Part 32 (1/2)
”That's why the messages were sent? That's why the Breckenridges were targeted? To trigger a war between vampires and s.h.i.+fters?”
”They were targeted because they are weak.” Peter's eyes glowed silver. ”They were targeted to remind Keene who we are. What we are capable of. To remind him that Chicago is our city. Our town, and we won't let it go. Especially not to s.h.i.+fters. Topretenders .”
As if he'd spoken his war cry, he attacked, katana raised. I muttered a curse and, as Ethan spun away, raised my own sword in attack. I executed a half turn, spinning as I sliced the katana upward. Peter, unfortunately, was older and a more experienced fighter. He moved, then brought the katana horizontally across my knees. I jumped, and for the first time as a vampire, took air, bounding in a flip that brought me down on Peter's other side.
Someone might have warned me I could do that, I mentally told Ethan, then sliced my katana down.
Peter met my sword with his, the force vibrating the steel and my arm.
Unfortunately, that vibration also woke the vampire, like a hand on a shoulder waking someone from sleep. I huffed out a breath and pushed her back down, unwilling to lose control of this fight. I'd already seen how bad that could go, having stopped thebokken only millimeters from Catcher's head.
Peter and I clanged swords again and again and again as we sliced the katanas from side to side, me moving backward down the ramp as he pushed forward. The ribbed concrete was slick with water and algae, and I struggled to keep my footing as we moved. And worse-my head began to pound from the combined effort of fighting off his attacks, making my own advances, and trying to keep the vampire at bay.
”Celina will win,” Peter said.
And there's my motivation, I thought. With a burst of energy that would have thrilled both Catcher and Aerobics Barbie-but which made the vampire that much more curious-I inched my way up the ramp, forcing Peter up and back with each slice and thrust of my sword. He turned to gain distance and I ran forward, katana in the air. I sliced down, but he turned on me, his own katana slicing upward.
”Celina is our future,” he spit out again, then turned from me as the inertia forced us through the spins and away from each other. I pushed the sword beneath my right arm, but he rolled away from the thrust. I dropped my left hand away from the sword and spun around, raising the katana and bringing it around as I turned to face him again. I didn't land the strike, but Peter stumbled backward into Ethan, who caught him on the top of the head with the b.u.t.t of his katana's handle.
”Celina is old news,” Ethan said, voice flat, as Peter crumpled to the ground. As I lowered my sword, chest heaving from the exertion of the fight, Ethan crouched down and reached out his hand again.
”You are hereby excommunicated,” he said, then ripped the medal from Peter's neck. Ethan stood again, pressed the medal to his lips, then tossed it into the Lake. Without comment, he pulled the cell phone from his pocket, punched in numbers, and raised it to his ear.
”Tell the Brecks,” he said. ”The threat has been contained.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.
They debriefed via headset on the ride back to Cadogan House, but I stayed quiet, the pressure in my head forcing my silence. I rested my forehead against the cool gla.s.s of the pa.s.senger-side window and listened as they discussed the fight, the e-mail, events in Peter's history that might have triggered his defection to Celina's side. The loss of a loved one. A fight with a s.h.i.+fter. Celina's innate power.
The downpour of rain started just as Ethan pulled the Mercedes into the bas.e.m.e.nt. Malik met us at thebas.e.m.e.nt door.
”They're here,” he said. ”In the office. Breckenridges and Masters.”
Ethan nodded, and we took the stairs to the first floor.
”You did good,” he quietly said, as we rounded the corner toward his office.
I nodded my thanks. Luc met us in the hallway, having driven back to the House with Lindsey, just as Ethan pushed forward into his office.
The room was full of vampires and s.h.i.+fters.
Nick, in gray trousers and a slinky black polo, stood with his father just inside the door. He ignored me, but cast a dubious glance around the office. ”I didn't know bloodsucking paid so well.”
”Said the man who resorted to extortion to deal with his family problems,” Ethan pointed out.
Headache or not, I bit back a grin. Who knew he had it in him?
