Page 108 of Caller of Crows
"If you're already letting him roam around the base, what's the harm in introducing him to Monday Madness?"
"He'sjustlost his mother, Mord, show a little sensitivity, will you?"
Mordyn held out his arms in surrender. "I know, I know. But you might still ask him. Don't you think he would appreciate feeling like he belongs here?"
"Damn you," Altair muttered, knowing full well that Mordyn had a point. If he wanted Sven to live here full-time, Sven had to feel welcomed, and while Altair wasn't in the mood to socialize after everything that had happened over the weekend, Sven had been locked in a cage for longer than he had any right to be. This might do him good. "Fine, I'll ask him, but only because I can't be bothered with trying to argue with you about this right now."
Mordyn looked way too pleased about getting his way. Altair chose to ignore that as he rose from his chair. "Did you need anything else or do you just enjoy bothering me?"
"I do greatly enjoy bothering you." Mordyn smiled. "But I also wanted to apologize." He cleared his throat as his face grew serious. "I'm sorry for my mistakes. It wasn't my intention to betray you. I only thought…"
"I get it," Altair cut him off. "So this is where you make your pitch to get out of janitor duties."
"You can't blame a vampire for trying." Mordyn groaned.
"If you don't like mopping floors, I've also got plenty of paperwork I could assign you."
Mordyn winced visibly at the suggestion, then nodded slowly. "I think I'm happier cleaning the floors."
Altair's lips curled at his friend's reply. "Get to it then. I'll relieve you of your duties when the floors are sparkly enough for me to see my reflection in them."
Mordyn huffed but made a fist over his heart as if taking an oath. "It shall be done, my liege."
Altair chuckled, then walked out of his office and made his way toward the rec room, wondering when Mordyn would remember that vampires didn't have reflections.
* * *
Sven wasn't at all sure what to expect when he and Altair arrived at the vampire meeting, which took place in the club's main space.
Some of the vampires gathered there, he'd met before, like Mordyn, Iskander, and Keegan, but many faces were new to him. They sat in small groups scattered around the tables and bar, drinking from bottles labeled ‘bloodwine', chatting, and playing cards.
Sven guessed these were all members of the coven. Some of them, he vaguely remembered seeing while Altair had rescued him from Nephariel's clutches, but he'd been too out of it to really focus on anyone but Altair then. Now he eyed the vampires carefully, taking in their appearances one by one while Altair led him over to a table in the front where Mordyn and Iskander were already gathered.
"So glad you could make it." Mordyn smiled at Sven as he and Altair sat down.
Sven nodded and glanced at Iskander. "Who's watching Rhyme now?"
"Carmen," Iskander replied, even though that name meant nothing to Sven.
There were so many people he still had to get to know. "Has there been any change in his condition?"
Iskander shook his head. "Not yet. But he is looking better than he did."
Sven sighed. "Well, I guess that's something."
He glanced around the room once more and noticed that more and more eyes were drifting to him and Altair now that they had joined the group, obviously waiting for some sort of statement from their leader.
Altair stood and faced them.
The entire room fell quiet as the assembled vampires turned their attention to Altair.
"Before we begin this month's Monday Madness, let me make one thing clear." He paused dramatically, his deep voice resonating in the otherwise quiet room. "This is Sven. He is under my protection, so treat him accordingly." Altair glanced sideways at Sven, eyes intense, a hint of affection flashing across his face before his expression hardened once more as he addressed his vampires again. "Any one of you has a problem with my mate, you've got a problem withme, understand?"
Sven blinked at the term Altair used. Was Altair implying…
No, it was probably just a slip of the tongue…
But as Sven's mind spun, everyone in the crowd chorused in agreement with their leader, and Altair didn't bother to correct himself as his vampires raised their bottles to cheer for him.
