Rodrigo Jacopo. He looked to have been about Sainvire’s age when he turned. His green eyes bore into Poe’s dark browns during the greetings. He was the vampire who fell from the ceiling, apparently spying. And more than the others he caused Poe’s heart to palpitate.
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“How do you do, Poe?” said Wilhemina Dunne, the most affable of the councilmembers. “It is my hope that this meeting will adjourn soon so you can get out of those wet clothes.” The short-cropped brunette was the only one who smiled encouragingly at Poe.
The man to her right, Umberto Dali, sped through the introductions and grumbled his request for the session to begin. “Do let’s hurry. I can think of a hundred other things I’d like to do this rainy night.”
The ash-haired vampire with searing light-brown eyes looked young enough, but his actions and brusque manners made him an ideal no-nonsense judge of indiscriminate age.
Gruman Raspair, olden in looks and age, began the meeting by motioning Poe to step closer to the bench that loomed over her like Alice in Wonderland furniture. So he can look down on me from above and make me feel like a tick, thought Poe, as she complied with the order. The first step she took, however, was a complete failure, for she slipped in a pool of water from her soggy Adidas. Maple had to steady her to keep her from falling. Sainvire leaned by her side to whisper in her ear.
“The best thing you can do is be honest.”
Honest my ass! Now he tells me. With that, Poe harrumphed and elbowed him away from her.
Gwendolyn laughed, obviously tickled by the daffy-footed vampire rustler. “Are you sure she’s ze one Quillon vas talking about?” she asked no one in particular.
Poe squared her shoulders and resumed walking, ignoring the squelching sounds of her sneakers. She hated Sainvire’s girlfriend with a fist of fury.
“Do you know why you’re here, Ms. Poe?”
Raspair’s high-octave voice reverberated in the room.
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“No,” Poe answered, thanking her patron saints for not allowing her to stutter. That was all Gwendolyn would need to enjoy the laugh of a lifetime.
“No idea at all?” Raspair asked again, his bushy eyebrows furrowing.
“If this has anything to do with yesterday afternoon at the Eastern, then I have a clue.”
“I think you have more than a clue, Julia,” a voice from the doorway accused.
Poe’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Trench.
Shadows obscured half of his face until he stepped under the chandelier. His once unmarred skin now had Freddy Krueger crags on his right side from the holy water Poe had sprayed at him. That’s what he deserved for being such an asshole. But how did he survive the garlic bullets?
These vampires had become too complacent and fat with their titles. Squirting Trench with holy water acid was easy for Poe, and the Council did not even confiscate her weapons. If the sentinels and the five powerful councilmembers are expected to stay my hand, then they’re idiots. If I shoot at least two of them before I’m stopped dead, I’ll die smiling. Their cockiness about living so long with ultimate power was going to be their undoing. Poe had her proof that they could all be killed or maimed after all.
“This little girl sprayed me with garlic water, as you can see. She also shot me in the chest. If you want to inspect–”
“No, thank you, Quillon,” Rodrigo said dryly.
“Your face is evidence enough.”
Quillon winced at Rodrigo’s flippant comment, but he continued. “And she killed fifteen of my people along with two cattle.”
“You’re the one who bled my friends to death, you freak of nature. As for your bloodsuckers, they had 171
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plenty of opportunity to kill me,” she spat. “There was only one of me!”
Quillon took a menacing step toward Poe, but the lithe body of Sainvire blocked his progress. Poe swore she could smell the violence emitting from Sainvire’s pores.
The Council merely watched. Gwendolyn chuckled, enjoying every tense moment. Raspair grumbled but said nothing. After living so long, any fracas that broke the tedium was welcome.
Finally Sainvire spoke, his vigilant eyes glistening by candlelight. “What is Julia Poe accused of, Council?” His deep authoritative voice rang and brought the room to attention. “Is it usual for the Council to state the charges at the end of the hearing?”
Wilhemina nodded and said, “You’re right, Kaleb.
How remiss of us.” She looked at Poe, stating the charges from memory. “Julia, you are accused of willfully killing ten vampires