The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Chapter 26: Broken Vows

Lash pulled in a lungful of air and let it ease out his nostrils in a slow, steady stream as he looked at the restrained Anna van Tallert, sitting isolated in the galley. Behind him, in low, intense voices, Naryan, Tanner, and Galloway related their experiences as Qos Viran Force Recon operators to a rapt audience of Vanguard legionnaires, eliciting not a few gasps of astonishment and excited comments.

The rumble of exchange did nothing to distract the big vampire from his study. Not even Narcist appearing at his elbow pulled his eyes off the restrained Anna.

"To think I once admired her passion and strength of conviction," the former Van Tallert specialist said with a twist of her lips. Lash found himself nodding in understanding. He knew exactly how she felt.

He too had been a believer. He believed, as Qos Viran, in the benevolence of the Council and that it had only the best interests of the People of the Night in mind. Only to have that government betray him and his ideals. A government he now intended on burning to the ground.

He looked over at Narcist at that point.

"Good work with that exchange idea, by the way," he said. "In case Truk didn't pass it along."

"Thank you. He did, but it's always nice to hear it from the boss," she said with a smile, returning his look.

Lash smiled in reply before looking back at Anna.

"Without knowing what Iris van Tallert's intentions are after this situation is resolved, I hope you don't mind if I talk to her about releasing you from your vows to her House so I can invite you and Truk to join my House nestari. You both have proven your value and loyalty time and time again." He paused to look back at her. "Not sure I could've done any of it without you two."

The look Narcist gave him was one of pure relief.

"I was so hoping you'd ask that, Lash," she said, her renewed smile now touched by a bit of that relief along with a great deal of happiness.

"It would be my absolute pleasure to join House Lash in whatever capacity you'll have me take on. To be honest, I couldn't go back to House Van Tallert. Not after everything we've been through together." She looked over at Anna. "And how far that House has fallen."

Lash put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"It lightens my heart to know you'd be amenable to joining my House, Narcist," he said, a bit more formally than he would've liked but the words seemed to fit. And found her hugging him.

It seemed right to not speak at that point, so they didn't. He just returned the hug. It took a moment to silently work through the emotions then she was stepping back to give him a little distance.

"So," she said, wiping a tear quickly out of her eyes as she cleared her throat. "Any idea how we're going to get Anna to give us her contact without oversaturating her with a Compulsion?"

Lash took in a quick breath for a second time and let it whistle through his nostrils.

"I was thinking of asking Mordecai to go in for a look, actually," he confessed. And found Narcist nodding in agreement.

"Not a bad idea, boss," she added. "He could teep the intel right out of her brain without her knowing the difference." Narcist looked up at him. "That way it's failsafe instead of running the risk of chemically lobotomizing her like Sakura did to you."

"That was my thinking, too." Lash frowned as he folded his arms, eyes narrowed as he stared at the hooded younger Van Tallert. "I just need to find the opportunity to do so, without arousing too much suspicion. I mean, we worked getting Jeriko in to help with bringing the liliths out of their comas but we had to keep the group small, and only those that could accept working with psionics."