She heaved a breath. "I'm alive. That's in the win column. Now, will you tell me what the heck is going on with Enyo?"

"I am...restricted."

"You? How? I need to know what I'm dealing with, Vater."

"Ah, love can turn a man's head. It's a geas."

Rowan blinked hard. "You're restricted by a geas? She created it? Enyo?"

He nodded. "Thousands of years ago. As I said, she was singular. I never had any imaginings that things would simply not work out. Who would I have told and for what purpose? It seemed inconceivable then that I would be alive today. The very concept of the Vampire Nation was a pa.s.sing fancy in those days. She needed protection. I cared for her and wanted to protect her. But now it leaves the most important person in my life in danger, and for that I am sorry."

"I don't know what to say when you're like this." She was fairly sure that she shouldn't have risked being so open with him. But it was out there now.

He chuckled softly. "That makes two of us, Petal. Be very careful of her."

"She's a witch."

He said nothing. He would have denied it, could have denied it, if it hadn't been true.

"I'm generally immune because of Brigid, but I'll keep my eyes open for sure. I just want to get dinner over with and the vote taken. The entire purpose of this trip is that amendment. It's my main goal. Once that's done, whatever happens happens. But until then I have this stuff hanging over my head."

"I'm very proud of you, Rowan. You have handled this entire situation with much skill and finesse. When this is over, I would very much like it if you'd come here to stay. Not out of obligation. A week. Come in July when it's warm. Cook will ply you with all your favorites. Recht tells me your training is quite good. You'll let me watch you with him this time. Bring Clive, too. We can scare him for fun."

"Don't tell him this, but I like him, so while it's fun to yank his chain, I think if you did it, it might make him have a heart attack or something."

He turned her back toward the house. "Fine. Will you come back then? A real visit?"

"I can probably get away for a week. But not until August or early September. Summer in Las Vegas should be quiet because it's hotter than the surface of the sun, but it makes the Vampires crazy and the dust devils get up to stuff. I don't know exactly what, but it's enough to keep me on my toes."

"All right. You promised. If you don't I will come to you and then there'll be a diplomatic incident and everyone will throw a tantrum and it will make everyone nervous. I hate to travel, Petal. You know that."

He was so spoiled.

"All right. I need to run upstairs to change before dinner. My shirt is shredded, and I've got blood and venom on my pants too."

He kissed her check and pushed her toward the stairs. "Don't make me wait. I find myself famished."

She kept herself together until she stood in her room. Totally naked, clothes on her bed waiting for her, she started to shake and couldn't seem to stop.

It wasn't the killing of Victoriana. The Vampire had deserved what she got. It was what followed. Collette's attack and Theo's response. The way he'd broken her down and then yanked all her life away until he'd killed her true with a few words.

Rowan had been caught in that focus before. Had wanted to die rather than face what those eyes had told her. She breathed today because he hadn't spoken the sentence he did to end Collette's life.

But he could have. At any time when she was growing up. h.e.l.l, he could probably do it now. Brigid was strong. A deity, even. But Theo was three thousand years old.

And despite her better judgment, despite knowing all she knew, she loved him. Knew in his twisted way he'd done all he had because he loved her too and wanted to make her strong and hard.

But some days? Well, it would have been nice to have had a snack after school made by a suburban mom. Homework that didn't involve painful punishments for being wrong.

Some days being normal would have been such a beautiful thing.

Chapter Eighteen.

Clive had been on his way out of the room to go find her when she came in. On the surface she was smooth and icy calm. But he knew her. Knew that entire experience with The First and Collette had shaken her to her core.

Knew, too, that if he made any attempt to address it or comfort her, it would only make things worse.

The First saw her and nodded to the staff. "Dinner, after a delay, is served."

Rowan walked past Enyo without even looking at her, but he knew she paid attention to what the Vampire was doing, or not doing, in any case.

Not caring what anyone thought, Clive took her elbow and brushed a kiss over her cheek. "Nice slaying, Hunter."

Her sly but pleased smile was a gift. "Thank you, Scion. I'll collect on your promise later, after the vote."

"I should hope so, Hunter." He pulled out her chair and she allowed it. He'd push her to reveal her feelings about this whole mess once they'd finished and gotten back home. Maybe he'd spirit her away somewhere when they got back. Just for a few days.

Food began to appear and be served and the silence was tense as people began to eat.

"Mr. what is it again, Ms. Summerwaite? Weasleing?" The First looked down the table toward Roth. Clive didn't dare look.

"Wesslyian." Rowan's lips wobbled as she held back a smile before she sipped her wine.

"Yes, well, I see you're back after being ejected after your tantrum. Just what goes on at Hunter Corp. these days? Who is in charge there, Rowan?"

Rowan sighed heavily and placed her gla.s.s down. "I can't very well stake them all. Enyo is still sitting here at the table so we all have our crosses to bear."

The First got very quiet and then he burst out laughing. "I suppose you're right."

That storm pa.s.sed quickly enough, and Roth seemed to have seen enough at the challenge to keep his d.a.m.ned mouth closed, so Clive was relieved on that count.

At the end of the meal, Rowan looked around the table. "I propose we save dessert for after the vote."

Paola rapped the table with her knuckles. "Agreed."

At the door to the meeting room Rowan stopped people who were not members of the committee. "The vote will be held and announced immediately afterward if you want to have a drink out here."

"This is outrageous!"

Rowan got right in Enyo's face, Brigid burning through her again. "Get the f.u.c.k out of my face. You've done enough. You said your little piece, and it's been registered with whatever weight your people give it. I don't give a tiny f.u.c.k about you or your feelings. You're not welcome, so back off."

"You'll pay for this."

