Charlaine Harris - Dead as a Doornail

QUINN TOOK OVER the cleanup with the sure authority of one whos supervised such things before.

Though I was dull and stupid with shock, I noticed he gave clear, concise directions as to the dispersal of the testing materials. Pack members dismantled the cage into sections and took apart the agility arena with efficient dispatch. A cleanup crew took care of mopping up the blood and other fluids.

Soon the building was empty of all but the people. Patrick Furnan had reverted to his human form, and Dr. Ludwig was attending his many wounds. I was glad he had every one of them.

I was only sorry they werent worse. But the pack had accepted Furnans choice. If they would not protest such unnecessary brutality, I couldnt.

Alcide was being comforted by Maria-Star Cooper, a young Were I knew slightly.

Maria-Star held him and stroked his back, providing support by her sheer closeness. He didnt have to tell me that on this occasion, he preferred another Weres companionship to mine. Id gone to hug him, but when Id neared him and met his eyes, Id known. That hurt, and it hurt bad ; but today wasnt about me and my feelings.

Claudine was crying in her brothers arms. Shes so tenderhearted, I whispered to Claude, feeling a bit abashed that I wasnt crying myself. My concern was for Alcide; Id hardly known Jackson Herveaux.

She went through the second elf war in Iowa fighting with the best of them, Claude said, shaking his head. Ive seen a decapitated goblin stick its tongue out at her in its death throes, and she laughed. But as she gets closer to the light, she becomes more sensitive.

That effectively shut me up. I was not about to ask for any explanation of yet another arcane supernatural rule. Id had a bellyful this day.

Now that all the mess was cleared away (that mess included Jacksons body, which Dr. Ludwig had taken somewhere to be altered, to make the story of how hed met his death more plausible), all the pack members present gathered in front of Patrick Furnan, who hadnt resumed clothes. According to his body, victory had made him feel manly. Ick.

He was standing on a blanket; it was a red plaid stadium blanket, like youd take to a football game. I felt my lips twitch, but I became completely sober when the new packmasters wife led a young woman to him, a brown-haired girl who seemed to be in her late teens. The girl was as bare as the packmaster, though she looked considerably better in that state.

What the hell?

Suddenly I remembered the last part of the ceremony, and I realized Patrick Furman was going to fuck this girl in front of us.

No. No way was I going to watch this. I tried to turn to walk out. But Claude hissed, You cant leave. He covered my mouth and picked me up bodily to move me to the back of the crowd.

Claudine moved with us and stood in front of me, but with her back to me, so I wouldnt have to see. I made a furious sound into Claudes hand.

Shut up, the fairy said grimly, his voice as concentrated with sincerity as he could manage. Youll land us all in trouble. If it makes you feel any better, this is traditional. The girl volunteered. After this, Patrickll be a faithful husband once more.

But hes already bred his whelp by his wife, and he has to make the ceremonial gesture of breeding another one. May take, may not, but it has to be done.

I kept my eyes shut and was grateful when Claudine turned to me and placed her tear-wet hands over my ears. A shout went up from the crowd when the thing was completed. The two fairies relaxed and gave me some room. I didnt see what happened to the girl. Furnan remained naked, but as long as he was in a calm state, I could handle that.

To seal his status, the new packmaster began to receive the pledges of his wolves. They went in turn, oldest to youngest, I figured, after a moments observation. Each Were licked the back of Patrick Furnans hand and exposed his or her neck for a ritual moment. When it was Alcides turn, I suddenly realized there was potential for even more disaster.

I found I was holding my breath.

From the profound silence, I knew I wasnt the only one.

After a long hesitation, Furnan bent over and placed his teeth on Alcides neck; I opened my mouth to protest, but Claudine clapped her hand over it. Furnans teeth came away from Alcides flesh, leaving it unscathed.

Packmaster Furnan had sent a clear signal.

By the time the last Were had performed the ritual, I was exhausted from all the emotion.

Surely this was an end to it? Yes, the pack was dispersing, some members giving the Furnans congratulatory hugs, and some striding out silently.

I dodged them myself and made a beeline for the door. The next time someone told me I had to watch a supernatural rite, I was going to tell him I had to wash my hair.

Once out in the open air, I walked slowly, my feet dragging. I had to think about things Id put to one side, like what Id seen in Alcides head after the whole debacle was over.

Alcide thought Id failed him. Hed told me I had to come, and I had; I should have known he had some purpose in insisting I be present.

Now I knew that hed suspected Furnan had some underhanded trick in mind. Alcide had primed Christine, his fathers ally, ahead of time. She made sure I used my telepathy on Patrick Furnan. And, sure enough, I had found that Jackson s opponent was cheating. That disclosure should have ensured Jackson s win .

Instead, the will of the pack had gone against Jackson , and the contest had continued with the stakes even higher. Id nothing to do with that decision. But right now Alcide, in his grief and rage, was blaming me.

I was trying to be angry, but I was too sad.

Claude and Claudine said good-bye, and they hopped into Claudines Cadillac and peeled out of the parking lot as if they couldnt wait to get back to Monroe . I was of the same mind, but I was a lot less resilient than the fairies. I had to sit behind the wheel of the borrowed Malibu for five or ten minutes, steadying myself for the drive home.

I found myself thinking of Quinn. It was a welcome relief from thinking of torn flesh and blood and death. When Id looked into his head, Id seen a man who knew his way. And I still didnt have a clue as to what he was.

The drive home was grim.

I might as well have phoned in to Merlottes that evening. Oh, sure, I went through all the motions of taking orders and carrying them to the right tables, refilling pitchers of beer, popping my tips in the tip jar, wiping up spills and making sure the temporary cook (a vampire named Anthony Bolivar; hed subbed for us before) remembered the busboy was off limits. But I didnt have any sparkle, any joy, in my work.

I did notice that Sam seemed be getting around better. He was obviously restive, sitting in his corner watching Charles work. Possibly Sam was also a little piqued, since Charles just seemed to get more and more popular with the clientele.

The vamp was charming, that was for sure. He was wearing a red sequined eye patch tonight and his usual poet shirt under a black sequined vestflashy in the extreme, but entertaining, too.

You seem depressed, beautiful lady, he said when I came to pick up a Tom Collins and a rum and Coke.

Just been a long day, I said, making an effort to smile. I had so many other things to digest emotionally that I didnt even mind when Bill brought Selah Pumphrey in again.

Even when they sat in my section, I didnt care. But when Bill took my hand as I was turning away to get their order, I snatched it away as if hed tried to set me on fire.

I only want to know whats wrong, he said, and for a second I remembered how good it had felt that night at the hospital when hed lain down with me. My mouth actually began to open, but then I caught a glimpse of Selahs indignant face, and I shut my emotional water off at the meter.