Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Colletion_ Books 6-10 - Laurell K. Hamilton [348]
Liv didn’t fight. She seemed to take it almost resignedly. What seemed to surprise her most was the fact that I didn’t kill them both where they stood. But I had other plans for them. They’d insulted the pack. It would be pack justice. That was sort of a group activity. Maybe we’d invite the wererats and have a cross species jamboree.
When they were led away, a silence so deep and wide that it thundered in the ears filled the room. Yvette stepped into that silence. She was smiling and lovely, fresh and beautiful on Jason’s blood and our mingled power.
“Jean-Claude must still answer for his traitorous ways,” she said.
“What are you babbling about?” the Traveler said.
“My master, Morte d’ Amour, has accused him of trying to start another council in this country. A council that will steal our power and make us but laughable puppets.”
The Traveler waved it away. “Jean-Claude is guilty of many things but that is not one of them.”
Yvette smiled, and the smile was enough. She was going to say something bad. “What say you, Padma? If he is a traitor, then we can execute him for it. He can be an example to all others who would dare usurp the council’s power.”
Padma was still on the ground, cradled in the arms of his two servants. He still wasn’t feeling too good. He stared at our little group. We were still huddled on the floor, too. The six of us were not going to be dancing tonight. The look in Padma’s eyes said it all. I’d humiliated him, scared the hell out of him, and forced him to give up his only son to sure death. He smiled, and it wasn’t pretty. “If they are traitors, then they must be punished.”
“Padma,” the Traveler said, “you know this is false.”
“I did not say they were traitors, Traveler. I said if they were traitors. If they are traitors, then they must be punished. Even you must agree to that.”
“But they are not traitors,” the Traveler said.
“I use my master’s proxy to call a vote,” Yvette said. “I think I know what three of the votes will be.”
Asher came to stand near Jean-Claude and us. “They are not traitors, Yvette. To say so is a lie.”
“Lies are very interesting things. Don’t you think…Harry?” She held out her hand as if it were a signal and Harry the bartender joined her. I didn’t think I could be surprised anymore tonight. I was wrong.
“I see that you know Harry,” Yvette said.
“The police are looking for you, Harry,” I said.
“I know,” he said. At least he had trouble meeting my eyes. Didn’t make me feel much better, but a little.
“I knew Harry was one of your line,” Jean-Claude said, “but he is truly one of yours.”
“Oui.”
“What is the meaning of this, Yvette?” the Traveler said.
“Harry leaked the information to those awful fanatics so they would kill monsters.”
“Why?” the Traveler asked.
“My question exactly,” I said.
“My master is frightened of change, like many of the old ones. Making us legal is the most sweeping change we’ve ever been threatened with. He fears it. He wants it stopped.”
“Like Oliver,” I said.
“Exactement.”
“But the vampire killings didn’t stop it,” I said. “If anything, it’s given the pro-vamp lobby a boost.”
“But now,” she said, “we shall have our revenge, a revenge so bloody and awful that it will turn everyone against us.”
“You cannot do this,” the Traveler said.
“Padma has given me the key. The Master of the City is weak, his link to his servants weaker still. He would be easily killed now if someone would challenge him.”
“You,” the Traveler said, “you could challenge Jean-Claude, but you could never be Master of the City, Yvette. You will never have enough power on your own to be a master vampire. Your master’s power has made you try to rise above your station.”
“It is true that I will never be a master, but there is a master here who hates Jean-Claude and his servant. Asher.” She said his name like it was planned.
He looked at her, but he seemed startled. Whatever