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Camille and Delilah stared at her. I was right there with them.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Camille’s voice cut through the silence with a resounding trill.
“I’d like to know that myself.” Delilah stood and moved toward Shade. “You’ve never told me anything about your family.”
“Dragons are tight-lipped, my dear werecat.” Vishana leaned forward, leisurely resting her elbow on the arm of the recliner, and her chin on her hand. “I doubt if Iampaatar has told Camille as much as he perhaps should have.”
Lash looked crestfallen. “I didn’t realize…”
“This is not a problem.” Shade let out a sigh. “The only reason I haven’t said anything, Lash, is that I hate what Father does. You know this.”
Lash let out an exasperated sigh. “This again? Are you going to forever carry a grudge against him because of what he chooses to do?”
“What he does is what he is.” Shade’s normally tranquil expression took a leap south and he turned away. “Delilah, I think we have rounds to make on the property. Lady Vishana, Honorable Wing Liege, please grant me leave?”
Vishana stared at him thoughtfully, then nodded. “You are excused.”
Shade practically dragged Delilah out of the room. Lash watched them go, then turned back to us, flustered.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to air any family laundry.”
“What’s the Jury of the Damned?” I got tired of standing and took a seat on one of the ottomans, crossing my legs.
“Why don’t you enlighten the girls?” Vishana looked as though she might be enjoying this little tiff. I wondered about her for a moment. But then again—she was dragon and that right there was explanation enough.
Lash looked like she wished she’d never opened up this can of worms, but it was too late to put the lid back on.
“The Jury of the Damned is a court in the Netherworld, where the restless spirits are judged and dealt with. The angry ghosts are taken to the Ocean of Anger and linked to it in ritual. This keeps their residual anger from spilling over into the rest of the Netherworld. The mourning ghosts are assigned a wailing spot. And so forth. Father sits on the jury as the lead Elder.” She shifted uncomfortably.
“Do the spirits have to obey the Jury?” I had a feeling she wasn’t being totally up front with us.
Lash rubbed her hand on the back of the chair. “Yes.”
“What happens if they don’t?” Camille asked.
“Yes, why don’t you tell us what your father is known for?” Vishana’s eyes flashed and the cat-chasing-the-mouse came out, full force.
“You already know?” Lash jerked her head up, fear clouding her eyes.
“Oh, most certainly I do. And trust me, it suits your brother’s reputation in the Dragon Reaches that he removes himself from the office. His connection with the Autumn Lord is acceptable but…”
Okay, that sounded like a threat. And if Smoky’s mother was threatening Shade’s sister, I wanted to know the reason for it.
After a long, awkward pause, Lash let out a long sigh. “Our father is known as the Enforcer. He punishes the ghosts who do not obey. I work for him—I’m learning to do what he does.”
Vanzir, who had been silently watching the scene, stepped forward. “You have the gift, don’t you? You can unleash pain on noncorporeal entities?”
Lash covered her face. “I inherited it. Shade did, too, but he chose to walk away from the family when Father wanted him to follow in his footsteps. Stradolans are able to wreak havoc on the spirit world—to administer pain, to trap and contain spirits. As I said, I took after my father and inherited his nature, while Shade followed in Mother’s footsteps.”
“So you punish the spirits who disobey.” Vishana stood then, rearing up to her full height. “You trap them, then torture them until they submit.”
The way she put it made Lash and her father sound like monsters. And I wasn’t sure they weren’t—but we knew nothing of the politics among the dead, and the Netherworld was as alien as the moon. I tried to reserve my judgment.
“Yes. Yes, we do. It is the way. It is the nature of the Netherworld. My father is honored for his talent and I choose to follow his path.” Lash stared at the silver dragon defiantly, but her bottom lip still trembled.
“Then own it, girl. Own it and stand behind it. As distasteful as I find the idea, claim it and be proud of what you do. If you apologize for it or attempt to conceal it, you will only arouse suspicion.” And as abruptly as she’d focused in on Lash, Vishana dismissed her with a wave of the hand. “Camille, where are the Knights?”
Camille cleared her throat, looking as startled as everyone else.
