A HOUSE DIVIDED

I woke up from a thankful y dreamless sleep in the same dark mood I'd been in when I'd fal en unconscious some hours ago. I considered playing sick and hiding in bed under the covers al day, but that wasn't going to solve my problems or the city's.

When I was up and showered, I also considered cal ing Mal ory. I had no doubt she was stressed about exams, but I wasn't sure if letting her hermit while she studied was the best thing to do. On the other hand, she specifical y told me not to bother her until she was done with exams.

That stil stung.

Sure, it wasn't the first time we'd had a disagreement.

There'd been a boy she dated who I'd thought was obnoxious, and she tended to give my parents more credit than I did. We'd grown apart when I'd been made a vampire and hadn't adjusted graceful y to my new life. Her apprenticeship training in Schaumburg hadn't done much for our social schedule.

But we'd always managed to get through. I could only hope this time was no different, that even with magic and exams between us, we'd manage to find each other again.

After tossing the phone in my hands for a few minutes, I decided not to cal . If she real y needed space, I'd give it to her. God knows she'd have done the same thing for me.

But while she could avoid me, Catcher couldn't. I dialed up his cel phone and caught him in the car.

"On the way to your grandfather's house," he said.

"Stil officing unofficial y?"

"Unless we hear something different from the city, which seems extraordinarily unlikely, 'unofficial' is our permanent gig. Unfortunately," he added as a horn honked in the background, "traffic to your grandfather's is much worse than to the office. It takes me twice as long to get there."

"Isn't there an El stop by his house?"

"I prefer my car," he flatly said. "What's happening at Cadogan House tonight?"

"Wel , due to unfortunate events, I'm no longer standing Sentinel." I fil ed him in on Frank's quality testing and my forced failure.

"Classy," he said. "Makes Darius West look like a total peach."

"I wouldn't go quite that far, but you've got something there. Have you had a chance to talk to Simon?"

"I have. He's as mystified as we are. He says he's heard nothing about the Maleficium and that it's safe and sound in Nebraska. Out of an abundance of caution, the Order's established a committee to look into things, and they're on their way. He also thinks Tate's bluffing, and he put some stock into your lemon and sugar theory. He says the new 'forensic magic' recognizes trace magical evidence like odor."

Catcher's tone screamed "sarcastic," but there was also a hint of "jealous" in there. Catcher hadn't been a member of the Order for some time, so it stood to reason he wouldn't be up to date on al the latest information and techniques. He clearly had unresolved issues about the Order. Maybe buried beneath his irritation that Mal ory was learning about magic from Simon was a little magical jealousy.

"How long until Mal's done with exams?"

"Couple of days, but the schedule is fluid. Simon's apparently trying to keep her on her toes. Listen, I'm just pul ing into the driveway. I'l cal you if there's news."

"Appreciate it," I said, and he hung up. I had no doubt I'd hear from him again. If I'd learned anything in my months as a vampire, it was that drama was in unlimited supply.

I found a stack of library books outside my door again, al referencing unexplained historical events. The librarian seemed to think Amelia Earhart's disappearance and the Bermuda Triangle were related to our sky and water problems. I was sitting on the floor, waist-deep in magical conspiracy theories, when my phone rang.

Saved by the bell, I thought, and pul ed it out. When I saw Jonah's number on the screen, I popped it open.

"Hi," I careful y said, not sure of his mood since we hadn't spoken since the kiss - and nervous that he was cal ing to relay another crisis. I real y could use a break.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Reading. What are you doing?"

"I'm at Benson's. Get your ass down here and buy me a drink."

Benson's was the Grey House bar, located across the street from Wrigley Field.

"I'm not going to buy you a drink."

"I'm pretty sure I remember you owing me a drink.

Especial y after you total y denied me when I poured out my heart to you."

I couldn't help but smile, and appreciated that he'd broken the ice. "I don't recal it happening that way."

"Then you would be incorrect."

