Blade to the Keep (19 page)

Chapter Eighteen

Clive had been on his way out of the room to go find her when she came in. On the surface she was smooth and icy calm. But he knew her. Knew that entire experience with The First and Collette had shaken her to her core.

Knew, too, that if he made any attempt to address it or comfort her, it would only make things worse.

The First saw her and nodded to the staff. “Dinner, after a delay, is served.”

Rowan walked past Enyo without even looking at her, but he knew she paid attention to what the Vampire was doing, or not doing, in any case.

Not caring what anyone thought, Clive took her elbow and brushed a kiss over her cheek. “Nice slaying, Hunter.”

Her sly but pleased smile was a gift. “Thank you, Scion. I’ll collect on your promise later, after the vote.”

“I should hope so, Hunter.” He pulled out her chair and she allowed it. He’d push her to reveal her feelings about this whole mess once they’d finished and gotten back home. Maybe he’d spirit her away somewhere when they got back. Just for a few days.

Food began to appear and be served and the silence was tense as people began to eat.

“Mr. what is it again, Ms. Summerwaite? Weasleing?” The First looked down the table toward Roth. Clive didn’t dare look.

“Wesslyian.” Rowan’s lips wobbled as she held back a smile before she sipped her wine.

“Yes, well, I see you’re back after being ejected after your tantrum. Just what goes on at Hunter Corp. these days? Who is in charge there, Rowan?”

Rowan sighed heavily and placed her glass down. “I can’t very well stake them all. Enyo is still sitting here at the table so we all have our crosses to bear.”

The First got very quiet and then he burst out laughing. “I suppose you’re right.”

That storm passed quickly enough, and Roth seemed to have seen enough at the challenge to keep his damned mouth closed, so Clive was relieved on that count.

At the end of the meal, Rowan looked around the table. “I propose we save dessert for after the vote.”

Paola rapped the table with her knuckles. “Agreed.”

* * *

At the door to the meeting room Rowan stopped people who were not members of the committee. “The vote will be held and announced immediately afterward if you want to have a drink out here.”

“This is outrageous!”

Rowan got right in Enyo’s face, Brigid burning through her again. “Get the fuck out of my face. You’ve done enough. You said your little piece, and it’s been registered with whatever weight your people give it. I don’t give a tiny fuck about you or your feelings. You’re not welcome, so back off.”

“You’ll pay for this.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get in line behind Collette and Victoriana.” Rowan gave Enyo a toothy smile. “Oh, that’s right. You can’t. Maybe you can find some of their ashes if you have a broom.”

“Damn, you’re harsh.” Warren chuckled as he walked past Enyo and into the room. She noted the look Clive gave Warren, though. He wasn’t pleased with that teasing comment.

Rowan shut the door and turned to the rest of the people in the room.

“Let’s cut through the shit and just take a vote.” Rowan didn’t bother sitting. She wanted this over with. Whatever happened after was fine, but once that vote was taken it was binding and would stay in place until, at the very least, the next Joint Tribunal where it could be amended out.

“I agree. What says Hunter Corp. regarding the revised language?” Paola asked.

“We agree to the proposed revision of the amendment and cast our vote in favor of the amendment to the Treaty as worded in your proposal.”

“We do the same.” Paola lowered her chin slightly. Each of the Scions did the same but one, Takahiro. “We have one no vote, let the record reflect that. The majority carries and the amendment to the Treaty passes.”

Rowan and Celesse showed their wrists and just like that, the amendment became binding and a part of the Treaty.

“Imagine how much easier this could have been without all the drama.”

She raised a brow Paola’s way. “There’s more drama, actually. I have a few things to say about that. I need to check on something, but I’ll clear this up when I get back.”

Paola’s brows rose. “All right.”

Despite the weight of the other stuff on her plate, an intense sense of satisfaction warmed Rowan. She’d done it. Challenges, crazy shenanigans from human and Vampire alike, magical interference and every childhood boogeyman she could have faced, and she’d fended them all off enough to get the amendment through and the Treaty changed for the better.

