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faintly of scorched flesh. It wasn t fresh, or at least the marks around the edges of the scab
were shiny white, but it didn t smell as if it was healing.  Your work? Vision asked Janus.
 Some of my finest, Janus said, grimly. He looked around to the tattered remains of
the wards.  These were too. But they ve degraded more than they should have.
Vladimir shrugged, modestly, like he had something personally to do with it.  I did
underestimate you, Vladimir said.  Believe me, it won t happen again.
 You d be surprised to hear how often I hear that, Janus said, voice cold.
Octavius stood behind him, silently. He gripped the back of the chair as though it was
the only thing holding him upright. When he saw Vision, his skin turned ashen, and Janus s
fists clenched. Janus moved, picking Vladimir up by his throat, and slammed him against the
wall. Vladimir hissed, his fangs out, but Janus slammed him again.  This ends now, he said.
 Return to me my lines. You had no right to deny them.
 Open war is not permitted, Janus said.  Your lieutenant did not have the conclave s
permission to murder Lagrishe.
 Your new civilized rules do not supersede the old way, Vladimir snarled.
Janus s fingers dug more deeply into Vladimir s throat. How Vladimir was still
conscious escaped Vision entirely.  I say they do, Janus snapped.
 Which is it, Janus? Old rules or new ways? Vladimir gasped. He scraped his nails
down Janus s arm, but Janus seemed impervious to the pain.  You can t have both.
 The new ways trump the old, Janus said. His words had weight here, and the
uncomfortable feeling in Vision s belly flared up again.
 I have your word on that? Vladimir demanded.
 Janus -- Vision said, quietly, trying to catch his arm, but Janus shrugged him off.
 You have my word. Now, give Octavius up and we ll go. Our quarrel is not with you.
102 Angela Fiddler
The unspoken yet was as heavy as Janus s promise. Vision wanted to turn and go. The
air here smelled off, and it was making him sick breathing it in to speak. Vladimir smiled at
him, and all Vision heard was the final click of a trap that had just been set.
 He s yours, Vladimir said.  Until this mess has been sorted out. I deeply apologize for
any inconvenience this may have caused. Octavius only wanted to please me, and he might
have taken it a bit too far. His words were aimed at Janus, but they were for Vision.
 And of course, I m stripping you of Lagrishe s lines.
 Strip away, Vladimir agreed, cheerfully. He had his own power, they both knew it.
Octavius took a stumbling step around the chair, seemingly drunk, and Vision wondered if
he d ever know how lucky he was not to have been turned into another suit for Varaugh to
wear.
Hanz was there beside Vision and offered his shoulder. Vision wanted to snatch him
back and tell him not to touch Octavius. It was a knee-jerk reaction, but a strong one. As
though hearing him, Hanz broke away and walked slowly behind him as they made their
way out of the apartment.  What was that about? Janus asked, once they were down in the
lobby. He d already called Breylorn to inform him of who was squatting in his old
apartment -- warded phones got the best reception -- but Vision doubted Vladimir would
still be there by the time Breylorn could do anything about it.
 It wasn t about power, Vision said and watched as Hanz kept Octavius from falling
down again. The touch was minimal, but supportive. Hanz s supply of pity hadn t been
tapped out like Vision s and Janus s. Watching him, Vision found he d do almost anything to
keep that well full.
 What was it about? Octavius killed an elder. I felt the power enter him. But then he
gave it all up. So he wasn t Vlad s ass-boy, then. Why would Vladimir have orchestrated the
whole thing knowing I d just come along and strip him of the power and his lieutenant in
the same night?
Master of the Lines 5: Coda 103
Vision looked up, but the lights to Breylorn s suite were off. Vladimir could be staring
back, and he d never know.  It wasn t about power, Vision repeated.  Good ole Drac was
setting precedent.
 Precedent for what? Janus demanded.
Vision didn t know. Yet.
The only building accessible to them that had an actual cell was Vision s. Other
pressing matters had kept him away from his building, but the night guards, vampires both,
snapped to attention as Janus, Vision, Hanz, and Octavius entered. They weren t the blond
twins from Strickland s era, but two of the feral vampires that Vision s magic had drawn.
They weren t as pretty. Vision was the first to admit. In fact, the redhead was almost homely.
The dirt-blond on the other side of him had more potential, if Vision were to notice such
things. Hanz glanced at him, eyebrow raised, and Vision kept his face blank. Hanz whispered
their names in greeting as he passed, and they seemed eternally grateful for the recognition,
however secondhand it was.
 Part of your army? Janus asked. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]