I snorted. “They’ll never find me there. I’m an urban girl, and that’s as sub-suburban as you can get. I want a coffeehouse on every corner.”
He humphed, kissed me.
“Be smart. Be good. I’ll be here, whatever the outcome.”
“Same,” I said, and brushed my fingers against his. It was time to end this.
TWENTY-THREE
Nicole Heart waited in my father’s office. My father made the introductions, but I hardly heard a word he said.
Then he left us alone. We stood in the middle of his office, facing each other.
She was beautiful. She was a tall woman, with dark skin and a curvy figure. Her hair was closely cropped, emphasizing her dark eyes and thick lashes, her round cheekbones, generous mouth. She wore an ivory suit today in a fabric that skimmed her curves. And the power she’d been afforded skimmed all of her and put a faint tingle in the air.
“We haven’t met,” she said, her words soft, her tone lightly accented. “But I know of your work.”
“Same,” I said.
“Why do you think I’m here, Ms. Sullivan?”
“Because you believe I’ve broken Canon by turning a human despite her imminent death.”
“Do you admit you’ve broken Canon?”
“I make no admission, other than changing Carlie.”
“Only the barest distinction between those,” she said with a small smile, clasping her hands in front of her.
“I was taught by my father.”
Whether she considered that a threat or explanation, she didn’t show it. She made a noncommittal sound. “Given the time that has already been allocated to this issue, let’s get to the meat of it, shall we? You breached our law. That is plain. Although there were difficulties, Clive offered his terms, and they stand. Name the House that will Commend you and confirm you will submit to Testing.”
“No.”
“Then you will be taken to Atlanta and placed in seclusion until you can agree.”
“No, I won’t.”
She watched me, predator assessing prey. “The manner of your making—the identity of your parents—does not give you license to act as you choose. Rules matter.”
Now she sounded like Clive, although she was much more collected. “They do matter. But let’s be honest, Ms. Heart. Rules are made up.”
Her gaze snapped back to mine.
“Every rule,” I said. “Just words decided by someone in power. But when you get to the core of it, it’s not the words that matter. It’s how they live in the world. The AAM’s rule, this rule about making vampires, is old and it’s cruel. It’s inflexible.”
“Rules aren’t meant to be flexible. They’re meant to be rules.”
“You allow Rogues to make vampires.”
“They do not command media attention.”
That was a new one. “I do not command it. It is given to me, unwillingly. Regardless, I told no one about Carlie, nor is the media aware she was changed. But, now that you’ve mentioned it, if you persist in selectively enforcing the rules against me—if you persist in punishing me for saving a human against a monster—I’d be happy to involve the press. I believe they’d find I have a very interesting story to tell.”
“Threats are beneath you.”
“Threats are what I have. As you’ve pointed out, my name is my burden and my leverage. You try to use it to make an example of me. I will use it to defend myself.”
She watched me for a moment, those dark eyes cool and measuring. She still hadn’t moved from her position a few feet away, hadn’t so much as shifted her clasped hands. It took power, concentration, to exercise that kind of control.
So, naturally, I wanted to see if I could upset it. “You’ve wanted to have me tested for a very long time.”
The satisfaction of seeing that mere flinch, the dilation of pupils, was a warm and comforting glow.
“There remain questions regarding the manner of your making.”
The similarity of what she said and what I’d heard so many years ago sent a chill down my spine. No matter the outcome of this meeting, she was not my ally.
“No,” I said. “There don’t. No one has inquired about the manner of my making since the AAM’s failed efforts to test me as a child. Efforts that were rejected.”
“Ms. Sullivan, I am responsible for the safety of thousands of vampires. For helping them achieve a safe and productive immortality. You are an unknown. That makes you a threat.”
“To you.”
This time, her jaw worked, another chip in the glorious façade.
I held up a hand. “I’ll save you the trouble of responding to that, and I’ll tell you the same thing I