“So what happened to the other two?”
“Back in Texas by now, I’d guess,” one of the elves said. “They were hurt but moving fast when I last saw them. What happens to us? Are we under arrest?”
It was her call since they were Otherworlders, but Ari looked at Ryan for his input.
“Witnesses tell the same story. They confirmed the dead guys struck the first blow.”
She returned her attention to the elves. “It sounds like you did what you had to. As long as you’ve given the officers your name and address, you’re free to leave.” She watched them slip out the back door. “It really wasn’t their fault. I should have stopped the fight.”
“How? You weren’t here.”
“That’s the problem.”
* * *
The following morning Ari finished her first cup of coffee, considered a second, and picked up the local newspaper folded on the table. She’d been living in the vampire prince’s Victorian mansion for almost seven months now, but still loved the luxury of finding the coffee perking in his fancy kitchen and the paper waiting.
She unfolded
The Clarion
and read the headlines.
Four Dead in Bizarre Otherworld Fight
. She closed her eyes, an unhappy twinge in her stomach.
Ari dropped the paper on the table, grabbed her cup, and headed for the coffee pot. She needed that second mug after all. Her cell phone rang the solemn organ music that Gabriel, Andreas’s second in command, had jokingly programmed for the Magic Council. At 7:00 a.m., no call was good news. But with her bosses calling this early? Definitely not good news.
“Yes, sir.” She automatically straightened upon hearing the voice of the elder wizard who was the council president.
“We need to talk, Arianna, as soon as possible.”
“If it’s about last night, the javeys won’t be causing any more problems. They were out-of-towners, and the two that survived have already taken off. I found a witness who saw them on the highway headed south. Fortunately, the elves didn’t have any life-threatening injuries.”
“Yes, I have heard the details, but I still want to meet. In about an hour?”
“I’ll be there.” Ari disconnected. He sounded serious, even discouraged or upset. This wasn’t just an update meeting. She rubbed at the tension starting in her temples and ran over last night’s events, looking for what else she could have done—should have done.
Be there
, was the only answer that came to her.
She ran up the wide wooden staircase to the second floor and changed into a new pair of black jeans, throwing a jacket and neck scarf over her T-shirt. Andreas would be asleep another seven hours, so she simply waved at the hall camera as she left. Samuel, the weretiger watching the security monitors, would note the time she’d gone out and report it to Andreas when he woke. It was one of the drawbacks she lived with in the vampire’s home: someone else always knew her business. At least by the time she heard from Andreas, she’d be able to tell him what the meeting was all about.
In typical fall fashion, the day was starting off crisp and cool. She tightened her scarf against the brisk wind and jogged the dozen blocks to the Magic Hall. The massive gothic structure, which held the president’s chambers, towered over the surrounding trees, but she slipped into the more modern, attached cultural center and unlocked her office. She put on the coffee pot, downed a quick cup, and still made her appointment on time.
Exactly at eight o’clock, she tapped on the president’s dark oak door and pulled it open when he said, “Enter.”
An aged wizard with a long white beard and rimmed glasses rose to greet her from behind the heavy desk and a pale-haired elf unfolded his lean body from one of the visitors’ chairs.
“I asked Eryndale to join us.”
Eryndale met her gaze briefly. “Ms. Calin.”
Their voices and demeanors didn’t reveal anything, but her back stiffened. What was the elf rep to the Magic Council doing here? He was usually pleasant enough, but he looked somber today and didn’t hold her gaze for long. It was significant the president hadn’t warned her Eryndale would be joining them, but she merely nodded and took the remaining seat. While they were settling again, she waited for them to initiate the conversation.
The president started mildly enough. “We’ve been discussing last night’s bar fight at the Second Chance. I understand it was over by the time you arrived.”
“That’s true. The javeys were dead, and the police were questioning the elves.” Wary of where this was going, she limited her comments to the facts. “I was at the New Life Shelter when I got the page.”
