Chapter 71: House Nirari (1/2)

I stand in front of Constantine with my arms crossed while he adds the finishing touches to the official document. It is a mere formality but it appears the Speaker enjoys his formalities.

Once he is done, he delicately puts his pen down and crosses his hands before his mouth.

In the following silence, neither of us yields. In the end, Constantine speaks first.

“The tasks of a leader are many. It is our burden to take difficult decisions for the good of all.”

I lift a hand in the air to interrupt him. His eyes light with anger.

“You forget that I also ruled for twenty years.”

“Ruling a backwater city is not the same as ruling the entire continent’s vampirekind!”

“And that’s where you are wrong. Whether a group of five or five million, the basics are the same, only the scale changes. It is all about politics.”

“And that is what I have done. I needed Anatole replaced and you gave me the perfect opportunity. With your testimony guaranteed by Ignace, the Knights were compelled to have him replaced.”

“Rulers like you are fine with large sacrifices, as long as they are done by someone else.”

“Enough!” he yells, “I don’t expect you to understand…”

“I understand that you took the easy way out, just like Melitone said. You chose expedience over subtlety without considering the cost to me.”

“All Masters heal, eventually.”

“You have no idea what you are talking about. We cannot faint. We cannot escape. We only have our instincts as our teeth reform to be broken again and our fingers regrow to be mangled once more. You do not, cannot understand the horror and the agony. What you think of as three days of unpleasantness is HELL! Hell, you hear me? I would have walked through piled glass for the privilege of greeting the dawn after one bloody hour. My mind was broken. You do not know what you are talking about!”

I stop, realizing I was screaming. Constantine remains silent.

“I read the Accords, you know? You did a good job but that won’t help much. You probably think that by introducing a sound power structure, you would be exempt from petty politics. You are naïve. No system is good enough that it cannot be destroyed by nepotism, clan politics and power games. It would have been easy for you to outmanoeuvre Anatole after his show of incompetence. Instead, your so-called thoroughness has cost you my allegiance, that of a Devourer.”

“I care little about your bloodline young one, I am a Progenitor.”

“Do you know how many Progenitors have already perished?”

Constantine’s brows furrow.

“If you are threatening me…”

“I have no need. The Lancaster progenitor was slain, and so was Kalinin. You rely on your status too much and think yourself untouchable. You are not. For now, your so-called allies accommodate you, just like they accommodated this farce of a trial of yours, because they are still fighting and reeling from the previous war. Right now, it is convenient that the New World remains neutral and accessible to all, but as we grow and become richer, the temptation to take over resources and new territories will become too strong. They will come for you, eventually, and by that time you will have allies and subordinates, or you will die alone.”

Constantine considers me quietly. He shows no anger at my provocative speech which is a good sign.

“You are not the kind of woman who speaks in vain. Am I to understand that you would work for me?”

“I will never work for you, but I would work with you, under one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Your blood.”

“You… want my blood?”

“Oh, don’t act so surprised. You must know how we Devourers gain strength. Your blood, freely given in secret, and I will do your bidding against compensation, while trying to forget the excruciating pain you have subjected me to. If you get caught in a power struggle, I will even help you instead of making sure you suffer as I did before mounting your head on a spike.”

“You are quite bold, I’ll give you that.”

I wait patiently while Constantine ponders my proposal. I am too weak to do anything to him, yet. The past few days have shown me that despite reaching masterhood, I am still a small fry compared to the real decision-makers. I may be safe from rogue hunts or arbitrary execution now, but I am still a pawn in a chessboard full of ancient and cunning creatures to whom mercy is but a weakness to exploit. I will take time to recover and I will enjoy the world, and I will also start working on the future. If I want to face the threats Aisha hinted at, I will need power both personal and political. I shall train, feed and find weapons. I shall also ally with those I can rely on, be they vampires, Likaeans or mages. Hell, I would even work with werewolves and forfeit their sweet, nourishing essence. And tolerate their stench. Perhaps.

Constantine sits back into his cushioned chair. He has reached a decision.

