Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang(18)

 

“Ostri is kind of like heaven,” I said, at a bit of a loss to explain it to a ghost. “I’m a Zorya, you see. It’s my job to take people to wherever it is they’re supposed to go.”

 

“Oh! You’re just like Allie! Only I’ve never heard of Ostri.”

 

I glanced in surprise at the woman sitting in the chair, currently engaged in glaring at her husband. “You’re a Zorya, too?”

 

“Hmm? Oh, no. I’m a Summoner.”

 

I stared at her in blank incomprehension.

 

“We Summon ghosts. We can also Release them. That’s sending them on their way to the next plane of existence. From what I’ve heard from Christian, it’s very similar to what you do as a Zorya.”

 

“You are nothing like a Zorya,” Christian said emphatically. He held out my chair, obviously waiting for me to sit in it.

 

I did so, not wanting to irritate him any more than he already was.

 

“We’ll talk about it later,” Allie said in a confidential tone.

 

“You will do nothing of the kind,” Christian declared, taking up his spot on the other side of the table. Sebastian and Rowan flanked him on either side, the three of them making an intimidating presence.

 

“Pfft,” Allie said, leaning toward me. “Don’t let them scare you. They’re really not that bad when you get to know them. Just as soon as we get this business cleared up, you’ll see that underneath all that bluster there are some really nice men. But I expect you’ve found that out with Kristoff.”

 

“This business?” I asked. “What business, exactly?”

 

Allie gaped at me for a moment before turning her stunned gaze on her husband. “You didn’t bother to tell her?”

 

“That is what this hearing is for,” he said with a faint air of discomfiture.

 

Allie stared at him for a couple of seconds before saying, “I’m going to have a few things to say to you when this is over, you know.”

 

“I know,” Christian said, looking grim.

 

Allie snorted to herself, but gave me a supportive pat on the hand. “Don’t worry about anything, Pia. I’m sure it’s all just a big mistake. And I apologize right now for you being brought here without having the slightest idea why.”

 

“To be honest, I came because I have my own agenda,” I admitted, meeting Christian’s gaze with what I hoped was composure.

 

“I have no doubt of that,” Rowan said, speaking up for the first time since I’d seen him in the car. His voice was carefully neutral, but I sensed hostility from him that I hadn’t felt in Iceland. I wondered if Kristoff had bad-mouthed me to his brother and cousin, but almost immediately dismissed the idea-Kristoff might not want me in the place of his dead girlfriend, but he wasn’t the sort of man who would indulge in a smear campaign.

 

“Why did you want to see the council?” Allie asked, obviously curious. Esme perched on the edge of the table until Christian shot her a look. She drifted over to the wall, where a couple of satin-covered armchairs sat in a cozy arrangement.

 

“I . . . er . . . I want to talk to Christian about Mattias and Kristjana.”

 

She looked surprised. “The two reapers? One of them is here. The woman is still in Iceland, though. Christian said something about it being more trouble to move her than was worth the effort. Did you want to see Mattias? I’m sure he’d be happy to see you. He’s been a bit vocal about wanting someone, anyone to visit him. I think he’s suffering from a touch of cabin fever, if you want to know the truth.”

 

“They’re all right, aren’t they?” I asked her, since she seemed to be much more forthcoming with information.

 

“Of course they are.” She smiled and glanced at the frowning Christian for a few seconds. “Honestly, Pia, these guys may look like badasses, but they don’t hurt people without a really good reason.”

 

“Our asses are as bad as they come,” Christian insisted. He stopped himself, closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and said, “This conversation is not to the purpose of the meeting at hand. If we might start?”

 

“We’d better let him. He gets a wee bit cranky if he doesn’t get to do things properly,” Allie whispered.

 

“I heard that, woman!”

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sidetrack anyone. I just wanted to make sure that the Brotherhood people are all right.”

 

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed on me. “Why is it that I don’t find it surprising that you are concerned with the welfare of the people who tried so hard to kill us?”