"I'm pretty sure you're hal ucinating," I said, but glanced down at the books and decided I couldn't read any more crazy theories tonight. I needed a change of scenery, even if that change started with my buying an apologetic round for my partner.

"I'l be there in five," I told him, then flipped the phone closed and slid it back into my pocket. I grabbed my jacket, gave Keley a heads-up, and headed out.

Benson's was housed in a narrow building that faced the back of Wrigley Field. Stadium seats had been instal ed on the roof so Cubs fans without tickets could get a view of the action from the even-fro ancheaper seats. The narrow bar was also crammed with as many tables as the owners could fit. This was prime Cubs' rooting territory, after all , and folks who couldn't fit into Wrigley stil wanted to be as close to the action as possible. The bar could get stuffy on game days, but there was definitely something to be said for squeezing into a bar with close friends (and total strangers) to root for the Cubbies. Benson's even had a signature Cubs-related drink - a shot layered with blue and red booze. It tasted like cough syrup, but we drank it for the color - not the taste.

Benson's was filled with Cubs memorabilia, and although the Cubs' season had been over for some time, the bar was stil packed tonight. Where better to spend the end of the world than with your closest friends and your favorite liquor? Since humans weren't aware the bar was affiliated with Grey House, or vampires general y, the clientele was a mix of humans, vampires, and probably some supernaturals I didn't even know existed.

I waded through bodies until I caught a glimpse of Jonah standing in a back corner. He wore a short-sleeved V-neck T-shirt over jeans and a couple days' worth of stubble. It would have been a lie to deny that he was handsome, and when he looked up to watch me walk across the bar, I could have imagined - in another time and place - approaching him in a bar for an altogether different reason.

"Hey," he said when I reached him. "You managed not to get captured by malcontents. Wel done."

There was an irritatingly attractive twinkle in his eye, but since he'd had a good attitude about the kiss, I decided to let him keep it. "Ha ha," I said. "And yes. I did manage not to get captured by malcontents."

Jonah gestured to the man beside him, who was a little shorter than Jonah and had a crop of platinum blond hair.

"Merit, Jack," he said. "Jack is a House guard. We've been friends for years. Jack, Merit."

Jack, whose bright blue eyes were lined in kohl, looked me over. "You are - exactly what I expected," he said, in a voice that sang faintly of the South.

I smiled hesitantly. "Thank you, I think?"

"It's total y a compliment. You're adorable, and I love the bangs."

There was something completely disarming about Jack.

His smile was huge, and he gave the impression he didn't bother saying things he didn't mean, which made the compliment that much more meaningful.

But I wasn't sure how I felt about the fact he knew what I looked like. Had Jonah been talking about me?

"Thank you," I said. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything?"

"We were talking about double swords," Jonah said, then reached into his back pocket for his wal et. "You need a drink?"

"Not yet, thanks. What are double swords?"

"Using two katanas at a time," Jack explained. "I think it's a circus technique. Completely impractical and used only for show and intimidation."

"And I think our friend Jack here is ful of shit," Jonah added, "and double katanas are the next big trend in martial arts training."

"I swear to God you are stubborn," Jack said, rol ing his eyes. "When was the last time you were engaged in a battle and happened to have two swords handy?"

"I would if they were standard weaponry."

"Exactly my point," Jack said, offering me a wink. I offered back a smile.

"Look," Jonah said, "I'm talking about scope. And on the battlefield, anything goes."

"Including double swords?" I wondered.

"Including double swords, my single-katana-ed friend."

Jack made a sound of doubt, but clinked his bottle of beer good-naturedly against Jonah's. "I suppose if al else fails we can skip the double and triple swords and go right for the quads."

"Hooah," they belted out together, and clinked their bottles again.

Guys were just complete mysteries to me, and I stared blankly back at both of them.

"You know about the Four Swords right?" Jonah asked.

I shook my head.

"Can I give you a lecture about being a total noob?"

"I real y wish you wouldn't. Educate me, but only if you can do it without editorial commentary."

Jack grinned. "I knew I was going to like you. I knew it."

