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I understand, Master, she finally telepathed.Where shall I take my repose, if I can’t have knowledge of the hidey-holes at the coterie mansion or the theater?
Two of the hotels in town had vampire available rooms. He flashed an image of both of them to her and told her the code to use when reserving a room. The code would only put her into one of those rooms, it would not pay for it. She was on her own to house herself, now.
He spoke out loud so the others could hear, and gave her the name of a swan shifter realtor before adding, “In one year, you can ask to be housed in the theater, but you won’t be allowed back in the coterie mansion until you can do something to convince me of your loyalty.”
The young vampire hadn’t built up a fortune yet. She’d have to liquidate her investments and still likely go into debt to purchase a home and create a safe daytime resting place. She’d also need to purchase a car, since she wouldn’t be riding with her coworkers in the coterie-provided van. Most of the punishment was in having to live alone, though, and not with the coterie group. Still, he was allowing her to stay and work in the theater, which he considered rather magnanimous. The old Gavin would’ve sent her out of the theater and told her she had an hour to be out of his territory or her life was forfeit.
It wasn’t practical for her to kneel, so she stood and bowed low. “Thank you for allowing me to stay in your territory, Master Gavin. There aren’t many performance opportunities available for vampires, and I’ve missed the stage.”
He gave a nod, she sat down, and he looked to an owl shifter near the back of the room. The man stood and said, “Master Gavin. I’ve been dating another owl shifter just over the state line, in Arkansas. I’ve met her family, and I’m almost positive I scented her father during the fighting. If she’s part of this then it’s possible I’ve unknowingly given information away. I can’t remember anything specific, but I’d like you to go through my memories and look, please.”
“I can certainly do that. Anyone else with a friend in Arkansas?”
Seven hands went up, and Gavin told them, “Thank you all for being forthcoming. I’d like anyone with friends or associates in Arkansas to go to the warm-up room. Anyone who’s local to Branson likely has several — no one will be punished for having a friend in Arkansas, I just need to know if Morella is actively spying.”
Especially since his geeks had verified in the past hour that the opposing army had been brought in through Arkansas.
Chapter 21
Lauren felt like an idiot for letting the vampire rush her. She’d been so sure she could defend herself, but it’d happened too damned fast.
Her arm ached, but the sharp, shooting pains had stopped after a couple of hours. She’d mostly been on the phone handling logistics since she’d been hurt — arranging for food deliveries from Gavin’s warehouse, so no restaurants would know how many people they were housing in the theater.
The cancelled shows were a nightmare. Lauren scheduled an extra show per day to start in two days, so ticketholders for the cancelled shows could get seats. Many of those here on vacation would need a refund, and she set the website up to make it as easy on them as possible. She could also make it difficult, practically impossible to find the link, with a dozen hoops to jump through before they could receive their refund, but it seemed best not to alienate possible future attendees at this juncture.
She worked long into the night before napping on the sofa in her office, and awoke with her arm tender, but not hurting as badly as she expected.
Breakfast was set up in the largest work-out room — a build-your-own sandwich affair, but Lauren went to her desk and started working again. She wasn’t up to facing anyone just yet.
Five minutes after she started working, Queenie brought her an egg salad sandwich, a bottle of orange juice, and a small container of yogurt.
“You had security let you know when I logged in and started working?”
“Guilty as charged. How’s the arm?”
“Aches. I took some aspirin. Wouldn’t mind some tequila, but I have a few hours of work to deal with before I lock my office door and try to get more sleep. You want to bed down in here with me? I’ll even give you your choice of sofa.”
“I napped a few hours before dawn so I could stay awake until Gavin rises.” She pointed to the food she’d brought. “Protein, vitamin C, calcium, and a few other minerals. You need vitamin D as well, so maybe get your mom to pop you to Tennessee for an hour, or somewhere there’s sun that isn’t here. Give your body the building materials it needs to knit new bone or glue the bone together or whatever the hell it needs to do.”
“Thanks. This was thoughtful.”
She shook her head. “Ambrose gets some of the credit — he told me what to bring you. He’s busy helping the hackers right now. He can’t hack, but he’sreallygood at knowing how to aim them. When Gavin rises, he’ll scan everyone’s mind, one at a time, and then they’ll be free to leave. He’ll set up in the weight room because they’ll leave the building after being scanned, and without talking to anyone still here. Let me know if you’re going to pop out, so I can run interference to keep people from knowing you’re gone.”
“I haven’t told mom I broke my arm, and I’d rather not get into that with her until it’s healed. Clearly, I need to work out with fast vampires and not just fast shapeshifters.”
Queenie shook her head. “You’re never going to be quick enough to thwart a vampire from ten feet away. They can move faster than the eye can track them.”
“Have you met Morella?”
“No. I’ve seen pictures and video of her, and was given something with her scent on it, but I haven’t met her.”
“I know I can’t, but I’d like to talk to her. Gavin has changed since he did those things.”
“I don’t think she’ll care.”
“Probably not, but it feels important she knows.”
Queenie’s brows furrowed. “Youthinkshe should know, or youfeelshe should know?”