"Yeah, yeah. Get in line behind Collette and Victoriana." Rowan gave Enyo a toothy smile. "Oh, that's right. You can't. Maybe you can find some of their ashes if you have a broom."

"d.a.m.n, you're harsh." Warren chuckled as he walked past Enyo and into the room. She noted the look Clive gave Warren, though. He wasn't pleased with that teasing comment.

Rowan shut the door and turned to the rest of the people in the room.

"Let's cut through the s.h.i.t and just take a vote." Rowan didn't bother sitting. She wanted this over with. Whatever happened after was fine, but once that vote was taken it was binding and would stay in place until, at the very least, the next Joint Tribunal where it could be amended out.

"I agree. What says Hunter Corp. regarding the revised language?" Paola asked.

"We agree to the proposed revision of the amendment and cast our vote in favor of the amendment to the Treaty as worded in your proposal."

"We do the same." Paola lowered her chin slightly. Each of the Scions did the same but one, Takahiro. "We have one no vote, let the record reflect that. The majority carries and the amendment to the Treaty pa.s.ses."

Rowan and Celesse showed their wrists and just like that, the amendment became binding and a part of the Treaty.

"Imagine how much easier this could have been without all the drama."

She raised a brow Paola's way. "There's more drama, actually. I have a few things to say about that. I need to check on something, but I'll clear this up when I get back."

Paola's brows rose. "All right."

Despite the weight of the other stuff on her plate, an intense sense of satisfaction warmed Rowan. She'd done it. Challenges, crazy shenanigans from human and Vampire alike, magical interference and every childhood boogeyman she could have faced, and she'd fended them all off enough to get the amendment through and the Treaty changed for the better.

She'd done what was necessary to protect everyone she was charged with protecting. Rowan breathed out, letting herself have just a few moments to be proud of herself and what she'd accomplished as she walked out through the main hall.

They'd make the announcement shortly, but she needed to ask Dina a clarifying question and she wanted to look back through some of the info on Enyo Carey had sent while she'd been involved in a challenge to the death, as well.

Celesse caught up with her. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

Rowan gave her a brief recap of her suspicions.

"Well." Celesse blew out a breath. "You sure you want to even say anything?"

Rowan paused.

"I thought about it. I really did. I mean, it's over now. We had a vote and the amendment went through and that was our goal. But if my suspicions are correct, I need to speak about them in public. This sort of tampering isn't something Vampires would take kindly to, and they shouldn't. Plus, I need to put some cracks in some power bases."

Celesse nodded. "Yes, I see your point. What can I do?"

"Keep an eye on Roth. Make sure he stays clear of The First."

Celesse tried not to smile but lost the battle. "He really doesn't like Roth, does he?"

"Well, he's not alone. But Roth was thwarted, and I don't quite know why he's here at this point. I don't trust him, and I want to know what he's up to."

"Rex isn't going to let him get into trouble."

"No, but two sets of eyes are better than one in any case, don't you think?"

"Sure. I'll let you make the call to the Motherhouse." Celesse took her hand, shaking it. "This would not have happened without your leadership."

"Ha! Nightmares, brawls, a challenge to the death. I'm so leadertastic."

Celesse gave a Gallic shrug and one of those noncommittal sounds the French do so well. "Without you to hold it all together and address it, things would have fallen apart."

"Thanks."

Celesse headed one way and Rowan into the kitchen. She grabbed an apple slice as she walked past a table, and one of the cooks, a third cousin, whacked her hand with a wooden spoon and a grin.

"Dina, may I have a moment?"

"Of course." She pointed to the little room she considered her office. "I needed a tea break anyway."

Once they'd settled, Dina opened a cabinet and pulled out a pretty red package. "Chocolates from Warren."

"That's lovely."

"He wanted me to make strudel. An exchange, he said." Dina blushed happily. Clearly she would have made the strudel by request because she wanted people to enjoy her food. But who didn't like to get chocolates from handsome men like Warren?

Rowan took one and sat back, letting the rich flavor of the dark chocolate and raspberry please her senses. "These are really good."

"Yes. I think so too."

"The bundles you made yesterday, can I ask you a few questions?"

Dina nodded.

"When I came back to get more for the Vampires and the rest of the humans with Hunter Corp., you said something about how they would break down the magic used to open the sleeper up to the nightmares."

"Yes. Exactly."

"So, if they were just bad dreams from being here in the Keep with a big scary Vampire boss with a dungeon and a scary future of a possible war brewing, would the bundles have worked? I mean, were they like to protect you from bad dreams no matter how you got them, or promoting deep, dreamless sleep or what?"

"They were magic. Made to repel magic. They wouldn't have worked on everyone if they'd simply been herbs to help with sleep. I have those too, but from what you said, it was more than that. He knows, The First, that I have magical talents. My family has been here so long that our energies and power are, I don't know how to say it right, but my power is strong here. Those bundles were a way for me to unplug whatever was giving the nightmares. Like a lamp would stop working if I took the plug from the wall socket."

Rowan nodded. "That's what I thought. I want you to know before I do this, but I'm going to make it public. The nightmares being a magic issue I mean."

"You should." Dina sniffed, clearly offended. "This is a violation of the rules. How can you trust the process if it's left open to this sort of interference? If you need me to explain anything, you know where I am."

"I didn't say this before." Pausing at the door before she left the office, Rowan swallowed hard. "But you made my life here better more times than I can count. And you did it sometimes at great risk. I want you to know it made a difference and I never forgot it."

Dina teared up as she pulled Rowan into a hug. "I've loved you like my own. Broke my heart when you left, but I understood. And now you're back and you won't let it go so long before you visit again, right?"

"I just agreed to come back at the end of summer."