”Have a seat, gentlemen,” Ethan said, extending his hand toward the conference table. Scott, Noah, and Morgan were already there. After the Brecks made their way to the end of the room and took seats opposite the vampires, Ethan took his chair at the head of the table. Luc, Malik, and I followed, and stayed standing.
”Thank you all for agreeing to gather together,” Ethan said. ”As Malik has no doubt explained to you, we have identified and nullified the supposed threat against Jamie Breckenridge.” He glanced at Papa Breck, whose features were pulled into a confused frown. ”A vampire in our House fell under the influence of a supernatural with a less than stellar reputation. In so doing, he was convinced to issue a false threat against Jamie, while at the same time warning us of a threat by the Breckenridges against us.” Ethan paused, then clasped his hands together on the table, interlacing his fingers. ”His intent, we understand, was to foster animosity between vampires and s.h.i.+fters.”
I had to give it to the Brecks. They didn't even blink an eyelash at the fact that they'd been outed.
”Thanks to the efforts of our guards corps and our Sentinel, we were able to detain the vampire,” Ethan continued. ”He has been excommunicated and is currently on his way to the U.K. for sentencing, as is our way. I want to stress that there is no indication that anyone, vampire or otherwise, Cadogan House or otherwise, intended to follow through with the threat against Jamie. Nevertheless, whether real or not, this threat has been neutralized.”
”Who?” Nick asked. ”Who made the threat, and who gave the order?”
Ethan arched an imperious eyebrow at Nick, who managed, impressively, to give back an equally stubborn look. ”Sullivan, you can't think that I'm going to simply take your word on this and walk away.
Not after what my family's been through.”
”Then perhaps,” Ethan said, ”we could reach a compromise.”
Silence, then, ”I'm listening.”
”The information regarding both the perpetrator and the individual we believe issued the orders is very precious to us.” He linked his fingers together on the table, then glanced up at Nick. ”That said, in the interest of goodwill between our respective organizations, we are willing to consider a trade. We will provide this information to you, upon your word that this information does not leave the room. That the information would not be provided to other s.h.i.+fters, other humans, advisors, officials, etc. Nor, of course, would it be provided to the press in any form.”
Nick barked out a laugh and looked away before raising his gaze to Ethan's again.”I'm a journalist. Do you honestly expect me to agree to that?”
”I expect that if you agree to that, we will have no need to further investigate why the Breckenridges generally, and Jamie specifically, were targeted for this particular incident. We will have no reason,”
Ethan said, ”to further investigate why your family was so eager to jump to young Jamie's defense.”
Nick's nostrils flared. Clearly, even if we didn't know the details, something was amiss with Jamie.
”Blackmail, Sullivan?”
Ethan smiled back at Nick, with teeth. ”I learn from the best, Breckenridge.”
There was silence in the room.
”Agreed,” Papa Breck said into the silence, ”on the terms you specified.” When Nick opened his mouth to speak, Papa Breck silenced him with a finger. ”We will close this down, Nicholas,” he said. ”We willclose it down, and we will close it down tonight. We have lived peacefully in Chicago for three generations, and while I love you, I will not allow your pride as a journalist to bring that to an end. Family wins this one, not career.” He returned his gaze to Ethan. ”This is done.”
Ethan nodded. ”In that case, we are all witnesses to the terms of the agreement that we have reached.”
There were nods around the room.
”Before we end this ridiculous lovefest,” Nick said, sarcasm thick in his voice, ”could we get to the meat of it? Who sent the e-mail?”
Ethan looked at him. ”Peter,” he said. ”One of our House guards. As to the instigator, we have circ.u.mstantial evidence, albeit only circ.u.mstantial at this point, that the scheme itself was concocted by Celina.”
”Celina?” Nick asked, eyes suddenly wide. I gave him points that he understood having Celina as an enemy was a cause for concern. ”How did-”
”She was released,” Ethan smoothly finished. ”And in light of the fact that she has unfinished business”-he bobbed his head toward me-”we expect that she will return to Chicago. We have, however, no evidence that she bears any particular ill will toward your family. You appear to have been chosen because you were, let's say, strategically convenient.”