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“Rick,” Arturo said darkly, “this will win you nothing, you know that.”
“Think of it as an opening salvo,” Rick said.
I sat back to watch the fireworks.
“You weren’t able to take over when you had an army at your back. What makes you think you can do it using a radio show?”
“Because you weren’t this angry when I had an army,” Rick said.
“You’ll regret taking this fight into the open.”
“I’m not the one who left a warehouse full of bodies for the police.”
“Katherine will regret taking this fight into the open.”
“She understands the risks as well.” Rick and I exchanged a glance, of understanding and resolve. I felt like we were soldiers on the same battlefield. Once more unto the breach, dear friends . . .
“I don’t think she does,” Arturo said, his tone sharp. I could imagine him spitting as he spoke. “You haven’t told her all that the Masters do. Yes, we control the vampires, yes we keep order. But you haven’t told her everything, have you? You haven’t told her about the stakes, about what else is out there, hungry for these cities—” Rick looked uncomfortable, and I knew Arturo was right. Rick hadn’t told me everything. The rant reached a fever pitch. “When Denver falls because you couldn’t hold them back—”
“Why are you so sure I won’t be able to protect this city?” Rick countered.
“What the hell are you guys talking about?” I interrupted, dumbstruck. “Hold what back?”
They both fell silent. Oh, this was the big story. This was the secret lives of vampires coming to light for all to see. “What are you afraid of?” I prompted. “What are vampires afraid of?”
“Losing control,” Rick said softly.
“Control,” I said. “Is that it? Like, freaking out, going nuts, singing show tunes, that sort of control?”
“Vampires are about control,” Rick said.
“Power,” Arturo added. “What kind, and who controls it.”
“I have news for you, guys. That’s what everyone’s about. Most people only aspire to having the power to control their own little lives, but there it is. The only difference is how completely enamored vampires are o
f their own perceived importance.”
Rick started to interrupt. “Kitty—”
“You, too, Rick! You’re not exempt from this. You may be better than most but you’re still sitting here talking about how you know what’s right and you know what’s best. Well I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to start taking the rest of us into account!” Whoa, that rant had been building for a while. I managed not to apologize for it; it needed to be said.
A pause hung for a moment—dead air. My thoughts had scattered, and I quickly marshaled them to try to follow my diatribe with something clever.
But Arturo spoke first. “Rick. You do not have the resolve to play this part. You want a salvo, I will show you a salvo.”
He hung up.
That was when I noticed Matt waving over the board, pointing at his watch. I hadn’t been watching the time, and I’d almost missed the end of the show.
I talked fast. “Right. I have about twenty seconds to explain what just happened. I’m not sure I can, except to say that yes, Ricardo here’s a friend of mine and he’s got some rivals out there. Any of you looking to vampirism to solve your problems, keep that in mind. You’ll only trade one set for another. Stay safe out there and I’ll return next week. This is Kitty Norville, voice of the night.”
The on-air sign dimmed, and I could see Matt’s sigh of relief from here.
“You’re right, of course,” Rick said quietly. “We’ve spent centuries ruling our worlds at the expense of others. It’s a hard habit to break.”
I tried to make my smile friendly. “Nice of you to say so. But we’ll have to discuss the political philosophy of the whole thing later. Remember, that was only phase one.”
Matt came in from the booth. “Kitty, what’s going on?”
