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The tension in the room ratcheted up when the five vampyrs I’d hidden from in the park walked in. From the looks they were getting – a mix of curiosity and caution – I guessed they weren’t local. ‘What do we have here?’ The leader stalked forward and sneered at me.
‘A queue,’ I responded, gesturing behind me. ‘Perhaps the concept has passed you by. What you do is stand in a line and wait your turn. Or is common courtesy beyond vampyrs?’
He sneered some more and opened his mouth to deliver an undoubtedly witty response. Maxwell sauntered over. ‘Problem?’ he asked the vampyr coldly.
‘And you are?’
‘I’m master of this hall,’ Maxwell narrowed his eyes. ‘You must not be in need of a portal.’ He leaned against a table, arms folded, and levelled a hard stare at the vampyr.
The vampyr faltered and exchanged glances with his pals. He cleared his throat. ‘No disrespect was intended.’
‘I should hope not, because the nearest portal is thirty minutes’ drive away. And you’re about to enter Common, and she is about to enter the Other.’
‘She stinks of wolf,’ he snarled.
‘You must be young,’ Maxwell said insultingly. ‘The sanctity of the halls stands. Either you respect the rules, or you can go to another portal.’
The vampyr leader grimaced but appeared to simmer down. ‘Fine,’ he muttered.
‘Fine,’ Maxwell agreed. ‘The back of the queue is over there.’ He put half a dozen witches and dryads between us.
‘Thanks,’ I murmured.
Maxwell winked. ‘As special as you are to me, I’d do that for anyone. No fighting in the halls. You all need to know that if you try anything, the elementals will rain fire down on your heads. Literally. Retribution is swift and decisive when the sanctity of a hall is broken. It’s been a while since I’ve rained hellfire, but I’d be happy for the excuse.’ He spoke loudly so the whole café could hear. We all took the hint: Roscoe might be away, but Maxwell was stepping up to the plate.
He gave the barest of nods to two of his elemental cronies and they strolled past the vampyrs. The elementals wouldn’tbringtrouble, but they had no issue with ending it. I took out my phone, surreptitiously got a shot of the asshole vampyr and sent it to Jess.
He’s a vamp with a chip on his shoulder. Can you find out who he is? X
I got a quick response:On it x
I know that Maxwell is a big, bad fire elemental but he always comes across as friendly and easy going so I sometimes forget the power he wields. I reminded myself that people are like onions, made up of many layers, and that the Other isdangerous.Thatwas something I’d realised as soon as I became aware of it, but recent events had superseded that awareness and I’d been more focused on pack issues than Other issues. This was a timely reminder that I couldn’t bury my head in the sand.
Luckily, politics are something that come naturally to me, so I could bump them up my priorities’ list. I made a mental note to amend my spreadsheet later. Pack relations were important, but so was securing more allies. It would also be helpful if my pack could have a unique selling point, a USP, that made us a desired ally. It was something to think about.
When I strolled through the portal, Esme joined me on the Other side.Hey!I greeted her joyfully.
Hello, Lucy.She felt my annoyance and I flashed up the memory of the vampy asshole.
She asked eagerly,Can we go and taunt the vampyrs some more?
Best not.I sighed reluctantly.We don’t want to piss off Maxwell.
No,she agreed.He is an admirable hunter.
Let’s go home and see what the brethren are doing.
Securing our den, no doubt.Esme is so literal.
No doubt,I agreed.
I waited for Archie to pass through the portal, then we went out to my car. As I drove home, I made light conversation. ‘Still no idea who attacked you?’ I asked.
‘None. I’m sorry. The last thing I remember is the feast in the hall.’
‘No problem. We’ll work it out,’ I offered reassuringly.
‘He can bunk with me until we work out why he’s a target,’ Liam suggested.
