I slipped them on, reveling in the feel of well-worn leather, which felt cloudlike compared to the fitted dress I’d been wearing. Boots and thick socks followed, and then my scabbarded katana, which was belted around my waist. Just in case.
Since I was now all business, I pulled my hair into a high ponytail, which would keep it out of my face in the event of a battle. Unfortunately, the hairstyle also provided a handle for attackers, but other than shaving my head, there wasn’t much to be done about that.
I checked my watch. There was time yet before my shift started, so I decided to head to the basement. I wasn’t anywhere near hungry, but I could at least say hi to Saul.
The entire basement smelled like oregano and garlic, not that I minded.
The tatami mats in the training room had been rolled up, revealing a hardwood floor that was currently dotted with round tables. A long table had been set up against the far wall, covered with white pizza boxes. Cadogan and Grey House vampires moved through the line, chatting as they selected pizza and sodas from a cooler at the end.
Saul himself, wearing dress pants, a button-down shirt, and a long black coat, chatted with Ethan.
“There she is,” he said, patting my cheek when I wandered over. “There’s a couple of Saul’s doubles under the table for you.”
“Thanks, Saul,” I said, although I really hadn’t done anything to deserve the treat. I’d just asked Luc to ensure my grandfather and the CPD kept an eye on Saul’s; they’d done the rest.
“Why are you so dressed up?” I asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a Saul’s shirt on.”
“Granddaughter had a dance recital earlier tonight. ‘Snowflake Revue’ they called it. Lots of glitter and that white material that looks like window screen?”
“Tulle?”
Saul snapped his finger and pointed at me. “That’s it. Tulle.” He checked his watch. “I should get back. She’s having a slumber party tonight, and her momma promised I’d stop by with a pizza and a kiss. I think I’ve gotten you all taken care of here.”
“You did, Saul, and we’re much obliged,” Ethan said, extending a hand.
They shook on it. Saul picked up a couple of red insulated bags from the table, and Helen escorted him back into the hallway.
“Nice spread,” Scott said, sidling up to us. He didn’t have pizza in hand, and he looked exhausted. I’d seen Ethan in the same condition before. We might not have been human, but we weren’t immune to human stresses. Fear, anger, and exhaustion ate away at us, too.
“It’s all thanks to Saul’s generosity,” Ethan said, glancing at Scott. “How are your vampires faring?”
“The injured are nearly healed, but weak. There were pretty significant burns and internal damage there. The rest of us are feeling . . . displaced.”
“Are repairs under way?” I asked.
“They are. Crew’s already cleaning up the water and smoke. And glass, which there’s a lot of. All the individual rooms have to be cleaned—the walls scrubbed, every sheet and pillow and piece of clothing aired out. Actually, it’s the same company that cleaned up Bryant Industries,” he said.
I supposed it was worth considering whether the rehab companies had any connection to the rioters—were the riots an attempt to get rehabbing work in a bad economy? But I quickly discarded the theory. After all, there was no guarantee the victims would actually hire the same rehab company.
“And the atrium?” Ethan asked.
“They’re replacing and glazing the glass,” he said. “Slow going considering the temperature—but it’s in process. The mechanics are going to take longer. The water and heat did a number on the sensors.”
“That’s the trouble with technology,” Ethan said. “Helluva lot easier to break.”
“And so inconvenient when it does,” Scott said.
“Have you found an interim place to stay?” I wondered aloud.
“So eager to kick us out, are you, Merit?”
“Just asking,” I said. “Cots in the ballroom can’t be all that comfortable.”
“We make do,” he said, sounding as much like a coach as a Master vampire. “We’ve got feelers out in the neighborhood, but we’re getting a lot of ‘no room at the inn’ responses.”
“No room for vampires?” Ethan asked.
“Precisely. We found an apartment building being remodeled; they’re finishing up the interior work, and we offered a short-term lease for two of the floors. I think there’s a possibility there, but the owners are going to have to get over their hesitancy about renting to vampires.”