Part 64 (1/2)
”I' to illustrate that when it coround, even when the other side has call to be there,” said Locke
”If you mean,” said Ballard, ”would I stand here and let theo”
”Thank you” Locke held up a letter from the Ravenseals ”They sent me this Apparently, Miss Rookmaaker has a House? What's more, it's here in Ro What shrieks and oaths had she put out against h any day
Brandishi+ng the note, Locke said ”There are quite a nu Wiccan Houses Quite a number I will read to you a list of these rules Because, apparently, we're in quite a bit of trouble Ardane Number One” He cleared his throat ”Only a third-level Wiccan may lead her own House Good so far Ardane Number Two,” said Locke, ”Only twelve ree and up may initiate someone Ardane Nus, well, wellsecret Gatherings Ardane Nureater, that coven must Hive Ardane Number Six: If there is no nuic, well, well, well Ardane Nues will be monitored and the transfer of power overseen byexcuse me The Master House You are still a Neophyte, correct, Miss Rookmaaker?” he said to me
”Me? Yes Why?” I said
”The reason I ask, do we really want outsiders having so large a say in what goes on in our city?” said Locke ”Appointing officials and the like? Overseeingus I say not Bear in mind that there are other unwritten rules,” he inforues
If Rule Nuht, could Rule Number Two? For all that ritten in the codex, there was a lot more that was unwritten Locke had a point
”The fact is, if she breaks the rules,” said Locke, ”the vampires can come here and kill usit's called a Storm of Covens Which puts us in a quandary” He pantomimed concern ”Do we vouch for her and die, or do we cut her loose? Ballard has already said he will fight to protect herand you kno fond he is of drawing linesof forcing conflicts Which means Miss Rookue but with Paris Witches and va here It's in their rules! And I quote: 'Any Stor drained by blood-drinkers' Unquote She's also sleep-ing with a vampire! One of the Lenoir! Our enemy! Lennoxlove Lenoir!”
The way he said it The other olves were looking at me, particularly the Warlockes, like I was soesticulated wildly ”What secrets have you been whispering about us, late, late at night, Miss Rookmaaker?” he said, to nods from the Warlockes
”My turn,” said Ballard, ”because I have a lot to say also It was Lennox, Locke, who helped fight back the zoe If anything, her relationshi+p with hithens our ties with vah She's your cousin,” said Locke ”Not telling her e are, are you, Ballard? Otherwise, hoould she know?!”
”For that she has her oo eyes, and a brilliant mindOh yes, Locke, which, I ad us, but she's also drawing out our eneori nas ori are out there They have attacked us already But now there is a new group, pulling the strings An insidious, evil Dark Order And if we do not band together nowright noe're done for
”I know,” said Ballard, ”that you're scaredand you should be But we have allies, other fighters I aic, Locke, we also possess What do you think I was doing in Prague? Taking a vacation? I wanted to see it for ical power But so is Ro They're everywhere here If the Benandanti can craft, so can we The septagraic! We just need to find it!
”If, in the scope of things, humans and paranormals discover we co-exist, so be it,” said Ballard ”Better that than they're left undefended Which is ill happen if you gut Ro us!”
