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Werewolf, he said formally, moving away from Renny to bow. "You have whatever
help we can offer you.
Orson was still dressed for work, but the knees of his wool suit were stained
from when he'd kneeled on the street in honest mourning. He passed a shaky
hand over his mouth, and tried to pull himself together.
"They were ripped apart by birds, he said. "That fucking Goshawk he ripped my
people apart so he could starve the vampires out. And we never would have
known it if& " He looked at Green. "We owe you, Lord Green, he said formally.
"You have our loyalty and our aid in this fight, to the last were." He sat
down abruptly, and took up Green's look of staring at the warehouse, as though
that one declaration had used up everything he had. "What do you suppose is
happening in there? he asked, and even Max laughed.
"We've got someone inside& " Green began, and Renny burst out with more giggles
while Max slapped a hand across her mouth. Orson didn't notice but Green
looked at them both drolly. "I think she has enough power to break through
that metaphysical wall," he finished, shaking his head at his precocious
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children.
"That would take a hell of a magical charge& " Orson was respectful.
"Fortunately she's got a couple of batteries, Green said dryly. Renny
convulsed against Max's hand.
"Large enough to do give her that big of a zap?
"They're portable," Green supplied, wincing as Max, exhausted and stressed,
finally broke into giggles of his own. Cat and cop sank to the ground,
laughing hysterically and leaning weakly on each other. He smiled with them,
but& he felt something& he knew that storm feeling well& but it wasn't quite& He
blew out a breath and Renny looked at him questioningly. He shook his head.
"Premature, he murmured, and that set them off again.
And then they could all feel the build up, and the pressure grew so great it
clogged their lungs and made laughter impossible.
"Holy God," Orson breathed.
"Are your people ready?" Green asked, and Orson stood up, laboring to breathe
against the cloud of static charge in the air, and began to organize his
shape-shifters about sixty in all, in a group thirty or so feet from the small
door towards the East side of the warehouse there was more room on that side
then on any other except the side facing the street. For a static, breathless
moment, everyone stood, staring at the warehouse, waiting for the storm to
break. Suddenly, from the East side of the warehouse, there was a screech so
shrill it should have warped the metal siding and shattered the grimy brick.
Without warning, a bird so big it almost looked like a vampire in flight arced
over the structure and rushed in, screeching and rending the wall with his
claws while Green and the were-folk looked on in horror.
"My God, that thing's huge!" Max burst out, and before Green could tell him
that it wasn't really a condor, it happened.
There was a silent explosion, followed by a shattering of brick, wood, and
sheet metal that blew out of the North side of the East-facing wall. The metal
itself peeled away from that part of the building so suddenly that the
were-condor was hit by the edge of the sheet, rent in two from wing shoulder
to claw, and taken down while the debris obliterated the body. The explosion
was followed quickly by a frantic swarm of flying people, moving in that
eye-blurring fashion that Cory called hyperspeed, terrifyingly quick, coldly
purposeful, starving dogs at the hunt. Orson's people had flattened to the
ground in fear, first from the explosion, then from the vampires.
Into that moment of stillness, before the wave of vampires could crash against
the frightened were- folk, Green called out in powerful words of old elvish
that pulled at the swarming vampires. The effect was electric in a heartbeat,
the vampires stilled as one, and, with a controlled slowness, continued their
advance towards the willing blood supply. In a moment several arms had wrapped
with taut urgency around several bodies, and the age old dance of blood
seduction was conducted en-masse. But it wasn't uncontrolled, and it wasn't
frenzied, and as it became apparent that none of the alarmed sacrifices would,
indeed, be torn to bits, Green and those waiting with him blew out a general
sigh of relief.
"What in the hell did you say?" Max wanted to know.
Green, who was as surprised as everyone else at this urgent self-control, had
watched the whole display with raised eyebrows and surprise. "Death to those
who violate the tender sacrifice," he translated, baffled. "They're ritual
words from a vampire's first feeding. Its how they learn not to kill unless
they want to that if they kill a willing sacrifice they owe a debt to the
family." He looked at Max and Renny and shrugged. "It doesn't usually work so
well, which is why we tend to keep new vampires near a prison population, or a
nasty back alley." He shook his head again. "I have no idea why they listened
to me.
"They listened to you because you choose your lovers well," said a voice
emerging from the cluster of feeding vampires. Green noticed that the vampires
had enough self-control to release one Victim' before moving on to another,
and he thought that maybe the owner of that voice had a little more to do with
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it.
"Maybe they listened because their master is good and wise," Green replied,
and stepped forward to shake hands. "Good to see you well, Andres we were
worried.
"Well, my Lord Green, you should have been worried if not for your little
sorceress, there would be many dead by morning, in one way or another.
Andres came forward then, bowing slightly, and Renny looked at him with
surprise. "I thought you said he was freaking scary, Green?" She asked this
slightly built man with the fine nose and sweet eyes appeared cultured and
kind.
Green chuckled weakly. "I said I had to negotiate with a freaking scary
vampire, dearest," he answered, bemused. "Andres usually sends someone else to
do his business dealings.
"Yes, said Andres, a trifle grimly. "In that way, at least, I'll miss
Robert.
Green's smile faded. "I'm sorry, Andres?
Andres smiled ruefully. "Do not be too sorry, brother if your little sorceress
hadn't killed him, she would be dead now and so might we all we wouldn't have
made it through another night without tearing each other's throats out.
"Oh& that explains that little burst of& " Green began, but Renny interrupted
him.
"Hey Green where are they?
Andres laughed outright. "Finishing what they started, I would imagine.
Green winced, trying hard not to show, but Andres and Adrian had been
fledglings in the same kiss. Green had been there, for both of them, when
hungers had run rampant. Andres had been a terrified lover, at first, and then
a creative one, and finally a friend. Now, it was the friend who clapped a
hand on Green's shoulder. "Don't worry, big brother, he said gently.
"They& came to an understanding, I think, about your place in their lives. It
was in your favor, if I read things right.
Green flashed a grin. "I have a feeling you're understating things a bit.
Andres joined him. "You would be right." And then he stepped back and bowed.
"And now, if you would forgive me, your sorceress and your red-cap gave us an
appetizer before she freed us, but I really must dine if I am to hold on to my
manners.
Green blinked, put the facts together, said, "She really is brilliant, isn't
she?" But before Andres could answer, Renny stepped forward.
"Lord Vampire, she said formally, a slight girl with bare feet and a T-shirt
that reached below her knees, and apparently not much else on beneath it, "It
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