“Your words have merit. Melitone mentioned something similar and as much as I regret it, I must deal with the world as it is instead of as it should be. Here is my proposal. Complete a task for me and I will let you draw my essence under strict supervision. Afterward, you will be in my employ for a period of two years, during which you will have the liberty to refuse the tasks I give you. I will also compensate you more than generously for each one that you complete successfully. If your work is as satisfactory as your record hints at, I will grant you a territory to call your own and back you up should it be infringed upon, and then we can consider further collaboration.”

It sounds like a great deal…

“I will let you consult your loyal friends before you accept. As for the first task, Torran of the Dvor has asked for a protection detail while he is here. He asked for you specifically.”

“He is a Lord. Why would he need protection?”

“The Dvor are linked to their domain. Inside its boundaries, they have great powers to call upon, while outside they are weakened. Both Jimena of the Cadiz and Naminata of the Ekon vouch for your combat performance, and that is high praise coming from that firebrand and the Singing Spear of the Ekon. You also slew Lambert and you are a Devourer. You are more than qualified.”

“Do not mock me. I am neither able nor willing to protect anyone right now.”

“Just talk to him, then give me your answer.”

The Speaker hands me an official House declaration, properly folded. I know when I have been dismissed. I take the scroll and leave his office, greeting his mousy-haired secretary on my way out.

I turn to the butler as I exit. He has been waiting for me and made no secret of it. I consider that with so many vampires around, rules and tact must apply differently. The personal rooms and offices such as Constantine’s are warded of course, but the rest is not. Nami already taught me that etiquette demands I maintain my aura overt and non-threatening out of politeness, but what about the rest? Any whispers in Akkad will be heard from half a wing away. Everyone smells as soon as you enter the room if you have been intimate, and with whom. They know if you have been to the city or if you have been gardening, or if you haven’t bathed in more than a day. I am reminded of living in very close space with nosy relatives.

Suddenly, the notion of having my own sanctioned territory and only coming here to mingle sounds all the more attractive. I could strike a good balance between the countryside and its many exotic creatures, and the city and possible new bloodlines to add to my growing collection.

“Allow me to congratulate you on your ascension,” the man says in a soft and cultured voice. I do not reply and glare instead. I am convinced that Jimena came to him for help and he sent her away. This is not the kind of resentment I can simply give up on for the sake of expediency. The truth is that I hate them.

I hate them all.

Resentment is no longer the smouldering fire in my chest that it used to be when I was human. It is a cold and hard thing, both patient and quite unpliable. There is a debt, and sooner and later that debt will be paid. What Ignace said was wrong, my body is not something that must only be preserved for the sake of survival. I am also my body. By maiming it repeatedly as he did, he hurt me in a way that I had not been even when my heart was damaged.

Contrary to my expectations, the butler only smiles.

“Would you care to share the cause for your amusement?” I ask.

“Not amused, only relieved. If you had been all smiles after what was done to you, I would have known you to be a snake. Instead, you show me your teeth so I know you to be a wolf.”

“And I know you to be an asshole, what am I to do with this piece of information?”

“Language, young lady.”

“Fuck you.”

He sighs, giving up.

“Not that I do not enjoy our current conversation, Lady Nirari, but I feel obliged to mention that your friends are waiting.”

Ah yes. I stop rubbing my fingers which are all there, intact, and indicate that he should lead the way.

“By order of the Speaker, the South Wing suite number two is yours for the month. You have also been granted access to a secured vault, should you prefer to slumber underground. Your friends are waiting for you in your personal quarters.”

We climb up a set of stairs, coming across two mortals in colorful dresses showing plenty of cleavage. Their cheeks are flushed and they smell of perfume and sex. The pair curtsies, keeping their heads bowed as we cross paths. I can feel through my aura that their vitality is a bit depleted, signs that they fed someone recently.

“Lord Jarek occupies the other suite,” Wilhelm comments in lieu of explanation.

We come across a Courtier in a form-fitting, daring red dress of expensive make who also bows as we pass by, and quickly reach our destination. The butler also bows before presenting the suite. There is a lot of bowing going around and, fortunately, I am not the one doing it.

“Here we are. We should discuss your introduction ball at some point. Come see me once you have recovered.”

I go in without waiting. The ball can wait. I want to talk to everyone.

As soon as I close the door behind me, everyone inside stands up to welcome me, even old man Erlingur. I notice that Sorrel, the mage who allowed me to talk to Isaac through a crystal focus back in Marquette is also present.