Ballard looked at the Warlockes
”They are co Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow,” he said, ”but soon Halsey's House is in Roths, or divided we'll get torn apart This is so Risky knew I think he must have known,” he said to ic We are to find it That is why I have given the Benandanti asylum here in Rome Do you know, I think that's what they're afraid of, Locke? That is why Rayven and the Dark Order tried to kill us, and that is why they're burning Houses To divide Rometo divide the world So, yes, I protect this city I protect it even when you won't I protect Rome because you won't”
”A pretty speech But it doesn't negate the fact she's opening the border,” said Locke ”Her interest here runs counter to The Sons and Daughters of Romulus As for this vampire called Lennox, we don't knoho made him We don't knoho he answers to Sires have a kind of control over their progeny I would be concerned we're letting 'people' in whose allegiances we cannot vet; that in a bad ht find ourselves stabbed in the back” He pointed his finger at er to us Should a conflict arise, and Rome is put in peril, we are honor bound to defend it, to defend her What will the hu, when they come”
Ballard said, ”I trust Halsey Besides, we are in this togetherthe Sons and Daughters of Romulus, House Rookmaaker, and the Benandanti That is a lot of supernatural firepower to contend with, Locke”
”Exactly Provocation,” said Locke ”If the other side sees us building up our ar the sa about olvesor, for that matter, eclectics, Locke,” said Ballard
”I would like to say soentleh he could transform anymore ”I knew Riskynot well, but I knew hiree with his nephew, insofar as we should see what comes of Miss Rookmaaker's endeavor to find her House Just because it exists is no guarantee of finding it Upon a ti of House Pendderwenn, naturally And now Lia Overstreet, one of our own, is a Wiccan Whether we like it or not,back into Roraive Halsey the opportunity to find her House There's no danger fro so about ourselves The fact that Rome could contain this secret under our very noses, is remarkable If such is the case, what else don't we know about Rome?”
”Hear, hear!” said another olf
Locke protested, but the rest of the Quirinal overruled hian
”But, we have the opportunity, to head this off gentlemen!”
”Our decision is final, Locke: Quirinal will reconvene later this year,” said Regan, ”at which time ill decide what is to be done about Il Gattowhether or not he is to be impeached; and about his friend, Miss Halsey Rookmaaker As for myself, I hope she finds it Lia will need someplace to study
”Now, the next matter seems to be our kin to the north, Those Who Do Good How can that be bad, if they do good here? Therefore, I propose we back Il Gatto in his decision to quarter them in Rome, at least temporarily, until they can find a new home to replace the one that was burned down by the Dark Order Does anyone disagree?
”Wellno,” said Locke
”Anyone else? The Benandanti shall stay, then With them and the Warlockes, I think we'll be okay for now It's alan said to Locke
Chapter 15 Spiritwalking
Ballard'sup Liesel's hot pink motorcycle was in for almost constant repairs The Warlocke jackets were few and far between and June was a furnace of heat If anyone asked, the Benandanti, who had set up ca through; in actuality, Coven City, as it was called, was a collection of tents on the outskirts of Roical travelers na was the new Aurelian Wall and Asher and his protettori our guards If any Grigori attacked, we'd know about it
As far as ht, threatening to deport o Either I made it here, or I was done for What would happen, I wondered, if I did leave Roht hile-handed? Or for that h continued li our existences in almost daily updates, but cannibalwerepacks, etc, etc, just didn't have the sas Thankfully, things were settling down Which meant I could finally start on my House
I still had notAdept Maybe, I thought, o on was a memory, after all, and Rayven's hly colored I couldn't trust it If I followed the septagrahout Rome, I told myself but, no, they would probably just lead me in circles The races for Il Gatto were like ouroboroses, or likeand rams, anyway? The old Defenders? Who were they?
Silence was an eneespecially in Romeand think about THAT, I told myself Maybe if Risky and the others had beendown, but all I had to go on was my stupid codex and Selwyn's marker
What was the Dark Path? Was it like Golden Lane? Who was on it? Again, didor didn't they? If only I had someone I could talk to, someone expert hold on What I really needed was so time, someone like a vampire Unfortunately, I had no idea where Lennox was at What had been keeping hi? If only I could scry Lennox But that no longer worked
I left : Dark Path Dark Path
Is there a spell that can hide a House? Maybe only someone who's seen House Rookmaaker can find it The trouble was, anybody who could tell me about House Rookot to be someone who knohere it's at! If it's not in the Directory, where is it? A House that big, somebody would have seen it!
Nowhere had I co to House Rookus Codex My parents had left it to ood was it? I couldn't ask Lux He was a Ravenseal Ballard? He knew less than I did Gaven and Lia? They were busy with La Luna Blu The Quirinal? As if
Maybe hold on There was somebody who could help me; someones, in point of fact: Sandor and Septiht of it before? What had Ballard said, they were arcane scholars?
If anyone would know about the Dark Path, they would!