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“No, of course not. Never.” A murmur of approval went around the table.
When Endelle sat down, Thorne stood up and addressed his men, his gravel voice restating both cases, the need for another warrior and yet the critical need for someone with executive ability to combat all the other fronts on which Greaves operated, all those ways he was currently winning his bid for world domination.
The discussion lasted a good long hour as Marcus answered numerous questions about his financial empire, how he’d built it, his basic philosophies, and if he felt he could make a significant contribution as a High Administrator. The second hour involved even more discussion about just what kinds of measures Marcus would take if he were to become a High Administrator.
When the subject wore itself out, when there were no more comments to be made, pro or con, Medichi served up a massive strawberry cake as well as glasses of Dom Perignon.
When the last of the cake had been devoured and the last drop of champagne swallowed, Endelle rose to her feet once more. “Well, boys, I have darkening work to get to. As for you, Marcus, don’t wear your woman out tonight. Come to my offices tomorrow about nine. Thorne, you as well. We’ll discuss this situation further. Agreed?”
Both men nodded.
She wasn’t an easy woman, Madame Supreme High Administrator, but she was the right woman to command the Warriors of the Blood. She lifted a hand, flipped them all off, then dematerialized. Laughter and a shaking of heads traveled around the table.
Thorne called the meeting and birthday celebration to a conclusion by saying, “Well, men, we have some blue skin to off. Everyone to the Blood and Bite … at will.”
One by one, the warriors came to Marcus and clapped him on the shoulder, or grabbed his palm, afterward folding away.
Luken was next to last and shoved Marcus’s palm away in order to torment him by grabbing Havily up in a hug. Havily laughed. She held on to Luken a little longer than she normally would have. She felt sad suddenly, knowing how Luken felt. The warrior was so deserving.
He let her go first, met her gaze for a long meaningful moment, then lifted his arm. He offered a wink as he disappeared. She had the strangest thought that she would miss him, really miss him, and not just because she was now with Marcus or because a lot of her time would be spent with Endelle in the darkening. The future blew over her, chilling her. She shivered, but then a moment later, the sensation disappeared.
Okay, that was weird.
Marcus leaned close. “You okay?”
She nodded and smiled. She gave herself a shake. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Good.”
Kerrick approached last, with Alison on his arm. The two men just stared at each other for a long hard moment. Simultaneously, as Marcus raised his hand, Kerrick’s palm slapped hard against his, then he drew him in for a tight man-hug. “Welcome home, my brother.”
Marcus nodded as though everything had already been settled between them, but when and how?
Alison met Havily’s gaze, and her eyes were misty as she smiled. “Marcus stopped by earlier,” she explained.
“Oh,” Havily whispered. She glanced at Marcus and couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes as well.
Kerrick released Marcus. “Come over in a week or so, to the house. There’s something I’d like to show you.” He shifted his gaze to Havily. “We’d love it if you both came.”
The time and date were set. Alison settled her head on Kerrick’s shoulder and, as he slung an arm around his breh, the pair vanished.
Only Parisa and Medichi remained. They stood at opposite corners of the table not looking at each other. Parisa stared at the table and ran her finger around the rim of her champagne glass. Medichi had his back to her, looking out the window to the front yard, his expression resolute.
Marcus slid an arm around Havily’s waist. In a quiet voice, he asked, “Will you come with me to Bainbridge? I asked Madame Endelle to prep the house for us.”
Havily met his gaze. He seemed … strained, even uneasy. “Prepped?” she asked.
“Misted.”
“Oh.” She tilted her head and leaned close. She whispered, “That’s where we…”
His smile was crooked as he nodded. “Yeah. For four months.”
Her cheeks warmed up.
“There’s something I need to say to you, Havily, and I want to say it there, where so much of this, between us, began. Will you come with me?”
There was no question in her mind. “Of course.”
He nodded, and his smiled broadened. “Good.” He turned to Medichi and asked, “You okay with us taking off tonight?”
The tall warrior turned to look at him. His eyes had a haunted look, which sliced to Parisa then back. “Go,” he said. “I’ve got things here.”
Parisa stepped forward, her hips hitting the table. “When will you come back?” she asked quickly.
Havily glanced at Marcus, but she made the decision by herself. She could see the panic rising in Parisa’s eyes. “I’ll be here by eight in the morning. Would you like to come to the office with me? We have a library on the second floor of the admin building you might be interested in seeing.”
Parisa smiled, but her lips trembled. “That would be great. Yes. Yes. I would like that.”
Havily knew exactly what she was feeling right now because she’d been in that place four months ago, overwhelmed with all these new, improbable sensations and yearnings. All of it made worse, of course, because Parisa had arrived on Second Earth only a handful of days ago, so, yeah, the breh-hedden was taking one heavy toll.
Parisa then turned to Medichi and, with her shoulders squared and her chin up, she said, “If it would be all right with you, I’d like to study in your library again.”
“Of course.”
Once more the tension between the ascendiate and Medichi thickened as she left the room. Medichi waited for a count of five, cursed, then followed in her wake. Havily had never seen him look more determined, nor more miserable.
“It will all work out,” Marcus said quietly as they disappeared into the adjoining sitting room.
“I know,” Havily whispered.
When their footsteps echoed across the planked floor of the foyer, Marcus squeezed her waist. “Ready?” he asked.
Havily felt the weight of the world in that one question. Was she ready?
Oh, God. Was this it? Was it possible they would decide right now to complete the breh-hedden?
She nodded, and the vibration began.
