Rapture's Edge

16

“We’ll need to choose a final location so we can get started on the architectural plans.”

“Well,” said Caesar around the melon in his mouth, “we’ve all agreed on the Congo basin in Africa, which is apropos considering that’s where the Ikati originated.” He sighed. “Though I admit, I’ll miss France. The people here are so…friendly.”

The women, he meant. The paid ones. “But the final location,” Eliana insisted, but Caesar cut her off.

“I think it’s more important we discuss the name.”

Caught off guard, Eliana blinked at him in surprise. “The name?”

He took his time selecting another piece of melon from her plate. “Hmmm,” he said, sifting through her food with his fork. “An important country needs an important name.”

Silas and Eliana exchanged a look. “Country, my lord? Our planned stronghold might be a little small to call itself a country—”

“If the Vatican can be called a country, so can Zion,” pronounced Caesar, eating two pieces of melon in quick succession. Eliana had the urge to smack the fork out of his hand and tell him to get his own damn plate, but she contained it by curling her hands into fists in her lap. “It will definitely be the more important of the two, in the long run.”

“Zion,” Eliana repeated. “How dramatic. And maybe a tad too biblical, don’t you think? We’ll have the apocalyptic wackos descending on us in droves. All those Mayan calendar doomsdayers will think we’re the next best thing.”

“Actually, it’s perfect,” purred Silas, with a sideways glance in her direction. So he’d chosen sides and was punishing her. Her fists curled tighter in her lap. “Zion refers to the world to come,” he continued, “the promised land, the spiritual and physical homeland of an oppressed people, wandering and longing for safety.”

Eliana glared at him. Though her father had ensured she’d had the best education—arts and language tutors and mathematics and science instructors and even a Japanese gendai budō master paid handsomely for his visits and his silence—Silas and Caesar inevitably spoke to her as if she were mentally challenged. It was the unfortunate and infuriating collateral damage of living in a patriarchal society that had remained unchanged for thousands of years: women were second-class citizens. Or possibly third, behind the livestock.With a clenched jaw, Eliana said, “I know what the word means, Silas.”

“Then we’re in agreement.” Caesar’s teeth shone brilliant white as he flashed a smile. “Good!”

No discussion, no agreement, just Caesar doing exactly what he wanted. As usual. Trying very hard to breathe calmly around the sudden pounding in her chest, she said, “And the location?”

Caesar’s answer was a waved hand. “I’ve hired the architectural firm to start the plans for the main compound and outlying buildings. We’re making inquiries into the availability of a tract of land large enough for what I envision. Room to grow is important; once the disgruntled members of the other colonies find out what we’re about, we’ll need it.” He chuckled. “I imagine there are a lot of them who are quite sick of hiding like rats in the basement.”

“And how exactly are the other colonies going to find out about us?” Eliana asked. “We’ve never talked specifically about how we’re going to get the word out to those who want to live openly with humans, as we want to, how we’re going to provide them safe transport from their own colonies, protect them from their Alphas who’ll definitely want to kill them for deserting—”

Another waved hand from Caesar. “Let the men worry about the details, Ana. You just keep on bringing home the bacon. Which reminds me,” he said, snapping his fingers together. “There’s a new Degas at the Louvre you should take a look at. It would be perfect for your little human pet.”

Gregor, he meant. That’s what he called him: human pet. It was better than what he called most other humans. To him, they would ever only be three things: pets, playthings, and breeders. It was where their ideologies diverged sharply. Eliana believed they should live alongside humans because the two species were equal, as were all the creatures of the earth, but Caesar thought they should live alongside humans so the Ikati could be worshipped as they were long ago in ancient Egypt.

They were once considered gods, and he had not forgotten it.

“The Louvre? That’s pushing it, don’t you think? It’s a little…high profile.”

Caesar’s answering smile was nearly a sneer. “It should be easy enough for you, Ana. Vapor, invisibility…everything comes so easily for you. It’ll be a cinch.”

He leaned back in his chair and smiled at her, slow and mocking, and that look made her face flush with blood. Enough. I can’t take any more of our dysfunction today. She rose from the table and shoved back her chair. “I’ll look into it.”

Unfortunately, her voice didn’t come out quite as smoothly as she wanted, and she knew he was pleased she was upset when his smile grew larger.

“Tonight,” he said lightly. The look in his eyes was anything but light, and Eliana understood this wasn’t negotiable. “Get it done tonight. There’s another payment due to the lab.”