SIX
I pulled my hair into a knot, sat cross-legged on the bed, and turned on my screen.
Irony of ironies, I found four messages waiting. Three Houses had offered me membership, effective immediately. Chicago’s Rogues made the same offer, ironically. I sent polite refusals to all of them. And then called the Master and Sentinel of Cadogan House.
They answered immediately. My mother, with pale skin and dark hair, wore a Cadogan T-shirt even while half a world away. My father, whose blond hair I’d inherited, wore a button-down white shirt, as he nearly always did.
“Elisa,” said my mom. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said, and I gave them the entire story, from the AAM at my door to the fight at the Grove. And the promise of what was to come.
I left out no details, and would have sworn I could feel their furious magic through the connection. My mother’s anger and concern were clear on her face. My father, who had four hundred years of vampirism on her, didn’t let his emotions show as easily. But his eyes had gone quicksilver.
“You should have told us when they came to your door,” he said sternly.
“If I’d told you, you’d have come here. That puts you both inthe middle of it, and it pits you against the AAM. That’s dangerous for you and for Cadogan.”
“You’re our daughter,” he said, eyes blazing. “We’ll get flights out as soon as we can.”
“I can handle this myself.”
“You don’t have to handle it yourself,” my mother said, taking his hand. “Not alone. And you won’t. We know how to protect the House.”
I wanted to argue more, but knew that would be a waste of time. They were my parents, and they were protective. And I’d come by my stubbornness honestly. “Okay.”
“They waited until we were gone,” my father said.
“That’s the operative guess,” I agreed. “What do you know about the Compliance Bureau? Theo says it’s new.” In vampire terms, at least.
“I’m now aware of its existence,” Dad said. “Nicole created the Bureau, authorized it to investigate and deal with rule breaking. Now that we’re in the public eye again, and contrary to the operations of the Greenwich Presidium, she wants to ensure rules are enforced without bias or favoritism.”
I could all but feel part of the cage falling into place, and I didn’t like the sensation.
“There are rules for a reason,” he added after a moment, and with what sounded like regret. “We prohibit non-Masters from creating vampires because of the risks—to humans, because the vampires may not be strong enough to make them without injury. To vampires, because changing humans can attract human attention.”
“I’m not the first person who’s changed a vampire without being a Master. Or a Rogue,” I added.
“No,” Dad said. “You aren’t. But you’re strong, you’re in Chicago... and you’re our daughter.”
“And that has benefits... and costs,” I finished. My parentswere physically strong and well-connected, and head of one of the most popular and powerful Houses in the country. I’d been fortunate enough to grow up in the midst of that privilege. But not all vampires trusted them, or the concentration of power. And then there was me—born without precedent. Another unknown.
“They demanded I join a House,” I said. “Which means they know what we talked about—that I wasn’t Initiated or Commended.”
“You aren’t in our registry,” Dad said. A crease of worry appeared between his brows. “We provide information to the AAM regarding all Novitiates, Initiates. The AAM may have noticed your absence. Obviously you have an open invitation to join Cadogan House. Or you could join Washington House. Malik would offer you a position.”
“I know.”
“That would be an easy solution,” Mom said, pushing her dark hair behind her ears. “All things considered. Fealty isn’t so hard as it seems,” she offered, her tone so gentle, so full of hope. “It wasn’t how I imagined my life would go, but I adjusted.” She slid my father a knowing glance. “Mostly.”
“I can’t swear fealty to someone, to a House, just to ease the minds of the AAM. They don’t want me to join a House for the benefits. They want to know someone is watching me, or that someone can use me.
“It probably doesn’t feel like it,” I said, meeting their gazes, “but it’s not personal. I’m glad I grew up in Cadogan, and I’m proud of what you did for its vampires. I just... need something different.”
“Maybe the Pack—” my father said, and I shook my head.
“No fealty to the Pack, either,” I said. “I wouldn’t substitute one for the other. And the Pack can’t offer sanctuary to a vampire.”
My father’s eyes narrowed, probably because I already knew the answer and he’d now begun wondering why.