“A test?” I remembered the way she’d quizzed me on the phone after Morgan’s town hall meeting. “People died for a fucking test?”
Maven sighed. “I’m so sorry, Lex. Part of my project would involve giving you more responsibilities. I thought dealing with a werewolf crisis more or less on your own would give you a chance to think and work independently, and I could observe how you handled it.”
“So you hung me out to dry,” I said flatly.
She didn’t break eye contact. “I did. I don’t need another sycophant, Lex. Every vampire in this state has already sworn an oath to me; they literally have to obey me.” She shot Quinn a small apologetic smile, then turned back to me. “I hired you because you can go places that I can’t, talk to people who would never talk to me. And during this . . . incident—I threw you into that without explanation, because I was too lazy to find another way for you to prove yourself.”
“Perhaps,” I said icily, “you could have let me actually apply for the job.”
Maven just nodded. She looked contrite, but I was still tempted to tell her to get the fuck out of my house. She had left me dangling while good people were dying.
But wasn’t that exactly what I’d done to my friends? Left them dangling in a dangerous situation? I had put Morgan Pellar in play and hadn’t bothered to see it through.
Guilt, hurt, and anger raged in me for a moment. I saw Quinn’s hand lift off his lap, reaching for me, but I could practically see him think better of touching me just then. Good call. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to control my breathing.
Steady, babe, Sam’s voice said. You did the best you could. The best anyone could, under impossible circumstances.
I wasn’t where I was needed, Sammy, I thought back to her.
There was a soft jingle, and I opened my eyes to see Dopey trot into the room, coming over to sniff at Maven’s ankles. She looked down at the little Yorkie with obvious surprise, then turned to Quinn. “She’s . . . not scared of us?”
“She’s very stupid,” he said fondly. “Go ahead, you can pet her.”
Tentatively, Maven reached down and scratched at Dopey’s ears. There was wonder on her face. “I miss animals,” she said softly.
I felt some of the anguish leach out of me, replaced by a bone-deep weariness. Maven was a person. A ridiculously powerful one, but still just a person. She’d made mistakes in this, yes, but so had I. “What happens now?” I asked.
“Now I make you a promise.” Maven sat up straight and leaned forward, staring into my eyes. I felt the intense crush of her power, as I always did, and was struck silent.
Luckily, there was nothing I needed to say. “Allison Alexandra Luther,” Maven said formally, “I swear to you, I will continue to consider Charlotte Wheaton under my protection until she reaches the age of eighteen. I offer this security to honor the service you have already given me, regardless of whether you ever work for me again. I give you my word and my oath.”
For a moment, I thought I felt something in the air, just a quick little shiver, and I wondered if it was actual magic. Swearing oaths was about the only magic the vampires could perform, so I supposed it was possible.
“Thank you,” I whispered. Quinn reached over and squeezed my hand.
There was a moment of awkward silence. I knew I should feel gratitude, and I did, but I also felt sort of panicky. If I didn’t have a covenant with Maven to protect Charlie, what was I working for? Why was I getting up in the morning?
Maven gave me a faint smile. “Perhaps this would be a good time to explain my . . . project.”
“Um, okay.”
“You were in Los Angeles during what they call the Vampire Trials.”
I blinked, but tried to roll with it. “Yes.”
“So you saw how Dashiell shares power with the witches and the werewolves. I respect that; it’s something I hadn’t seen before. I’ve decided to try something like that here.”
“You’re going to share power?” Oops. I hadn’t meant to sound quite so incredulous.
“Yes. With Lily, as the new clan leader now that Hazel is gone.” She hesitated a beat, then added, “And with Mary.”
“Uh . . . my Mary?” I said in disbelief.
Now her smile was wide. “I know. She’s a bit coarse. But she has proved her value in both helping you apprehend Morgan, and in showing her mercy—at least more mercy than the witches expected from a werewolf.” Was I crazy, or were Maven’s eyes twinkling? “I also believe the witches appreciate having a female alpha, as it suits their matriarchal way of doing things.”
I had to smile, because that part, at least, made perfect sense. “I think that’s a great idea—but what does it have to do with the mysterious phone calls?”
“In a few months, when we’ve got this statewide alliance worked out, I want to pursue an even greater one.”
My brow furrowed. “You . . . want to take more territory? I thought—”
“No, not that. I want to start a new Concilium: Dashiell, myself, a few others.”
I was momentarily horrified. “You’re not asking me to join!”
Quinn made a choking sound, and Maven let out a small, but very genuine, laugh. “No, no. I considered it, but—and I mean no offense—starting the group with a boundary witch onboard might not send the desired message.”
I relaxed back in the couch. “Okay, good. What would be the objective of this group?”
“Self-regulation,” she said frankly. “And a kind of higher court system. A parliament. It did not escape my attention that I myself had very few options when it came to punishing Morgan, save actually killing her.”
“You want to start a penal system?”
“I want to start a conversation.”
I thought that over for a minute. “Would this conversation include the topic of who the hell sent a bunch of gunmen to collect Morgan Pellar this afternoon? And who’s been bankrolling her whole rebellion?”
Her face lit up a little, the way it did when she approved of something. “Indeed it would. I have an idea about that, but it bears further discussion.”
“So if you don’t want me in your parliament, what do you want from me?”
“Well,” she said slowly, “I think it would benefit from having its own . . . well, for lack of a better term—its own knight.”
“A knight?” I repeated.
“A paladin,” she continued. “A marshal, a—” She turned to Quinn. “What was that word, from the television? One riot . . .”
Quinn’s lips twitched. “A Texas Ranger.”
“We may need to work on the title,” I said, though I was dying to know what the hell TV show Maven had been watching.
“At the moment, this is all rather speculative, but if I can get the parliament up and running, you will still be my representative, but you will begin carrying out bigger assignments, like helping to recruit new members, or investigating crimes against the parliament.”
I glanced at Quinn. “For that I would need my investigator.”
“You’ll have him,” she promised. “When you need him. And a significant raise, of course.”
“All right then, I accept,” I said. “Under one condition.”
Maven looked a little surprised, but not put off. “What is it?”
I thought of Sashi, and Katia. “How does one go about starting a new witch clan?”