Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns it all.
Rated M for several reasons.
Chpt 9 Coming to Terms
BPOV
Our new home is brilliant. Leave it to Char.
It was some developer's idea of a perfect vacation site. An' it is, for a vampire. But considering where it is I can see how it didn't pay with humans, the weather doesn't bother us but is not entirely hospitable for humans all year round.
So we benefit. There is a huge main house for us 'original' Whitlocks an' a vast array of cabins for the rest of the clan. Entertainment includes a pool, a sports hall, a lake an' absolutely acres of grounds. The locals apparently can't decide if we're a cult or a rehab centre for supermodels. I can't even get my head around the complicated arrangements Geekster an' her sidekick Daniel have made to make it look like all our supplies are hauled in weekly by truck. An' although I know some of them are for the classically palated, as far as I'm officially informed all their hunting is done in the big cities within vampire commuting distance.
My, my, blind eye. Who am I to judge.
As a fitting apology for all my bitching an' moaning I was quite happy to admit to Char that I love it. I was even pleased see Jaws an' his brethren. Not to mention my bed, my beautiful, extravagant bed. Boy did we give that a good welcome home.
Talking of my loving husband he lugged a very comfortable chair onto the roof of our new house. Hidden behind the stone chimneys an' slightly manic gables it is currently my favourite spot to relax in when he's not around. On a sunny day the sparkle is probably visible from space but I can't bring myself to care.
Jasper an' I had interesting conversation about Kseniya, the leader of the Russian coven.
He'd asked me if I'd agreed with letting Vassili go, an' well, I hadn't. If it had been the other way around he would have been a teeny weeny plume of dust. Attacking Jasper is just about the worst crime you can commit in my book. Me? Apparently not so.
Ah shit, I know that's not fair.
He thought that sparing Vassili an' sending him home with a strong message would get Kseniya an' others to respect an' support us. Or maybe scare her into submission. Worst case scenario that she'd do something stupid an' we'd have a 'legitimate' excuse to take her out.
I can understand that. An' I agree with him. But. If it was me, an' I was her, I'd bide my time. Plot my revenge an' wait until I'm strong enough to take it. Just like Stefan, or god help me, Victoria. If Kseniya lives, we'll never be free of her an' as far as I know she isn't even aware we killed her sire. Why the hard line? Rutilio Asturias, that's why. More than anything I need to know that he'll never be able to hurt us again an' right now the only way I can think of to do that is for him to be ashes. Ergo, anyone else who comes after us needs to be in the same boat, on their way over the River Styx. With my foot up their ass, no payment required.
An' if I can't destroy the illusion that we're benevolent rulers to achieve it? Then I'll just have to be sneaky. Or as Simon would call it, diplomatic.
Jasper must be protected.
I learnt a lot about my gift an' my life from my experience with Raisa. An' I won't be forgetting it in a hurry.
Power is everything.