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Cora
I was terrified when Marco and Etta didn’t return before the sun rose, but Venom assured me I would cause all kinds of problems rushing off like I was going to rescue them. However, as we approached the time they should be rising, I worried more and more.
And then I felt them, all at once, but it wasn’t as if they’d just risen, more like they’d been awake and in a faraday cage, and someone had turned it off.
Are the two of you okay? I asked.
Perfect. Marco answered, his voice strong and clear. We’re on our way to you. Open the door when you sense me close, but not before.
When they stepped into our suite, their scents were wrong. I backed away from them, and I noted Ranger got into position to protect me if things went to shit, while Furio got into position to protect whoever might need it of the five of us. Venom stepped up beside me, and the two of us let Marco and Etta into the room, but they weren’t coming any further than the seating area until we understood the problem.
“What do you sense?” Marco asked.
I shook my head. “You tell me.”
He lifted a brow but didn’t say anything, so I added, “Your scents are all wrong.”
Etta sighed. “I imagine they are, and I’m not sure a shower is going to fix that, but I need a shower.” She met my gaze. “It isn’t that I want one, or that I’d like to shower before we talk, but I need a shower. You’re welcome to follow us in and either shower with us or talk to us from outside the shower, but I have a feeling Marco will feel the same way.”
“Not as badly as you, apparently, but yes, I’d like one sooner rather than later. You go first, and I’ll follow.” We let Etta walk around us, and Marco told us, “Short version now, long version later. Alaric insisted we put skin suits on, in a manner we couldn’t refuse without possible violence. I’d like to tell you it was awful, but we sat and watched the sun rise, and then we gorged on every breakfast food known on every continent. The food is not settling well now that I’m back in vampire form, but I’ll deal with it.”
“Clearly, they’re trying to drum up support for their vile creation,” Furio said from beside me, and I completely agreed, but I wasn’t sure that was where the conversation needed to go just yet.
“The food might be part of what I’m picking up, but it’s more than that. Possibly the magic of the suit, possibly whatever is left of the human’s essence. If so, I have to wonder what sort of humans they were, because Furio isn’t wrong to call it vile. So, the question I have is whether the evil I’m scenting is from the suit itself, or the type of human they killed and skinned. If it’s from the human, then I understand why they were going for the homeless rather than finding serial killers and skinning them.”
“I never scented evil,” Marco said. “I’d have at least tried to refuse putting the suit on if I scented evil.”
“Could Alaric have blocked your ability to scent it before you put it on?” I asked.
“He’s older than dirt,” Venom said from beside me. “It’s probably child’s play for him — as easy as it is for us to do so to humans.”
Marco blew out a breath, and it seemed more human than it had from him in the past. His hours of mandatory breathing seemed to have made more of an impact than he probably realized. “I’d like that shower, now.”
When he was gone, Ranger returned to the desk and continued with whatever he’d been doing on his laptop, but the rest of us just kind of stared at each other, waiting for someone to say something.
Furio finally asked me, “You going to notify His Majesty?”
“Eventually, probably, but it would be better if he hears it from Marco, so I’ll give him time to do so. Also, we’ll want Etta to have a chance to tell Ryan, so the slayer doesn’t hear it from someone besides her.”
“Does this mean they’re ready to go semi-public with the information?” Furio asked.
It was a good question. The immediate assumption was that they were, but on second thought, maybe not. “They’ll know Marco and Etta won’t want it widely known they put the suits on, so perhaps not. This will get it out to the important people, but…” I sighed. “I won’t tell Nathan they wore the suits, and I’m not sure if Marco is going to offer that information up, either. I’ll have to tell Nathan the Concilio has at least two working suits, and likely more, but I’ll figure out a way to tell him without lying to him, but also without giving him more information than he absolutely needs.”
As part-owner of Drake Security, Nathan needed to know. Also, technically, I’m still an employee, and he’s still my boss, but it’s more than that, now. We’re family of a sort, through Kirsten, on top of being friends. I hoped Marco would want to share it all with him, but if he didn’t, I’d have to ride the line of where my loyalties landed.
I pulled on Marco’s power and told everyone in the room, “No one communicates with anyone outside this room about anything until we’ve decided what to share and how to do so.”
All of them except Ranger were bound to Marco, which meant when I gave the order with his power, it was as if he gave it, and they had no choice but to obey.
And Ranger would obey me because I’m his Alpha.
The bathroom door was open about an inch, but I knocked and waited for Etta to tell me to come in before I entered. She was in a red robe, her wet hair in a towel, and I nodded to her and walked to the shower to check on Marco. He was washing his hair, and I turned back to Etta.
“We need a serious strategy session. You’ll want to talk to Ryan sooner rather than later, so he doesn’t hear it from someone else first. Nathan and Mordecai need to know there are two working suits, but I’m not sure it’s necessary they know the two of you wore them.”
“I don’t want to lie to Ryan,” Etta said, “but I’m not sure I want to tell him the entire truth, either.”
“That isn’t your decision, Etta dear,” Marco said from the shower. “Cora pulled on my power to keep the others from talking to anyone outside this room until we’ve all decided on what to share and with whom, and I’m going to pull rank and tell you that you’ll only share what I allow as well.”
