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about it?
 Tribunal Leader Daria, the pleasure is mine. I am at your council s service. I had to stop myself
from saying beck and call. I knew the steps to this particular dance all too well. My eyes had adjusted to the
total black of the room, and I could see her lovely face above me.
The Tribunal sat on a raised platform in handcrafted chairs that were too elaborately detailed to be
thought of as anything other than thrones. Daria wasn t the actual leader, so she was seated to the left of
center. To the right was a man I d never get used to looking at. Juan Carlos might be the most alarming
creature human or vampire I d ever encountered. His hair was the color of pure jet and cut shorter now
in an attempt to look more modern, but it maintained some of its wild curl. No matter what efforts he made,
Juan Carlos could never blend in with humanity.
Once a Spanish Conquistador, he had sustained a variety of irreparable scars during his human life.
One old injury had split his upper lip, and it had healed into a menacing sneer, which curled up towards his
cheek and showed one of his formidable fangs. The rest of his face remained beautiful, but it was hard to
notice when you could sense his desire to devour you.
 Tribunal Leader Juan Carlos. I couldn t bring myself to tell him it was a pleasure to see him
because, to be honest, he terrified me.
 Secret McQueen. My name sounded as if it were on par with the likes of Mussolini or Stalin. His
sneer deepened.
I turned my attention to the true leader of the Tribunal and all my terror slipped away. It wasn t that I
found him any less terrifying nor was he less powerful, but part of his gift was to put anyone around him at
ease.
Where Juan Carlos s beauty was an afterthought to his monstrous snarl, anyone who looked upon Sig
could not help but fall in love. I did not know Sig s full name, but I knew he was Finnish, or claimed to be
now. He was older than Finland, and from what he d said the country he was born in no longer existed.
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Something Secret This Way Comes
He d never claimed to be a Viking as so many other Scandinavian vampires did. If anyone asked, he rolled
his eyes and called the plunder and pillage of the Vikings that Norwegian occupation.
Sig was also the only member of the Tribunal who I saw to any great extent outside of these meetings.
While Daria would occasionally show me some general interest, in the way one might visit a puppy or
kitten they were thinking of adopting, Sig seemed to consider me more than a pet project. It was he who
decided my targets and he who had assigned Holden to be my liaison.
I often suspected Sig knew exactly what I was because of the interest he showed me, but I had never
been brave enough to ask.
Instead of allowing myself to be intimidated by Juan Carlos, I looked into Sig s eyes. He smiled at
me, the kind of smile given by a man who knows what he wants. Between Daria with her perfect straight
blonde hair, who was wearing an original Coco Chanel evening suit, and fearsome Juan Carlos in his
tailored Armani suit, Sig looked out of place.
He was splayed back in his throne, fingers laced together across his taut stomach, and his long, long
legs stretched straight out in front of him. He wore nothing but a pair of brown leather pants. His feet, like
his chest, were bare. His skin was so pale it practically glowed in the dark, and his blond hair light enough
it was only a shade more golden than white. Daria s, by comparison, looked almost brown. Like Juan
Carlos, he d cut it short to help him blend, but had bangs brushed across his forehead which had grown too
long and were beginning to obscure his ice-blue eyes.
 My dear Secret. He sounded pleased I was there. Juan Carlos made a noise of disgust. He had never
approved of the interest Sig showed me.  As Daria has said, we are very glad you could join us this
evening.
I bowed my head, enjoying the cadence of the accent that remained in his deep, marvelous voice. I
understood, deep down, the effect Sig had on me was not entirely real. While most of their psychic gifts
helped enhance the thrall over humans and did not impact other vampires, Sig was a rare case. His
persuasive charm was the reason he was in a position of such power. Other vampires trusted him.
I hoped that my trust in him would not be the death of me.
Sig s smile faded when he moved the meeting along.  You know the reason we ve brought you here
this evening, yes?
 I made an unsanctioned kill in Central Park last night. I knew better than to explain the details of
the slaying without being asked. If they wanted to know something specific, they bring it up. Any other
information did not matter. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]