Eloise lead us to an office down the hall. We got several students stopping to stare and she would rush them off. I mean it wasn’t everyday you saw vampires and werebears and witches walking down your hallways. Eloise spoke interrupting my thoughts. “It’s not the vampires and therians and wicca that are causing them to stare. It’s the Exuli walking down the halls of a place forbidden to them.”
“You’d refuse to teach an Exuli if they came looking for help with their ability?” I asked as she opened the door.
“Exuli in Europe stay hidden, and if they need assistance with their gifts they usually take it to the humans to help.”
“And a Magnus?” I asked.
“They are made Tacet.”
I wanted to turn and walk away from this encounter. There was no reason to turn them into nothing. They could be taught to control their abilities. I sighed as I took in the room we were entering. It was small. Ant nodded at Ryan and the Chevalier entered the room after Eloise and Ant stood ground at the door after he ushered me inside. It seemed he and the others would stand outside while Ryan stayed at my side. He was Il Cane’s Chevalier. It made me wonder if Eloise knew that. Or if Ant was Il Cane’s son.
Eloise sat down at her desk and offered me the seat opposite of her. She looked at my blonde friend and then through the door at where Ant stood. “I didn’t know you brought emissaries from the Vampire Council.”
“They aren’t emissaries. I’m helping them with their problem. And they are helping me with mine.”
“What exactly is your problem, Mr. Sétanta?” Her voice was like velvet on a stick but it grated on me the way she said my name.
“It’s Nox and my problem is not your concern. We need safe houses here in Europe that is all we are here to discuss.”
She smiled. “We have our own problem. Which you might be well suited to handle. Since your vampire friends cannot control them, maybe the boy who thinks he’s god can.”
“I don’t think I’m god or a god. I’m just a man who has a gift and I like to piss people off.” I grinned at her. “Anyone who thinks that just sees the image I want to project.”
Ryan chuckled. “He’s such a pussy cat for real.”
I laughed. It felt good to laugh like that. Real humor and real laughter. I really was starting to like Ryan.
I calmed myself and smiled. “What can I do for you Eloise Dean?”
She frowned at me. “We have a vampire problem. Tunnels under the city are plagued with vampires. And now they are threatening to boil over into the city proper. The Council does nothing. Evangeline seems less that cooperative. Almost like they want the world to know they exist. I can’t imagine that the vampires would want this. And those tunnels people have gone missing. More people than we’d like. Our hunters can find hide nor hair of their lair. Maybe a young hotshot like you. One who is friends with the foul creatures can find them and kill them.”
I laughed again, this time it wasn’t funny. “You think I’m going to kill vampires just because you want me to?”
“You are a former field hunter. It’s your job!”
“Two things, ma’am. One, I’m no longer a field hunter, so no it’s not my job. And two, you really didn’t do any research on me did you. Do you know why I left the Venatori?” I shook my head it wasn’t worth telling her the story. She could look it up. I stood up. “I will look into your problem for guarantee of safe houses provided by the Venatori.”
“We have sanctuary here. Your people will be welcome once the problem is dealt with.”
I nodded. “But I won’t kill your problem for you. Deal with it yes, but I’m not a ruthless murderer. I wouldn’t be here with vampires and therians if I were.”
I turned on my heal and I left. I wasn’t about to be polite now. I was done with the fucking Venatori mentality.
The Mind of Nox 