Chapter Thirteen - Part One

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

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After having received the biggest reality check of quite some time, for the majority of the meeting afterwards, I was as meek as the gentlest lamb. Pack members trickled forth, slowly but steadily for the next two hours to voice their problems, questions, and appeals while I listened with open ears and attentive focus. I was determined not to give Charles any other reason to admonish or disgrace me. Once was more than enough, thank you.

But then, something happened towards the end of the meeting – something unexpected. And it just so happened to come in the form of an alluring stranger. Pale he was, with skin like smooth porcelain and eyes that were a familiar shade of dark blue. Blonde too, with slightly wavy hair that was long enough to be pulled back from his face. But for now, it hung down to brush the tops of his shoulders instead. He was dressed in a sleek suit, with a stylish trench coat above that. He stood there, silent, but grinning into the monitor, and I wondered if I was imagining that he was only looking at me.

"As a current member of the Vampire Council for Harbor Village, I am here to formally request an informal parley with a member of your Leadership." His accent was European, charming, and smooth like honey. If you closed your eyes you could fall in love, with speech like that.

"Mr. Romaine, it's been quite some time since a member of the Council has approached the Leadership this way." Charles said, with perhaps even more surprise than me.

"Very true, Your Elder. But you've got a new Leader in your midst, and it would be rude of me not to extend her a proper welcome to our town. Actually, I'm embarrassed that it's taken me this long."

Her. He said 'her'. Which meant that he was referring to me, just as I had suspected.

"Very well, Mr. Romaine." Charles replied, with reluctance. "Are you proposing a meeting?"

"Yes. Well, celebration more like. Problem is, I've only got the one invitation left..."

My heart skipped a few beats as I realized that this couldn't be anyone else but Johl Romaine, Tidus' youngest brother.

"No offense, Councilor Romaine, but I hardly think it's the best idea to leave our youngest, not to mention greenest member of the Leadership alone with you – or any other members of your Council."

It was Ethan's dad that had spoken, but I had a hard time believing that his motives were completely pure. I had a feeling he had only said it to protect his son's investment. He didn't need any other roosters clucking around the hen house, so to speak.

"Honestly, I'd invite you all but I'm a houseguest of my brother, and he's actually rather shy. In large crowds he tends to get wound up and paranoid, and then people get eaten...." Johl sucked through his teeth and then shook his head with a long-suffering sigh. "Awful mess and don't get me started on the cleanup..."

I covered my mouth with a hand to hide my amusement.

"In reality, ladies and gentleman, I'm just having a very small gathering for a handful of friends. And honestly, one more may be company, but inviting the rest of you would just be a fucking crowd. I hope you understand?"

But none of them did. I could tell by the stunned, amazed looks on all of their faces. All except for Ethan and his father, that is. Mathew was simply angry, but Ethan was jealous to his very bones. It was one of the strongest emotions that I had picked up from him to date.

"So you're asking me to go to your party?"

Stupid question, but I really needed to hear him clarify it aloud.

"Naomi, you would be my guest of honor." he said, with humbleness and a smile. "Well, not really, but still. You should come."

His smirk was self-satisfied, with a wayward quality. But I wasn't to be fooled, even if the intrigue was still there. I guessed that Tidus had a conversation with his younger brother about my new alliance to the Council, so perhaps Johl was really here as a test. Maybe he just wanted to see how strong my allegiance was, and whether I could openly defy my own Leadership.

And then I wondered if Tidus had said anything to Johl about Claudia and her visions. And for this reason, briefly, I considered saying no. No doubt this would please Charles, or Mathew and Ethan at the very least. But then again, I would look untrustworthy to the two brothers if Tidus had indeed spilled the proverbial beans. And that wouldn't look good on my part at all.

"Ok," I said. "I'll be there. I'm looking forward to it."

"Excellent. This Wednesday night, eight-thirty, at Ripley Hall. And wear something in black. I think I'd really like you in it."

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There were no other appointments after Johl, so the meeting was ended not long afterwards. But the strain still remained heavy in the air. I rose from my chair and gathered my jacket and purse swiftly. My goal was to make it to the elevators before any of the others. And I didn't care about how rude it would look to take the only elevator, alone, even though we could all fit together. My only goal was to get away from the others before they could start asking questions I couldn't afford to answer truthfully.

But Charles was on to me.

"Naomi," he called sharply, before I had even made it halfway across the room. I rolled my eyes and silently cursed my luck before turning around again and re-approaching the table. The others were already shifting away from us, talking quietly amongst themselves. Ethan however was making his way to the elevators. He obviously had in mind the same idea that I had – escape. He was annoyed, irritated, frustrated and angry, and in that moment he wanted nothing to do with me, which was why he wasn't waiting.

"I'm not sure how, but you seem to have gotten yourself mixed up in business that is out of even your realm of expertise." he said tightly.

"Well, don't sugar coat it, Elder," I said in a lazy, mordant drawl. "Please, speak whatever it is that's on your mind..."

"I won't bother asking you why a member of the Council is suddenly interested in you." he replied, choosing to take the more adult-like path and ignore my jibes. "I've heard rumors that you were consorting with Vampires, but I hadn't thought it to be true until now."

"And how would you know if I've been 'consorting with Vampires'?" I asked, remembering Addy's text that I had received while away in New York. "Who told you that?"

