Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang(11)

 

“I’ve told you several times now, they’re not that way. They seek justice for the deaths of their fellow vampires, yes, but they did not start this war, nor do they want to continue it. Can you say as much about the Brotherhood?”

 

“If you truly mean what you say,” Janice said after she and her husband traded silent glances, “then you will not mind proving it.”

 

“How so?” I asked, wary about falling into any verbal traps.

 

Janice lifted her chin. “The director of the board of governors sent us to negotiate with you. Yes, that’s right, negotiate.”

 

“What, specifically?” I asked, leaning against the desk.

 

Magda moved to my side in a blatant show of support.

 

“The director told us that you would refuse to do your duty.”

 

“I’d have thought that was made clear by my replies to the letters and e-mails I’ve been pelted with from you guys demanding I go help out with one cleansing or another.”

 

She studied me for a second, her mouth tight and slightly pursed, as if she smelled something offensive. “The director authorized us to negotiate a way for you to end your career as a Zorya.”

 

“Excellent.” I started to take off the bracelet bearing the moonstone.

 

“No.” Janice held up her hand to stop me. “Removing a Zorya from the Brotherhood is not as easy as simply handing over the Midnight stone.”

 

“Is there some sort of formal court-martial she has to go through to be stripped of her rank?” Magda asked.

 

“As a matter of fact, there are only two methods of removing a Zorya from the Brotherhood. The first is, naturally, death,” Rick said.

 

“Pass,” I said with a wry little smile to myself.

 

Janice looked like she wanted to consider that option a bit longer, but Rick, bless him, continued on. “The second is an execration.”

 

“I said that death is out-”

 

“Not execution, execration . The modern usage of the word ‘execrate’ means to detest or loathe, but in centuries past it was used to mean ‘to curse.’ The Brotherhood has long labeled those cast out of the fold as cursed to walk the earth in darkness.”

 

“There could be worse things than that,” Magda told me.

 

“Like remaining in. I agree. And I agree to the execration, assuming that there is something I must do in order to get the ball rolling. Make a statement of my beliefs? Provide a witness to say I’m friendly to the enemy? Or do you need some sort of blood oath?”

 

“Nothing so easy, I’m afraid,” Rick said with a genuine smile.

 

Despite the fact that he was one of the bad guys, I kind of liked him. His wife, however . . .

 

“The director said you would refuse to listen to reason,” she said, her lips still tight.

 

I almost asked her why she bothered to argue with me, but let that go in favor of ending this conversation more quickly.

 

“So he empowered us to make a deal with you. You failed acting as Zorya in two separate instances: The first was refusing to send on a spirit who had sought help from you.”

 

“Ulfur,” I said, a pang of guilt zinging through me at the memory of him. “I didn’t refuse him at all. I would have sent him on if I could have, but he opted to remain and help me.”

 

Janice’s lips tightened even more. I was surprised she could crack them to talk. “Nonetheless, you must find him and send him to Ostri, as you were meant to do.”

 

“I have no problem with helping him,” I said. “Although he said he would be fine when I left Iceland. But he must be tired of poking around with nothing to do but watch tourists. What’s the second thing?”

 

“You must engineer the release of those Brotherhood members whose detention by the vampires you aided two months ago. If you do those two things, the director will ask the board of governors to execrate you from the Brotherhood.”

 

“Free the reapers?” My stomach wadded up on itself when I realized just what they were asking.

 

“Mother Mary,” Magda said under her breath, her gaze fixed on me. “The vamps aren’t going to want to do that, are they?”

 

“What you ask is too much,” I protested, my hands flailing a little as I tried to imagine me marching up to the vampires and asking them sweetly if they’d let their mortal enemies go. “Even if I knew where they were being held, there’s no way I could get them released.”

 

“Nonetheless, those are the terms of the agreement. Either you restore to the Brotherhood the four people listed here”-she handed me a card-“or you will fulfill your duties as Zorya.”