"Your involvement led to the deaths of two Master vampires."
I considered a variety of res Sarir iponses - throwing a fit; offering back evidence of my innocence, that I'd done al I could; complaining about the GP's lack of support when things were going bad in Chicago. But I disregarded al those options.
I knew what had gone down in that room, and I had a fairly good sense the GP did, as wel . They may have supported Celina, and they may have hoped for quiet assimilation in Chicago, but they weren't stupid. I wasn't going to play their game, and I wasn't going to give them the aspen to stake me with.
"I am sure you've been wel briefed on what occurred at the mayor's house," I politely said. "Is there any specific information you need me to provide?"
Frank looked at me for a long moment. No, not looked at - regarded. He considered me, evaluated me, estimated who I was and what I might be capable of.
He wasn't just an accountant of Houses. He was an accountant of vampires.
"Merit, I'm going to be frank."
I had to bite my lips to keep from making an inappropriately snarky comment about his name.
"The GP exists to ensure no individual vampire or House tips the balance against the rest of us. Cadogan House, however, is a problem child. You already have a demerit in your file, which means you know ful wel the GP's feelings about the chaos this House has wreaked."
I'd "earned" that demerit because I'd intervened in a drug-induced fight that put Cadogan House on the front page. It was coincidence that I'd been there, but the GP had been looking for someone to blame. And wasn't that what al this was about?
"I imagine the GP is not pleased with the fact that vampires are now out of the closet," I al owed. "But that was Celina's doing. Neither Ethan nor Cadogan House had anything to do with that. If you want to blame someone, pay a visit to Navarre House."
"Ah, but it's not as if I can speak with Celina, can I?"
My chest tightened, and I threw back some vitriol. "Since I staked her after she kil ed my Master, no. You can't speak with her."
"That's your side of the story, of course."
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. "That's my side of the story? That's what happened."
Frowning, Frank shuffled in his chair. "We've received other information."
"From who? There were only five of us in the room, and two of them are dead."
He looked at me for a moment, just long enough for the lightbulb to pop on.
"You spoke with Tate."
"We did. And he tel s an interesting tale about your barging into his office and threatening him and his associate. According to Tate, al the drama that occurred was your doing, the deaths your responsibility."
I borrowed an Ethanism and arched a sardonic eyebrow at Frank. "I interrupted Tate harboring a fugitive and control ing Celina with drugs and magic. Celina tried to kil me." The next part was hard to say and harder to admit.
"Ethan jumped in front of the stake to save me, but Celina kept coming, and I kil ed her in self-defense."
"That sounds terribly convenient to me. I don't suppose you have any notion to move up in the chain of command in the House?"
I took a moment to col ect myself, and then looked up at Frank again. "I have no interest in being Master of Cadogan House."
"That's not what Tate suggested. He suggested, in fact, that you had a specific plan to deal with the rest of the House hierarchy."
My blood boiled. Seth Tate and I were definitely going to have words. "Tate lied, and I have nothing but respect for Malik. Tate is the one with the secret agenda. And with al due respect, Ethan's death happened two months ago. If you had any legitimate doubts about the events of that night, the GP would have staked or excommunicated me by now."
Frank's expression steeled, his eyes flattening in disgust.
I'd cal ed his bluff, daring him to show his cards. He was a GP representative, but maybe he had even less evidence against me, Ethan, and the House than I thought.
"The GP wil act as it deems appropriate."
Like never before, I had a sudden empathy for Jonah, Noah, and everyone else involved in the Red Guard. That was precisely the attitude they were battling against - the GP's sense that it was infal ible, and the very real fact that there was no other check on its power.
"I'm sure it wil ," I told him.
Frank clenched his jaw for a moment before returning his attention to the pile of papers in front of him. He gathered them up and tapped them together, then slid them aside, another tower of paper.
"The GP is very disturbed by the actions of this House.
Under my authority, it wil operate as it was meant to - as one House of twelve. It wil not make a spectacle of itself. Is that understood?"
"Perfectly."
"We'l speak again," he assured me, and waved a dismissive hand.
I took that as my cue to exit; I rose, pushed back my chair, and headed for the door.
"Merit."
As I had on so many other occasions, I glanced back from the doorway of the office that had once been Ethan's.
But the room, with its towers of paper and ignorant interloper, was different now.
"One way or the other," Frank said, "the truth wil come out."
"I hope so," I told him. "I real y do."
Dawn was on its way, but the sun hadn't risen yet. I found the books I'd left in the library outside my door, so I carried them into my room. Hunger gnawed at me, the pad thai having left me with the munchies, so I wandered to the kitchen to take stock of whatever free-range, shade-grown munchables Frank had al owed.
Out of curiosity, I also checked the refrigerator, which was usual y ful y stocked with blood. This time, there were only three sad-looking Blood4You pint bags on the top shelf. The fact that Frank thought it was just to deprive vampires of blood - making them aware with every breath how beholden they were to him - fil ed me with a surge of anger. It was downright sadistic.
Gnawing my lips, I contemplated diving into one of the bags. My hunger hadn't yet ful y arisen, but it was beginning to gnaw in my chest. I was also going to have to face down the lake siren tomorrow, and God only knew what that might involve. I needed the blood - but I hated to take a pint away from someone else. On the other hand, a blood-crazy Sentinel wasn't going to help anyone.
I grabbed a p SI glse. Onint from the fridge and set about sating my other hunger. I pul ed open a random cabinet and grimaced at the sight. Just as Lindsey had predicted, the munchables were al free-range and shade-grown, ful of organic goodness and without a single saturated or hydrogenated whatnot in sight.