A sudden thought crossed my mind, and I looked back just in time to see Ethan's guilty face before the elevator swallowed him. Of course. It made perfect sense. He had, after all, been upset about my decision to go with Tidus to New York, and who was to say he didn't have enough spite needed to give my grandfather a quick phone call? He might have kept his word about not mentioning the visions, but that didn't mean he hadn't told the Elder anything else. I didn't know why I hadn't suspected him earlier. Perhaps he really was cleverer than me.

Just the thought of Ethan's chin-wagging made me glad he wasn't around to choke him. He had sold me out, the dirty rat, but at the same time I couldn't blame him. Not entirely, anyway. In his jealousy over Tidus, and my intentional actions in shutting him out, I had driven him to get my attention the best way he knew how. He was acting out to protect me and keep me close to him. Childish, of course. But Ethan was cunning too, and once again someone that I had clearly miscalculated.

"How did you know that the Witches on Maple are triplets?" Charles replied evenly.

Touché.

"Word of mouth. Are you going to put me on a leash now, grandfather?" I replied loudly, laying it on thick with the familial tie because I knew he would hate it. "Are you so worried about what I might do and who I might talk to, that you have to keep tabs on me?"

"Any Pack member of mine that chooses to associate with Vampires outside of the Leadership's knowledge is worthy of investigation. But now, at this point, I'm more concerned with finding out why they're suddenly interested in you. They're dangerous, and I don't think you know what it is you're doing."

Carefully, I pondered over my next few words, making brief eye contact with Sofia, who was watching openly from the other end of the room.

"Your concern is duly noted, but I can't say why it is the Romaine family are so interested in me." I said calmly, returning my attention back to him. "But I'm more than happy to go and find out on Sunday. I'd bring back doggy bags for the rest of you, but, somehow, I don't think Vampires are very fond of shrimp puffs..."

I turned on my heel and marched to the elevator, passing Sofia along the way. I jabbed the call button with my finger, knowing that there were at least two pairs of angry eyes on my back as I waited for the doors to open. Still fuming, I stepped inside and locked eyes with Sofia. And the smile that she gave before the doors closed was vile enough to turn fresh milk, successfully sending me on my way with the creeps for company.

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With murderous thoughts, I was free of the hotel, and with a quick scan I picked out Ethan's car, still parked in the lot across the street. He stood a few feet away from it now, with hands in his pockets, simply watching and waiting.

So he hadn't bailed on me again – kudos to him for that. But he had also sold me out, and I was in no mood for dishing out passes.

"You stupid, selfish, jerk." I accused on approach. "It's just one thing after another with you, isn't it? I trust you with just a little bit of information and you sell me out –"

"Mimi, will you just let me explain first?" Ethan said, in a low voice, looking around him as though afraid someone important might hear. "I admit, yeah, I was angry. But I was also worried about you. So I told my Dad about Claudia and Tidus, and how you went with him to New York. But I never said anything about the visions – I swear. And, I don't know, I guess my dad must have mentioned what I said to Charles. I wanted to tell you that night you went to New York, but you hung up on me before I had the chance."

An apology – a fair one – but regardless, I pushed him away roughly when he drew nearer.

"Ethan, what will it take for you to understand that I can look after myself? You don't know how much trouble your 'helping' could end up causing me! Just please back off!"

"But if you're in danger, how can you expect me to do that?" he insisted, getting angry himself. "Because, I actually do give a damn what happens to you."

"Really?" I asked, believing him but not wanting to. "Well if there's any truth to that, then you can prove it by making sure that nothing else gets back to the Elder. I mean it, Ethan. Not a word."

"Why?" he demanded. "Mimi, just tell me why you can't trust him, please."

I sighed and looked into his clear, thoughtful eyes, realizing that I had no choice now but to reveal to him the details of how the Elder had asked my best friend to spy on me, and that I was afraid the Elder would use my note to fuel his own private war against the Vampires. It was the only way to ensure that Ethan would never divulge anything to the Elder again.

"So do you see now why I can't trust him?" I said, after recounting to him what I had previously held back. "Charles is looking for any excuse to be rid of the Vampires. You tell him about the visions or the note, and he will jump all over it. This could get people killed, Ethan. And I don't know about you, but I don't think I could sleep at night with all that blood on my hands."

"Right," Ethan said tightly, as a muscle twitched in his jaw. "But I'm supposed to live with your blood on my hands though? Because if something happens to you because I didn't say anything when I could've, it'll end up being my fault –"

"As long as you just trust me from here on out, then nothing bad is going to happen." I insisted. We can't have the Garou pitted against the Revenant just because of a silly note and a bunch of useless visions –"

"Wait." Ethan said in a low voice. I looked over my shoulder, glancing up the street at the hotel to see what it was that he had noticed.

Sofia and Charles were on their way out, and they would notice us soon. And whether or not they would have more to discuss about earlier events, I wasn't willing to stick around and find out.

"Let's just get out of here." I said with a sigh, and opened the passenger door to Ethan's car.

"Thank god. Anywhere in particular?" he asked, with relief.

"I don't know yet. Just drive."

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After a while of aimless driving and edgy silence, Ethan pulled the car over on a shady, quiet street. He turned off the ignition and took out the keys, tossing them in his hands as he waited patiently. I would be the first to speak, we both knew.