“An emergency no doubt.” The president’s gaze was direct, but she still couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“Not critical, but I was advising a newborn vamp on her rights and responsibilities.” She looked at Eryndale. “It’s part of an orientation program I do before every young vampire goes into our community. They have to know what the law will allow so they don’t make stupid mistakes.” She stopped; she was explaining too much, and beginning to sound like she was defending herself.
“Important work,” the wizard said, “but unfortunate that it delayed your normal rounds last night.”
“Yes, the timing turned out to be bad.” She bit her lip to keep from adding that her schedule was often flexible, had to be with Otherworlders getting in trouble at all hours. That really would have been defensive, and it wouldn’t make last night turn out any better.
“Bad for everyone.” Eryndale leaned forward and spoke for the first time, his voice soft but firm. “Would the outcome have been different if you were there?”
“I think I could have stopped it,” she admitted. “Especially if I’d known when the javeys first arrived in town. But I didn’t.”
The wizard and elf exchanged glances.
“We are a peaceful race by nature,” Eryndale said. “The physical injuries of our elves will heal, but they are experiencing deep feelings of guilt over deaths that weren’t of their choosing.” He eyed her. “I am concerned other incidents will happen, if you remain detached from much of the Otherworld community.”
Ari blinked, stunned by his comment. Where had that come from? “What do you mean by detached?”
The wizard answered. “You’ve been deeply involved with the vampires for months. Perhaps overly involved.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he stopped her with a look. “Your personal relationship with the prince has strengthened the vampires’ ties to the Magic Council—a good thing for us all, and Oliver has proven to be an asset as the new vampire representative—but one magical race, only one segment of your duties, has consumed the majority of your time. Sometimes at the expense of others. Last night is only one example.”
“Name another,” she blurted.
The wizard sighed. “I did not want this to become accusatory, Arianna, but if you remember, I had to call you home from the vampire court in Canada when one of our council members was missing.”
“And I came right away.”
“Yes, you did, but there was a delay of several hours while you were in flight. Your dedication to your duty is not in question. It is your equal availability to all.”
“OK.” She spoke slowly, trying hard to see his viewpoint. “Then I’ll manage my time better.” Who needed sleep anyway?
As if he’d heard her inner dialogue, Eryndale’s mouth tipped up in a brief, reassuring smile. “You’re a valued Guardian, Ari, and you care about the people you protect. You will burn out, if you don’t make some adjustments.” He turned his attention to the wizard. “Now I am the one who is needed elsewhere, Mr. President, but thank you for setting up this meeting. I feel confident the issue will be resolved.” He stood, nodded to Ari, and departed with the characteristic, graceful stride of his race.
The door swung shut, and the wizard spoke with a definite warning in his voice. “Eryndale was kind, as always, but other representatives are less forgiving. Your activities with the vampires have raised criticism within the council before now. It will be worse this time. You must make visible changes.”
Her temper flared, her magic stirring in reaction, and she struggled to keep her tone civil. “Are you trying to dictate my personal life? Is that what this is about? Quit dating Andreas or else?”
The president lowered his brows. “By no means. Your life is your own…within reason. Not when it interferes with the job. I’m merely asking that you spend more time on community matters. Keep better office hours, maintain regular patrols. And make a special effort to mingle with representatives of the other races.” His frown deepened, his look piercing. “If I have to, I will make that an order.”
When she continued to look at him without speaking, he got up, abandoning the formality of his desk, and stopped in front of her, his hands folded at his waist. “I do not fault you for being at the shelter last night, but not knowing the javeys were in town is a serious problem. If you had been talking with or listening to all of our people, someone would have told you.”
She dropped her gaze, thinking hard. Counting back, it had been two days since she’d visited her office. She hadn’t been playing hooky, she was busy. But had she become unapproachable? It seemed so, since the evidence was staring her in the face. She hadn’t known about the javeys.
“How do you know they didn’t just arrive last night?” She was clutching at straws, but she still hoped this was not the problem it seemed.
The wizard leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. “I spent the last two hours finding out. They arrived in Olde Town more than twenty-four hours ago.”
