The deed done, Ethan sighed with what sounded like relief. But even as he did it, his shoulders straightened, as if he'd donned again the mantle of House power and was ready to wield it. This time, my goose bumps were for a completely different reason.
He looked over the ballroom of vampires. His vampires. His eyes blazed as they made contact with mine.
"I am alive," he said. "I am alive and well and in good health. The House has been relinquished to me, and I have undertaken its leadership once again. I presume none of you object?"
Once again, the ballroom exploded with applause. The world might end tomorrow, but for tonight, our Master was back, and he was most definitely in charge.
* * *
Ethan stayed behind to answer questions from the vampires. Because dawn was rising, I headed upstairs to get ready for bed, and found a message on my phone. It was from Jonah.
"The lighthouse," he said. "Tomorrow night. Nine p.m. Look for the rocks. We'll be there." That was it.
The lighthouse stood in Chicago's main harbor, and provided light for ships seeking safety from Lake Michigan's breaking waves and rocky coastline. The lighthouse helped them find safe passage; now, ironically, it would be a place of reckoning for me.
I sat down on the bed and turned the phone over and over in my hand. As my initiation moved closer, I became even more swamped with guilt, and even less sure I was doing the right thing for the right reasons.
Times were so perilous. We were facing a fundamental change to our identities as vampires, and in the midst of the chaos, I was scampering away to join a rebel organization. And not just that, but an organization I couldn't tell Ethan - or anyone else - about. That didn't exactly make me feel honorable, or honest.
On the other hand, there seemed to be little dispute the RG was going to help the House. I wasn't even a member yet, and they'd already informed us of the GP's asset grab.
The RG was the kind of help we needed.
Stop whining, I warned myself, and sent a response to Jonah.
I'LL BE THERE. AND THANKS FOR THE CONTRACT TIP. YOU MAY HAVE SAVED OUR ASSES.
I put the phone away as the apartment door opened.
I'd made the decision to join the RG a long time ago. But for now, Ethan was home, so I rose to join him. The night would be over soon enough, and the fear would wait for later.
CHAPTER NINE
THE ICY PRECIPICE
Hours later, night fell again as it had so many times before. The sun dropped beneath the horizon, the shutters opened, and vampires awoke.
Tonight we would leave the Greenwich Presidium and strike out on our own.
But as relieved as we were to have the House under the control of a single Master once again, the drone of anxious magic made me feel as if I were standing beneath power lines.
I felt Ethan stir behind me. He was awake, and undoubtedly could feel the magic, as well.
"The House is nervous," I said.
"Hmm. It's a big night."
I struggled for the right words - something that would acknowledge the giant step we were taking but express confidence that he could lead us through it.
Maybe it wasn't what he could say, but what he could do. . . . I sat up and swung my legs over the bed, then glanced back at him, his hair a golden mess around his face. "Let's go for a run."
"A run?"
"For exercise. Around the neighborhood. It will help you burn off some magic."
He arched an eyebrow. "As I'm not currently being chased, I see no need to run."
"No, you have no desire to run. That's different. It'll give you a chance to alleviate some stress."
"Is this about Lacey?"
"It's about the House being on the precipice of something monumental, and your needing to lead them through it. And if they think you're nervous, they'll freak out."
His gaze narrowed. "Are you attempting to manage me, Sentinel?"
I put my hands on my hips and gave him back the same authoritative look he was giving me. "Yes. I am, and according to the House rules, I have that right. Get dressed."
He grumbled, but scooted out of bed, confirming that I was, in fact, the power behind the throne.
It was winter and cold, so I opted for layers. Capri-length leggings. A sports bra, tank, T-shirt, and slim jacket. My shoes were well worn, and it was probably time to find a new pair, but they still had enough bounce to keep me moving.
Ethan wore track pants and layered long-sleeved shirts, and on his wrist was a huge watch.
No, not just a watch: a GPS watch - the kind serious runners use to keep track of their pacing and mileage.
My gaze narrowed. "I thought you hated running. I thought you only ran when chased?"
He smiled slyly. "You once told me you preferred unprocessed foods."
"Touche," I said. "Exactly how badly are you planning to outpace me here?"
"Time will tell."
"Har, har," I mocked, but I was getting nervous.
We walked downstairs in silence, both of us warily eyeing the other, the competition-fueled adrenaline already calming us down. And a calmer Master, I figured, meant a calmer House.
He pressed a button on his watch to start the timer, and then he was gone - already down the steps and running through the gate to the quiet streets of Hyde Park.
"Crap," I muttered, pushing off and bounding down to the sidewalk. Ethan stood one hundred feet away at the corner, one hand on the fence, the other on his hip. It didn't take more than a few seconds to reach him, and he grinned at me as I jogged closer.
"What took you so long?" he asked.
"I gave you a head start. As I've said before, and undoubtedly will again, age before beauty."
Ethan made a decidedly sarcastic sound and pushed off the gate, then lined up beside me on the sidewalk. "Nine miles," he said, then identified the landmarks that would mark our loop around the neighborhood and back to the House again. The trip would be long for humans, but a bit of light exercise for vampires.
"I can only assume you're telling me where to go because you know I'll be out front?"
"Or because I'll completely lap you," he said.
"Does your ego know no bounds?"
Ethan Sullivan, Master of Cadogan House, smiled wickedly and slapped my ass. "Not when it's well deserved. I'm ready when you are, Sentinel."
I didn't give him the opportunity for a faster push-off. "Go!" I yelled, but I was already past him and sprinting feet away toward our first landmark - the church four blocks down the street. Vampires were predators, and we were naturally faster than humans. But like humans - or cheetahs or lions or any large predators - the superspeed could last only so long.