nod before turning and retreating to the section that had been taken up by House Amund.
It was, I noticed, to our left.
At our right, House Allerton waited.
Or rather, the majority of them did.
Abraham wasn’t waiting.
He stalked over and placed himself at my side.
“You’ll need council,” he said in an icy tone. “Icarus has given me leave to offer such. You’ve been an ally to our house. We do not forget those who’ve aided us.”
He didn’t bother glancing at Damon.
Damon slid a look at me, that storm cloud gaze demanding, again, that I go outside.
No. I stared him down.
Never, ever get into a staring contest with a cat.
He continued to hold my gaze until the meeting was called to order.
At that time, both of us, out of formality, turned our attention to the front of the grand hall and I slowly rose to my feet.
In that moment, I was glad Sam had burst into the bedroom just as I’d been ready to leave. She’d taken one look at my worn, faded jeans and a T-shirt with Captain America’s shield on it. “No,” she had said, shaking her head and looking at Damon. “Five minutes, sir.”
He’d just left and I hadn’t felt like arguing.
While the fitted black shirt I wore with a newer, close-fitting pair of jeans was by no means formal or flashy, when the head Regent came to stand before his seat and studied me, I didn’t feel quite like a bug under a slide. My sword was in full view in its sheath, as was the matte-black revolver I’d elected to bring with me. I didn’t think they’d let me bring a rocket launcher and the .45 was loaded with special silver ammo, designed to do serious damage.
Not visible were the knives I’d concealed in the knee high black leather boots Sam had shoved at me.
In a full-on fight with most of the people in this room, I’d lose.
But I’d go down bloody and fighting.
The Regent studied me a moment longer, then, to my surprise, a faint smile tipped his lips upward and he offered me a polite nod.
His name was Findley and he didn’t look to be much older than me with his rakish, red curls and freckled cheeks, but only a fool would buy into that young appearance.
He served no house here.
But he came from the largest vampire house in America—and one of the largest in the world. I’d heard their numbers reached into the thousands and they were particularly fond of politics. They sought out those they believed would be of benefit in positions like this—serving as voices on the Assembly.
He had been sent here by the High Council to act as the head Regent—the ultimate authority in our area. The Assembly chose two Regents who would sit with him.
The second-in-command sat down immediately after Findlay did, her bright blue eyes vivid and full of curiosity. She looked nearly as young as he did, but he had centuries on the shapeshifter.
I’d heard that Ellen Hall was a wolf but this was the first time I’d ever seen her. She didn’t run with Dair’s pack, nor was she considered one of the marked independents who would have to approach one of the two Alphas for permission to stay in the territory.
Being one of the bigshots on the Assembly had its benefits.
The third and final to ascend to the Regent’s bench made my blood run cold.
It was Malcolm.
Instinctively, I tightened my hands on the armrests of the chair where I sat.
Damon noticed.
He wasn’t the only one.
Abraham turned his head slightly in my direction, while pretending to greet Damon. His eyes flitted toward me, the gaze searching. “Before we begin, should I fetch anything?”
“No,” I said, managing a polite smile as I looked away from the dais.
I could feel Malcolm’s attention, locked on me.
And in my mind, Rana’s words from only moments ago echoed.
Has it not occurred to any of you how…terribly strategic all of this has been?
As if she’d sensed my thoughts, Rana came up and stood behind me just a few inches off my left shoulder. Doyle stood in position at my right.
While I still questioned her presence in my life, I had never doubted Rana’s word and if she said she was here to help, I could believe that.
Logically, I should feel more secure in my own safety now than ever before.
Yet…I wanted to run and hide.
“It is time to call this caucus to order,” Malcolm said, rising from his seat at the far left of the table. He gave a languid flick of his hand. “As you can see, we’ve given adequate notice so that all who might speak for both parties are here in attendance—”
The doors to the great room opened with a rather grand flourish—a windy one.