Damn. And not one word said to her. She had a cell phone, so somebody could have called. Steffan, the local werewolf leader. Martin, the Guardian for suburban Riverdale. Why hadn’t her friends called?
Her frown deepened, but she hid the sudden stab of betrayal. “Why didn’t someone from the council tell me?”
“I presume they thought you knew.”
“Because I should have.” She drew in a long breath, letting the anger go. “I’ll fix this.”
The old man’s face lightened for the first time since the meeting began. He stood and moved back behind his desk. “I am pleased to hear that. The consequences otherwise could be more serious than I wish to contemplate.”
Ari mentally shuddered, hearing the warning in his words. Would the council really fire her? What would she do if she was forced to give up the Guardianship? Dazed by the enormity of the thought, she left the Magic Hall without another word and went straight to her office.
* * *
An hour later she had consumed a full pot of coffee and had run through an emotional roller coaster from anger to guilt to denial and back again. She’d reviewed the events of the last year and couldn’t find much she’d change, except for the deaths. And many of those had been out of her hands. As for last night, could she have saved the javeys? She would never know for certain, but a tiny question would always be there. More blood on her hands.
She rubbed her temples to ease the tension and started the paperwork on the fight. Half a page into the report, she realized her mind was somewhere else, deleted it all, and set the keyboard aside. She needed to talk this over with someone. Someone who wasn’t a vampire. Had she really been playing favorites?
Ryan could always be counted on to take her side, but she wanted some honest advice, not a cheerleader. She finally called Martin, the Guardian assigned to the sections of Riverdale outside of Olde Town, where lycanthropes, mostly werewolves and some of the werecat groups, often lived side by side with humans. Considering last night’s incident, the fact that Martin was an elf made his opinion even more valuable.
“Ari, heard you had some excitement.”
His voice seemed friendly enough, which was encouraging. “More than I wanted. It was pretty bad.” She hesitated, then forged ahead. “I suppose you’ve heard I’m in trouble.”
“Not exactly trouble.” He grew more careful, but acknowledged he’d heard the gossip. “If you’re worried about Eryndale or the any of the elves, don’t be. This will blow over. Life is so sacred to us that naturally the elves involved are upset, but they aren’t blaming you. I’d be more concerned about other reps on the council.” He paused. “I think Eryndale was talked into filing a complaint. You know you have enemies among other wolf clans, not our locals, but others that were involved with Steffan’s disappearance last year. The Chicago pack is pretty tight with our werehyenas. And you know how the hyenas are—always ready to make trouble if they can.”
“I had no idea anyone felt this way. How do I fix it? Nobody even told me the javeys were in town.”
“Gosh, Ari, I’m sorry. I should have called, but you usually hear things before I do.”
She shifted uncomfortably, realizing how long it had been since she’d talked with Martin. She should have kept in touch. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I hadn’t noticed I was talking so exclusively to the vampires.”
“While you’re beating yourself up, I might add you’re not good about spreading the info you get.” Martin kept his tone light, yet made a point.
Ouch! Had she become so absorbed in Andreas and the O-Seven that she’d shut out everyone else? Handled things without informing anyone? But wasn’t some of it just doing her job? Where did she draw the line? Keeping the seven most dangerous vampires in the world from making a visit to Riverdale and spreading their brutal dictatorship had to be a priority.
Ari sighed. “I guess I’m not good at sharing.”
“It’s not all your fault. I reckon you’d tell me if I called and asked. It’s something we can both work on,” Martin conceded. “If we get in the habit of touching base once a week, we’ll be more likely to mention the important things when they come up.”
“I like that idea.” She grasped at his solution. Anything to lessen the current hole she’d dug for herself. “How about Monday mornings? I’ll mark it on my calendar. In the meantime, if you need me, I guess you’ll find me at my desk. I’ve been scolded by the wizard and sent to my office.”
Martin chuckled. “You know the old man likes you. This was merely an early warning. Keep your contacts open and continue doing your job. Two months from now, you won’t even remember this.”