Keeping Secret (Secret McQueen) - By Sierra Dean Page 0,78

to live.

And it didn’t hurt that it convinced the council my vampire half was strong enough to turn others. He’d saved Brigit and made the elders believe I was more of a vampire than I really was. Juan Carlos knew the truth, but was using the outcome of the lie against me.

I shut up.

Maybe he was right. I hadn’t intended to give Brigit an edge because people thought of her as my child, but I’d hoped I could give her an edge because she was my ward. The difference between the two was so slim the edges started to blur together. Could I say I wouldn’t be doing the exact same thing if she really were my creation?

No. Whether I’d turned her or not, I would be fighting just as hard.

Sig, seeming to read the thoughts right out of my mind, put one of his large hands on my shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “It is standard for Tribunal leaders to send their progeny to other councils. To make the decision more fair. My own children, those who are based in the states, are mostly on the West Coast. Juan Carlos’s chose to remain in Europe for the most part, but he has a handful in Arizona and Texas. Even the elders tend to send their offspring to other councils.”

“But Holden…” My former warden had been sired by Rebecca, and to my knowledge both had always been based out of Manhattan.

“Holden was never a favorite of hers. She didn’t fight for him, he fought for himself.”

The only other spawn of Rebecca’s I knew of had been based out of the West Coast. “Charlie was her favorite. That’s why she sent him to California.”

It was strange to think vampire sires weren’t like parents at all. They were open and vocal about which of their creations they favored over others.

“Charles did have a certain captivating appeal to him. I think Rebecca was very proud of what she had made.”

“And what you killed,” Juan Carlos reminded me.

“At your orders,” I snapped back.

Sig brushed the palm of his hand over my hair, and a wave of calm washed through me. “We, as sires, must all make sacrifices. Rebecca knew Charles had to be dealt with, and her request alone would not be enough to subdue him. She understood what had to be done.”

Juan Carlos resumed pacing, grumbling under his breath. I wasn’t ready to forgive him for dragging Brigit through the muck and mire, but at least now I understood why he’d dug his heels in so hard. Granted, I think if he liked me, he wouldn’t have resisted quite so much.

“You should have told me…about Brigit.”

“Yes, my dear. I’m sure there are a great many things I should tell you.” Sig wasn’t looking at me when he said this, but his hand remained on my arm, and I fought against the fog of peace he was forcing on to me.

What did he mean?

I struggled to think of what other things Sig might hide from me, but there was a bottomless pit of possibilities, and my mind couldn’t even begin to sort out the number of ways he could have kept things from me over the years.

“Tell—”

The doors swung open, and a redheaded elder named Peter stood before us. “The decision has been made.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

A chair had been brought out for Brigit, and she now sat with her back to the door so I couldn’t see her face. I wanted to know if they’d told her their decision already, but it seemed unlikely a one-year-old vampire would be privy to the knowledge of her fate before the leaders of her kind would find out.

Sig, Juan Carlos and I found our seats, and once I saw Brigit’s face it became apparent she was still in the dark about the council’s final stance. She gave me a hopeful smile, and I shrugged one shoulder to tell her I was as clueless as she was.

“First and foremost,” Hansel the chairman began, “we want to thank the Tribunal for bringing us such an…engaging candidate for warden status.” He smiled in a way that was half exasperation, half amusement. I knew that exact feeling was one Brigit was uniquely capable of eliciting.

Sig nodded for Hansel to continue.

“While we were careful to weigh considerations from our Tribunal, ultimately the decision came down to our feelings on the candidate herself. That, paired with the evidence of her commitment to the council over the past year, has left us with