House Rules (Chicagoland Vampires #7)(42)
Author: Chloe Neill

In front of us, smiling calmly and cruelly, stood the members of the Greenwich Presidium.

Gloating.

Anger drifted forward in waves from the betrayed Cadogan Novitiates and their Master, and I imagined more than a few eyes had silvered with anger.

But business first. I’m here, I silently told Ethan, checking the crowd for Luc and Malik. They stood nearby, and we formed a protective arc around our Master.

Hold your position, Sentinel, Ethan said, his voice tight.

"What is this?" Lacey asked. Her voice was calm, but there was a thread of irritation in it. She might be a GP-affiliated Master, but she was still one of Ethan’s vampires. And for once, that might actually do us some good.

"This," Darius said, "is our second point. The Greenwich Presidium hereby reclaims ownership of Cadogan House."

Ethan laughed with such gusto that Darius’s eyes narrowed with anger.

"This House and its remaining assets belong to the vampires within it," Ethan said. "I think you well know that."

"I know your disrespect for the GP has gone on long enough. You presume because we are located an ocean away, you can act with impunity. You are incorrect. The House’s contract includes a proprietary clause allowing us certain damages in the event you breach your obligations to the GP. We have concluded you’ve breached those obligations throughout your history, and, as such, we claim the House by right. And obviously we have the muscle to back that up." He gestured vaguely at the fairies.

Ethan made a sound of disdain. "Because your pride has been hurt, you threaten the very vampires you just invited back into your fold? You kick us out of our home and incite a war between fairies and vampires for the sake of your egos? Peter Cadogan would be ashamed, Darius, but of your behavior. Of the entire Presidium."

"You’re only making my point, Ethan. You bring drama, consternation, and media attention to the vampires of this state and nation, and you blame us for taking measures to protect our institutions? How very shortsighted. How very . . . human."

"I take that as a compliment."

"You would," Darius said. "Regardless your opinion of it, you should accept the state of the world you have created. In consideration of the rising sun and the number of vampires you’ll need to displace, we’ll afford you some time to gather your personal belongings and vacate. You have forty-eight hours. By then, you should be resigned to your fate and out of this House. Should you fail to do so, you’ll find a contingent of armed fairies ready to escort you out. And think on this, Ethan: In consideration of the bridges you’ve burned, who will help you now?"

* * *

The GP and fairies disappeared. For a moment, we simply stood there in shock.

"The fairies," Ethan said. "The goddamn fairies."

The fairies weren’t known to be lovers of vampires, but that didn’t diminish the insult of their actions. They were our guards, for God’s sake. They kept watch over us while we slept. Or at least they had.

"What could possibly motivate them to do this?" I asked. "What could they possibly want badly enough to do this?"

I looked at Ethan . . . and understanding dawned. It wasn’t what the fairies wanted . . . it was what we had.

"Upstairs," Ethan said. "Check our apartments."

Already knowing what he was thinking, I ran back into the House and up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I reached the third floor and was nearly home when I stopped short.

The doors to our apartments were open. Alarm quickened my heart.

Malik appeared in the hallway behind me, his breathing quickened by the run. "I expect you know what you’re looking for."

"I think I do." I waited outside for a moment to let my vampiric senses scan the room, and when I was sure it was empty of trespassers, I walked inside and looked around.

Nothing seemed immediately askew: no cushions ripped or bleeding their stuffing, no drawers or lamps overturned. In fact, nothing was disturbed at all . . . except the glass case in the corner of the room.

One side was completely shattered, and the dragon’s egg was gone.

"Malik," I called out, as I moved closer to the case.

"A GP affiliate must have taken it," he said, disgust in his voice. "Undoubtedly during the ceremony. Even as they insulted us, they sent someone in here to retrieve an object to which they have no right. As if there wasn’t enough drama in the world, Darius had to create more of it."

Malik moved closer, head tilted as he looked over the remains of the case.

"Should I clean up the glass?" I asked, but he shook his head.

"Leave it. Ethan will want to take a look anyway. We’ll ask Helen to take care of it."

"We could file a police report," I suggested.

"For what purpose?" Ethan asked, stepping into the room behind us, Luc and Lacey with him.

Luc gave me a nod, and Lacey ignored me completely. Her eyes, and quite likely her mind, were on Ethan. Was it stupid to hope she’d see reason, forget about what she’d imagined she’d seen, and let us get through this crisis before creating another one?

Ethan deposited his suit jacket on a table by the door and walked toward the case. "I seriously doubt they’d care much for the missing trinket of a vampire."

It was an unfortunate point, but no less accurate for that.

"It was trinket enough for the GP to steal and hold before the fairies like a carrot on a stick," Luc said.

"The fairies want it back?" I asked.

"They must," Ethan said, "to be willing to raise arms against us."

"Why now?" Luc asked. "We’ve had the egg for more than a century, and they’ve been guarding the House for years. Why didn’t they simply ask for it back?"

"Perhaps they didn’t know where it was," I said. "Claudia mentioned it in her tower. Her guards were there; maybe that’s when they learned it was here."

"And when Darius sought their help," Malik said, "they knew exactly what they wanted."

"Possibly," Ethan said. "Or it’s possible they waited because they didn’t want to risk the income they receive from the House. Once they believe our stability is questionable, they decide the income is no longer a given, and they’re willing to take a chance to get the egg."

Malik nodded. "And perhaps they hoped Cadogan House’s new ‘tenants’ would continue to pay them a fair wage for guarding it. They get both things they want."

Looking suddenly exhausted, Ethan sat down in an armchair and dropped his head back, loosening the tie around his neck. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a haggard breath while Luc, Malik, and I waited for direction.