Pam--POV
Paul, Rachel's great-uncle, didn't look too happy when Tante Aurelie ordered him to help me into the car. "Mademoiselle weel be our guest for a time. See to eet 'zat she has everything she needs."
"Maman, are you sure that's wise? Once they're invited in--"
"Nevertheless, Paul. Comprenez? Ne discutez pas."
"Très bien. Ne dites pas que je ne vous ai jamais averti, Maman." Paul said grimly. "Forgive me, ma'am. We've never had one of you stay with us before."
"It's all right" I smiled at him in the rearview mirror, letting him see my fangs. He snapped his eyes forward and did not speak again.
Tante Aurelie had seated herself in the back with me. As we pulled out of Fangtasia's driveway, she said, "We 'ave much to talk of, you and I. I understand votre reine weeshes to take my niece into 'er service."
"That is correct. She's interested in Rachel's powers."
"As you and le shérif are?
I didn't see the point in lying about it. "Yes."
"And you know, of course, 'zat Rachelle is nowhere near ready."
"Yes."
She smiled. "I ave 'eard ze blood of 'ze Night Ones 'as 'ealing power. Ees eet true?"
I looked at her sharply. "If you don't mind my asking, Madame, how exactly did Rachel get burned?
"'Er clothes were ignited by the blaze, as was most of my salon. 'Ze fire people say eet weel be long before all 'ze damage ees repaired." Tante Aurelie looked calmly into my eyes. I knew she wasn't telling me the whole truth; witches have a way of telling you things by not telling you things. For a moment, I considered glamouring her, but I was pretty sure I could fill in the blanks without it. She'd set the fire herself.
I asked a single question. "Why?"
The old woman lifted her elegant shoulders. "Eef Rachelle enters 'ze servicie of la reine, she would never be allowed to leave 'er side, oui?"
"Not unless she did something to lose the queen's favor."
"And your queen can be very persuasive."
"Very", I agreed.
"Would she value Rachelle enough to make every effort to keep 'er alive?"
"Not if it wasn't expedient."
"Et vous? Do you and le shérif feel the same?"
I paused. Madame Aurelie may have been human, but she was no mere blood-sack. An angry witch was a danger to reckon with, especially one as powerful as I sensed she was.
"Eric and I would rather she stayed with us, and our reasons are similar to the queen's, but because we know her and have taken care of her, we are more aware of the risks involved in pushing her too fast." I thought a moment, trying to phrase my thoughts in a way she would understand. "Rachel is a new vampire, and I don't just mean in years. She was made after we revealed ourselves. The old laws and codes were created when we had to be secret, by vampires that come from very distant periods in time. That is why the system is still a feudal one. The young ones don't understand this. They hang on to their humanity; they see no conflict in being both a human and one who preys on humans, as long as they kill within their own code of ethics. Do you understand so far, Madame?"
"Of course."
"Those of us who are older know that vampires are a higher order of being than humans. We see no point in hanging on to our human emotions and considerations. The idea is ludicrous when humans are our food. And the older a vampire gets, the more the ability to feel atrophies anyway. Our queen is over a thousand years old...she will have little patience with Rachel." I didn't mention that I hadn't been very patient with her, either.
"And when 'er servants displease 'er?"
"They are punished. Often with permanent consequences."
Tante Aurelie nodded. "It may surprise you to learn 'zat I know your queen a little. She visited my Grand-mère's salon often when I was a girl. We Balletois 'ave always found it wise to be on good terms weeth 'ze Night Ones, seence 'zere are so many een New Orleans. I met Madame Leclerq--as she called 'erself then--when I was sixteen."
Something about the way she said it made me wish I'd been a fly on the wall when it happened. I waited, but no juicier revelations came. "Had Rachelle been raised as a Balletois, as I weeshed, she would be more equal to this situation, but 'er fool of a fazzer married a common, ignorant girl purely to spite me. As a result, Rachelle's powers 'ave not matured weeth 'er. Zey are uneven, erratic. Eet ees extrêmement dangereux."
"I know."
"Mademoiselle, do you 'ave any personal regard for my niece? You are 'er guardian."
"A little. I know her, and that makes me feel more for her than I would for someone who was a stranger. But you must understand, Madame, that I have never felt the need to take a fledgling myself. And I am old enough that the emotional bonds that humans value are a dim memory at best."
"Our queen", I added. "Definitely seems to be attracted to Rachel, but right now that's part and parcel of her getting what she wants."
"Ah. Et vous?"
I hesitated, carefully weighing my answer. I wasn't sure how much Tante Aurelie knew about what happened between Rachel and Sophie-Anne, but I was fairly certain that our queen would not have denied herself at least a sip of Rachel's blood. And that meant she knew how sweet it was, how warm, how spiced with magical power. Any vampire who tasted it would want more.
"Yes."
'Zen it seems to me 'zat you and la reine are equally matched. "
"Hardly. She can command Eric to hand Rachel over to her. If she does, there's nothing either of us can do."
Tante Aurelie was silent. We drove through Shreveport and finally pulled up at the house. Paul helped his mother out of the car, then went around the back for my bags. I had packed a set of blackout shields along with my clothes. In the yard, I could smell newly-turned earth. Rachel was there under the ground. I could sense her presence as a dim pulse of pain. It was idiotic, ridiculous, but for a minute I wanted to dig her up and see how bad the damage was.
"Has anyone told her mother?" I asked.
"Paul 'as spoken weeth Balletois. He will tell 'zere parents."
That means we can probably expect Elsie Dupree to arrive within a few days, I thought. Can't wait.
