Here Be Monsters [2] by Phaedra Weldon Page B

age and size, I am often…cold."  
    Siobhan and he exchanged a glance and moved as one closer to the table. One of the Cíké remained behind St. Clair. "No apologies needed—" Oberon leaned forward, and it was unsure of how he should address her.  
    "You may call me Marion. Both of you. Please," and she nodded to the chairs. "Sit."  
    They did as she asked. Oberon removed his leather jacket, revealing a dark tee shirt underneath. "Miss Marion," he began. "You know why we're here?"  
    "You wish to kill the Fallen."  
    Siobhan sighed. Well…it was nice everyone else knew about this thing and she didn't. "Yes. We do."  
    "And you've encountered her, Siobhan." When St. Clair said her name there was a slight accent that Siobhan couldn't place. Something that had been watered down through the centuries. "And she frightened you."  
    "Yes. But how did you know?"  
    "Because I have seen her," St. Clair said and there was awe in her voice. "She is beautiful and deadly. I was watching her the night she took home the reporter—" and she smiled. "By the way, Siobhan, congratulations on the new Ghoul, but please, in the future, seek my approval before you do such a thing."  
    Approval? Siobhan snorted. Vampire politics.  
    St. Clair looked at Oberon. "You know she will be here tonight."  
    "We've been tipped off that she will be. But we don't know why."  
    " Why , is because Siobhan is here. She's looking for Abyssinian," St. Clair leaned her head to the side. "And she smells him on you, Siobhan. But what I want to know is why she's seeking your brother, Oberon. Is there something unique about him?"  
    Oberon remained silent.  
    As did Siobhan. She was more worried about how this little monster knew these things. Did she have spies on them?  
    "You don't have to answer, Oberon. I have been searching for the fabled Winterbournes for some time. I'll admit my methods have been a bit clumsy—""  
    Oberon's eyes widened. "You…you're the one killing my people?"
    "Of course," she smiled. "The fact that your people would hide such a treasure from us—" she smiled sweetly. "You would deny us the light with such a treat—I feel justified in finding them for myself."  
    "So you can imprison them and syphon off their blood?" Oberon said in a stern tone. "I would never allow my people to be captured and used by yours."  
    "I know. This is why you've systematically had them killed through the centuries," St. Clair said. "So now there are only two left. And you fought to spare your brother."  
    This news came as a second shock to Siobhan. It was originally believed that he had been the one killing UnSeleighe for their blood, but then that'd been disproved by the admission that someone else had been responsible. But to hear that Oberon really had been responsible for the deaths of elves?
    He looked at Siobhan. "You will never understand, Siobhan. To let such a power fall into any vampire's hands—" he sighed. "My father couldn't let that happen."  
    "So…" and she glared at him. "He killed the Winterbourne? Specifically?"  
    "Many of them had already died in the war," Oberon said. And then he was silent.  
    "Tell her, Geld," St. Clair said.  
    Siobhan looked from him to her. "Tell me what?"  
    "That his father was known as the scourge of the UnSeleighe as he butchered the Winterbourne in the mortal realm—until he found his son. Of course, Calder was mortally wounded by Cold Iron, wasn't he Oberon. And when he fell into mori, you were made king.  
    "You tried to hide the things your father did—you tried to reunite the Seleighe and UnSeleighe. And you would have been successful—if the Fallen had not returned."  
    Siobhan listened to St. Claire, but watched Oberon. She wasn't angry at him for his father did—but the fact he'd tried to cover it up was astonishing.  
    St. Claire continued. "And then when the bodies started dropping, you went into the world to discover what as happening. What you found—" she shook