"Once upon a time," Jonah began, "in a kingdom far, far away, lived a Samurai. He believed that he was destined to travel the world and assist those who needed him. As a Samurai, he traveled with four swords at his side, each one representing one of the four elements in the world - air, fire, earth, and water."

There was a lot of that going around these days.

"The Samurai traveled the world to educate others about swordcraft and eventual y landed in Europe."

"This was the Samurai who trained vampires how to fight with katanas," I said, spoiling his punch line.

"It was," Jonah said. "But did you know Scott was the vampire who met the Samurai and introduced the craft to everyone else? And that those same four swords are now hanging in Grey House?"

I looked between Jonah and Jack. "Is that true?"

Jack touched my arm. "That story's true, but don't believe him when he starts in on how he saved al the orphans in Kansas City the time Godzil a ravaged it."

"It was a retirement vil age and an escaped mountain lion," Jonah corrected. If he was tel ing the truth, I figured that was dramatic enough.

Jack waved away the correction and checked his watch.

"I have to run. If the world's ending, I want to be in the arms of a loved one when it happens. Or at least Paul," he added with a grumble.

"The end of the world would solve the Paul problem,"

Jonah offered. "So would breaking up with him."

Jack made a dubious sound. "He's already promised to haunt me in hel if it comes down to it. And a breakup would go over just as wel ."

"Shut up or nut up, Jack."

"I wil cut you," Jack said with a smile, pointing a fierce finger in Jonah's face. But his expression dissolved. "See you tomorrow night, hoss. Quarterlies wil be on your desk."

"Appreciated," Jonah said.

Jack held out his arms, and then embraced me in a hug.

"Lovely to meet you, Merit. Take care of our captain,"

hecap," whispered, leaving me with a blush.

"Relationship trouble?" I wondered, hoping Jonah hadn't heard that comment, as we watched Jack disappear into the crowd.

"Never-ending drama," Jonah said. "I am, as you might have realized, not a fan of drama. Jack has a much higher tolerance. Paul's tolerance, unfortunately, is even higher."

"Jack seems like a stand-up guy, the drama notwithstanding."

"Jack is loyalty personified," Jonah said. "I appreciate loyalty."

"It's a great character trait."

"I have a sense you haven't seen much of it lately."

The insight was right on - and a little scary for it. "I'm not Sentinel anymore."

He froze. "What?"

I told him about Frank, about the testing, about everything that had gone down the night before.

"I'm a guard now," I admitted, then frowned. "Wel , I'm acting as one. I haven't been official y appointed, as far as I'm aware. Either way, I'l be honest - it feels like a demotion."

"I could see that." Then his smile went a little too self-satisfied for my comfort. "As a guard captain, does that make me your superior?"

"It most definitely does not," I said, pointing a finger into his chest. "I need no additional bosses in my hierarchy, thank you very much."

"Just checking. Anyway, I'm sorry Cadogan's going through this crap. If not you, it would have been us or Navarre. The GP's just . . . wel , you know my theory on that."

I opened my mouth, then closed it again, debating what to say and how to get out what I needed to get out. I settled on a segue. "Can we talk about something?"

"Is it about my effervescence?"

"It's about the RG."

His eyebrows lifted in interest. "You do know how to get a boy's attention."

I looked away, then back at him again. "I think it's time I take some steps to protect the House. The GP is putting my col eagues, my friends, in danger. It's not right, and if there's something I can do to help, I'l do it. So, I'd like to join the Red Guard."

Jonah was quiet for a moment. "That's the only reason you should say yes. If you'd said yes for any other reason, I'd have said no."

I looked back at him. "Real y?"

"It's a twenty-year commitment, the RG, and it's a serious one. We don't want people who join because they have vendettas. We don't want people who join because they hate authority. We want protectors. Guardians. People who recognize injustice in the system and are moved to stop it."

"Those are good reasons."

"They are. And now I know your reasons are similar. I'l need to make a phone cal and to pass word up the chain, but for al intents and purposes, you're in." He smiled down at me, and this time there was something more serious in his eyes. Not flirty. Not friendly. Partnership.

