I smothered a grin.Uncle Leo.Holy crap, that child was brilliant.
“Unca Weo!” Little Evan shouted in the background. “Unca Weo! Unca Weo!”
“Dear, Blessed Mother of God,” Leo whispered. He sounded horrified.
“This is Molly Everhart Trueblood,” Molly said, sounding wry. “I take it this is Leo Pellissier of New Orleans.”
After a pause that went on too long, Leo said, “It is.”
“Jane said we were being adopted into a vampire clan. Her clan. This call is about that?”
“Daddy! It’s Unca Leo! We’re being adopted by Aunt Jane!” Angie Baby shouted in the background.
I managed not to laugh at the expression on Leo’s face, but it was a near thing.
“Evan, this is Leo,” Molly said. “We need to swear to Jane.”
“I always swear when the head bloodsucker calls,” Big Evan said.
“Shush. Be nice.” We could hear feet stomping in the background, as of children jumping up and down. Together the older Truebloods said in unison, “We agree to adoption into Clan Yellowrock. We swear fealty with the use of magic, and loyalty and love from our hearts, our minds, and our spirits, to Jane Yellowrock. We will work to keep her and all her people safe.”
I jerked. That wasn’t what they were supposed to say. By this adoption, I was supposed to keep them safe. But the words were spoken. I said, “I pledge, undertake, andguarantee that I will keep you safe unto the giving of my life.”
Leo said softly, “Your vows are hereby recorded.”
“‘Bye, Unca Leo!” Angie Baby shouted. “Hey, my Edmund! I love you!”
Leo flinched again, as if something in her words told him things he hadn’t known. Leo ended the call and turned to Edmund, who stood just behind me, still as an undead statue. Something passed between them but was gone before I could understand it.
Gee said quietly, into the silence, “The Dark Queen has changed us. Has changed us all.”
“Thank you,” Leo said. “You are dismissed. I’ll be along in a bit. The werelions and black wereleopard are in the gym, sparring with my Mithrans. I needs must check in with them.” He slid his eyes to me. “I shall inform Kemnebi that you have claimed him for your clan.”
I made a sound of disgust. I’d asked that Kemmie be included so that I could keep an eye on him. Keep my enemies close, to use Leo’s wisdom.
Leo nodded to us and ducked out the back door of the Council Chambers. Sabina, her throat healed but marked with a thin red line, opened the first of a stack of papers. “Your signature, Master of Clan Yellowrock.”
“How many siggies?” I asked.
“Forty-seven,” Sabina said.
I huffed an irritated breath and took up the pen. Started signing. It took a while.
When I was done, I checked with Alex. His head was bent over his tablet. “Update on Dominique and the shielded witch?”
He shook his head, curls bouncing, and stood. “Male driver. Facial rec program in progress. Dominique in the passenger seat. Others in the car, faces unrecognizable. Wove through the streets and got on I-10, headed east. I’ll update when I find them again.”
“Good.”
“Plate issued to Mithran Council Chambers,” he said. “I’m running a search for anyone who might be missing.Someone let them into the chambers and into the library.” What he didn’t add was that it had to be someone from inside, likely a member of the security team.Crap.
Gee held out his arm the way a game show model would and I walked toward him, aware of the others behind me, following in a single line as we left the Mithran Council Chambers and headed down the hall toward the elevator, silent. I was deeply, profoundly aware of the people at my back. Of the names I had spoken when I created my clan. Of the weirdness of it all. I had walked out of the mountain woods when I was twelve years old, naked, scarred, scared, with no language, no social skills, a wildling, with nothing at all except a gold nugget clasped in my hand.
Now I had a clan of people who had sworn to me, people I needed to protect. And there would be more. Maybe lots more. A cold chill skittered down my spine at the thought of keeping them all safe and cared for. Gee stopped and asked Eli for his headset. I leaned my back against the wall so I could see up and down it, the cold chills growing worse. Eli leaned against the other side, pulling his brother to his left, into the safest place, though the Kid was tapping into his cell, head down, oblivious. Eli’s hands went to his weapons, his face taking on that still, expressionless mask of the warrior, watching me for clues that might explain my foreboding. I searched up and down, sniffing. I couldn’t see a reason for Eli’s disquiet, for my feeling that something wasn’t right. Trying to keep thescreeof sound silent, I sucked the air in through my mouth and over my tongue but detected nothing out of the ordinary.
The elevator door opened and though it was going down before we could go up, we filed in. Gee said, “I have sent word to the people who were invited into Clan Yellowrock. We expect replies and vows soon.”
Or not. I heard the unspoken words. I knew most of my potential clan members wouldn’t be able to swear face-to-face due to distance and time constraints, but I figured most would become my people.Holy crap.My people. The biggest part of me wanted to go back to bedand pull the covers over my eyes. The smallest part told me to pull up my big-girl panties and act like a war woman. Not that war women traditionally wore panties.
