Read Online Rusted Veins: A Sabina Kane Novella by Jaye Wells - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jaye Wells
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grip.”
I pressed my lips together. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Um, hello? I’m wise as shit. You should totally listen to me all the time.”
I shot him a look.
He frowned. “Most of the time, anyway.”
I nodded. “Sometimes you do drop some epic truths on my ass.”
“Damn straight.”
I sighed. “Okay, so I won’t go all psycho girlfriend here, but I still feel like shit.”
“Understandable,” my best friend said. “But you shouldn’t take that out on Adam. You should take it out on Damascus White.”
I smiled, appreciating him trying to point out the positives. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but I’m afraid that honor will fall to Nyx since she appointed him.” I’d called her the minute we’d gotten Cadence stable. She’d insisted I stay out of it to keep the peace among the races. Since he worked for her, it was up to her to deliver punishment.
“Maybe she’ll let us help torture him a little,” he said, still sounding hopeful.
I sighed. “A girl can dream. It’s been a long time since I got to kick some serious ass.”
What I didn’t say was that part of me was relieved not to have to deal with Damascus. For once it was nice to let someone else deal with a clusterfuck. I still wanted Damascus to pay for what he’d done to Cadence and gods only knew how many other innocent people, but I trusted Nyx to deliver swift and potent retribution.
My cell phone rang and the screen told me it was Queen Maeve calling. I groaned out loud. I considered ignoring it, but I’d basically threatened her to give me an answer on the were issue before Samhain or I’d crack some metaphorical skulls. “Hey, Maeve.”
She made a squeaky noise to indicate her displeasure over my informal address. “Sabina,” she said in a sour tone, “I have Michael Romulus conferenced in.”
“Sabina,” the werewolf said in his deep voice.
“Does the fact that you’re both calling mean you’ve reached an agreement?”
“Yes,” Maeve said. Michael made an assenting tone to support her answer.
My shoulders lowered from beneath my ears. I hadn’t realized until that moment how much I longed for good news. “That’s great.”
“There’s just one little addendum,” Michael continued in a more hesitant tone. “We’ll need your approval to move forward with it.”
My high hopes began to plummet. “What is it?”
“I will only sign the treaty if there’s a section added forbidding mating between fae and weres in my territory,” Maeve stated in an imperious tone.
My mouth fell open. “Maeve, that flies in the face of all the progress we’ve made in tearing down those old walls.”
“As it happens, I agree with her,” Michael cut in. “Our race has struggled too long to keep our population strong and pure to begin diluting it with weak fae blood.”
Maeve made an annoyed sound and added, “And my court has maintained its purity for millennia. It would be a shame to taint it with such primitive genes.”
I sighed. “And if I refuse to allow the addendum?”
“Then I will refuse to allow the migration of any and all were packs into my lands.”
My shoulders fell. As much as I wanted to promote a more accepting attitude among the Dark Races for mixed-bloods, it took a long time to change thinking on such ingrained attitudes. “I’m not happy with this at all. Changing the rules again so soon might encourage rebellion, especially among the younger members of your races.” I sighed and bit the bullet. “But if this is the only way to reach a peaceful conclusion to negotiations, I’ll allow it.”
“Really?” Maeve said, her tone shocked.
“You didn’t think I’d agree?”
“Not really.” She sounded deflated, as if this addendum had been a ploy to make me refuse the agreement.
“Have your people write up the documents and we’ll sign them at next month’s session. I just hope this won’t come back to bite both of you in the ass.” After that, I got off the phone
I pressed my lips together. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Um, hello? I’m wise as shit. You should totally listen to me all the time.”
I shot him a look.
He frowned. “Most of the time, anyway.”
I nodded. “Sometimes you do drop some epic truths on my ass.”
“Damn straight.”
I sighed. “Okay, so I won’t go all psycho girlfriend here, but I still feel like shit.”
“Understandable,” my best friend said. “But you shouldn’t take that out on Adam. You should take it out on Damascus White.”
I smiled, appreciating him trying to point out the positives. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but I’m afraid that honor will fall to Nyx since she appointed him.” I’d called her the minute we’d gotten Cadence stable. She’d insisted I stay out of it to keep the peace among the races. Since he worked for her, it was up to her to deliver punishment.
“Maybe she’ll let us help torture him a little,” he said, still sounding hopeful.
I sighed. “A girl can dream. It’s been a long time since I got to kick some serious ass.”
What I didn’t say was that part of me was relieved not to have to deal with Damascus. For once it was nice to let someone else deal with a clusterfuck. I still wanted Damascus to pay for what he’d done to Cadence and gods only knew how many other innocent people, but I trusted Nyx to deliver swift and potent retribution.
My cell phone rang and the screen told me it was Queen Maeve calling. I groaned out loud. I considered ignoring it, but I’d basically threatened her to give me an answer on the were issue before Samhain or I’d crack some metaphorical skulls. “Hey, Maeve.”
She made a squeaky noise to indicate her displeasure over my informal address. “Sabina,” she said in a sour tone, “I have Michael Romulus conferenced in.”
“Sabina,” the werewolf said in his deep voice.
“Does the fact that you’re both calling mean you’ve reached an agreement?”
“Yes,” Maeve said. Michael made an assenting tone to support her answer.
My shoulders lowered from beneath my ears. I hadn’t realized until that moment how much I longed for good news. “That’s great.”
“There’s just one little addendum,” Michael continued in a more hesitant tone. “We’ll need your approval to move forward with it.”
My high hopes began to plummet. “What is it?”
“I will only sign the treaty if there’s a section added forbidding mating between fae and weres in my territory,” Maeve stated in an imperious tone.
My mouth fell open. “Maeve, that flies in the face of all the progress we’ve made in tearing down those old walls.”
“As it happens, I agree with her,” Michael cut in. “Our race has struggled too long to keep our population strong and pure to begin diluting it with weak fae blood.”
Maeve made an annoyed sound and added, “And my court has maintained its purity for millennia. It would be a shame to taint it with such primitive genes.”
I sighed. “And if I refuse to allow the addendum?”
“Then I will refuse to allow the migration of any and all were packs into my lands.”
My shoulders fell. As much as I wanted to promote a more accepting attitude among the Dark Races for mixed-bloods, it took a long time to change thinking on such ingrained attitudes. “I’m not happy with this at all. Changing the rules again so soon might encourage rebellion, especially among the younger members of your races.” I sighed and bit the bullet. “But if this is the only way to reach a peaceful conclusion to negotiations, I’ll allow it.”
“Really?” Maeve said, her tone shocked.
“You didn’t think I’d agree?”
“Not really.” She sounded deflated, as if this addendum had been a ploy to make me refuse the agreement.
“Have your people write up the documents and we’ll sign them at next month’s session. I just hope this won’t come back to bite both of you in the ass.” After that, I got off the phone
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