"We wil work together," he said. "It's a close relationship, and has to be a trusting one. Can you trust me?"

I looked at him for a moment, not wanting to give an answer without having given it earnest thought. I considered what I knew of him, and I considered the times he'd already had my back. At a rave in Streetervil e, when we'd saved a young human. At Claudia's, when he'd stepped in front of me to keep me out of harm's way.

He might have had his reservations, but he'd gone al in when it counted.

"I trust you," I said.

He nodded, and offered his hand. "Then I am deeply honored to welcome you, Merit, to the Red Guard."

"That's it?" Not that I'd imagined a sash and a parade, but it seemed worthy of at least a ceremony or a pinning or something.

"We'l put together a more formal ceremony after I advise Noah. That'l take a little time to arrange. In the meantime . .

." He wiggled his fingers, waiting for a handshake.

My promise already made, we shook on it.

In doing so, I pledged away my presumed loyalty to the GP. Frank might have intended to reduce my influence over the House. In fact, he'd only managed to bring me closer to my fel ow Novitiates and make me fight harder for them.

"This looks cozy."

We both looked behind us, where a tal , dark-haired vampire stood, arms crossed, barely hidden malice in his expression.

"Hel o, Morgan," I said, thinking Paul would probably appreciate his sense of dramatics.

Morgan Greer, Master of Navarre House,was unquestionably handsome - al uring in a dark, seductive way. His sense of humor balanced out his rakish good looks, but his immaturity negated both, in my opinion. By al accounts, he had everything a Master could wish for -

health, looks, money, and power. But he had the attitude of a sulking, bitter teenager.

Tonight he wore a button-up shirt over snug jeans and boots. His dark, wavy hair hit his shoulders, and he looked like he hadn't shaved in a few weeks. His cheeks were supermodel gaunt, which added a sharp edge to his appeal.

I hadn't spoken with him since the deaths of Ethan and Celina; I wasn't sure how he felt about either, but I guessed the emotions would be mixed, at best. And tonight, he was in a position I hadn't seen before - he had a date.

The girl beside him was tal and thin, with long, dark hair and an exotic face. She'd paired dark leggings and an oversized top (undoubtedly from some couture boutique) with five-inch heels and chandelier earrings. She looked like a model on a go-see, and I felt a smal pang of jealousy before remembering that I couldn't care less.

His gaze grazed me, then Jonah, landing on me again with obvious disgust. "You don't waste any time, do you?"

Jonah must have felt the quick flash of magic I threw into the air, because he put a warning hand on my arm. I gave his hand a quick pat of reassurance.

"We're working," I said, trying to maintain my composure and not get into a screaming match with an emotional y stunted vampire.

"I'm sure. What's the occasion?"

There was enough snark in his voice that I couldn't tel if he was trying to harass me, or was honestly clueless about events in Chicago.

"Surely you didn't miss the bit about the lake turning blake on?ck and the sky turning red?"

"That has nothing to do with us."

Ah, so that was his game - wil ful ignorance. He knew the facts, but he was playing GP pet and pretending it had nothing to do with vampires.

"Just because vampires haven't caused the problems doesn't mean we don't have a role in fixing them."

"Why should we? Why shouldn't we focus on our own Houses?"

Apparently proud of his answer, the girl at his side offered me a cocky eyebrow.

"Because if the city fal s," Jonah said, "the Houses fal with it."

"Chicago isn't going to fal ," Morgan said.

Jonah stepped forward. "Because the other Houses take up the slack." The implication in his statement was clear -

Navarre wasn't doing its part.

Morgan's cheeks flushed. "You have no idea what my House is or isn't doing for this city."

"That's exactly my point," Jonah said. "We have no idea, although there's certainly nothing we can see right now."

"Recal your place, vampire," Morgan bit out. It was the same warning Ethan had offered to Morgan when Morgan got mouthy. Unlike Ethan, Morgan didn't quite carry it off.