She’d done what was necessary to protect everyone she was charged with protecting. Rowan breathed out, letting herself have just a few moments to be proud of herself and what she’d accomplished as she walked out through the main hall.

They’d make the announcement shortly, but she needed to ask Dina a clarifying question and she wanted to look back through some of the info on Enyo Carey had sent while she’d been involved in a challenge to the death, as well.

Celesse caught up with her. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

Rowan gave her a brief recap of her suspicions.

“Well.” Celesse blew out a breath. “You sure you want to even say anything?”

Rowan paused.

“I thought about it. I really did. I mean, it’s over now. We had a vote and the amendment went through and that was our goal. But if my suspicions are correct, I need to speak about them in public. This sort of tampering isn’t something Vampires would take kindly to, and they shouldn’t. Plus, I need to put some cracks in some power bases.”

Celesse nodded. “Yes, I see your point. What can I do?”

“Keep an eye on Roth. Make sure he stays clear of The First.”

Celesse tried not to smile but lost the battle. “He really doesn’t like Roth, does he?”

“Well, he’s not alone. But Roth was thwarted, and I don’t quite know why he’s here at this point. I don’t trust him, and I want to know what he’s up to.”

“Rex isn’t going to let him get into trouble.”

“No, but two sets of eyes are better than one in any case, don’t you think?”

“Sure. I’ll let you make the call to the Motherhouse.” Celesse took her hand, shaking it. “This would not have happened without your leadership.”

“Ha! Nightmares, brawls, a challenge to the death. I’m so leadertastic.”

Celesse gave a Gallic shrug and one of those noncommittal sounds the French do so well. “Without you to hold it all together and address it, things would have fallen apart.”

“Thanks.”

Celesse headed one way and Rowan into the kitchen. She grabbed an apple slice as she walked past a table, and one of the cooks, a third cousin, whacked her hand with a wooden spoon and a grin.

“Dina, may I have a moment?”

“Of course.” She pointed to the little room she considered her office. “I needed a tea break anyway.”

Once they’d settled, Dina opened a cabinet and pulled out a pretty red package. “Chocolates from Warren.”

“That’s lovely.”

“He wanted me to make strudel. An exchange, he said.” Dina blushed happily. Clearly she would have made the strudel by request because she wanted people to enjoy her food. But who didn’t like to get chocolates from handsome men like Warren?

Rowan took one and sat back, letting the rich flavor of the dark chocolate and raspberry please her senses. “These are really good.”

“Yes. I think so too.”

“The bundles you made yesterday, can I ask you a few questions?”

Dina nodded.

“When I came back to get more for the Vampires and the rest of the humans with Hunter Corp., you said something about how they would break down the magic used to open the sleeper up to the nightmares.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“So, if they were just bad dreams from being here in the Keep with a big scary Vampire boss with a dungeon and a scary future of a possible war brewing, would the bundles have worked? I mean, were they like to protect you from bad dreams no matter how you got them, or promoting deep, dreamless sleep or what?”

“They were magic. Made to repel magic. They wouldn’t have worked on everyone if they’d simply been herbs to help with sleep. I have those too, but from what you said, it was more than that. He knows, The First, that I have magical talents. My family has been here so long that our energies and power are, I don’t know how to say it right, but my power is strong here. Those bundles were a way for me to unplug whatever was giving the nightmares. Like a lamp would stop working if I took the plug from the wall socket.”

Rowan nodded. “That’s what I thought. I want you to know before I do this, but I’m going to make it public. The nightmares being a magic issue I mean.”

“You should.” Dina sniffed, clearly offended. “This is a violation of the rules. How can you trust the process if it’s left open to this sort of interference? If you need me to explain anything, you know where I am.”

“I didn’t say this before.” Pausing at the door before she left the office, Rowan swallowed hard. “But you made my life here better more times than I can count. And you did it sometimes at great risk. I want you to know it made a difference and I never forgot it.”

Dina teared up as she pulled Rowan into a hug. “I’ve loved you like my own. Broke my heart when you left, but I understood. And now you’re back and you won’t let it go so long before you visit again, right?”

“I just agreed to come back at the end of summer.”

