Chapter 17 #2
“But you're not allowed to steal." Byrd looked at Thano. “You always tell us we're not allowed to steal."
Great. Thano gave Romeo a narrow-eyed look. The crows would've picked every shiny thing from his house before he'd arrived if Thano hadn't enforced a no-stealing policy.
“Oh no, you're not allowed to steal, and the punishment is harsh." Romeo looked at Thano as if asking if he was saying the right thing. Thano gave him a minuscule nod.
“But sometimes when people are desperate, they do stupid things. We've read books about people stealing, right?"
“Shinys, not food."
Thano sighed.
“True." Romeo smiled. “You can't eat shinys, though. If you're hungry, it's better to steal food."
Teresa looked at Byrd as if he was stupid. He wasn't, he was a crow.
“If someone steals from Eli's shop, the vampires will deal with it."
Byrd didn't look pleased with Thano's decision, but right now only vampires were allowed into town. He met Emeric's gaze. “Can someone keep an eye on Eli's shop?"
“Sure, I'll go back after the meeting."
“Good. Keep your distance unless someone breaks in." He didn't want to put Emeric in danger.
“When Tuur drove Eli back to Last Hope, there was a man off the paved road aiming a gun at them." Thano told everyone about the situation with the man, and Darcia added details about how she took him out. Romeo's coven looked a little pale after the added details but didn't speak.
“The crows can guard the area." Byrd looked ready to fly at once, but Thano held up a hand to halt him.
“We need more than crows to guard it, and do we take them out? If someone steps off the paved road, are they prey?"
“It's how the rule's always been." Conal stood to Thano's right, his arms folded over his chest, and an annoyed expression on his face.
“Humans off the paved road are prey. Last Hope is getting out of hand.
For decades, they've stuck to the rules and now they're trying to change them.
If we're gonna let them rule inside town, I say we strike the moment they're outside.
If they think they can push us back, they'll try to push us back.
Humans are greedy." He looked at Teresa, and Thano wondered if something had happened.
Normally, Conal liked humans. Liked them enough to want to be on the board and help rule Last Hope.
He studied Teresa for a couple of seconds. She looked annoyed--not scared. If she had any sense, she would at least be apprehensive around them. He was sure no one would eat Romeo's sister without reason, but she wasn't safe.
“We can't let them get closer." Armelle took a step forward so everyone could see her.
She hadn't offered many opinions about what to do about Last Hope when they'd been on the board.
She didn't pass as human and never went there, she had no contact with humans other than Romeo, so she didn't argue any points, but this was different.
“We can't let humans closer to the ranch. "
“Why not?" Teresa straightened. “There are loads of old, deserted houses between here and Last Hope. I bet some people would want to live there."
“It's off the paved road." Thano gave her a blank stare.
“But you're not living in those houses, why not let humans take them?" Teresa met his gaze straight on. Stupid human. Thano smiled in a way that would show off his fangs.
“Because humans are, as Conal so accurately pointed out, greedy.
If we give them one street, they'll soon take three.
Instead of co-existing like we do here--" He gestured around all the different breeds gathered around him.
“--they only do what they think is best for them.
They always want more than they need and never hesitate to steal the meat from someone hungry despite being full themselves. "
“And you don't? You're the leader, and you're the only one in fancy suits and expensive shoes." She waved at Thano. “While this man is dressed in rags." She gestured at Byrd. “It's clear you're richer than he is. You're taking more than you're giving him."
Silence fell and stretched. Everyone was staring at Teresa. Then Romeo groaned, which had her glaring at him. “What?"
“Just drop it." Romeo shook his head. “You're not making the point you think you are. Wealth isn't a goal here, and I have no idea where Thano finds his suits, but it's not about money. Everyone dresses or doesn't dress like they want."
When she opened her mouth to argue, Thano spoke before she could. “We guard the town limit. Anyone stepping outside it we take care of."
Several people nodded.
“You can't--"
“They're free to travel the way they've always done. We're only upholding the rules. They were the ones bringing guns into wild country, and the man wasn't there because he was heading to Grave Ville." He took a breath. “Anything else?"
Teresa made a screeching sound worse than any crow could produce. “You can't be serious! Are you--"
Thano ignored her and met the gazes of the species leaders who all shook their heads. “Good, then crows, vampires, and anyone who feels like it--"
“Me, me, me!" Humbert was waving his hand and jumping up and down. Thano looked at Armelle, unsure of what to say.
“We'll guard the area closest to the ranch." She gave Humbert a stern look, but it was more than Thano had believed she'd agree to.
“Great. You can start tomorrow. I don't think anyone will come this close to the ranch during nighttime." And he was sure at least a few vampires would keep an eye out and shadow walk here if there were humans on the move.
As people moved away, Teresa was still arguing, but no one listened to her, and Romeo looked pained, which made Thano smile for real. He'd come here because he needed to escape from humans. He understood why breed couldn't let humans roam free. It would only end in people's death, on both sides.
“Thano." Fala walked toward him, wearing a too-big dress.
“Yes."
“Can we make the cupcakes? Lark borrowed the instruction book from Romeo."
“The cookbook?"
She nodded. “And we took milk and butter from Romeo."
“You took it from him without asking?" He'd planned on going into town to watch Eli's house, but maybe it would be better to do something to distract himself.
“He'll get it back in the cupcakes."
It wasn't the same, but he couldn't argue with her logic. “Okay. Let's go to my place." He didn't think any of the crows had a kitchen.
“Lark is already there waiting."
Great, now he'd have a house full of crows.
* * * *