races as well. Not to mention the prefect of the Southern United States and Mexico…same woman, by the way.”
Now I did laugh at the sheer absurdity of his words. “Please! I’d know if I’d met a vampire or a werewolf. As far as politicians go, I’m sure they are easy enough to miss.”
Andrew chuckled as he nodded. “I’m sure Ms. Dodd will be glad to hear that.”
My forehead furrowed as I tried to recall the name. The tiny woman who’d stood in Andrew’s way at the funeral. “That mousy haired little woman is a—”
Andrew finished the sentence for me. “A vampire who happens to be the prefect for this section of the country.” He paused for a moment, and almost as an afterthought said, “And Isidore is a werewolf!”
That last bit explained a lot. I’d often gotten the feeling that Isidore was a predator, and one couldn’t get much more predatory than a wolf. As far as Ms. Dodd was concerned, she’d shown up for Martha’s funeral, which confused me. She was important as any elected official in this supernatural government. Why had she bothered, and why did she feel the need to speak to my uncle?
“Why was someone of her status at the funeral of a vigiles ?” I asked.
Andrew blushed as he chewed on his lip, searching for an answer. “There is only one vigiles for every governor and prefect. They are on equal footing and are the tiebreakers in all votes.”
There was more to it than he was telling me, but I let it go. “The vigiles are important, I take it?”
Andrew nodded. “They are extremely important. They keep order, enforce our laws, and make sure that the humans are treated fairly by our kind and vice versa.”
Trying to piece all the parts together, I made an assumption. “I take it that Lazarus will be arriving soon?”
Andrew shook his head. “No, he rarely leaves his home inside the Vatican.”
“I thought you said that he devised, and from what I gathered implemented, a test for all the lifetime appointments.”
Andrew sniggered. “He did. It’s not what you think. There is an entire process that I’m not privy to, but once the candidates are chosen they are given a test of sorts.” He shook his head as he couldn’t find the words to describe it. “You’ll see soon enough, since a new vigiles must be chosen.”
Setting the book down, I wanted to turn the conversation to something more personal. “I would like to change the subject for a few, if that’s all right?”
Andrew looked relieved, quickly nodding his assent. “By all means. What do you want to know?”
There were so many questions, but I knew where to start. “You said that people couldn’t lie to you.”
“True,” he said. “Except you.”
Closing my eyes, I reluctantly agreed. “Except me. You also mentioned that it was one of your many talents.” I chewed on the last few words before letting them rush out of me. “What can I do?”
Andrew brightened at the question while looking completely bewildered. “I haven’t the foggiest. Other than being immune to mental manipulation and the ability to lie to me, both of which are huge, I have no idea what you’re capable of. Normally you would’ve been inducted on your eighteenth birthday, and if your abilities hadn’t appeared by then you’d be tutored by either your father or other mentor he felt appropriate.” Frustration overtook his features as he threw his hands up in defeat. “As far as I know, no one has ever gone this long before taking their stone.”
My chest deflated and my head slumped. “I see. Then I might not have any abilities.”
Andrew gave me an incredulous look. “If the reaction I saw last night with your stone is any indication, you will be exceptionally powerful. We just have to figure out what it is you are capable of doing.”
Death, destruction, and general mayhem. That was what I was good at. I’d always healed quickly and somehow made it out of situations I shouldn’t have, but I doubted seriously that
Now I did laugh at the sheer absurdity of his words. “Please! I’d know if I’d met a vampire or a werewolf. As far as politicians go, I’m sure they are easy enough to miss.”
Andrew chuckled as he nodded. “I’m sure Ms. Dodd will be glad to hear that.”
My forehead furrowed as I tried to recall the name. The tiny woman who’d stood in Andrew’s way at the funeral. “That mousy haired little woman is a—”
Andrew finished the sentence for me. “A vampire who happens to be the prefect for this section of the country.” He paused for a moment, and almost as an afterthought said, “And Isidore is a werewolf!”
That last bit explained a lot. I’d often gotten the feeling that Isidore was a predator, and one couldn’t get much more predatory than a wolf. As far as Ms. Dodd was concerned, she’d shown up for Martha’s funeral, which confused me. She was important as any elected official in this supernatural government. Why had she bothered, and why did she feel the need to speak to my uncle?
“Why was someone of her status at the funeral of a vigiles ?” I asked.
Andrew blushed as he chewed on his lip, searching for an answer. “There is only one vigiles for every governor and prefect. They are on equal footing and are the tiebreakers in all votes.”
There was more to it than he was telling me, but I let it go. “The vigiles are important, I take it?”
Andrew nodded. “They are extremely important. They keep order, enforce our laws, and make sure that the humans are treated fairly by our kind and vice versa.”
Trying to piece all the parts together, I made an assumption. “I take it that Lazarus will be arriving soon?”
Andrew shook his head. “No, he rarely leaves his home inside the Vatican.”
“I thought you said that he devised, and from what I gathered implemented, a test for all the lifetime appointments.”
Andrew sniggered. “He did. It’s not what you think. There is an entire process that I’m not privy to, but once the candidates are chosen they are given a test of sorts.” He shook his head as he couldn’t find the words to describe it. “You’ll see soon enough, since a new vigiles must be chosen.”
Setting the book down, I wanted to turn the conversation to something more personal. “I would like to change the subject for a few, if that’s all right?”
Andrew looked relieved, quickly nodding his assent. “By all means. What do you want to know?”
There were so many questions, but I knew where to start. “You said that people couldn’t lie to you.”
“True,” he said. “Except you.”
Closing my eyes, I reluctantly agreed. “Except me. You also mentioned that it was one of your many talents.” I chewed on the last few words before letting them rush out of me. “What can I do?”
Andrew brightened at the question while looking completely bewildered. “I haven’t the foggiest. Other than being immune to mental manipulation and the ability to lie to me, both of which are huge, I have no idea what you’re capable of. Normally you would’ve been inducted on your eighteenth birthday, and if your abilities hadn’t appeared by then you’d be tutored by either your father or other mentor he felt appropriate.” Frustration overtook his features as he threw his hands up in defeat. “As far as I know, no one has ever gone this long before taking their stone.”
My chest deflated and my head slumped. “I see. Then I might not have any abilities.”
Andrew gave me an incredulous look. “If the reaction I saw last night with your stone is any indication, you will be exceptionally powerful. We just have to figure out what it is you are capable of doing.”
Death, destruction, and general mayhem. That was what I was good at. I’d always healed quickly and somehow made it out of situations I shouldn’t have, but I doubted seriously that
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