Revealed in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights #9)(42)

She hoped.

Butterflies filled her belly as she forced herself into the living room, where her father waited. Kairi, Hallen, and Devon stood outside, allowing for a little privacy. Charity and her dad needed to discuss family business.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Romulus asked with a smile, sitting on the flowered couch that wasn’t exactly to her taste. Or maybe she was just used to all of Devon’s leather.

“Yes, thank you.”

“And your new accommodations, they suit you?”

She didn’t voice her complaints. They wouldn’t do any good. Though she did want to mention one thing that she hadn’t gotten a chance to last night.

“Mine were fine, yes, but the guest quarters…”

He held up a hand as she sat. “Yes. I know your displeasure. We will amend that issue. It seems Mother didn’t quite understand your…critique as to the original problem with the accommodations. I assure you, I understand completely, especially after Roger was so hospitable to us. I will speak to her.”

It wouldn’t do any good; Charity knew that in her bones. Her grandmama was kind and pleasant to those she deemed worthy, which was her people. That was about where it stopped. Charity didn’t think the older woman would change her ways, not after all these years.

Which led the conversation to the sticky future.

Romulus bowed his head, as he’d clearly read her thoughts, advertised through the positioning and movements of her body.

“You don’t think she can be brought around,” he said.

She turned up her palms and shrugged, letting down her defenses in his company—she didn’t have to try so hard to fit in to the ways of the people with him. “I don’t know her that well. Or that long, you know? I don’t know what she will or won’t do. But she had an opportunity to change, and she didn’t. Yeah, the…accommodations are a little bigger, and the beds are at least actual beds, but that’s it. She didn’t make an effort. Not a real one. She clearly thought a sort of patch would help. So that makes me wonder how willing she will be to do all that obviously needs to be done in the Realm. Can you talk her around?”

Romulus entwined his fingers. “The honest answer is that I don’t know. She has a good heart. She wants the best for her people. In time, I am sure we could convince her that the best place for us is among the people of the Realm. It is with the shifters, who are our counterparts in every way.”

“In time…”

He tilted his head slightly, approving of her picking up on that little nuance.

“We don’t have that kind of time,” she surmised, seeing in his body that this was killing him. He had nothing but respect for Grandmama—to face these hard truths was wearing on him. To face the role she played in his own heartache. Charity wondered if he’d been mostly avoiding thinking about it since he’d learned of it, right before they’d decided to leave the Flush for the Brink. He certainly hadn’t spoken about it. Now he would have to pick at the scar, open the wound, and allow himself to fully heal.

To do that, he had to officially accuse his mother of wrongdoing. They all did.

“With Lucifer’s heir revealing herself, and with the unrest in the Realm, and the elves…no,” he said softly. “We do not have that kind of time. And from what I am gathering, the village wouldn’t allow us to try, anyway. Not without a reckoning of some kind. She and some of the elders have been holding people here without their consent. Without their knowledge. She has been breaking our rules. They must voice their displeasure. They have to, in order to heal.”

“They want a trial.”

“Yes.” He took a deep breath. “We thought they might, but…”

“You hoped maybe we could just talk it out.”

“I do not want to see my mother’s name dragged through the mud. She meant well, I believe that. She wanted to do what was best for her people.”

“That will come out in the trial.” Charity hoped her shallow words weren’t coming through her movements. She wasn’t sure if Grandmama felt even the least bit sorry for what she’d done, and even if she had originally meant well, now she seemed hellbent on maintaining her control. She didn’t know how easily the people would forgive her. Or maybe that was just her own anger talking.

“We must meet with everyone shortly to set a trial date and time. We’ll have to do it quickly. I fear the elves will get restless if we don’t take Reagan to them quickly.”

“And Emery?”

“Emery is a grudge match, nothing more. He showed his power and caught them unaware. They want to make an example of him, that is all. That should be easy enough to talk around. Lucifer’s heir, though…” His shoulders tensed, and she didn’t know what that meant. “That is another matter.”

“Will you allow Roger to sit in on the trial? Or Reagan?”

“No. And certainly not the vampire. No, this is a private matter. Roger needs to know who is in charge. He does not need to know the why. After the trial, we should have a better idea. Once that happens, we can move swiftly, I think. Hopefully.”

That was all they really had right now: a bunch of dirty laundry, danger, and a long list of hopefullies.





Fifteen