Blade to the Keep by Lauren Dane

she wanted to stand up and smack him for making a big deal of things. He’d done it on purpose, though, so he had a reason. He never did anything idly.
    “Rowan is accompanied by others from Hunter Corp.” He indicated Celesse, Valerie and the seven other official representatives from HC. None merited a mention by name. She was sure she’d hear about that later too.
    “My Scions are here this evening. Clive Stewart, who holds North America. Takahiro Okada, who holds Russia, Asia and Eastern Europe. Warren Farrelly, who holds Europe. Tahar Elmaleh, who holds Africa and the Middle East. And Paola Castel, who holds South America.”
    There were other important Vampires attending. Other cadres from different regions, but by only introducing his Scions, Theo was underlining the existing hierarchy. It was also a subtle bit of weight thrown her way because several of those Scions were Vampires who liked and respected her.
    He raised a glass. His obviously filled with blood, as were several others. Rowan picked hers up, filled with a rather delightful cabernet. “To a fruitful meeting and open minds.”
    She noted whose glasses were not raised or were done so reluctantly as she sipped. Theo sat and raised a finger, and food began to come out from the kitchens.
    As servers began to fill plates and a mouthwatering scent filled the air, Rowan smiled to herself at the sight of one of her favorites after another. It was virtually a banquet of foods she loved as a child.
    “Spetzle too?” She couldn’t resist forking some up before the next platter of food came.
    “You’re pleased?”
    She looked up from her plate to Theo. “Very much.” She wanted to fill her plate and take it to her rooms to have private time with it.
    He nodded. “Cook will be happy to know that.”
    He looked pretty happy too. But she left that alone.
    “Your rooms are to your liking?”
    She nodded. “I...yes, they are.” What could she say? That she was touched that they had been left exactly how she had them before? She was, on some levels. On others she was disturbed. She wasn’t that Rowan anymore. That Rowan would always be part of her, but she wasn’t...dependent. She had options. She was a force to be reckoned with, and that made all the most important differences in her life as an adult.
    “Good. You’ll attend me for tea each day until you leave. If anyone interrupts us again, I’ll beat them to death.”
    He sipped from his glass nearly delicately, and she barely resisted rolling her eyes. She could be irreverent with everyone else, but no matter how much distance she got from Theo, she never forgot what he was. A silly comment he found amusing one day might mortally offend him the next.
    Being careful meant staying alive for all of her formative years. They were lessons she would never forget. She knew he believed them important, no matter the cost. She didn’t agree, but they were lessons all the same, and they equipped her for the position she held so there was that.
    “I see Collette is here.” Theo toyed with Clive, which, admittedly, amused her.
    Clive suppressed his cringe. But not entirely. Rowan saw it at the edges. She watched them both carefully.
    “Yes, Ovilius . She is here with Victoriana’s...cadre.”
    She narrowed her eyes slightly, even as she managed to butter a piece of bread. This little interchange between Scion and Master fascinated her. Because she knew them both so well.
    Theo was not surprised by Collette’s presence, and while Clive was careful in his replies, it was a normal sort of care. Like she herself took when she spoke with Theo.
    Clive had told Theo, or at the very least, one of Theo’s people, that Collette was there. Which begged the question as to what brought it on. If she was just one of many, and she knew Theo had formally ejected everyone but the number of Vampires and humans he’d told Victoriana she could bring, Theo wouldn’t be discussing it in this manner. She’d simply be one of a