Blade to the Keep (13 page)

“You don’t have the authority.”

“You think so?”

She turned and made a motion to one of the guards, who approached carefully. “Yes, Rowan?”

“Please have all of Mr. Wesslyian’s and Ms. Portman’s things packed while you keep them confined to the front sitting room. If either attempts to leave, you have the permission of Hunter Corporation to prevent that with whatever level of force you deem necessary.”

The guard smiled, showing sharp white teeth, and nodded.

“You can’t do this!” Roth ran at her and she ducked her leg out and then followed with a cuff of her fist to his temple, dropping him into an unconscious heap.

“What the everloving fuck?”

Celesse sighed and held Valerie, who continued to screech. She slapped Valerie’s cheek hard enough to cut through the freakout. “Stop embarrassing yourself and be quiet.”

Rowan had been slapped that hard a few times, but she’d been sixteen at the time. Celesse didn’t normally resort to force, but once her patience had been exhausted, she tolerated no more bullshit.

“I can’t believe you hit me.” Valerie blinked back tears.

“Believe it. And while you’re at it, know I’ll do it again if you can’t keep yourself under control. You’re in enough trouble, Valerie, don’t make it worse.”

Cataline showed up, her attention only on Rowan. “Their things are being readied for departure.”

Rowan pressed the bridge of her nose. “Thank you. We’ll call the Motherhouse and have them arrange for pickup at the airfield.”

“Shall I also arrange for a transport from here to the airfield?” Cataline didn’t miss a thing.

“Immediately, please. These two are not to speak to anyone.” Rowan nudged an unconscious Roth with the toe of her boot.

“This will be the end for you.” Valerie sneered. “You’ve just attacked a partner of Hunter Corp.!”

“Hey, dumbass,
I’m
a partner of Hunter Corp. So is Celesse. We’re not that rare around here. Nor are we allowed to attempt to derail a meeting of the Joint Tribunal against express orders. Get on that plane and do it quietly and maybe you’ll get a decent letter of recommendation. Not from me, of course, but someone might feel sorry for you.”

Two more guards showed up, one was Recht. He didn’t speak, so she nodded in Roth’s direction. “Stow him in the sitting room, please, and when his bags are packed, get him out of here. If he tries anything stupid, knock him out again.”

Celesse started to argue, but then didn’t. Instead she shoved Valerie away in the direction of the sitting room. “She’s right, Valerie. I warned you over and over. She warned you. Go quietly and go home. Do not come to the office unless you are asked to do so.”

“You can’t support this behavior! She’s out of control. She’s one of them! You can’t trust her motives.”

Celesse curled her lip. “Get out of my sight.”

The guard simply guided her with his body until she trotted off into the sitting room, where they closed the door.

Celesse rolled her eyes and sighed. “I need a cigarette really badly. And maybe a shot of whiskey.”

Rowan laughed. “We need to get the Motherhouse to send them a plane. Since I’m the one they’ll both be accusing of malfeasance, perhaps you should do the calling?”

Celesse blew out a breath. “He went down like you pulled his plug. I’ve wanted to shut him up like that for years. He’s going to demand you be fired. You know that, right?”

Rowan shrugged. “He’s going to do whatever he’s going to do. But I’m going to do the same, and I’m better and stronger. I want Portman fired. I don’t normally flex my Partnership at Hunter Corp. But on this, I will. I don’t ever want to see her face again.”

“And Roth?”

“He’ll do something remarkably stupid, like go to Scotland Yard to have me charged with GBH or some nonsense. And when he does, I’ll deal with him. Rowan to Roth. I don’t need Hunter Corp. for that.”

“Don’t kill him. The paperwork would bog me down for months. Go back in. I’m going to call the Motherhouse now.”

“Celesse,” Rowan called before she went back through the double doors.

“Yes?”

“Thanks for getting my back.” Rowan paused. “This seem like...I don’t know, overkill to you?”

The other woman nodded. “Yes. Power makes people mad.” And put the phone to her ear.

Chapter Thirteen

All hell broke lose as Rowan left, as Vampires began to argue with each other and the remaining Hunter Corp. staff tried to reassert some calm.

