Laws of the Blood 4: Deceptions: Deceptions (27 page)

Army of darkness, indeed. He almost smiled at the thought as he sat quietly at Rose’s side on the couch. He noticed Gavivi glance his way from her seat on the piano bench. She’d felt his momentary amusement and canted an eyebrow curiously, wondering at its cause. At least Rose hadn’t noticed. Her attention was on her own
conflicted feelings and on the expectant emotions the other vampires were throwing at her. Bentencourt firmed his mental shielding into a tight mask and gave the faintest shake of his head in response to Gavivi. The mortals were slaves and companions, allowed here only by courtesy—and a great deal of wheedling on his, Gavivi, and Cassandra’s parts.

Cassandra literally sat at her master’s feet, and Sidney Douglas petted her head absentmindedly, like she was a leashed animal at his side. Cassandra enjoyed the attention, and Bentencourt enjoyed the sight of a vampire behaving as tradition dictated. Rose treated her companion with respect and tenderness that hardly ever made him feel owned. Bentencourt had chosen her for her gentleness, was grateful for her care, but when he was a vampire he’d be a proper master, like Douglas.

Bentencourt had high hopes of bringing Douglas onto his team when he was finally able to establish a proper power base, for the nest leader was also one of the most famous of vampire sorcerers, though the antiquated Laws forced him to be more of a researcher than practitioner these days. True vampire power came from a blending of psychic ability and high ritual magic, though many vampires were unaware of this. Bentencourt wanted to learn everything the sorcerer knew before disposing of him.
That’s for the future,
Bentencourt reminded himself sternly.
Concentrate on what needs to be done tonight.

Douglas had brought the two young vampires in his nest with him, punks in sunglasses and leather who went by the names Coyote and Isobel and held hands even though Rose kept giving them stern looks. Gavivi’s mistress, Angela, had brought her nestling Conan along. Alec and Rose were the only ones left from their nest, and both were devastated and furious by the news of Lora’s untimely demise.

It was nearly midnight, witching hour and all that. This gathering had been scheduled for nine o’clock sharp, but no one had arrived before ten-thirty. The regal nod he’d
received from Gavivi when he’d opened the door at her nest’s arrival reassured him that at least Gavivi had spent as much time as possible discussing the situation with Angela. He’d used the same time to work on Rose. Now was the time to find out if all his hard work was going to pay off, but how to get the meeting going without making it look like he was the one in charge?

“Can I get anyone anything?” he asked, ever the polite and deferential companion. He started to stand, but Rose put her hand out to keep him in his seat.

“No,” she told him, then looked around the room, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “I don’t think this is quite the moment for my usual hospitality.” She folded her soft white hands in her lap. “I am well aware that I have the reputation of being something of a—I think the modern word is wimp.”

She held up a hand at the faint murmurs of protest from the other nest leaders. Bentencourt was sure Rose was aware that her listeners’ emotions were anything but disagreeing.

There was a tinge of annoyance in her voice as she went on. “I have always preferred to think of myself as a woman of peace. Not an easy thing to be, considering what I am, but I have tried to maintain a veneer of civilization. It has seemed the safest way to deal with the mortal world, I suppose. Still, I am strigoi, and obedient to the Laws. I am also the oldest nest leader in the territory, and a daughter of the Nighthawk line.”

There was a great deal of consternation in the room when Rose dropped this little bomb. Bentencourt gave her an affectionate look when he realized how pleased Rose was at the attention. So, his girl had an ego as well as a sense of responsibility. Vanity and pride were even easier to manipulate than believing one ought to be dutiful. Bentencourt noted the speculation as well, especially from Douglas. Vampires were a competitive bunch when they were allowed to be. Douglas was assessing
how he could use Rose.
Too late,
Bentencourt thought.
She’s already spoken for.

The sorcerer might have caught the thought, because his gaze did briefly flicker Bentencourt’s way. But he obviously dismissed the companion’s thought as simple jealousy. Bentencourt was aware of the vampire’s trying to hide his sudden flare of ambition as he concentrated on Rose. Bentencourt was gleeful with the realization that getting this little group to perform exactly as he wished wasn’t going to take the long, hard, tedious, time-wasting debate he’d feared. What he’d done was provide them with the means to scratch itches they already found madly irritating. They didn’t have to hate Olympias as much as he did to want to challenge her right to rule.

