“Which reminds me. I know Gavino meant it as a joke, but it’s totally not funny that he bowed to me and called me Miss.”
“That wasn’t a joke. You now rank higher than him.” Killian pulled his cellphone from his pocket and frowned at the number. He ignored my snort of disbelief and answered his phone. “What?”
Silence for several moments, then Killian stopped. “Bring it here. She’s with me.”
Being the only she around, I roused myself in self-interest and peered up at him. “Something happen?”
“Of a sort.” Killian stuck his hands back in his pockets and turned to face the direction we’d come from—though he didn’t attempt to backtrack.
I used the moment to secure my katana scabbard to my weighted sword belt, then edged around Killian in a wide circle, trying to choose where I’d stand. Given this was Killian I was dealing with, there was a distinct possibility this was all an elaborate set up and he was about to throw a three headed dog or something at me for “training purposes”. (He had once flung me off the third floor of a building in the vague hope that it might unlock my magic. Spoiler: it didn’t. But it DID make me paranoid about standing anywhere close to a ledge with vampires.)
Before I could find the safest/most suitable spot, Killian snagged me by the wrist and tugged me to a stop at his left side.
Shortly after, two Drake vampires appeared, frog-marching a young man between them.
The unexpected guest was most definitely human based on the way he gawked up at his guards and gaped at the mansion’s interior design.
He looked a few years older than me, but where my parents’ deaths, my cousin leading a coup against me, and coming to live in Drake Hall had matured me by centuries, this guy still had that sparkling naïve light in his eyes—the foolishness of youth, a jaded part of me wanted to say. He wore a nice charcoal suit, but living in a house of designer labels had made me immune to the charm of fancy clothes, so there was no telling what his job was.
His vampire escorts each had a hand rested on his shoulder. They pulled him to a stop short of Killian and me.
“We intercepted him on the driveway, Your Eminence,” the vampire on the right said.
“He drove a Volkswagen bug onto Drake lands,” the vampire on the left—a female vampire named Julianne—reported.
Both of Killian’s eyebrows quirked—but this was not the quirk of amusement, but a thoughtful one which was far more dangerous. “I see,” he said. “And who are you?”
The human obviously had no idea how much danger he was in, because he smiled brightly as he thrust his hand out. “Riley Nelson at your service, Mr. Drake!”
Killian stared at Riley’s hand with the same enthusiasm he probably afforded a dead fish.
Rather than give the vampire time to say something nasty, I hurriedly shook Riley’s hand in his place. “I’m Hazel Medeis—Adept of House Medeis. What brings you to Drake Hall?”
“You, actually! I’m the intern for Schuman and Shafer’s Law LLC.” Riley cracked open his briefcase.
His vampire escorts eyed Riley, but a head tilt from Killian had them backing away.
I, meanwhile, tried to figure out what a law office would want with me. (What, was Mason trying to sue me to get control of House Medeis?)
Riley slid a letter from his briefcase and offered it to me. “They told me to deliver this letter directly to you—they said they couldn’t chance it getting waylaid.”
I studied the letterhead, and the name finally clicked.
Schuman and Shafer’s were the lawyers my parents had used for their will and legal documentation.
I had worked with them when they submitted the will to probate court and took inventory of my parents’ estate. They also served as the executor of my parents’ will and had approved the final bill payments.
I hadn’t given any thought to them in weeks—months, even—since they had submitted the last funeral bill.
“My employers wish to warn you that they can no longer delay petitioning the court for authority to officially execute your parents’ will.” Riley said.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“They’ll transfer remaining assets to the will beneficiaries—chiefly, you,” Riley said.
“Why is that a problem?” Killian placed a hand on top of my head and watched Riley with narrowed eyes.
Riley grimaced and slightly shook his head.
“It’s Mason,” I said. “He’s going to be a pain, isn’t he?”
“Rather, it’s likely he might organize an attack on you once the assets are distributed,” Riley said.
Killian lightly squeezed the top of my head. “Assets?”
“My employers will draw up a new deed for House Medeis and bestow it on Hazel, as well as liquidate all assets and transfer them to the proper recipients. We also have in our care a package that was to be passed to you, Miss Medeis, upon your parents’ death.”
