by his strategic half, the political leader anticipating nasty commercials about "the vampire problem." The sympathy was probably offered up by his baby-kissing half.
He looked at my grandfather first. "The situation is contained?"
"It is, Mr. Mayor. Things at the bar are in hand, and Merit came in and provided us with a very detailed statement so we can get a handle on the issue."
"Which is?"
"We're still figuring that out, sir. You'll have my report as soon as I can type it."
Tate nodded. "Appreciate that, Chuck." He glanced at Ethan. "Is this related to the problem I asked you to address?"
"It may be," Ethan vaguely said. "Merit is spending most of her free time investigating it, including this evening."
Tate's expression softened and went all-politician. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate that."
Oh, I could tell, I blandly thought. You probably appreciated it ten to fifteen points in the polls.
Tate reached out and shook my hand, and then my grandfather's. "Merit, let's stay in touch. Chuck, I look forward to your report."
He reached out to shake Ethan's hand, but instead of a simple shake, he leaned toward Ethan and whispered something in his ear.
Ethan's shoulder's stiffened, and he stared blankly ahead, barely controlling his anger, when Tate walked away.
Ethan's car was parked in a secured lot beside the station. I barely made the short walk. The drama was beginning to take a collective toll; for all my extra vampire strength, I was tired. My brain was fuzzy, my body was exhausted, and my temperature was that strange deep-seated cold that you get before the flu starts up.
Ethan opened the door for me and shut it again when I was inside. I checked the clock on the dashboard; it was nearly five forty-five, about twenty minutes before dawn. Another late night - and another race against the rising sun.
Silently, Ethan climbed into the car and started the motor.
I made one final play at being the dutiful Sentinel. "Do you want to debrief now?"
He must have seen the exhaustion in my eyes, because he shook his head. "Luc filled me in on the major points, and the morning news programs are already on the case. Rest for now."
I must have taken the direction literally, because I remember nodding in agreement - but not the rest of the ride home. As soon as he pulled out of his parking spot and began spiraling back down through the parking garage, I dropped my head onto the headrest. I woke up again as the car descended into the Cadogan parking lot.
"You are tired," he said.
I put a hand over my mouth to hide the burgeoning yawn. "It's nearly dawn."
"So it is."
We sat there awkwardly for a moment, like a couple at the end of a first date, neither quite sure what's expected of the other.
Ethan made the first move, opening his door and stepping outside. I did the same, wobbling a little as I exited the car, but staying on my feet. I could feel the tug of the sun, my nerves itching with exhaustion, my body screaming that it was time to find a soft, dark place to wait out the day.
"You going to make it upstairs?" he asked.
"I'll make it." I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, blinking to keep my eyes focused.
"The sun does a number on you," Ethan said as he typed in the code to the basement door, then held it open while I walked through like a near zombie. I was conscious enough to realize that he didn't seem to have the same trouble.
"You're less affected?" I asked as we walked to the stairs.
"I'm older," he explained. "Your body is still adjusting to the genetic change, to the differences between being diurnal and nocturnal. As you get older, you'll find the pull easier to manage. More a gentle suggestion than a grab-and-go."
I was capable only of muttering a sound of agreement. By some miracle I made it to the second-floor landing without falling over.
"We'll talk tomorrow," Ethan said, and headed for the stairs. But I called his name to stop him. He glanced back.
"What did Tate whisper in your ear?"
"He said, 'Fix this, goddamn it, or else.' We'll talk about it tomorrow."
He didn't have to tell me twice.
Chapter Fifteen
ALL THAT GLITTERS
As Ethan had pointed out, one obvious downside of being nocturnal was the fact that the sun exerted more power on me than I cared to admit.