Drink Deep - Chloe Neill [33]
“Your involvement led to the deaths of two Master vampires.”
I considered a variety of responses—throwing a fit; offering back evidence of my innocence, that I’d done all I could; complaining about the GP’s lack of support when things were going bad in Chicago. But I disregarded all those options.
I knew what had gone down in that room, and I had a fairly good sense the GP did, as well. They may have supported Celina, and they may have hoped for quiet assimilation in Chicago, but they weren’t stupid. I wasn’t going to play their game, and I wasn’t going to give them the aspen to stake me with.
“I am sure you’ve been well briefed on what occurred at the mayor’s house,” I politely said. “Is there any specific information you need me to provide?”
Frank looked at me for a long moment. No, not looked at—regarded. He considered me, evaluated me, estimated who I was and what I might be capable of.
He wasn’t just an accountant of Houses. He was an accountant of vampires.
“Merit, I’m going to be frank.”
I had to bite my lips to keep from making an inappropriately snarky comment about his name.
“The GP exists to ensure no individual vampire or House tips the balance against the rest of us. Cadogan House, however, is a problem child. You already have a demerit in your file, which means you know full well the GP’s feelings about the chaos this House has wreaked.”
I’d “earned” that demerit because I’d intervened in a drug-induced fight that put Cadogan House on the front page. It was coincidence that I’d been there, but the GP had been looking for someone to blame. And wasn’t that what all this was about?
“I imagine the GP is not pleased with the fact that vampires are now out of the closet,” I allowed. “But that was Celina’s doing. Neither Ethan nor Cadogan House had anything to do with that. If you want to blame someone, pay a visit to Navarre House.”
“Ah, but it’s not as if I can speak with Celina, can I?”
My chest tightened, and I threw back some vitriol. “Since I staked her after she killed my Master, no. You can’t speak with her.”
“That’s your side of the story, of course.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “That’s my side of the story? That’s what happened.”
Frowning, Frank shuffled in his chair. “We’ve received other information.”
“From who? There were only five of us in the room, and two of them are dead.”
He looked at me for a moment, just long enough for the lightbulb to pop on.
“You spoke with Tate.”
“We did. And he tells an interesting tale about your barging into his office and threatening him and his associate. According to Tate, all the drama that occurred was your doing, the deaths your responsibility.”
I borrowed an Ethanism and arched a sardonic eyebrow at Frank. “I interrupted Tate harboring a fugitive and controlling Celina with drugs and magic. Celina tried to kill me.” The next part was hard to say and harder to admit. “Ethan jumped in front of the stake to save me, but Celina kept coming, and I killed her in self-defense.”
“That sounds terribly convenient to me. I don’t suppose you have any notion to move up in the chain of command in the House?”
I took a moment to collect myself, and then looked up at Frank again. “I have no interest in being Master of Cadogan House.”
“That’s not what Tate suggested. He suggested, in fact, that you had a specific plan to deal with the rest of the House hierarchy.”
My blood boiled. Seth Tate and I were definitely going to have words. “Tate lied, and I have nothing but respect for Malik. Tate is the one with the secret agenda. And with all due respect, Ethan’s death happened two months ago. If you had any legitimate doubts about the events of that night, the GP would have staked or excommunicated me by now.”
Frank’s expression steeled, his eyes flattening in disgust. I’d called his bluff, daring him to show his cards. He was a GP representative, but maybe he had even less evidence against me, Ethan,