from the helm. An exceptionally rare occurrence since his queen had become pregnant. So the estate was vulnerable, less on guard.
Siddoh drank his tea too soon and ignored the burn down his throat. Maybe the motive was to make Thad look like a dipstick. Maybe the motive had been far more malicious. The options were bad, very bad, and who the fuck did he have to kill?
If they hadn’t gotten the perimeter reinforced fast? If it didn’t hold? Maybe a few hundred dead vampires. No biggie. Thank God his uncle had been able to help.
Come to think of it, they’d almost fixed the fence too easily . Maybe it hadn’t been completely drained of power. Maybe the motive had been to make Thad look like a moron. “I know Thad has his dissenters on the Council, but who wants to make it look like he can’t keep the estate protected?” he mused aloud.
Siddoh studied Ivy in the silence of the kitchen as she blew ripples across her tea. He couldn’t believe he’d slipped and said such a thing aloud in front of someone whose father had committed crimes against the royal family. Just because Thad still trusted her—
“Anyone who wants to take his place,” Ivy said. “You know, I recall shortly before Thad’s father died there were complaints filed about the human interaction bill. A lot of the elders on the Council had issues. Maybe it’s related somehow. I don’t remember who filed the grievances, but the records would be archived in my office.”
Siddoh took another swig of the hot stuff that tasted something to him like dried-out dandelions. Surely Ivy had her wires crossed. “The human interaction bill didn’t come up until after Thad’s father died,” he said.
“No.” She blew on her tea again, looking thoughtful. “I mean, yes. This time. But it’s come up before. At least once, a few years ago. Just like Thad, his father dismissed the proposal outright. As I recall, it sparked a lot of anger. I open the king’s mail. I saw the letters. There were threats.”
Cheese on rice. Siddoh jumped up from the table, hardly paying attention when he splashed scalding tea over his hand and knocked a bistro chair to the floor. “Ivy, show me what you’ve got. Please.”
Chapter 10
Alexia and Lee found a battered, multicolored pickup truck on the edge of Route 9 that they hoped nobody would miss much. Alexia was too soggy and bone-weary to employ any kind of brain-to-mouth filter when Lee bitched about the fact that it had manual transmission. “Seven hundred years of badassery and you don’t know how to drive a stick?”
He leveled a glare at her while his hand hovered over the ignition. “Of course I know how to drive a stick. My hand got cut open by evil-powered lightning. Needs a little longer to heal over.”
Oh. Well. Wasn’t she an asshole? “I’ll drive.”
Alexia jumped on the running board and behind the wheel, sliding right alongside him. She kept her face serious but smiled inside. The power boost of Lee’s blood made her fly. Hell, without it to heal her cuts and broken places, she might not have made it through those woods without collapsing. She was grateful.
And yes, so sue her, she was enjoying how uncomfortable she made Lee right then. He’d shown his hand back there in that cave. After all the time they’d danced around each other, he did want her. He was stuck in the same unpleasant situation she was: whether he should be or not, he was attracted. Lord knew misery demanded company.
Alexia nudged Lee’s side gently when he seemed reluctant to give up the driver’s seat. “C’mon, scoot. I can tell you’re still wiped out from that big magic trick you pulled back in the woods. I won’t tell anybody you had to rest for five minutes, I swear.” She’d meant it as a joke, but he didn’t laugh. He was probably still concerned she might open her big yap.
She really wouldn’t tell a soul. In her opinion, the toughest men alive were the ones who knew how to bend before they broke. It
Siddoh drank his tea too soon and ignored the burn down his throat. Maybe the motive was to make Thad look like a dipstick. Maybe the motive had been far more malicious. The options were bad, very bad, and who the fuck did he have to kill?
If they hadn’t gotten the perimeter reinforced fast? If it didn’t hold? Maybe a few hundred dead vampires. No biggie. Thank God his uncle had been able to help.
Come to think of it, they’d almost fixed the fence too easily . Maybe it hadn’t been completely drained of power. Maybe the motive had been to make Thad look like a moron. “I know Thad has his dissenters on the Council, but who wants to make it look like he can’t keep the estate protected?” he mused aloud.
Siddoh studied Ivy in the silence of the kitchen as she blew ripples across her tea. He couldn’t believe he’d slipped and said such a thing aloud in front of someone whose father had committed crimes against the royal family. Just because Thad still trusted her—
“Anyone who wants to take his place,” Ivy said. “You know, I recall shortly before Thad’s father died there were complaints filed about the human interaction bill. A lot of the elders on the Council had issues. Maybe it’s related somehow. I don’t remember who filed the grievances, but the records would be archived in my office.”
Siddoh took another swig of the hot stuff that tasted something to him like dried-out dandelions. Surely Ivy had her wires crossed. “The human interaction bill didn’t come up until after Thad’s father died,” he said.
“No.” She blew on her tea again, looking thoughtful. “I mean, yes. This time. But it’s come up before. At least once, a few years ago. Just like Thad, his father dismissed the proposal outright. As I recall, it sparked a lot of anger. I open the king’s mail. I saw the letters. There were threats.”
Cheese on rice. Siddoh jumped up from the table, hardly paying attention when he splashed scalding tea over his hand and knocked a bistro chair to the floor. “Ivy, show me what you’ve got. Please.”
Chapter 10
Alexia and Lee found a battered, multicolored pickup truck on the edge of Route 9 that they hoped nobody would miss much. Alexia was too soggy and bone-weary to employ any kind of brain-to-mouth filter when Lee bitched about the fact that it had manual transmission. “Seven hundred years of badassery and you don’t know how to drive a stick?”
He leveled a glare at her while his hand hovered over the ignition. “Of course I know how to drive a stick. My hand got cut open by evil-powered lightning. Needs a little longer to heal over.”
Oh. Well. Wasn’t she an asshole? “I’ll drive.”
Alexia jumped on the running board and behind the wheel, sliding right alongside him. She kept her face serious but smiled inside. The power boost of Lee’s blood made her fly. Hell, without it to heal her cuts and broken places, she might not have made it through those woods without collapsing. She was grateful.
And yes, so sue her, she was enjoying how uncomfortable she made Lee right then. He’d shown his hand back there in that cave. After all the time they’d danced around each other, he did want her. He was stuck in the same unpleasant situation she was: whether he should be or not, he was attracted. Lord knew misery demanded company.
Alexia nudged Lee’s side gently when he seemed reluctant to give up the driver’s seat. “C’mon, scoot. I can tell you’re still wiped out from that big magic trick you pulled back in the woods. I won’t tell anybody you had to rest for five minutes, I swear.” She’d meant it as a joke, but he didn’t laugh. He was probably still concerned she might open her big yap.
She really wouldn’t tell a soul. In her opinion, the toughest men alive were the ones who knew how to bend before they broke. It
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