“We can’t hear what’s going on out there if you all keep blathering on,” Paola finally said.

It worked. The room went silent as they all unabashedly eavesdropped. One of Warren’s assistants whispered what was going on to keep David and the other humans up with what was happening since their hearing wasn’t as good.

Clive shared a look with Paola. This entire situation could easily go off the rails at this point. They’d gone from tense to powder keg so fast his head spun.

Which was what Enyo wanted. She wanted them all off-balance and fighting.

Rowan came back into the room, not a single hair out of place, and her lipstick had been reapplied.

“Let’s not pretend you weren’t all listening to that. My apologies to the committee for that regrettable breach of manners.”

“Your apologies are meaningless.” Collette sniffed, indignant.

“Yeah, I don’t actually care what you think. I was speaking to the members of the committee who haven’t acted like petulant brats.”

Clive hid a smile behind the fingers steepled in front of his mouth.

“As I apologize for our similar situation.” Paola tipped her chin slightly.

This started a new set of arguments, led by Victoriana.

Enyo smiled and sat back. Rowan watched, her gaze missing nothing. She spoke to David, who nodded and left the room.

His deadly Hunter was up to something.

“This is a waste of time.” Rowan finally spoke and the room quieted.

“According to who?” Victoriana spoke but Rowan had her gaze on Enyo for long moments until she finally turned her attention to Victoriana.

“Whom, I think. And is that even a question, as I’m the one who said it right now? Do you even think about what you say, or does stupid shit just fall from your lips like rain?”

“Your insults are going to end badly for you.” Enyo spoke, her voice laced with power.

“Whatever. You’re wasting time and you’re doing it on purpose. I’m done with it for the evening, and I’m going to propose that we allow two statements, one from each side of the table—by
official
representatives—and adjourn until tomorrow when we take a vote.”

Paola rapped the table with her knuckles. “Seconded. Warren, would you make the point regarding narrowed language, please?”

“If anyone interrupts or causes a disturbance of any kind, I will tear your throat out myself.” Warren looked around the table, clearly annoyed. “As Paola mentioned, we do not have the votes to accept or reject the Amendment you’re proposing. A majority of the committee has voted to present a modified amendment, narrowing the scope of what you’ve given us.” He nodded to his assistant, who passed sheets of paper down the table.

Clive actually thought the narrowing had brought the amendment into territory he could openly support. It gave the Hunter Corp. access to information but didn’t expand their reach into Nation business.

He watched Rowan’s face as she read it.

Rowan looked up from the paper and at everyone in the room before speaking. “It is not the aim of Hunter Corp. to have a greater reach into the daily workings of the Nation. The Amendment isn’t our attempt to control you more. We cannot, however, continue on without access to integral information that changes how we’d need to look at information we already
do
have an interest in or responsibility for. We will look over the revised language and give you our position tomorrow when we meet the final time.”

Paola nodded. “Fair enough. Committee adjourned.”

Collette moved in Rowan’s direction, and Clive groaned inwardly as he strolled over, hoping to head any more violence off before it started.

“How dare you insult Vampires the way you do!”

“I’m getting the
how dare you
thing a lot tonight. Are you finished, or do you actually want to know how I dare call out shitty behavior when I see it?”

“You need to know your place.”

Rowan cocked her head and smiled so deadly and dangerous Clive paused a moment. And found himself wanting very much to get her alone.

“I do know my place. It’s above dumb assholes like you who think long teeth and blood drinking makes them better instead of just different. You, in case you didn’t know what I was talking about. You see, Collette, the very people who most often like to believe they’re above others are usually the motherfuckers who can’t hack it but are too dumb to realize that. Like you.”

“Your gutter language just shows what you are. Intelligent people don’t need bad language.”

“Listen, Sunday school, I don’t
need
bad language at all. I choose to use it because it pleases me, and frankly ‘stupid motherfucker’ describes you quite well. Now, I have things to do. You’ve registered your opinion. No one cares. Run along.”

Rowan made a shooing motion with her hand, and Collette fell back with a gasp.

