Belle Morte Bites (Belle Morte 4.3)

Big Decisions: Part One

Modern day

"Did Ysanne say why she wanted to see us?" Jason asked, as Isabeau led him and Gideon to Ysanne's office.

Isabeau looked over her shoulder and gave him a little smile. "She did, but it's not my place to tell you."

Jason and Gideon exchanged looks.

"You're not in trouble, if that's what you're worried about," Isabeau reassured them.

"Of course we're not. We're perfect little angels," Jason said.

They reached Ysanne's office, and Isabeau ushered them both inside. Once upon a time, Isabeau would have left them then, her job complete, but now she joined Ysanne on the other side of the desk, standing just behind Ysanne's chair.

Jason and Gideon looked at each other again, then took seats in front of the desk. Jason felt a bit like a schoolboy again, being called into the Head's office.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I've called you both here because there's something very important that we need to discuss," Ysanne said.

Her tone was grave, and Jason's stomach dipped.

"We're listening," Gideon said.

"As you know, development for the children's house is progressing as planned, and construction has now begun. I anticipate it will be completed over the next fourteen months, and then we can begin the process of furnishing it, and eventually moving the children in."

"Okay," Jason said, wondering what any of this had to do with him and Gideon.

"That means I have to start addressing the issue of who's going to run the house," Ysanne said.

Jason blinked at her. "Wait," he said, because she couldn't be saying what he thought she was saying. He glanced at Gideon, who had stiffened in his seat, his forehead furrowed. "Are you saying you want . . . us to run it?"

"I would like to discuss the possibility," Ysanne said.

"I . . ." Jason couldn't find words.

Isabeau looked amused. "You sound surprised."

"Well, yeah."

"Why us?" Gideon asked.

"None of us know how the children will react to their situation long-term. They've been vampires for years now, but in some ways they're still adjusting to how the human world is moving on without them." Ysanne looked at Gideon. "They need another vampire in charge, someone strong enough to keep them in line if anything goes wrong." Her gaze shifted to Jason. "But they also need someone they can relate to, someone who straddles the line between the vampire world and the modern human one."

"Okay, but doesn't that include Renie and Roux? Why haven't you asked them?" Jason asked.

Unless Ysanne had, and the girls hadn't told him, but he doubted that. Renie and Roux were his best friends – there was almost nothing they'd keep from him.

"Renie has no bond at all with the children, and Edmond informed me years ago that he had no wish to run a house. I have considered Roux and Ludovic, especially since they are the ones who found and rescued the children, but the children seem to have responded well to you in particular, Jason," Ysanne explained.

"Not all of them," Jason cautioned.

Ysanne acknowledged that with a small nod.

"We've spoken to the children about who they felt most comfortable with at Belle Morte, and most of them said you," Isabeau said.