I sighed. “It must have the signet ring—which is why Mason will attack me. Momoko and Felix—my best friends from House Medeis—said he’s been bothering the office about it.”
“Mrs. Schuman and Mr. Shafer said they were able to hold Mr. Mason off due to his ignorance in human law, but legally speaking can’t afford to delay the legal process any longer,” Riley explained. “The court still needs to approve the request. But it is likely to be a speedy process. My employers would like to schedule a private meeting with you next week to give you the new deed to House Medeis as well as the rest of your parents’ assets.”
“They’ll be ready next week?”
Riley nodded. “Indeed! Here is a business card—please call to set up an appointment.”
I took the card. “Thank you for delivering their message, Riley.”
“It was my pleasure!” Riley beamed. “I’ve only seen vampires on TV, so I wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity!” His forehead puckered slightly. “Although Mrs. Schuman and Mr. Shafer seemed relieved when I volunteered to take it.”
Probably because they had some experience with supernaturals and knew just how dangerous the Drake Family was.
I glanced first at Killian and then Julianne and the other vampire guard to see if they were offended by Riley’s puppy-like exuberance.
All three of them were staring at the intern with a mix of disbelief and confusion.
I needed to get him out of here before he accidentally insulted them. “Great, I’ll see you back to your car!”
“No need!” Riley cheerfully said. “I’m certain I can find my way! Have a most excellent day!” He smiled first to me then Killian before he marched back up the hallway, Julianne and the other vampire guard trailing after him. “Oh, are you coming with? How excellent!” I heard him say before he fell out of my hearing range.
Julianne was one of the more cheerful vampires…so I didn’t think she’d harm the bubbly intern. I pressed my lips together as I considered following the human intern anyway.
“How can any of this affect Mason?” Killian asked, rousing me from my thoughts. “You were the Heir. He cannot hope to claim your birthright.”
I was a little surprised he didn’t immediately get the implications of my parents’ will, but then again, he was part of an immortal race. Vampires didn’t die too often, and there was no chance they followed human custom about wills and stuff.
“We wizards have a ton of legalese to protect the House and to handle worldly possessions, which includes the deed to House Medeis, instructions for Ascension—the process where the Heir officially becomes the Adept to the House—and the signet ring, which is required for the Ascension ceremony.”
“If he can get the House deed, he can usurp you,” Killian stated.
“Yeah, sort of? We’re in a bit of a standoff because I have the purest Medeis blood, which will keep the House from going crazy like it would if someone new tried to become the Adept. But Mason must be controlling the House somehow because otherwise it would have snapped by now. If he can get the signet ring there won’t be anything stopping him from Ascending—even if I have the House deed and the purest blood.”
“Given your blood, can’t you command the House to rebel against him?” Killian asked.
“No—I messed up, and I didn’t perform the Ascension ceremony right away, so my connection to the House is non-existent.” I groaned and rubbed my eyes. “And that makes me an army of one. Even with my new magic abilities I can’t just stroll in and forcibly take everything back. He’s got a House full of hostages in my family. My only real option is to go the legal route in the supernatural community. I didn’t get any backing, but with my new magic, and once I get the signet ring, that might change.”
Killian didn’t say anything in response. I wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t care, or he didn’t think it was likely. Neither response particularly encouraged me.
I rubbed the back of my neck, my thoughts returning to my previous musings about vampires. Curious, I glanced up at him. “What would happen if you kicked the bucket?”
“Assumedly it would mean that the world as we know it is ending and there is a great calamity,” Killian said.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Killian smirked down at me. “Everything would pass to Celestina.”
“Everything?”
“She is my First Knight, which automatically makes her my Heir. Vampires operate off strength and purity of blood. I don’t believe there is a single vampire Family that has bothered with any of these court papers your parents had drawn up.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” I said. “I just thought as a race you’d be more organized.”
“We vampires are—above all—a prideful race. I’m certain it doesn’t occur to even a fraction of my cohorts that they may die and leave a vacuum of power in their Family.”