“You’re a passing fancy to Clive, you know. He won’t stay. There are women you dally with and women you marry. We know which one you are.” Collette snarled.

Rowan laughed, looking over to Clive. “Is this the part where we pull each other’s hair or whatever? Sorry, I’ve never fought over a man with a woman he’d so obviously dumped decades before, so you’ll have to run through the process.”

Clive put an arm around her waist, brutally holding back an amused laugh. “This has gone far enough. Collette, you’ve said your piece. Leave it be.”

“You’re betraying your people for her, Clive. There will be a price to pay for this...this...” She flapped a hand in Rowan’s direction.

“Hot dish? Spectacular female? Vessel for a goddess? Bitch who will take you out if you get in her face again? Your superior in every way?”

Clive pulled her tighter against him. “Never mind what price I’ll pay, Collette. It bears thinking, I believe, for you to understand what the price is for the line you’ve drawn and what side you’re standing on. In any case, you’re acting like a fool and being disruptive. You look like a jealous, petulant twit. Don’t push this into territory you can’t handle.”

Rowan pouted. “Really? Why not? Why must you kill all my fun, Clive? I want her to.”

He pivoted her around and led her to the door. “Darling, if we get through this without you killing anyone, I’ll go to the shooting range with you every day for a month.”

She smiled, pleased. “Really?”

“Really.” He leaned in very close as they left the room. “I have another present for you I’ll happily give to you in a few minutes if you want to meet me in my room.”

“Is it a kitten?”

He barked a laugh. “Well, a pussy might be involved.”

It was her turn to laugh. “I’m such a bad influence on you. Which is way more awesome than a neck tic because this comes with sex.”

“A what?”

Whoops! She blushed. “Nothing. Never mind. I’ll be in your room in about an hour. I need to deal with Motherhouse Hunter Corp. bullshit politics right now.” And she wanted to see if they’d managed to dig up any info about Enyo too.

He pushed her into an alcove, not apparently caring who saw, and kissed her hard. She put her arms around his neck, surprised, but unabashedly into it, arching into his body. He pulled away, breath coming fast, eyes burning.

“Don’t make me wait too long.”

“Will you start without me? And if so, can you please at least video it so I can watch?”

“Maybe. Go and scare people and make them cry. But hurry it up.”

She was still smiling when she headed out to find David.

* * *

David handed her a folder when she got back to the workspace the Hunter Corp. had been using while at the Keep.

“Carey is still looking, but he sent all he had so far. Would you like me to brief you on it and fill you in on all the other business of ridding ourselves of Roth and Valerie?”

She sighed, taking the mug he handed her way. “Let’s hear it.”

“Enyo appears to have been made during the Hellenistic age in Greece. Early records of her are understandably scarce. That would make her at least two thousand and a century or two in case you’re not current on Hellenistic timelines.”

“As you do.” She snorted. Rowan knew Theo was Etruscan, though he referred to the Etruscans as Rasenna. And she knew after some poking around that he was born, not made, roughly in 800 BCE. The Vampires spoke a very old language most Hunter Corp. scholars thought was a dialect based on Etruscan.

“Do you know of the mythology of Enyo?”

“Goddess of war, right? Um, daughter of Zeus and Hera?”

“The mythology often writes of her as a goddess who delighted in great amounts of bloodshed and destruction.”

“Ah, that’s right. Sometimes referred to as one of the Furies too. She was into the sacking of cities. Dude, you’re not saying she’s
that
Enyo.”

He shrugged. “There’s nothing to suggest she’s an actual goddess, or even a Vessel like you are. But she certainly has some personality traits shared with her mythological namesake.”

Rowan thought back to Brigid’s reaction when Enyo first walked into the room. It was clear She had some dealings with Enyo. But Brigid, like the mythological Enyo, was an old goddess with roots far older than even those oldest Celtic roots. It was not inconceivable that She’d dealt with Enyo the Vampire. She didn’t like Vampires much, though she did tolerate Clive. But Her reaction was way more than simple dislike.

“This one clearly models her behavior on her namesake.” David shrugged again.

