Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires 5)

"She can't do this," Jeff said. "Not unilateral y. It's not right."

"That woman couldn't differentiate 'right' from a hole in the ground," my grandfather said. "But I wil be damned if that's the end of us."

The five of us stood in silence in the hal way.

"You know," Catcher final y said, "there may be a bright side to this."

"What's that?" my grandfather asked.

Catcher looked at my grandfather with a gleam in his eyes.

"Every decision you've made in the last four years you've made with the mayor in mind. We were beholden to the position, which means anyone who relied on the office was beholden. We may not have governmental sponsorship anymore - but we also don't have government repression,"

Catcher said. "We've started from less. Four years ago, we had no contacts, no friends, and no legitimacy. Sups were afraid of us. She might be able to take away our funding, but she can't turn back time."

My grandfather smiled, just a little. "Mr. Bel , you may have a point there."

I walked back to my car, leaving Jeff, Catcher, Marjorie, and my grandfather to pack their boxes and consider their options. Given the gleam in my grandfather's eye, I had no doubt he'd find another solution. The four of them - and their secret vampire employee - would probably have a new office set up before the sun rose again. I wondered if Grandpa would make them meatloaf to celebrate? He made a fantastic meatloaf.

Meatloaf on my mind, I pul ed out my phone. I cal ed Keley and advised her m cadvbably hay grandfather was going to look further into the lake's darkening. I had also promised Jonah a debriefing. And yes, I'd let my grandfather do the heavy lifting about the lake problem, but I wasn't going to ignore the situation, especial y now.

"Are you done with your project?" I asked when Jonah answered my cal .

"I am. Let's get together and debrief. Where are you?"

"South side. Just leaving my grandfather's office. Where are you?"

"Grey House. I don't want to meet here, obviously, and I'm not going anywhere near Cadogan. Too many protestors." He was quiet for a moment. "How about the Midway? We'l have some privacy there."

Midway Plaisance Park was a mile-long strip of green space that ran east-west across the city near the U of C

campus. It had been carved out for the 1893 Columbian Exposition, the World's Fair that made Chicago the "White City."

"Sure," I said. "I'l be there in fifteen."

"See you then."

I hung up the phone and tossed it into the passenger seat, then stared at it for a moment. It was times like these I'd normal y have cal ed Ethan to debrief. Even if he didn't know precisely what to do, he'd have some kind of suggestion. He had hundreds of years of experience as a vampire and a ridiculously keen grasp of politics and strategy - even if that got him into trouble sometimes.

I'm sure Jonah would have valuable advice, as wel ; I wouldn't have agreed to the meeting otherwise. But Ethan and I had a camaraderie. A style. We'd learned how to work together. Ethan and I had an intimacy born of shared experiences; Jonah and I simply didn't. Maybe, if in some strange new world I accepted the RG's offer and he became my partner, it would develop. But tonight . . .

Tonight, I missed Ethan.

Seeking oblivion, I pul ed my gaze from the phone and flipped on the radio. Snow Patrol blasted through the speakers, and although I turned it down to a slightly less eardrum-shattering volume, I left it loud enough to wipe unpleasant thoughts from my mind. The band sang about bravery and taking difficult steps, even if you were afraid to do so. I pretended the universe was daring me to be brave, to step into this new life as I'd done once before. The last time - from graduate student to warrior for Cadogan House. This time - from constant companion of the Master of that House to . . .

To what?

As I drove in the dark, the song rose to a crescendo, and I concluded that was the crucial question. What would I be without Ethan? Who would I be without Ethan?

It was probably time to find out.

The Midway linked Washington Park to the west and Jackson Park to the east. It was bounded by art, including the Masaryk memorial, a statue of a mounted soldier, on the east end. The horse and soldier sat atop a rectangular plinth above a set of raised concrete steps. Jonah stood in front of the plinth, arms crossed, looking up at it.

"You rang?" I asked him, hopping up the steps.

He turned around. "Do you ever wonder if we'l get to the point where we're considered part of Chicago?" He gestured toward the statue. "I mean, enough that they'd consider memorializing one of us? That they'd actual y be proud of what we've done?"

I sat do c="3 memoriawn on one of the steps, and he moved over and sat beside me.

"This city has been through a lot of phases since Celina's press conference," I said. "Denial. Hatred. Celebrity."

"And now back to hatred?"

I made a sound of agreement. "Something pretty profound would have to change before they'd consider us equal to humans. And speaking of equality," I said, and fil ed him in on the mayor's visit.

His eyes went wide. "The Ombud's office - they can't close it. The city needs it. The sups need it. They trust your grandfather. They think he gives them a voice. Without him, people only know about troublemakers, about Celina and Adam Keene."

"I agree, but don't fret. When I left, they were already brainstorming a plan to help out. They'l do what they have to do; taxpayers just won't be paying for it."

We sat quietly for a moment, the cool air raising goose bumps along my arms.

"I'm guessing you think something else is going on with the water," he said. "Something beyond the siren?"

"I do. It's too convenient otherwise. I was there with her, Jonah. And she wasn't working any magic."

"So we should keep looking."

"Quietly," I said. "Let my grandfather do the heavy lifting, as he put it. There's just too much pressure on me to be more active. Frank's not thril ed I'm standing Sentinel. It wouldn't surprise me if he tried to push me out of the position."

"He doesn't have the power to do that."

I gave him a dry look. "There may not be a rule in the Canon that says he can, but who's going to stop him? He's got the House over a barrel, and if it came down to me and the House, Malik has to pick the House. How could he not pick the House?"

My stomach sank at the thought - and not just from the possibility I'd no longer be Sentinel, but because I'd chided Ethan about having to choose between me and the House.