As I blinked away the tears the blast of air had caused, a voice echoed out. “Just barely.”
Rubbing at my eyes, I squinted and tried to focus on the people standing in the doorway.
One of them made my heart skip a beat.
Justin.
He didn’t even look at me. His eyes were all for were the people on the dais, the green of his gaze burning hot and bright. The jacket he seldom went without was in place, the silver in the sleeves glowing in warning.
Next to him stood Tate and Brahm. Others I knew stretched out. Selene. Goliath.
My hands went lax when I saw who sat in the wheelchair in front of Goliath.
It was TJ.
She never left Wolf Haven.
But she was there now and the look of contempt on her face might have made me laugh if I’d been in a laughing frame of mind.
The last person in the group was unexpected.
Marie, Es’s granddaughter.
She stared at the people on the dais for a long moment before her attention slid out over the others in the room, lingering here and there. When it finally fell on me, she gave me a polite nod.
And she was the one to step forward.
“We heard there was to be a meeting involving Ms. Colbana.”
Malcolm spoke. “It hardly concerns you, Marie. Or any of you.” He flicked a hand. “You can all go about your…potion-making and beer-brewing.”
TJ laughed. The sound was a barking, caustic sound. Goliath rolled her chair farther into the room. “I bet you would like that, you mangy fae bastard.”
Malcolm paused for a fraction of a fraction of a second.
Several onlookers shifted uncomfortably, glancing at him. He hadn’t been particularly free with sharing that bit of information, apparently. Word had gotten out about Puck, no matter how we’d tried to keep it quiet. And if NHs had distrusted the fae before, it was far, far worse now.
None on the dais looked surprised though.
Either they’d known, guessed or they were just too good to throw with a jab like that.
“I didn’t believe my status in the Assembly had been announced, wolf,” he said, smiling politely.
“I don’t believe a great many things had been announced.” She curled her lip as Goliath settled her into place in the galle
ry where most of the wolves gathered. Dair had arrived and gone quietly to his chair, saying nothing to me. Now he eyed TJ with cool distance.
I knew why.
She’d never pledged loyalty to him—nor would she.
He might tolerate her for now, but any sort of truce between them was temporary.
“If you have something to say,” the woman on the dais said, smiling sweetly. “Please say it.”
It was the pale-haired, blue-eyed wolf-shifter who’d taken the seat of second speaker. She was more focused on TJ now than anybody else and I suspected that had been the intention because Justin and Marie had joined Abraham and Damon, fanning out around me.
“Rather certain I just did. Word went out…exactly two-and-a-half hours ago,” TJ said, her normally rough voice taking on an even harder edge. “Now I can’t claim to be an Assembly scholar and I haven’t spent much time studying up on the Charter, but I thought a caucus usually required a minimum of twenty-four hours notice, with a preference of seven days. Not everybody who might wish to speak on a friend’s behalf lives within a stone’s throw.”
“Your concerns are noted, and warranted,” Findlay said, as Malcolm went to rise.
“Thank you, Regent.” TJ gave him a polite nod before she finally shifted her gaze to me. She gave me a long, unreadable look before focusing her stare on something in the distance that only she could see.
“This really is starting to feel like a party,” I said as the newcomers finished settling into place. Somebody brought Justin a chair and placed it at my side, forcing Abraham down a few more feet, but neither the vampire or the witch made mention of it.
“Don’t put on your dancing shoes yet, Kitty.” Justin folded his arms across his chest and slumped in his seat. He looked…tired. Strained. Older, somehow. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”
Hell. I knew that.
I just wished they get it over with, so I could go home and throw up.
Findlay rose, drawing all attention toward him.
“It is with some regret that I announce yet another assassination within the vampire ranks in the southern region,” he said, voice surprisingly light, almost girlish. He looked at each represented vampire house for a long moment before finally focusing on me. “Sometimes, as we all know, desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Haunted Blade (Colbana Files Book 6) Page 24