as they come."
"I understand," Winkler agreed.
"If you get any information on the Ir'Indicti thing, I expect to be informed."
"I'll let you know." Winkler ended the call.
* * *
"I realize this feels like a punch in the face," Aedan sat behind his desk and gazed at Ashe. Ashe had followed his father into his father's new study, which was upstairs and overlooked the boat slip between the two rows of houses.
Ashe folded arms across his chest and refused to say anything. "Son," Aedan went on, "this is something you have to learn to live with. You have something special and you're hunted because of it. I have no idea what those creatures would do to you if they find you, but I don't believe it's anything good. This has to remain a secret. You have no idea how much compulsion Nathan and I placed in the beginning, to make the community forget. Now only Marcus, Denise and the Rocklins know, and that's at the Grand Master's discretion. If he told Winkler tomorrow that Marcus and his Second don't need to know, then we'd have to remove those memories as well."
"Marcus was in the military," Ashe turned his head, refusing to look at his father. Everything was turning sour. In the books that lined shelves inside Ashe's new bedroom, the hero might be allowed a bit of satisfaction in a job well done and executed almost flawlessly, in order to save the girl. Now, the girl thought someone else had saved her and Ashe couldn't talk to his best friend about what bothered him. Not only did Sali not remember that Ashe had saved Wynn, he didn't know any longer that Ashe could turn to mist or mindspeak. Ashe might as well be on a tiny, forgotten island in the ocean somewhere. He couldn't even talk to the seagulls on his imaginary island. Too many sharp ears surrounded him.
"I know Marcus was in the military. And I know you're smart enough to figure that out. Don't let that secret get away, Ashe. You're getting a little taste of what it's like to be vampire. We've kept secrets from the moment we woke as vampires."
"And how long ago was that, Dad?" Ashe stood and walked to the window overlooking the boat channel below. "You won't tell me, will you? I don't need to know. I know I can mist and haul an almost-grown unicorn filly out of harm's way, but I sure can't know how old my dad is. Can I? Are we done with the talk, Dad? Are we?" Ashe, angrier than he'd ever been, snapped at his father.
"Son, I won't place compulsion, because that would destroy our trust. You have to stop this, and stop it now. As of this moment, I'm grounding you until your birthday on Sunday. Sali doesn't come over, I take your cell phone and you're confined to the house and the yard." Aedan's eyes were red and Ashe had glimpsed the tips of sharp fangs. His father was almost as angry as Ashe. Right then, Ashe didn't care. Pulling the cell phone from his pocket, he slapped it onto his father's desk and stalked out.
* * *
"I'm grounding him for three days, until his birthday," Aedan sighed. He'd found Adele in the kitchen later, attempting to explain how things hadn't gone very well when he'd talked to Ashe. Ashe's bedroom door had slammed shortly after he'd left his father's office. "I hope that's enough time for him to cool off and see sense."
"This is awful. He feels something for Wynn, I think, and now she not only thinks somebody else got her out of that place, but Sali stepped right in and is getting Wynn's attention." Adele didn't often disagree with Aedan over Ashe's punishments, but she understood a little of what her son was feeling right then. "It would be different if Sharon's egg had been used. We know now that wasn't the case. Ashe can date Wynn if he wants."
"Adele," Aedan rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "That's not the only thing we have to be concerned about. We have to impress upon that child that he is vulnerable. He needs the protection the community can provide. And he can mist faster than anything I've ever heard of. The Council's misters
"I understand," Winkler agreed.
"If you get any information on the Ir'Indicti thing, I expect to be informed."
"I'll let you know." Winkler ended the call.
* * *
"I realize this feels like a punch in the face," Aedan sat behind his desk and gazed at Ashe. Ashe had followed his father into his father's new study, which was upstairs and overlooked the boat slip between the two rows of houses.
Ashe folded arms across his chest and refused to say anything. "Son," Aedan went on, "this is something you have to learn to live with. You have something special and you're hunted because of it. I have no idea what those creatures would do to you if they find you, but I don't believe it's anything good. This has to remain a secret. You have no idea how much compulsion Nathan and I placed in the beginning, to make the community forget. Now only Marcus, Denise and the Rocklins know, and that's at the Grand Master's discretion. If he told Winkler tomorrow that Marcus and his Second don't need to know, then we'd have to remove those memories as well."
"Marcus was in the military," Ashe turned his head, refusing to look at his father. Everything was turning sour. In the books that lined shelves inside Ashe's new bedroom, the hero might be allowed a bit of satisfaction in a job well done and executed almost flawlessly, in order to save the girl. Now, the girl thought someone else had saved her and Ashe couldn't talk to his best friend about what bothered him. Not only did Sali not remember that Ashe had saved Wynn, he didn't know any longer that Ashe could turn to mist or mindspeak. Ashe might as well be on a tiny, forgotten island in the ocean somewhere. He couldn't even talk to the seagulls on his imaginary island. Too many sharp ears surrounded him.
"I know Marcus was in the military. And I know you're smart enough to figure that out. Don't let that secret get away, Ashe. You're getting a little taste of what it's like to be vampire. We've kept secrets from the moment we woke as vampires."
"And how long ago was that, Dad?" Ashe stood and walked to the window overlooking the boat channel below. "You won't tell me, will you? I don't need to know. I know I can mist and haul an almost-grown unicorn filly out of harm's way, but I sure can't know how old my dad is. Can I? Are we done with the talk, Dad? Are we?" Ashe, angrier than he'd ever been, snapped at his father.
"Son, I won't place compulsion, because that would destroy our trust. You have to stop this, and stop it now. As of this moment, I'm grounding you until your birthday on Sunday. Sali doesn't come over, I take your cell phone and you're confined to the house and the yard." Aedan's eyes were red and Ashe had glimpsed the tips of sharp fangs. His father was almost as angry as Ashe. Right then, Ashe didn't care. Pulling the cell phone from his pocket, he slapped it onto his father's desk and stalked out.
* * *
"I'm grounding him for three days, until his birthday," Aedan sighed. He'd found Adele in the kitchen later, attempting to explain how things hadn't gone very well when he'd talked to Ashe. Ashe's bedroom door had slammed shortly after he'd left his father's office. "I hope that's enough time for him to cool off and see sense."
"This is awful. He feels something for Wynn, I think, and now she not only thinks somebody else got her out of that place, but Sali stepped right in and is getting Wynn's attention." Adele didn't often disagree with Aedan over Ashe's punishments, but she understood a little of what her son was feeling right then. "It would be different if Sharon's egg had been used. We know now that wasn't the case. Ashe can date Wynn if he wants."
"Adele," Aedan rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "That's not the only thing we have to be concerned about. We have to impress upon that child that he is vulnerable. He needs the protection the community can provide. And he can mist faster than anything I've ever heard of. The Council's misters
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