Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires 2)

"I know about the raves," Nick continued, and the room went quiet enough to hear a pin drop. "Maybe you had an excuse before. When you were still in hiding, when vampires were myth and horror-movie fodder, maybe it was appropriate to pretend that raves were nothing more than the subject of some lonely human's overactive imagination. But things have changed. This is your city. The Presidium knows it. The vampires know it.

The nymphs know it. The fairies know it.

"Shifters know it," he quietly, gravely, said, then lifted his blue eyes to mine. I don't know exactly what I saw there; I'm not sure I have words for the emotion. But it was bottomless - a well of experience, of life, of love and loss. A wealth of human history, or maybe shifter history, and a resulting world-weariness, in the depth of it.

Nick rose and stood before the table, hands on his hips. "Clean up your goddamned city, or someone else will do it for you."

With that pronouncement, he pushed back his chair and walked away. Papa Breck followed, the vampires silent until Luc had escorted them out of the room and the door was closed again.

Ethan put his palms flat on the table. "And with that," he said, "I believe we've brought this particular crisis to its resolution."

"I'm not sure how much resolution we've gotten," Scott said, pushing his own chair back, rising, and returning it to its spot at the conference table. "I wasn't ready to go a round with the Trib or with Tate, but this Celina news isn't exactly comforting, either. I mean, nice work in getting this thing wrapped up so quickly, but I'd rather Peter had acted on his own."

"Although I'd have preferred that Cadogan not serve as Celina's recruiting ground,"

Ethan darkly said, "I take your larger point. I would also propose that we stay in contact in the event that information regarding Celina's return to Chicago - or any future schemes - comes to light."

"Agreed," Scott said.

"Agreed," Noah said.

We all looked at Morgan. He still stared absently at the table, pain in his eyes. Maybe he'd finally taken to heart the truth about Celina - about the havoc she was apparently willing to wreak. That couldn't have been an easy pill to swallow.

"Agreed," he finally - and quietly - said.

Ethan rose and walked to the office door as the rest of the vampires did the same. He opened it, offered polite goodbyes to Noah, Scott, and Morgan, and when Luc, Malik, and I were left in the room, released us.

"I believe we've had enough drama for a few days," Ethan said. "Take the night, enjoy your evening. We'll speak at dusk tomorrow."

Luc, Malik, and I grinned at one another, smiled at Ethan.

"Thanks, Hoss," Luc said, and went for the door.

"What he said," I offered with a canny smile, and followed him out.

I made it around the corner of the hall before Morgan called my name. He stood in the foyer, hands in his pockets, some mix of anger and defeat in his expression and his stance.

"Can we talk?"

I nodded, my stomach suddenly knotted in anticipation of the coming battle. He opened the door, and I followed him out. Mist rose from the streets, a cool breeze blowing through Hyde Park.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked when we'd reached the sidewalk, his voice awkwardly loud in the quiet of the night. "About the threat, the story? You could have come to me with any of this. You could have told me when we were at your parents'house."

I looked around, realized any vampire near the front windows would be able to hear our conversation, and took his wrist. I led him down the sidewalk and through the gate, then to the street corner, which was empty of paparazzi. Maybe they melted in the rain like so many wicked witches.

"I was acting as Sentinel," I told him, when it seemed we were far enough from canny-eared vampires to afford some privacy. "This was Cadogan business."

Morgan crossed his arms. "It was House business. We all had a right to know."

"Right or not, that was Ethan's call, not mine."

"You stand Sentinel. You act in a manner that's best for your House. And what's best for your House is your determination, not Ethan's."

I didn't disagree with the sentiment in principle, but I wasn't about to admit that to Morgan.

"Even if it was my decision to make," I said, "it was my decision, not yours. I understand this is information you would have liked to have, but that's not my problem. I don't stand Sentinel for Navarre House."

"Oh, I think we're all real clear on that, Merit." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "It's pretty obvious where your loyalties lie."

I was tired of taking hits for the team, so I hit back. "And your loyalties didn't lie with Celina?"

A flush of crimson crossed his cheekbones.

"Look me in the eye and tell me your Master didn't make decisions that involved 'House business.' And if you knew anything, about what she's done or how completely off her rocker she is, you sure didn't share that with the rest of us."

He glowered. "I knew nothing that would have put anyone in danger. I did what I thought was best."

"And I did what I thought was best."

"Yeah, by acquiescing to Ethan."

I rolled my eyes. "Jesus, Morgan. He's the Master of my House. What do you want me to do? Start a rebellion? If you were having this conversation with one of your Novitiates about disobeying your orders, would you still suborn mutiny?"

Morgan shook his head. "This is completely different."

It was my turn to snort out disdain, and I threw up my hands, fueled by sheer irritation with the conversation. "How is that different?"

This time, he answered with fury, in loud, angry words. "Because it's Ethan, Merit - that's why!"

Thunder boomed in the distance, a bolt of spectacular lightning zigzagging its way across the sky.

I stared at him, felt the responsive trip of my own heart, and saw the sudden narrowing of his pupils. "He's my Master. And I know what you think. You've made clear what you think." It's what everyone thinks, I silently added. "But he's my Master, my boss, my employer. Period."

Morgan shook his head, looked away. "You're na?ve."

I closed my eyes, put my hands on my hips, and tried counting to ten so as not to commit vampiricide here on the nice sidewalk the city of Chicago worked so hard to keep free of ash. "Do you not think I'm capable of judging for myself if I'm having a relationship with someone?"

He turned back to me again, and looked at me with eyes that pulsed, for a moment, silver at the edges. "Frankly, Merit, no."