Dina beamed. “And you’ll bring your handsome Scion too? I used to wonder who on earth was right for you. He’s a good one. Won’t stand for any of your nonsense, but he won’t say boo when you have to do what you have to do for your job either. And he’s right handsome.”

Rowan laughed. “He’ll do, yes. His people are divided about me. He doesn’t seem to care, though. My people are suspicious, and none of that seems to matter. Don’t tell him, but I’m sort of sweet on him.”

Dina shook her head as they went back out into the main kitchen area. “Go on, you. I’ll be here if you need me. We’re making cinnamon rolls for brunch. You’d better not leave without saying your farewells.”

“Of course not. Thank you.”

She went upstairs to read over the information Carey had sent before returning downstairs where she knew people waited.

* * *

Clive saw her and moved in like a sexy shark. She couldn’t help but stare at him. He was delicious. Utterly. He wore a navy suit with a pinstripe. She loved him in pinstripes.

His shirt was another sort of blue that complemented the deep navy of the suit, and his tie was yellow. It should have been ridiculous but it worked perfectly.

His hair was perfect too. And when he smiled at her, his incisors were only slightly distended. It sent a thrill through her to know in an hour or two she’d be rolling around naked with him.

“You look like you’ve been up to something sneaky, Hunter.” He gave her a raised brow, and she really wanted to kiss it. Damn hormones.

“I’m always up to something sneaky, Scion.”

“One of your best qualities when I’m not the target.” He paused as he reached her. “I’m not, am I?”

That made her laugh. “Your paranoia is delightful, and if I had the time I would love to make you worried and get that line between your eyes when you pretend you’re not agitated by me and I’m not getting to you. But you’re not my target. Tonight.”

“I’m going to have to get Botox for that wrinkle between my eyes, you know. I didn’t have it before you came into my life.”

“
You
came into
my
life, Scion. And I bet you had that line when you were an eight-year-old baby Vampire prince or whatever. You’re a frowny worrier, Clive Stewart. You look agitated when someone wears a pocket square slightly off-kilter.”

“Well, for heaven’s sake, it’s not that hard—” He stopped talking as she snickered. “I bet I have that line right now.”

She nodded but leaned in very close to whisper, “Later I’ll lick it and a few other places to see if we can get you relaxed.”

He hummed his pleasure. “That’s far better. Now, do you want to tell me what you’re up to?”

“I’m gonna be spilling truth tea, Scion.”

“What would that be, you know, if you were speaking to someone who didn’t learn language from reality television and the internet?”

“We’re all going to have a little talk about magic and breaking the rules.”

Realization dawned in his eyes. “All right then, let’s get this over with. I’ll do my best not to let you get attacked when you go, yet again, poking one of the most powerful Vampires walking the earth.”

“She needs to be taken out, but that’s not my job right now.”

“As if she won’t see this for the threat you mean it to be.”

“I have a gift, Scion. I would be silly to hide it.”

Rowan entered the great room where most of the attendees had gathered. She rang the bell, a ceremonial way to gather everyone. Celesse stood at her side with David just behind her.

Rex stood nearby with Roth, and she sent the latter a quelling glare. If he made any trouble, she’d chew him up and spit him out.

Theo glided in and sat in a swanky wingback chair looking every bit like a king. “I suppose you’ll tell me what this is about?”

She nodded. “You already know.”

“Lucky for you.” He waved a hand, indicating she move along.

Within a few minutes the entire group had gathered there in the room, some looking rather unhappy at the prospect.

“The most important issue first. The Treaty committee wants you to know we passed the revised Amendment and it is now in force. The updated Treaty is available online already, but should also be available to be printed out. The hard copies kept here and at the various Motherhouses will be updated within seven days. Thank you to everyone who participated in the process. I know there was a lot of work that happened before we even convened, and I appreciate all your effort.”

Most of the faces in the room looked pleased, or at the very least not angry. Even Takahiro didn’t look mad. But Enyo, well, she was fuming. Seething with frustrated rage that she didn’t get her way.

“I do very much believe this small adjustment will work for both Vampire and Hunter to protect the secret and the well-being of humanity.”