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Soft words came to her, a whisper from deep in her soul, so deep she didn’t at first hear them, but they repeated, spoken in that same masculine voice, Tend to Havily’s dreams.
The future gains peace,
In the resolution of the past.
—Collected Proverbs, Beatrice of Fourth
Chapter 25
The next morning Alison folded to Endelle’s office complex and at first stood stunned outside the massive pyramid-like buildings, each structure embellished with lush hanging gardens on every floor. This truly was a new world, one she hoped she’d be able to explore, one that valued horticulture as an art form.
She entered the building along with a variety of administrative and executive types. She rode the elevator to the top floor.
SWWL SUPREME HIGH ADMINISTRATOR OF SECOND EARTH was printed in absurdly tall gold lettering on a long bank of plate-glass windows.
Tacky, Alison thought.
But quite typical.
The doors swished open, and as she crossed the threshold she was aware of tremendous chaos. A sea of desks spread out in front of her, all occupied, all weighed down with paper. There were no plants in sight, no color on the walls, no pictures of family members. She thought of the classic film Nine to Five.
Toward the back, bundles of papers were stacked everywhere, giving the environment the look of a recycling plant doing a very poor job.
Even so, she could feel an electric excitement in the air and wondered what was going on.
Almost as one, the brigade of administrative assistants, male and female, rose in a sudden wave and applauded in her direction. She turned around to see what kind of dignitary had arrived, perhaps even one of the warriors, but no one was there. She turned back around and found all eyes on her. Oh. The applause was meant for her. She could not have been more astonished. Nor could she keep a blush from warming her cheeks.
She put a hand to her chest and drew in a deep breath. She worked to keep tears from flooding her eyes. She gave a little wave and smiled, not certain what else to do.
Whistles followed. The applause grew louder. Executives from various offices opened doors and also put their hands together.
An assistant, a female, with curly brown hair, approached her. The young woman quieted everyone with two raised hands. She turned to face Alison. “We have been anticipating your arrival, ascender Wells. We welcome you to Second Earth and to our offices. We wish you every blessing as you serve Madame Supreme High Administrator. Again, welcome.”
“Thank you so much.”
The applause once again thundered through the long crammed space and only stopped when Madame Endelle appeared at the end of the corridor off to the left. The slight bristling of her enormous wings, gold this time, sent everyone back to work.
Once she had managed her staff, she addressed Alison, “Well, I sure as hell hope you’re ready for this.” She drew her wings abruptly into her wing-locks, a movement that caused a breeze to flow over Alison as well as a slight scent of animal. Oh, she wore a skirt bearing stripes, similar pelts of some sort, all stitched together, made up of … raccoon, maybe?
“We might as well get started. Take these.”
She waved her hand and an old-fashioned stenographer’s pad and pen appeared in the air in front of Alison. She grabbed them as they started to fall, then she laughed. Had Her Supremeness not heard of a laptop?
She led her down a long hall of offices to a massive executive suite at the very end. With zebra hides scattered over the floor, the room reflected an essential part of Endelle’s unique persona. A massive slab of white marble formed the top of her desk and was supported by … elephant tusks?
“Woolly mammoth,” Endelle said. She dropped into her black chair draped with what looked like an Appaloosa horsehide. She narrowed her eyes at Alison. “Now, let’s get one thing straight. I’m in charge and there will be a lot of paperwork and legal issues to resolve before you are granted guardian status. So don’t even think about taking a high tone with me or making any more f**king demands. You will do as you are told for a good long while.”
“Yes, Madame Endelle.”
Alison couldn’t repine. She had what she desired most, a place in a society that accepted her bizarre range of powers, and a real hottie of a vampire for a boyfriend who adored making love to her, taking her blood, and exploring her mind. She still reeled from waking up this morning to his body stroking hers then his tongue doing such things … okay, better to stay focused on the business at hand.
“No. Go right ahead,” Endelle said, having clearly dipped into her mind. “I think you just made my day.”
Alison guarded her thoughts, blanking out in order to keep her private life private. She set her mind to a mundane recollection of other things she had done, like putting cups in the dishwasher this morning. Top row. Right side.
Endelle rolled her eyes. “You are no fun at all.”
Plates stacked on the bottom. We need more coffee since Kerrick prefers his like mud. Maybe purchase a second coffeemaker for me. I wonder what the grocery stores on Second look like. I think I’II bring flowers home tonight.
“Enough,” Endelle cried. “You will bore me into the grave if you keep going.”
Alison smiled. She was grateful, brim-full of thanksgiving for her new life. She was happy to be across from She Who Would Live. No, she could not repine, and right now, if Endelle asked her, she’d drop down and kiss the woman’s feet.
Endelle’s laughter chimed through the room. “That won’t be necessary,” she said. She trilled her laughter anew. “All right, let’s talk about what I expect of you.”
Alison sat down opposite her and listened. She Who Would Live spoke long and eloquently about the nature of her duties, which covered everything from fetching Starbucks from Mortal Earth to visiting High Administrators around the globe. “And I want you to teach those idiots at the training camps how to throw a proper hand-blast.
“All in all, I’m glad you’ve come, Alison. I trust I don’t have to tell you how important it is that nothing I say to you from this moment on leaves either this room or your mind. Do you understand?”
“Of course,” Alison said.
Endelle formed a shield around them both then clasped her hands together on the desk. “Now, let’s talk about Leto.”
* * *
That night, Kerrick sat at the bar at the Blood and Bite, the music off for the moment, the strobes quiet. Only a few couples moved around on the dance floor pretending the music still played.
