CHAPTER 7
The ride away from the hospital was full of disgruntled anger (Renard) and scolded guilt (me). Though when he did start his lecture it didn't make much sense.
"Of all the foolish Grimms in the world I landed you. What's wrong? Dying a half dozen times not exciting enough for you? A half-dozen Geiers not enough? You just left the hospital yesterday and already courting death with Snakes. What were you even doing down that way? Don't you know that's lausenschlange territory? Well! Are you going to explain yourself?"
"What?"
He frowns. "What do you mean 'what'?"
Ok so where to begin. "What's a lassen... um... shallong?"
Now he looks amused, "Lausenschlange? Snake like Wesen."
"Wesen?" What in the world is wesen? He's frowning now, "Creatures. Other. Wesen."
"I don't know what that means," I shrug helplessly.
He frowns ,"Wesen. Those which the Royals rule and Grimms hunt"
I laugh, "What?"
He turns the wheel, pulling over to the side of the road. The engine idles as he puts it in park, turning to face me.There is something heavy in his stare. "Royals. Wesen. Grimm. Do you know what these words mean?"
"Royal is like kings and stuff, I think some countries still have them. Don't know wesen and the only Grimm I know of is either Grimms fairy tales, but I was never allowed to read them, or the black dog myth."
I stop talking mostly because he's looking a bit alarmed. Words rush past his lips, something that sounds pretty, French or Italian I think. Quite a lot of words too. Yep, he's mad. He turns, looking anywhere but me, his voice strained. "But then why did you offer tribute if not to pledge loyalty to me?"
And while I understand each of those words individually the combined meaning doesn't fully compute. Something of my confusion must have shown because he's frowning again. Tense and alert and defensive like I've never seen.
I try for soothing but I'm confused enough that I'm not sure it comes across. "I don't know what you mean by tribute, sir. I don't think I've pledged anything. What do you mean by pledging my loyalty to you? Why don't you explain a bit and I'll try to answer."
He's gone as still as a statue. A gust of breath full of angry sharp words in a different language. His eyes closed, his fingers pinch the bridge of his nose. Self-recrimination in every line of his frame. He's really blaming himself for something. Something i dont even understand. But something he thought i knew. Could it be dangerous for me to not know? Most likely. Dang, I'm gonna mess up so bad aren't I?
I shift a bit ,dang I wish I understood. "I'm sorry, Captain, but I truly don't understand. Could you explain? I realize this means something is wrong or more dangerous or something but if you could try to explain some I might be better able to understand all this."
He sighs, narrowing his eyes at me, "Why didn't you react in the hospital when the doctors or nurses woged?"
"What?" Oh when they changed. "I thought something went wrong and my brain was misfiring or something. I figured if it didn't stop in a few weeks I'd tell the doctor."
By the look on his face he didn't fully believe me there. Not that I blame him. I would definitely not say anything if I had a choice. "And the tributes?"
"What are tributes?"
"The chess piece? the harp? the badge?"
Well, what? "The Christmas presents?"
His lips purse in mixed amusement and frustration. Though the frustration seems more with himself. And something faint in his eyes, almost painful or sad. "Presents?"
"Well, yeah. But why would I, or someone, give you tribute? What would it be for? What would it mean?"
Something tense and sad and almost expecting pain slips into his eyes before his face falls as still as stone. Well, this doesn't look good.
"I'm Royal by birth, the bastard son of King Fredrick Renard of the Kronenburg bloodline. It's a Wesen ruling house. Royals can exert their will on others, mostly Wesen but also Kershite, or humans. Grimm is another bloodline. Hunters, the Grimm is the strongest, deadliest predators in the Wesen or human worlds. They are immune to many Wesen powers and poisons."
He glances at me a moment, judging, before he continues, "As for Wesen, they are people who have abilities not found in the human genome. Your nurse was a Mauzhertz, a mouse like Wesen. Really good at sniffing out diseases but easily frightened."
Well that explains her behaviour, she was awefully jumpy. Though so was the rabbit eared lady. Another glance, I guess to see if I'm listening. "Your surgeon was a steinadler, hawkish with very good eyesight. The doctor was a ziegevolk, very odd profession for his kind but I think his father was only half so his instincts may be different to most. I believe one of the lab assistants you meet was a wilihara, a rabbit."
Yep that proves I'm not crazy so that's something at least. A face flashes in my mind. "You're not one of the vulture looking things are you?"
Because while I trust Renard with my life I don't think I can handle him looking like those monsters. He shakes his head, "Those were Geier. My half brother Eric sent them here. As I said I'm the Bastard."
He keeps saying basted like it's a title. What the crap kind of family does he have? Something tells me if I ever meet them it won't be friendly.
He continues calmly but passion fills his eyes and words. "They were content to ignore me while I live so far away but I've been building up a council. For the last decade I've been trying to make Portland safe for Wesen and Kershite alike. To do this I've had to keep to the shadows and work through others. When you gave me the king piece I thought you were pledging to me. I've been more active. I've held the Sabbath twice now, last winter and summer equinoxes."
A bitter laugh erupts and stops just as quickly. This is something rally important to him. And I can understand wanting to make the city safer, nothing wrong there. But something about building a council and hosting the Sabbath puts him in danger that he thought was worth it if I was backing him. And now he thinks he doesn't have my help and he thinks he'll lose it, whatever it is that he could lose. So he feels betrayed. Or perhaps foolish. I can almost hear him reprimanding himself for jumping the gun.
"Well," how do i put it into words? "I was excited when I got pulled for Robery Homicide. You have quite a reputation for being a fair, no-nonsense kind of Captain who demands the best and supports your officers. Everyone I spoke with respects you. All of your officers would go to bat for you if you asked because they know you have their back."
My fingernails look horrible. Maybe I should get Juliette to have another girl's day. It would be nice to get a manicure together. We haven't done that in a while.
I glance at Renard who looks cautiously amused. Well, dang, now I'm blushing. "I'm not promising anything because I don't understand really what's going on but I'm not gonna run off or anything. This is my home."
His smile is oddly gentle, hopeful, and reserved all together. "So you might join me?"
Well, isn't that a loaded question. And the fact I'm not entirely certain what he's asking says a lot. "I'm not gonna lie to you I will probably make mistakes but I'm willing to learn. And you're a good man. I will still take orders from you at work and we can see how the other stuff goes, sound good?"
His smile is barely there but it's genuinely pleased and as he nods, something happy relaxes his shoulders. This could work. It's worth a try at least. And no one has to know that I didn't know about all this beforehand. Who knows, this might be something truly good. I guess I better start reading those books Aunt Marie left.
