“Tex, Alex,” Bruiser said, “please take the dogs, the werewolf, the lizard, and the majority of our gear to Janie’s personal residence.” That was my freebie house. “Secure the premises and verify channels of communication. Then I would like Tex to join the rest of us at HQ.”
Eli said, “With Alex at our house and me at HQ, we can verify and secure channels, can look over current protocols, run a scan for surveillance, and make sure all electronics there are up and running and integrated with HQ and the other clan homes.” He glanced at me in my human form, my belly growling from the unplanned shift. “There’s plenty of meat at our house, Janie.”
My mouth watered. “Bacon from Cochon?”
“I ordered a delivery of andouille, tasso, bacon, and a couple of capicola.”
Capicola were whole pork shoulders cooked Italian style. Best meat ever.
“And the usual roasts and steaks and some smoked salmon,” he said. My mouth started watering, and Eli chuckled. “And normal groceries for the less carnivorous.”
Bruiser said, “Kojo and Thema, gather your gear. You are guests at HQ. I have issued orders for Wrassler to find you a safe room there.”
“We would prefer to stay with the Dark Queen,” Kojo said.
“You are not her scions,” Bruiser said. “You chose not to swear to her. We could put you up in Acton House, the Mithran boarding house, but you have no blood-servants to feed upon.” Bruiser’s tone had gone from primo precise to the compassionless tone of someone bringing down the full weight of truth and the result of lifestyle choices upon their heads. They were unwanted guests. We were being nice, but on our terms. “In the Mithran Council Chambers, there are a few masterless humans who will likely offer themselves to you.”
Kojo’s face fell. Thema turned black angry eyes on me. Once upon a time, I might have smiled at her or shruggedto show at least a little caring. But I was the DQ. Their fealty and loyalty had been temporary, and that time had passed. They were currently unsworn. Living in my territory. Drinking from humans who were sworn to me. They were tolerated, not welcomed.
Plus, I thought, at HQ, there would be someone to keep an eye on them, and they would not be close enough to present a danger to the rest of us. Unsworn guests, guests who had not been bled and read by my most trusted Mithrans, would not be allowed to live with me.
“Koun,” Bruiser continued, “take the body in the bag to HQ. You will place the body, with the null cuffs and strips still in place, in the scion room, lock it in a cage, and train a security camera on it. There is something about the body that made Brute uneasy, so I’m not taking chances. Then you can ride back with My Queen to our home. There are two safe, windowless rooms in the attic for you and Tex.”
“And who will feed us while we guard our queen?” Koun asked. “There is no room in the house for our blood-servants.”
Bruiser glanced sidelong at me. “While we were vacationing, we arranged all the necessary permits with the Vieux Carré Commission, and we have created a gate in the brick wall between the former Katie’s Ladies Bordello and Jane’s personal residence. With the permission of Katherine, the Master of the City of Atlanta, our humans will stay there and will have a chef and a housekeeper to look after them.”
Tex shrugged easily in agreement. “Good by me, hoss.”
Koun inclined his head. His pale skin and black and blue swirling and geometric tattoos made him look dangerous, but it was the expression in his pale eyes that told the true tale, a violent and primitive hunter and warrior who loved war and fighting. And because he had lived so long and lost so many, he no longer had anything left to lose. Yet, he had appointed himself Chief Strategist of Clan Yellowrock, a battlefield promotion that I had confirmed. And he had sworn his loyalty to me.
“This is acceptable to me,” he said. “But we will need more Mithrans and therefore more blood-servants to protect the houses, the grounds, and the Dark Queen.” Hegave a small smile. “Our queen is strong-willed and difficult to control. She will inevitably get herself in trouble.”
“Say what? Me? Get myself in trouble?”
Eli said sadly, “Babe...”
Koun, that small smile still in place, bowed his head formally. “With your permission, I will choose an additional number of Mithrans, their blood-servants, and human warriors from headquarters to stay temporarily in the old bordello.”
“As the chief strategist suggests,” Bruiser said, still in primo mode, but this time with an answering small smile.
“Consort.” Koun bowed low. “My Most Royal Queen, Your Majesty.” He stood upright, his pale eyes glinting with sly amusement. “You have my thanks, my loyalty, and my service.”
Clearly he was messing with me. I snorted, got in the SUV Bruiser directed me to, and strapped myself in, the Benelli across my lap. I stared out unseeing across the airport, a plane landing as another taxied for takeoff.
I wasn’t very likeable. Or charming. Or beautiful. I sure as heck wasn’t very royal. And yet I had all these great people around me. I must be doingsomethingright, however small. So maybe... Maybe I could do this. And if I did everything just right, I might get to kick some vamp butt, and that might make it all worthwhile.
***
With Kojo and Thema trailing us, Eli and Koun preceding us carrying the body-duffle-bag, dripping a little, and Bruiser at my side, we climbed the steps toward the bullet resistant airlock at NOLA vamp HQ. At the top of the stairs, I turned and looked back over the city that had become mine. My city. Because I was master of the city whether I wanted it or not.
A dense fog was rising from the Mississippi close by. It haloed the street lights, blurred neon lights, and obscured the low buildings of the French Quarter. The low clouds muted the sounds of traffic, the strains of jazz and blues from the bars and restaurants. Moving car lights were magical little globes of glowing fairy mist in the heavy air. The smells here were water, water everywhere, coffee, liquor, fried food, heavy on the spices. Yeah. A different kind of home from my mountains.
A small, snowy white owl, like something out of Harry Potter, soared along the street, wings flapping once, silent as death. A moment later it disappeared. A small animal screeched in agony. NOLA didn’t have snowy owls. It wasn’t cold enough here, especially in the fall. It felt like a portent or an omen. “That’s not creepy,” I said. “Not at all.”
Eli chuckled that dry, emotionless sound that meant nothing funny and nothing good. Together we turned and went on up the stairs.
The front entrance system of the council chambers was unassuming on the surface. We stepped through the first “glass” airlock door and faced the second set of glass doors, more glass to either side. All of the glass was far more than it appeared. It was triple-paned polycarbonate bullet-resistant glass. It was strong enough to stop most ammo up to a small rocket. It would now take a lot more ordnance than most gangs, rogue vamps, and blood-magic witches had around to get to us.
