“And what would you do with yourself if that was the case, Lord Daegan?” Lord Welles spoke. Gideon recognized him from the red hair that spoke of an Irish heritage in his vampire parentage. “What territory would you suit, what Region? You can’t move as a free agent, no more than she can. She must learn our ways, and Lord Walton can provide that.”
Everything sounded so civilized, but the undercurrent was getting ugly. Gideon hadn’t had a front-row seat to what had happened to Lyssa in Council chambers when they found out how her Fey blood made her different, but he’d seen the fallout that had made her a fugitive and almost cost Jacob his life. Daegan was useful to them as an assassin, but it was clear that, since his mother’s death, somebody—or perhaps it was simply the Council’s prejudices coming to the forefront without her meliorating influence—had been spreading poison, reminding them that since he was different, he wasn’t one of them.
“I am more than capable of teaching her how to get along in our world, my lord.” Daegan smiled, this time showing tips of fangs. As Gideon stood behind him and Anwyn, he experienced that cold ripple again. If the unease that joined the sensation were any indication, he wasn’t the only one. “Let me make this clear. Anwyn Inara Naime belongs to me. No other vampire will be touching her without my consent, so unless someone wishes to challenge me on that matter, I will assume you have confidence in my abilities to ensure she is ‘assimilated.’ I have every desire for her to succeed in our world. Looking at her, I suspect none of you doubt her ability to do that.”
Much like megalomaniac Third World dictators, vampires sometimes responded only to shows of strength. During the silent shifting of bodies, Stephen and Barbra appeared to be gauging the reaction of the older vampires, but otherwise Gideon couldn’t tell what the response was. A lot of thoughts were being weighed behind those damned inscrutable expressions.
But if they were already weighing how much control they really had over Daegan, that threat couldn’t have helped. Gideon remembered his warning to Daegan:
It’s amazing how quickly people can turn on you
. He hoped Daegan remembered it as well.
“There is the matter of the tithe to Lord Walton.” Lady Helga cleared her throat at last.
“That will be attended to, of course. Anwyn understands how the territory overlord and Region Master require such funds to benefit all vampires under their supervision.”
But mostly to benefit the overlord and Region Master, and probably a kickback to the Council. Gideon wondered if Anwyn had known about this, and what she thought of others getting the benefit of her hard work. Of course, knowing how clever she was, he wouldn’t be surprised if the profitability of Atlantis would drop a certain percentage on paper in order to allow for that loss. At the moment, Gideon expected she was more concerned about other things, as he was.
“Your desire to protect the well-being of a fledgling with such promise is unexpected. You appear quite devoted to her.” This from Lady Carola. Gideon wondered if Carola had been a friend of Daegan’s mother, because her speculative glance and relatively light tone had some of the prospective matchmaker to it, a brief respite in an otherwise tense atmosphere.
Daegan inclined his head. “She has been a friend to me. Truly dependable friends are a rare treasure.” He glanced at Anwyn then, and Gideon saw it had a dual purpose, both to clearly cement that bond, and also to reassure her with the bald statement. “It is why I do not doubt her discretion. Though I am not responsible for betraying my location, Barnabus came looking for me. It made her a target, and I owe her a debt for her loyalty that being her sire will help to repay. Partially.”
“Surely the Council makes the final decision on these matters. Unless he is a law unto himself ?” Stephen threw down the gauntlet in a slightly shrill voice. Daegan turned his arctic gaze back to him.
“I think what I’m making clear is that I will not allow this female to be used as a pawn in your game to convince the Council I am overstepping my authority. If you feel that way, do me the honor of making your accusation plain. Anwyn has nothing to do with that issue.”
Check and damn near mate.
For a vampire that spent a great deal of time alone, Daegan had chosen his timing as perfectly as any diplomat. Stephen’s expression froze, but Gideon saw amusement flash over the expressions of the three senior Council members. Lady Helga and Lord Stewart looked a little discomfited by the evenhanded parry. They were the ones on the fence, Gideon realized. Lady Barbra looked almost as out of sorts as Stephen, though she was covering it better.