It wasn’t entirely unusual for such a thing. In fact, Vampires, especially the older ones who’d lasted more than a few centuries, often changed their names to the names of people they admired or to be scarier or whatever. Rowan sort of thought it was dumb, but maybe if she’d lived a few thousand years she’d want a change too.

“Hm, well. In any case, Brigid doesn’t like her one bit, and given the way she rises every time Enyo is near, she’s giving me a big red flag about her. What else is there? Theo said something like she
was
the Blood Front, so?”

“There’s just not much. She’s been mentioned here and there in accounts of mass murders of humans over history. But not even in a clear sense. Just references that Carey thinks mean her. You know how they are.”

Rowan was clearly going to have to broach the subject with Theo. She was having tea with him when he woke the following day so that would be a good time. By then Carey would hopefully have more, too, so she’d have some leverage. If she came in there with nothing more than what she had, Theo would be disappointed and prone to not giving her any help at all.

“Okay. I’m sure Carey will stay on it, so keep me updated. What’s the situation with the Motherhouse?”

“Valerie and Roth were escorted from the Keep and taken to an airfield. Celesse arranged for them to be picked up there. She’s been on the phone with Hunter Corp. on and off since then. She just stepped out to grab some tea, I think.” David paused. “He was very unpleasant here. To the staff, I mean. Insulting to the humans.”

Rowan chewed her bottom lip. “Of course he was. I can’t believe he started yelling like that. He’s a dick, yes, an entitled asshole even. But a guy doesn’t have that sort of power by acting out that way. He bides his time and strikes. There’s no gossip about him doing that stuff. He tried to physically attack me twice. And look,
I
act that way, but I’m in the field and I’m just gifted with my fists. But he’s a desk guy. I don’t know what the hell is happening.”

She needed to ask Clive if this sort of upheaval was normal for a Joint Tribunal. This was the first she’d attended, and even for Vampires it seemed over the top.

“I’m going to check in with Susan. Why don’t you go up to bed?” She looked David over critically. “You look tired.”

“I’ve been having nightmares. Bad ones. They keep waking me up and then it’s hard to get back to sleep. Over the day today they...it was like I had flashbacks or something. I shouldn’t eat right before bed, or maybe it’s the change in sleeping hours.”

“Do you normally have nightmares?” Rowan couldn’t recall him ever bringing it up before.

“No. It’s not usually a problem. I suppose, being here and all.” He shrugged as the words faded. “It’s...it carries over into my waking hours it’s so bad. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

She did call this Nightmare Country after all. But he hadn’t grown up here. She hadn’t shared much of her childhood with him, not that sort of detail anyway.

“Go upstairs and take a long hot shower. I’m going to the kitchen and they’re going to send up some tea. Most likely it will taste awful and you’ll hate it. But you will drink it all, and you will then go to sleep.” Without thinking too hard, she kissed his forehead and he blushed.

“Thank you for looking after me, Déesse.”

She shooed him out and then headed toward the kitchen.

Dina saw her and smiled. “Rowan!”

“Loved the trout, by the way. And I had far too much apple cake.” Mainly to keep from focusing on the insane tension at dinner Enyo had caused.

Dina’s smile got wider. “Good. What can I get you? I have some more apple cake, if you’d like a slice with some tea or hot chocolate?”

“I’m still full from dinner.” Rowan stepped closer, sliding her arm through Dina’s, leading her away from the doors and deeper into the noise of the kitchen.

“Can I ask you something?”

Dina nodded, her face serious. “Of course.”

“Are all Joint Tribunals like this? I’m not going to pretend you don’t know about all the drama and craziness over the last two days.”

“Well, you know how Vampires can be. You put ten of them in the same room and there are always dominance issues. Add Hunters to the mix and things are usually fraught. But this is an unusual level of tension and violence. It’s not entirely unheard of.” Dina shrugged. “You know how they can be when they feel threatened.”

“All right. Thank you. I need something else from you.” Dina was what Rowan called a kitchen witch. Gifted with herbs and healing of all types. If anyone could help with the nightmares David had, it was her.