through the skylight.” Everyone looked up to the murky glass showing nothing but stormy skies.
He turned to Poe. “Go ahead and explain yourself.”
“Ok. Trench told me that my friends claimed there was an underground movement.” She sighed. “I told him I only knew of the three of us. But crater face here insisted there was a massive resistance, so I let him believe it.” Quillon exploded bazookas with his eyes.
She prayed that her omission fooled Dali the truth sniffer.
The four councilmembers turned to Umberto Dali.
He returned their gaze, nodding once.
Without warning, all five vampires stood up and headed for the second chamber door beneath the Titian painting.
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To say that the atmosphere in the chamber was tense would be an understatement. It was bubbling with Quillon’s ill will and Poe’s bruised pride at being relegated to mistress level. Maple’s face was about to crack from keeping such an emotionless face, and Sainvire was frozen where he stood thinking about the mob they’d have to endure outside if they survived the Council ruling. Poe was ready to collapse. The beating she had been taking since the night before, especially with the wet clothes that hung on her shoulders, made her body lash out. Poe looked around for a chair, but saw only the five high-backs behind the bench.
Sainvire laid a supportive hand on her shoulder.
She didn’t shrug it off.
Finally they emerged, a quarter of an hour later.
Wilhemina Dunne was the only one with a smile, the clinking bob on her ears swaying jauntily. The rest were either stoic or dour, like Gwendolyn Salam.
“Ms. Poe,” Gruman Raspair began. “All charges against you are dismissed.”
Maple exhaled loudly, hugging the girl’s shoulders. Quillon bared his fangs in ire. Since when did colored cattle supersede the rights of a master vampire?
“However,” the head of the Council continued,
“we are of one mind about the threat you present to our city. We are not unaware of your affiliation with Fred Beaver and Sister Ann, but being that they are no longer alive, you place us in a very difficult situation.”
“Do we let you go unscathed and unpunished for past deeds, or do we ensure that you will no longer be a threat?”
“And technically speaking, you have no rights but to be fed vitamins and nutritious food,” finished Rodrigo Jacopo.
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“Or mop up after ze vhite cattle,” Gwendolyn hissed, looking Poe straight in the eye. “My vote is to get ze straws out.”
Sainvire spoke, his voice clear. “I will take responsibility for her.”
“No. I think she should be under my care since she murdered so many of my people,” Trench demanded.
At this, Poe raised her hand. “Um, I’d rather you kill me if you’re going to hand me over to Quillon.”
She looked pointedly at her nemesis. “I can’t promise not to kill any more of his vampires, and that would violate Council rules.”
Wilhemina smiled wider. “Sainvire is the only option for her then.”
Gwendolyn pursed her rather thin mouth but said nothing.
“Sainvire, we expect you to recover all the missing cattle ever taken by this girl within the month,” Gruman Raspair snarled, clearly not happy about the leniency. “And heed my words, young lady.
If I ever hear of any vampire killing or cattle kidnapping that reeks of you, then I will personally hunt you down and puncture your jugular with my 24-carat gold straw.”
He turned his bushy gaze to Sainvire. “As for you, Kaleb. We expect this girl to become cattle, leech, or vampire. If you can’t live without her, lobotomize her and spit blood into her brain. If you choose neither then every action she takes will reflect on you. For every vampire she kills, we will execute five of yours. For every cattle she steals, ten of yours will be handed over to Trench and other master vampires.” He paused, relishing the pregnant silence. “And for your information, food like that with impure blood should not be carrying firearms.
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“If she escapes, then you will personally face the Council for her crimes of treason against the new realm.” He smiled, his yellow fangs glinting obscenely.
“Do you still accept responsibility for this girl, or do you willingly turn her over to Trench?”
Without even batting an eye, Sainvire answered,
“I accept.” Gwendolyn, looking miffed, stood up abruptly and left spectacularly through the side door.
Poe felt her heart lurch. She would be a prisoner of Sainvire. Should I just ask to be executed on the spot? And yet she didn’t want to die. Nor did she want to