“Enough on that for the moment, Lord Stephen. The execution of illegal, weak-stock vampires and the care for one fledgling are minor issues,” Belizar noted. “We can take time later, in closed session, to discuss them and the more serious accusation Lord Daegan has raised. I wish to move on to the other matter. Her servant, Gideon Green.”
Gideon stiffened, but Daegan merely lifted a brow. “My lord?”
“Oh, don’t play obtuse.” Belizar snorted with true Cossack disdain. “Surely you realize that this Council cannot blithely accept a notorious vampire hunter as a fledgling’s servant and say nothing. Though we do appreciate Mr. Green not bringing any explosive materials to this meeting.” He cast a look in Gideon’s direction that was not amused at all.
Eyes down.
Daegan shot that arrow through Anwyn’s mind, with urgent command behind it. Gideon reluctantly shifted his eyes away, but not down. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, but it was more than that.
They’re not going to buy me as a trained pet,
he shot back.
That will make them more suspicious.
Belizar grunted. “This human was already on your target list, Lord Daegan. You convinced us to push him further down in priorities when it became clear he’d altered his targets to vampires who were in serious violation of Council law.” And though he didn’t say it, his expression made it clear that it was no secret to anyone how Gideon had started to demonstrate such remarkable insight. Gideon noted he didn’t say it out loud, though. While they were cautious about considering Lyssa and Jacob as allies, they weren’t willing to make them outright enemies. If Gideon lived through this meeting, it would be an interesting tidbit to pass on to Jacob and Lyssa.
“However, his most recent kill was an executable offense. Trey had committed no violations of our code. He did not even exercise his right to take human life beyond the one necessary annual kill.”
Exercise his right to take human life
. Gideon forced his fists not to curl, tried to remain relaxed. He focused on Anwyn’s intent profile, her remarkable self-possession in this incredibly high-pressure situation.
A third mark provides an anchor, strength when a vampire is wounded or weak.
Now he understood why Daegan had emphasized, over and over again, how much Anwyn’s well-being relied on him staying calm. The vampire had anticipated Gideon being goaded. So, keeping that in mind, he absorbed his reaction to Belizar’s words like a blow to the gut and stood firm.
Asshole.
It was probably a good thing that Daegan had threatened to gag him if he didn’t swear to remain silent.
“Gideon made an error in judgment. Knowing his history and who Trey’s last annual kill was, it was clear what happened. He came to Anwyn’s club shortly after that, and when she was attacked, he was first on the scene, along with myself, to assist her. Despite his long-standing animosity to our kind, he assisted his brother in his transition, and he has been doing the same for Anwyn. He willingly became her servant, which says a great deal about his adaptability. She is now privy to his thoughts, able to delve into his soul, command it to her will. Gideon Green has effectively . . . neutralized himself. All for her benefit.”
If the bastard had said
castrated
, Gideon might have had to punch him in the kidney. Though he was uncomfortably aware that Daegan had spoken only the truth, as long as he stayed at Anwyn’s side. He could be her toy, anything she wanted. She hadn’t acted that way yet—much—but it was possible with time. Vitriol stirred, though he tried to viciously shove it down. Not the time.
Focus on this moment. You lose it here, none of the rest matters.
Still, his unease about this whole situation was gaining rapid ground. He suspected Daegan was picking up on it as well. Stephen and Barbra’s agenda with respect to Daegan was apparently secondary to the rest of the Council, as well as Daegan’s pointed accusation. While the first was vaguely reassuring, and the second indicated the rest of the Council knew he’d been sold out, it was obvious it was Gideon who interested them. And that wasn’t reassuring at all.
