Blood and Blade (Goddess with a Blade #6) - Lauren Dane Page 0,38
face it was Rod. And Thomas, he deserved a knife in the face too for what he’d done to destroy Clive’s entire family.
Rod was so narcissistic and delusional about this whole martyr gig he believed himself to be part of that Rowan knew he was telling the truth. Mostly.
She cocked her head, staring at Rod and once she snagged his attention—with a rather satisfying wince—Rowan brought the blade up to catch the light and make her point.
“Who else within House Stewart is involved?” Brigid asked through Rowan this time. Dimly, Rowan knew Rod was now staring a goddess in the eyes as She took over consciousness.
“Arthur and his paramour,” Roderick gasped out, fear sweating through his skin. Brigid loved that scent. Loved that She’d inspired it in part.
Brigid stepped back and Rowan managed to withhold her reaction to Clive’s other uncle being named. She knew they were both assholes who thought she wasn’t fit to be in their family. Knew they had a bit of an anti-human thing happening too. But she’d considered them both below her notice and of no real threat.
Goddess, she’d fucked up so badly to not even consider that Thomas and Arthur might have been part of the Blood Front on some level.
Rowan cut her gaze to Clive, who’d gone very, very still as he took the information in. The situation had gotten impossibly more complicated.
“My uncles. Did they both pay for Lyr’s bills?” Clive asked with a nonchalance she knew he was not feeling.
“No. He was a go-between a few times when Thomas couldn’t make it. Once or twice he brought his woman. Look, I’m not trying to turn on them. I’m just being cooperative. Right?” Rod appealed to Rowan. As if she was going to say, oh hey no big deal.
She gave him no expression one way or the other but she rolled her eyes so hard in her head.
“It’s their money anyway. Why should Charles get all the money and power while Thomas and Arthur have to live in the shadow? On the scraps?”
“Scraps? They have done nothing to earn the very comfortable living afforded to them by my father. Thomas and Arthur live in the shadow because that’s what roaches do. Charles has done nothing to shame our family name. Because Charles was every bit Malcolm’s son and has led the line with loyalty, strength and dignity since his father passed it to him. Because unlike his useless, sniveling younger brothers, Charles served on the front lines of multiple bloody wars in defense of the other Vampires. Many of which still live today. Thomas and Arthur have had the years and the means with which to build themselves into any number of successful people. And they chose you. And this.” Clive’s voice had gone colder with each word until Rowan was certain she could see her breath. The weight of his power, the terrible fury of his glamour at that point prickled against her skin like static electricity.
Only Rowan knew that beneath the chilly demeanor and delivery, Clive’s emotions were a churning sea of lava. So. Much. Rage. Calculation. Derision. Honor. Duty. Disappointment. Grief. It was all there and he knew she felt it and would never use it to hurt him.
Even at that terrible moment Rowan knew how fortunate she was in her choice of life partner.
Rod wasn’t going to have an answer for any of that because as Clive had pointed out, the other Vampire and those he served knew nothing of honor and dignity. The words meant nothing to Rod. The tone though, well, Rowan watched as Rod tried to make himself smaller. Something she’d seen myriad creatures do in the presence of a very angry Vampire. Something she herself had done as a child when Theo lost his temper.
Clive questioned Roderick for several long minutes more, picking apart every phrase, every pause and breath until there was nothing else to be learned.
“What questions did you have?” Clive asked Genevieve.
“These are some very dangerous powerful objects.” She pointed to the desk nearby and the two boxes they’d brought from their search. “The spells aren’t something that can be created in a factory. Some would have taken blood sacrifice. The gloves that I managed to despell, those are a thousand years old and have been used in some of the worst acts of slaughter in our history. The tie pin as well. These items are on banned lists for all magic users. Where did you get them?”