Someone had recreated the horseshoe-shaped table in carved stone, but there were comfortable chairs placed around it now and the Council was already seated. Charles was there, not only as Flavio's Chief of Staff, but also as a Council member, along with Dalroy and Rhett. Finally, American vampires had broken into the European Aristocracy; Council members were automatic members.
What shocked me, however, was what happened as soon as Wlodek, Merrill and I walked into the large, underground room—every Council member, including Flavio, rose from their seat. I figured it was out of respect for Wlodek. He was Flavio's sire after all, and had held the Head position for a very long time. Merrill steered me to a spot at the left where there were seats waiting for us. We sat and the Council sat.
"Bring the prisoners forward, as well as our two guests," Flavio ordered as soon as the Council was seated and comfortable. Two vampires in cuffs much like those I'd seen on Refizan were brought forward. I recognized Trevor; he was still an Assassin and tonight he was in charge of the prisoners. He was still around, at least. The two who were missing from this meeting were Gavin and Tony. I sighed as quietly as I could.
Baxter and Dmitri, two Enforcers I recognized from before, brought both vampire witnesses forward. There were several other faces around the room I didn't recognize—vampires who'd taken the spots vacated by Radomir and the others. I'd know their scents next time, though.
"I must beg the indulgence of our Queen," Flavio said inside the dim interior of the Council Hall. That caught my attention. He was addressing me as Queen? That was unexpected. Wlodek must have convinced him somehow. I knew Flavio wanted me to discern the paternity of the two prisoners standing before him. I rose from my seat. Baxter and Dmitri were waiting next to the two unfettered vampires. I already knew what Flavio desired to know before I approached.
"Your name?" I asked the first of the unfettered ones.
"Samuel," he replied, watching me with wonder in his eyes. He'd never seen a female vampire before; I would have bet on it. Now he was seeing two—Susila was still on the Council.
"And you?" I asked the second one.
"Petrus," he replied.
"Honored One," I turned to Flavio. "Petrus sired both these vampires; Samuel did not make them." I jerked my head toward the prisoners. All three—Petrus and his two turns—held taint. All were guilty in some way.
Petrus attempted to get away but Trevor, Dmitri and Baxter had him subdued and cuffed after a very brief struggle. Samuel had gone to his knees and was thanking me, I discovered, just as soon as the scuffle with Petrus was over. Baxter pulled Samuel up and escorted him from the hall.
"Now, Petrus," Flavio placed compulsion, "tell me why you implicated Samuel as the sire for these two."
I was escorted to my seat by Dmitri and we all sat and listened while Petrus explained under compulsion that he wanted to draw attention away from himself. He'd turned his two murdering children in and implicated Samuel as their sire because he and Samuel had once been friends but had a falling out over the years. Samuel didn't agree with Petrus' views on blood substitute, it seemed.
Petrus, who'd been turned after blood substitute was created, had never been taught to take blood from a donor by his sire, who wished to prevent Petrus from taking from a donor to begin with. Petrus had taught himself—with the occasional mistake, here and there. That alone would have earned him a death sentence. He was barely a hundred years of age and had created and then taught the other two now on trial.
I knew how this was going to end; Trevor beheaded all three of them when the sentences were passed.
"Lissa, this is Montrose," Wlodek introduced me to the Council members afterward. I nodded to him and took his hand when he smiled and offered it. Jarl, the one remaining member who'd voted for my death in the beginning was next.
There was another new member I hadn't met; he'd taken Flavio's place when Flavio took over Wlodek's position. His name was Friedrich and he was nearly as old as Flavio. I shook hands with him; Susila and Oluwa smiled widely when I was introduced to them. Rhett and Dalroy offered their hands right away; Charles gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Bubba, you look good as a Member of the Council," I patted Charles on the back when he let me go.
"Do I?" He grinned at me.
"Yeah, that outfit says it all," I told him. The 1930s weren't in only for women. He looked good in his double-breasted, pinstripe suit.
"We're going over to Flavio's for a drink," Charles said. "Why don't you come? Merrill and Wlodek have been invited and both want to go."
"Now, you know I can't hold my liquor," I said. I wasn't sure about sitting down for a glass of wine with Flavio, Merrill and Wlodek. Charles would be fine—in fact, I wouldn't mind going to a bar in London with him, for old time's sake.
"Nah, come to Flavio's. I promise to keep you from getting blitzed."
"We'll come," Wlodek was there beside me, placing an arm around my shoulders.
"Good," Charles grinned. "Give us half an hour to drive." I followed Merrill and Wlodek up the stairs and out of the church where hovercars were waiting to take everyone home. We folded away, landing on the doorstep of what was once Wlodek's mansion. Flavio had it now. Rolfe answered the door just as he always did and I couldn't help myself, I was hugging him and crying happy tears.
"I was so afraid you'd be gone," I brushed away tears when I looked up at Rolfe. He would have been a welcome addition to any basketball team with his height and agility. I'd seen him fight.
"Little Queen," Rolfe smiled down at me. I blinked at him. How did he know? Perhaps Flavio had informed him, or he'd overheard it. Rolfe heard everything, after all.
"Rolfe knew I was a Queen before anyone else did," I hugged his waist again before Wlodek moved me away from the door.
"We should listen to Rolfe more often, then," Merrill observed.
"I think you should, too," I told him, causing an eyebrow to rise.
Flavio, Charles, Rhett and Dalroy came in later. Wlodek led me to the library in the house instead of the study where I'd always been taken before. I'd never been in the library, I realized.
Merrill Pulled in several bottles of wine—white and red—and uncorked them. Charles handed out glasses as Merrill poured. "Thank you for your help, Lissa," Flavio said, raising his wineglass to me. "You made this so much simpler for us since the Council now knows you can scent the blood. Charles and I already guessed at the truth, but we couldn't tip our hand. We have carefully hidden the fact that we aren't completely vampire, now."