Page 207 of Vampire so Virtuous

“A pleasant gathering we have here,” Gabe drawled. “My lords.” He gave Belle a roguish smile. “Fair lady.”

Belle inclined her head.

“Gabriel,” Leonard took control again. “Antoine was telling us interesting stories of this night’s activities.”

Gabe didn’t hesitate. “Are you referring to Minh’s attack on my tower, spearheaded by an army of feral spawns?”

“Well, that settles it,” Jorge said. “This has been a waste of time. Are we done?”

“No, we are not done,” Roberto growled. “Antoine has broken the Code. That is why I called this session.”

“How, pray?” Raphael asked.

“Yes, do please get to the point,” Belle spoke for the first time, managing to sound as if the entire affair was beneath her.

Roberto leveled a finger at Antoine. “He fed on Minh.”

The room fell still.

Leonard cleared his throat first. “You have proof of this?”

Roberto shifted in his chair. “Minh told me himself, but now, conveniently enough for Antoine, he is dead.” He fixed Antoine with a hard stare. “Did you feed on Minh?”

Belle gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head, little more than asubtle movement to one side and back again.

“I killed him, my lord, not by feeding but by pulling his head from his neck.”

Jorge chuckled. “You’re right, he is smooth.” Antoine couldn’t tell to whom he was speaking.

“Meaning?” Roberto demanded.

Jorge gave a one-shouldered shrug. “He didn’t answer.”

“Technically,” Raphael said, “there is nothing compelling him to do so.”

“I demand that he be made to answer!” Roberto said, his voice rising. “Either he answers, or I challenge him.”

“I know you are new to the seat,” Leonard said coolly, “but Curia members do not challenge territory owners.”

“Do not, not cannot,” Roberto shot back. “There is nothing to stop me from enacting that right.” He gestured at Antoine. “Make him answer, and there will be no need for a challenge.”

Leonard cocked his head again, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Antoine. “The question stands, Antoine, and this time, I am the one asking. Did you or did you not feed on Minh?”

Belle remained as still as stone, not so much as a twitch, but Antoine could feel the weight of her presence. He knew, with a sinking certainty, that the truth would condemn him.

“No, my lord.”

Leonard leaned back, his expression darkening. The atmosphere thickened with an unspoken weight.

“Noware we done?” Belle asked, her voice dismissive, barely concealing her impatience.

“Not quite, I’m afraid,” Leonard said, his eyes never leaving Antoine’s. The shift in his tone made Antoine’s blood run cold. “My bloodline allows for a degree of mind-reading. It is limited in function, but it does allow me to discern when someone lies. And Antoine is most definitely lying.”

Merde.

Antoine inclined his head, fighting to stay composed. “I may have sunk my fangs into Minh’s neck in the heat of battle when I killed him, my lord, but only because I had fought off half a dozen of his feral spawn and needed healing. I was defending myself.”

It wouldn’t hurt to remind them of Minh’s guilt in this.