Charlotte After Dark

Chapter 49: I Am Not Your Pawn

Previously on ... Charlotte After Dark: Charlotte awakes in the middle of the night to hear Luca arguing with Joaquin over a set of threatening pictures he has received of which she is sure involves her somehow. She vows to garner some intelligence from Joaquin at their next lesson, but he rebuffs her easily warning her to focus her attentions elsewhere. Charlotte manages to steal the photos from Joaquin's jacket pocket as he is paying attention to the music player and goes off to her room to prepare for her lesson with Abel. Upon looking at the photos she discovers that someone has been paying close attention to her, even being able to take pictures of her as she sleeps.

Later in the evening Charlotte attempts to wrangle Andrew into her plights by gaining information about Sergei Mikhailov, who she is sure is behind the pictures somehow. Andrew warns Charlotte that she isn't involving herself in something more aptly avoided but she still presses on. While they discuss the matter of Sergei Mikhailov, the two find themselves under the eye of Praetors as they enter the Libery Bell Pub and set their sights on Charlotte.

Beauregard Callender, Head Praetor, is sure that Charlotte has the information that he's looking for, but he knows it won't be easy to get it. He delves for information on Valentina's whereabouts, but finds that Charlotte is apt at keeping secrets and has more loyalty to Lucanus Acerbi and his wicked sister. When he decides he can't get the information he wants about Valentina on his terms, he decides to try a different approach...

***

"Call her wrangler. I'm sure he's been looking all over the city for his cattle."

Callendar's words rang out, sending a sharp, icy feeling down my spine as I realized who he intended to call. Joaquin was going to be furious with me. I could only imagine the wrath I would face when he told Luca about my escapades. Would Abel get in trouble for letting me out of his sight? I felt my annoyance with Callendar grow and grow as I realized the predicament he had surely now put me in. Luca was going to find out everything. 

I let my face fall blank as Callendar returned his attention to me, closing the door with a short click. I could feel his gaze on the back of my head. I could feel it linger on me as he paused, waiting by the door, before he approached me once again.

"I really do hate to use these childish tactics, but you've given me no choice," Callendar sighed as he took his seat.

"I can't give you information I don't have, Mr. Callendar," I responded with a despondent, frustrated sigh.

The way I said his name seemed to irk him as a few muscles in the side of his face twitched as I spoke. Somehow, I thought Beauregard Callendar didn't get his way very rarely. He was becoming frustrated with me. Could he see past the façade as I tried to reel in my emotions, unwilling to give him any inkling that I had the information he so desperately wanted about Valentina?

Callendar gave me an irked scoff as he pulled a newspaper from his briefcase, blocking my view of him. My gaze set on a small purple flower that had sprout from a tiny clay pot on the desk, adding much needed color to the dark office around us.

When Joaquin entered the office twenty minutes later, I could see the anger splayed over his face, mixed with another, unfamiliar emotion all together. He looked rushed, like he had sped a million miles to find himself in the old office in the back of the Liberty Bell.

"We don't have any agreement with you, Callendar. You had no right to speak with her," Joaquin announced, barely bothering to give me a glance as he approached Callendar at the beaten wooden desk. 

"As I am aware, the Erasmines are the only vampire family, in fact, that has outright refused to sign the Accords," Callendar stated, gently folding his paper in front of him as he spoke before throwing it onto the desk in front of him.