“We have so much to discuss I’m not sure where to begin,” Rose went on. “Perhaps by stating that even by holding this meeting we may be in violation of the Laws of the Blood.”

“There is no law against nest leaders conferring with each other,” Angela pointed out. “Nor is there a law against—”

“There’s a law against disobeying the Enforcer of the City,” Douglas cut her off. He gave Rose a hard look. “That is what we’re here for, isn’t it?”
What you want,
he thought loud enough for even the companions to hear. He looked around at the rest of the vampires. “Olympias has made an arbitrary decision that I, for one, do not intend to obey. My nest is in turmoil enough at the moment.” He tugged on his companion’s hair. She lifted her head and snarled in response. “My nest needs to Hunt, not pack up and move.”

“We could all use a Hunt,” Angela said. “It’s been three years. She could at least let us Hunt once more before she kicks us out of town.”

“I am not leaving,” Rose stated flatly. “I do not jump at the Greek woman’s command.”

“You haven’t Hunted recently, have you?” Angela
questioned. Rose shook her head. “Then let us Hunt tonight.”

Douglas laughed. “In a show of defiance? Or because it’s fun?”

“Yes, and yes,” Angela said. “And for two other good reasons. Your girl needs to kill, and there are mortals who need to be Hunted. I’m sure Olympias hasn’t mentioned this to anyone—I doubt she’s even aware of the danger, since she leaves it to her slaves to deal with what goes on in her city—but I have information that a group of mortals have become aware of our existence. Something must be done to neutralize any threat from these people.” She spoke to Douglas. “How’s that for prey for your pretty one’s first kill? It’s our right to take down mortals who hunt us.”

“That is the Law,” Rose agreed. “Olympias has abused the laws more than enforced them of late. She murdered my nestling Lora last night. She has not seen fit to tell me why. The only conclusion I can draw is that she decided to take the mortal Lora wanted as a companion for herself rather than searching out a new plaything. If Lora had not already asked permission to have this mortal, a fight over him between herself and Olympias would have been lawful, but . . .” Rose’s voice trailed away in a despondent sigh. “Olympias simply killed her.”

“But a fight to the death over a lover?” Angela asked. “That’s ridiculous. There are too few of us to kill over a bunny.”

While Rose frowned at the use of the slang term, Sidney Douglas sneered and suggested, “Maybe the Nighthawk wanted Lora for a snack. Get rid of a rival and fill her larder at the same time. How efficient,” he drawled sarcastically.

“Don’t be disgusting, Sidney,” Rose rebuked him. “Remember that the dead girl lived in my house.”

“She’s meat now,” he replied coldly. “We’re vampires, Rose,” Douglas reminded her. “We kill our mortal
cousins—living, sentient creatures of God, with souls and hopes and families. And we eat them.”

“They’re delicious,” Angela added.

If either nest leaders were trying to provoke Rose, Bentencourt caught no surprise in their reactions when she laughed. “I like mine with mustard,” she agreed. “I know what I am, Sidney. But I don’t kill nice people. I don’t worry about a victim’s soul when I’m ripping into their living flesh. I enjoy the fear and pain as much as any of you. I simply don’t see any reason to discuss it in polite company. Nor do I wish to become meat for an Enforcer myself.”

“You could become an Enforcer,” Douglas said. He pushed Cassandra away and came to his feet. All the other vampires looked at each other, then at Rose, then at him. “Think of it, Nighthawk’s Daughter,” he said to Rose. “It is you who could be the Enforcer of the City. The city you love. Replace the one the Europeans imposed on us. She is strigoi. The law of conquest applies to her as much as it does to any of us. If we band together to take her down, hold her subordinate to us, then one of us can take her status, her place.”

“That is done with nest leaders,” Angela said, not quite a protest. “Taking over a nest is one thing—is it even possible to replace an Enforcer?”

“With another Enforcer,” Douglas said. His compelling gaze never left Rose’s.

“But . . . but . . .” Angela sputtered. “We’d need to present a case to the Council.”