"With al due respect, Mr. Greer, I owe my al egiance to Scott and Grey House. If you have concerns about my obedience, you can take it up with him."

Morgan was obviously fuming, sending plumes of irritated magic into the air. But beneath that irritation was something different. A strain of fear, maybe? That would bear a little investigating, but later. One crisis at a time.

Apparently done with the reunion, Morgan turned on his heel and walked away. His girlfriend stayed behind and gave me a none-too-flattering visual evaluation.

"In case there was any question," she said, "you should keep your hands off him."

"Off Morgan?"

She gave me a bitchy head-bop.

"Rest assured, Morgan's not even on my radar. But good luck with him." You'l need it, I thought, the first time he has a bout of jealousy or starts pouting about some perceived slight.

It's not that I thought Morgan was a bad guy, but the boy loved drama.

The date muttered something unflattering. Being the bigger person, I merely smiled back at her. But the fantasy reaction stil played out in my mind - the one in which I put her on the floor with only a finger at one of her pressure points and held her there until she apologized for the slight.

Maybe Ethan had been right. Maybe being a vampire was going to wring the humanity right out of me.

After another few seconds of nasty looks, she turned and disappeared into the crowd. Jonah and I stood there for a moment staring after her. This time, instead of waiting for his strike, I played offense.

"We only dated for a few weeks."

He smiled a little. "I know about the bargain," he said.

"Noah and Scott were in the crowd."

I'd forgotten about that. Noah and Scott had both been present when Morgan had shown up at Cadogan House, frantic that a Cadogan vampireado

I'd given in, and although Morgan could be incredibly charming, he was much too immature to be a contender.

"How is Noah these days?" I wondered. Noah was a guard himself, but I hadn't heard from him since Jonah had become my primary contact. He was also the de facto leader of Chicago's Rogue vampires, those who weren't tied to a particular House.

"Busy. The Rogues always get nervous when the Houses are in trouble. They fear GP retaliation against them, or internment, if that's the way it goes."

"Reason number four to join the RG," I muttered.

Amusement in his eyes, Jonah slid me a glance. "What were one through three?"

"Helping the Houses, having a reliable partner, and those

'Midnight High School' T-shirts. Do I get one of those?"

"Of course. You'l just have to find somewhere private to keep it."

I hadn't considered that - that there would be RG gear, materials, documents I'd need to keep secreted away even within my own room. I'd have to give that some thought.

Jonah rubbed his hands together. "How about a drink now?"

"Yes, please," I agreed, but before I could place an order, I got a very bad vibe. The building vibrated a little. Only for a moment, but I'd have sworn I felt something.

"Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

I froze, and after a moment, wondered if I'd imagined it.

And as I stood there waiting, I happened to glance at a cup of water on a bar table beside us. The rumbling started deep and low, sending ripples across the water.

"Jonah - "

"I saw that," he said, then paused. "Maybe it's just real y big dinosaurs."

"Or real y big magic," I finished. "I think we need to get outside."

I could see in his face that he didn't want to believe anything was out there, but he had a duty to perform, so he was wil ing to take a look. "Let's go."

We scooted through the bodies and tables - the humans and vampires apparently oblivious to the rumblings - and stepped into the cool November air . . .

And saw nothing.

Partygoers walked up and down the street. Traffic was light, but there were a few cars out and about.

"I know I felt something," I said, scanning the street back and forth.

I took another step forward and closed my eyes, letting down some of the defenses I used to keep the mass of information that flooded into a vampire's brain at bay. For a moment, there was nothing . . . Just the typical smel s and sounds of a fal night in Chicago. The air smel ed of people and food and grease. Dirt from the bal park. Smoke from the traffic.

My eyes closed, my head tipped back, I felt the rumble again, the ground vibrating dizzyingly beneath me.

"Merit!" Jonah yel ed. I opened my eyes just in time to be snatched backward as he wrapped an arm around my waist and pul eais>

The asphalt split, a twenty-feet wide mountain of earth erupting into the middle of the street in front of us.