He was accustomed to vampire indifference to humans. As a result, he would have anticipated having his throat slit right off the plane, his body disposed of in a Dumpster, before he expected his fate to be debated in front of the Council. Of course, as a human servant, he apparently had greater importance. More pomp and circumstance were required before they drove a metal pike through his heart.
Nevertheless, he’d expected something like this. He told himself that, made himself stay loose, calm. Neither he nor Anwyn nor Daegan had assumed he could just learn a few rules and “blend into the background” without remark or incident. It was why Anwyn had feared this. While Daegan had made the risks clear, Gideon had known this was the best choice. Of course, for the first time, he wondered if he’d been wrong. He’d been so concerned with protecting Anwyn, and so damn sure he understood the vampire mind, enough that even Daegan had agreed with taking the chance. But what if they did threaten to take his life, or worse,
took
his life? Could Anwyn hold on to her control? Why had Daegan allowed it, knowing it could come to this?
Jesus, had he really just wished Daegan had played the all-powerful vampire Master with him?
Stop thinking about this shit. She can hear your thoughts.
He could see the slight twitch of her shoulders, and felt that anxious buzz in his mind.
Anwyn, honey, stop listening. Close off my thoughts. It will be fine. You know it will be. I’m just running through strategies and variables.
I won’t let them harm you.
They’re not going to. They’re looking for leverage. Don’t let them see you break. Hold it together, baby.
Her lashes flickered at the unexpectedly intimate endearment, and he wondered if he’d pay for that one later. He hoped so.
“Before the Council makes a decision about this, we intend to observe the fledgling’s control over her unusual new servant. Tonight, you will join the Council for dinner, and we will see how things go. You should be aware the Council may decide that Gideon Green should be executed for the lives he has taken.”
Gideon nearly bit through his tongue to hold back his obvious retort, but irritation was quickly replaced by alarm as Anwyn stepped forward. Daegan clamped down on her forearm. It was a brief clash of wills, but a very obvious one, her eyes flashing, mouth tightening against the strength of that grip. Daegan gave her a warning look that brooked no disobedience and turned his attention to the Council, watching them closely. “Gideon was brought here as her attendant. I didn’t bring him here to be put on trial.”
“We would feel far more certain of his being ‘neutralized’ if he was the servant of a much more powerful vampire. One such as yourself, who we assumed could be objective about the decision to execute a mere human.”
Like Laura, or the countless others he’d been too late to save. Suddenly, Gideon felt stifled in the dim chamber, repulsed by this gathering of pretentious monsters. Everything he hated so much about vampires was displayed baldly before him.
We live or die at their behest. We’re nothing to them. That is, until I stake one of them. Then the last thing he sees is that a fucking inferior human took him out.
Gideon, hold fast.
A shudder ran through Anwyn, snapping Gideon back from the red haze of unexpected fury. Oh, Jesus. He hoped her reaction was because Daegan had used her mind with brutal quickness to channel the sharp admonition, not because she’d personally felt attacked by his feelings, the rising tide of old wounds.
“I have full confidence in Anwyn’s abilities,” Daegan said mildly, as if there wasn’t an escalating sense of combustion sparking off their threesome. “After all, as a practicing Mistress, she’s probably more adept at bringing a difficult male to his knees than anyone in this room.”
He flashed his teeth, a humorless smile, but the comment won an easing among the older Council males and amused Carola. “Plus, as you know, two vampires don’t usually mark the same servant.”
“Circumstances might suggest this is one of those unusual times. Are you refusing, Lord Daegan? It seems you have a particular soft spot for this hunter. As well as this fledgling.” Belizar’s silver gaze was piercing and sharp.
“I have respect for his value. Which, no offense intended, the Council might be missing. This is a human who has had more success than any other in taking out vampires. He has willingly allowed himself to become Anwyn’s servant. I can’t imagine a better servant to help her adapt to and understand our world. If she rises in our ranks, as I think you can see is inevitable, her choice of servant will only add to that stature.”