“Would we?” Douglas wondered.

“We have a case,” Rose said. “She’s killed a vampire without good cause. She’s renounced her authority over us by arbitrarily exiling us from our rightful territory.”

“She hasn’t done anything about the mortals who are hunting us,” Angela added. “She hasn’t called any Hunts.”

“This is very interesting,” the young male vampire, Coyote, spoke up. “Sounds like a lot of fun, even, but—”

“—but a vampire has to die for an Enforcer to be born, even us kids know that much,” Isobel cut in. She looked over her sunglasses at the other vampires in the room. “Maybe you guys aren’t thinking about asking for volunteers, but I for one, haven’t done anything that would allow me to be lawfully sacrificed.”

“Nor I,” Conan spoke up.

“If we’re going to replace a corrupt Enforcer, we ought to do it strictly legally,” Coyote added. “I don’t want to get eaten for the cause, either.”

“If it is done, it will be Lawfully,” Rose promised. She looked at Alec, who’d so far kept out of the conversation.

Bentencourt had expected Alec to be vociferous on the subject of moving away from his business interests, but other than helping to organize the meeting, Alec had stayed out of it. Wise, cautious move on his part, Bentencourt decided. Alec was a creature of self-interest; the type of power he craved was of the financial sort. Bentencourt judged that Alec would jump whichever way seemed the most helpful to his monetary interests.

“What do you want from me?” Alec asked Rose. “To invite a strig to dinner? The ones I know work for me.”

“I am your nest leader,” Rose reminded him. “If I ask you to bring me a strig to sacrifice, you will do it.”

“I’d rather not,” Alec answered, as close to defiant as Bentencourt thought he was likely to get.

A strig would do, of course, but having Rose kill a strig to make the change was not the plan as Bentencourt envisioned it. There was a vampire he already wanted dead, one that would ease Rose’s conscience and sense of duty, therefore making it easier for her to go through with the necessary killing. Though he’d stayed inconspicuous until now, Bentencourt gently cleared his throat and touched Rose’s hand.

“I hate to interrupt,” he whispered when she turned her attention from Alec to him. He sensed her impatience, though he didn’t raise his gaze to hers. He kept his voice low, his tone diffident, his quickly spoken words for her,
rather than daring to address the gathered vampires. “Andrew,” he said. “He wishes to die. He’d be grateful for the honor.”

“Andrew.” Rose stood to face Douglas. “Do you remember a bloodchild of mine back in the sixties? His name was Andrew.”

“I remember him. You fostered him in California, didn’t you?”

“He’s back in Washington. He came to see Olympias, but she’s been ignoring him—the way she ignores everything. Andrew wishes to die,” Rose explained before anyone else could jump in with questions or complaints. “If I’m actually going through with this—you do know the proper spell, don’t you, Sidney?”

“Would I have brought the subject up if I didn’t know the way to do it? Enforcers want us to believe only an Enforcer can change another Nighthawk, but that isn’t quite true. Each Enforcer passes the spell to the ones they change and makes them memorize it, but the spell has been written down.”

“I see.” Rose picked up a tapestry box from the coffee table. She’d brought it down from her bedroom before the nests arrived. She flipped open the lid and showed the contents to everyone. Bentencourt caught a glimpse of a silver dagger resting on red velvet. He knew that all Enforcers carried such a blade, as a symbol of office. He wondered where this one had come from. There was a large cabochon star ruby set in the hilt of this dagger, and its design was quite primitive.

Rose spoke over the collective gasps of the group. “My bloodsire left this with me. He said he might come back for it, but that I could use it if the need ever arose.” She sighed.

Douglas grinned like a vampire shark. “You make the sacrifice, Rose, and I will channel the power of the death to make you what you need to be. Then, with your new strength added to all of ours, we’ll take Olympias prisoner.”

Douglas sounded like he definitely looked forward to the last part. Bentencourt relished the humbling of the bitch far more than anyone else in the room. Let the others do with her as they willed for a while, he’d get a great deal of vicarious pleasure out of it. Let the others have Olympias as their plaything, he’d make sure Olympias knew that her defeat had come at his hands. And she would know that he was Philip of Macedon reborn. This time she would not stop him. The world would be his.