“Good for her,” I said. “What else you got?”
“Shaddock looped in Sheriff Grizzard and the Asheville chief of police,” Alex said. “None are happy about the situation, not that they could do anything about it except call in PsyLED, ICE, and the state police. But the snowstorm’s going to inhibit and slow any official response. The bad guys will be here before the bureaucracies can decide what to do.”
“Before you begin to feel guilty, love,” Bruiser said, “there would have been problems no matter where Bar-Judas chose to approach you. He is here illegally. He will kill any human he chooses. You made the best decision you could.”
“They could evacuate the city,” I suggested.
“Impractical in this storm.”
“Put out an alert?”
“Likely to stir panic.”
“Surround the hotel?”
“Possible. But their choice, not ours. They have been informed of potential problems.”
Alex broke into Bruiser’s and my dialogue. “I confirmed which of our supposed allies in France sold Ed out. Clan Roquefort agreed to parley. Clan Fonteneau, one of Grégoire’s longtime allies, set Ed up at one of their houses about twenty miles from the agreed-upon parley site. Roquefort found out where they were staying and attacked that location. Looks like Roquefort, Shimon Bar-Judas, his people, and two other clans—Clan Andre and Clan Leclerc—were in on it. Clan Fonteneau fought back, defending the farmhouse, and they may well be extinct, dead to the last scion. Grégoire and his court are finding our people and making sure they have flights back to the U.S. or are safe in situ. He’s also taking names, tracking enemy combatants, and finding their lairs. I’m getting into their finances and forwarding him all the intel.”
Alex tilted his head down and around and met my eyes. “As of an hour past, Grégoire has announced an open call to arms for his new allies and an open blood feud against your enemies. His primos sent a note to the DQ and the empress of Europe with his intent to kill her enemies to the last drop of blood.”
Clan Roquefort and I had a history. They had sent vamps to swear to Leo and marry his heir. And betray the MOC. I had prevented that, and the traitors sent from the clan were dead. Leo had done nothing to the clan in retribution for the original betrayal or the subsequent ones. No, that was all on me. Clan Roquefort was a problem I needed to handle. “Let Blondie know everything we know. Keep him in the loop. Tell him the EuroVamp traitors are to be...” I stopped, thinking over my words before I spoke them. Making sure I was really willing to say them aloud. Thinking over the repercussions if I did say them. The repercussions if I said something else or remained silent. Seeing the possible futures and the altered pasts in raindrops had taught me some things. Think, at least a little, before speaking.
I turned to Bruiser but spoke to Alex. Softer, with all the formality I had learned and all the ceremonial words in my vocabulary, I said, “Tell Grégoire, ‘So speaks the Dark Queen. My dear old friend Grégoire of Arceneau. We are honored at the loyalty you have displayed. We would award your devotion and appoint you Warlord of the Dark Queen.’”
CHAPTER 5
I Had to Apologize to a Werewolf
Bruiser blinked, his eyes taking on a sheen of memory, as if he searched his past for references and could find none. A faint smiled turned up his lips and he gave me a nod of surprised approval.
I went on. “Our enemies will be made an example. Mithran traitors and betrayers, Naturaleza, killers of humans, and murderers of my people are to be given no quarter. The clan homes of our enemies are to become scorched earth. Any who do not swear to you in my name, any enemy clan Blood Masters and all their master Mithrans, no matter their status, will die. The only quarter given will be to the youngest scions still in chains, the prisoners of our enemies, and the human blood-servants and blood-slaves, provided that they agree to be bled, read, and bound. Those are yours to judge.” I closed my eyes, knowing I had just sentenced dozens and dozens of vamps to death. No wonder Blondie hated to rule. This sucked. “These are the words of the Empress of Europe and the Dark Queen. If you accept, proclamations will go out... posthaste.”
Bruiser’s eyes were intensely sad and deeply focused on mine. “As the Dark Queen commands.” He glanced at Alex. “Send the electronic message to Grégoire of Clan Arceneau and associated titles. If he agrees, you’ll need to draw up the papers and have them approved by the Robere brothers.”
The Roberes were both Onorios and one was a lawyer, making them dispassionate judges of vamp protocol. They were also Grégoire’s people. It was a good safety measure. I nodded to Bruiser.
“The proclamations will then need to be transcribed to vellum, signed, and go out by messenger as soon as a courier can get through. And this time,” Bruiser said to us all, “there will be no doubt. Multiple copies will be sent to every Blood Master and MOC in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.”
Alex muttered, “It sounds like war.”
His voice so soft I could hear the crackle of flames from the fireplace over his words, Bruiser said, “It is war. Jane’s proclamation may decrease the numbers of casualties, and it gives those currently nonaligned a political and diplomatic pathway to peace with the Dark Queen.” He lifted my hand and brushed his lips over my knuckles. “It’s brilliant, my love.”
“This sucks,” Alex said. “Not the paperwork. War in general.”
I glanced at the small clock on the mantel. It was far past midnight. “I’m going to shift to Beast,” I said, “but I’d like to sleep inside.”
Bruiser smiled wider, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds. “I’ll pull the queen’s doggy bed onto the mattress.”
Alex made a snorting sound at the doggy-bed comment. I ignored it. “Alex, please wake me when Shaddock’s people turn into the drive. I’d like to—”receive them properly. I was still thinking and talking like the DQ. “I’d like to have feet instead of paws when they get here.”
“Got it. Night, Janie.”
In our bedroom, I folded my comfy clothes and shiftedto Beast. Strength and energy flooded through us. Because my human form was skinny, my Beast form was skinny too, all muscle and no body fat, no reservoirs for between meals or between shifts. I was ravenous. After a meal of raw bison liver and bison loin provided by Bruiser, I/we sprang to the bed, which sported an extra layer of memory foam on my side, one with a washable cover. Beast yawned and stretched, upward-facing cat, downward-facing cat (not dog; never dog), and lay down, jaw on Bruiser’s hand. He scratched under our chin.
Beast thought,Mate. Good mate. Brought dead bison and grooms Beast.
Yeah,I thought back.He’s coolio.
