that?” I asked.
“Necromancers do not kill to feed.” The councilman with the enormous hat sounded quite offended by the idea.
“But they can, and they have. That is no answer,” Miss Dubois said before I could voice that opinion myself.
“We enforce our rules and police our own.” The councilwoman’s energy flared brighter in a fit of temper, and that made her easier to read. “Any murder reflects poorly on us, and this many are simply not possible. We would have caught the person responsible by now.” She was very certain of that, and my brow furrowed as I considered her words.
“There is no way there could be a master you haven’t accounted for? Perhaps a foreigner who arrived and did not announce his presence?” I suggested.
Each of the masters’ magic dimmed at that idea, as though they did not like admitting the possibility even to themselves, and sickly greenish-yellow fear dominated the energy that was left. A shiver ran through me, down to my toes, for the situation must be truly dire to cause fear in ancient vampires. I turned to Miss Dubois and winced at her shining energy, and my vision blinked back to normal.
“If it is a master, it is not one that they know of. They are telling you the truth,” I said.
“Thank you,” the guardian replied.
“Our word should have been enough for you, Miss Dubois,” the councilwoman said pointedly.
“I have been lied to before by council members, Lady Brigid.”
An Irishwoman? She had no discernable accent. How interesting.
“Well, I do not know what sort of practices our godless American cousins keep, but I can assure you, Miss Dubois, that we do not lie to guardians here,” Lady Brigid said.
Miss Dubois smiled politely. “I will remember that for future reference. Now, if you will excuse us—”
“I would like to speak with Mrs. Black. Alone,” Lady Brigid interrupted. I flinched, startled. “Why don’t you two join the celebration?”
The other two masters glared at her, but much to my surprise they rose and left the room. Miss Dubois hesitated. “I would rather not leave my companion in your company.”
“I promise that I will not harm her in any way, nor bother her with spell or touch. I merely wish to speak with her.” The councilwoman seemed harmless, which only served to make me more suspicious, but she also seemed sincere.
Miss Dubois stepped forward and touched my shoulder. “Dr. Bennett and I will be right outside if you need us.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. They left, and I was alone with a member of the necromancer council. I tried to imagine the expression on Simon and Michael’s faces if they had known where I was at the moment. What was worse than fury? Seething rage?
Lady Brigid and I studied each other. “I must admit, Mrs. Black, that I am not surprised the Order does not appreciate your unique abilities. They have always lacked a creative element, and they have never truly appreciated women’s magic.”
Though I agreed, I remained silent.
“As I understand it, your husband recently became a chronicler. It must be difficult for you, facing your mortality alone.”
My spine straightened as I drew myself up. “Do you have a point, Lady Brigid?”
“I do.” She smiled, and I shivered, reminded of a wolf baring its teeth. “I have not met a seer in many long years. I know how it is to be a woman in a man’s world. To have your abilities viewed as less important merely due to the circumstances of your birth. Men prefer to forget that the goddess was a warrior in addition to a mother.”
“I am no warrior,” I said.
“Oh, but you could be, my dear. You would be a powerful necromancer. We each retain a bit of our original abilities, and your visions would be invaluable.”
“Mr. Farrell said something similar to me, the night he murdered two people at Lord Willowbrook’s ball, and just before he tried to kill me as well. I can assure you, Lady Brigid, that power has never appealed to me, and
“Necromancers do not kill to feed.” The councilman with the enormous hat sounded quite offended by the idea.
“But they can, and they have. That is no answer,” Miss Dubois said before I could voice that opinion myself.
“We enforce our rules and police our own.” The councilwoman’s energy flared brighter in a fit of temper, and that made her easier to read. “Any murder reflects poorly on us, and this many are simply not possible. We would have caught the person responsible by now.” She was very certain of that, and my brow furrowed as I considered her words.
“There is no way there could be a master you haven’t accounted for? Perhaps a foreigner who arrived and did not announce his presence?” I suggested.
Each of the masters’ magic dimmed at that idea, as though they did not like admitting the possibility even to themselves, and sickly greenish-yellow fear dominated the energy that was left. A shiver ran through me, down to my toes, for the situation must be truly dire to cause fear in ancient vampires. I turned to Miss Dubois and winced at her shining energy, and my vision blinked back to normal.
“If it is a master, it is not one that they know of. They are telling you the truth,” I said.
“Thank you,” the guardian replied.
“Our word should have been enough for you, Miss Dubois,” the councilwoman said pointedly.
“I have been lied to before by council members, Lady Brigid.”
An Irishwoman? She had no discernable accent. How interesting.
“Well, I do not know what sort of practices our godless American cousins keep, but I can assure you, Miss Dubois, that we do not lie to guardians here,” Lady Brigid said.
Miss Dubois smiled politely. “I will remember that for future reference. Now, if you will excuse us—”
“I would like to speak with Mrs. Black. Alone,” Lady Brigid interrupted. I flinched, startled. “Why don’t you two join the celebration?”
The other two masters glared at her, but much to my surprise they rose and left the room. Miss Dubois hesitated. “I would rather not leave my companion in your company.”
“I promise that I will not harm her in any way, nor bother her with spell or touch. I merely wish to speak with her.” The councilwoman seemed harmless, which only served to make me more suspicious, but she also seemed sincere.
Miss Dubois stepped forward and touched my shoulder. “Dr. Bennett and I will be right outside if you need us.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. They left, and I was alone with a member of the necromancer council. I tried to imagine the expression on Simon and Michael’s faces if they had known where I was at the moment. What was worse than fury? Seething rage?
Lady Brigid and I studied each other. “I must admit, Mrs. Black, that I am not surprised the Order does not appreciate your unique abilities. They have always lacked a creative element, and they have never truly appreciated women’s magic.”
Though I agreed, I remained silent.
“As I understand it, your husband recently became a chronicler. It must be difficult for you, facing your mortality alone.”
My spine straightened as I drew myself up. “Do you have a point, Lady Brigid?”
“I do.” She smiled, and I shivered, reminded of a wolf baring its teeth. “I have not met a seer in many long years. I know how it is to be a woman in a man’s world. To have your abilities viewed as less important merely due to the circumstances of your birth. Men prefer to forget that the goddess was a warrior in addition to a mother.”
“I am no warrior,” I said.
“Oh, but you could be, my dear. You would be a powerful necromancer. We each retain a bit of our original abilities, and your visions would be invaluable.”
“Mr. Farrell said something similar to me, the night he murdered two people at Lord Willowbrook’s ball, and just before he tried to kill me as well. I can assure you, Lady Brigid, that power has never appealed to me, and
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