The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires

Sarah shook her head and interrupted Disin before she could continue. "It does have relevance. Once we discovered that Portia had inadvertently become a virtue, I did some online research into the history of virtues. One of the things I discovered was that, although virtues are rarely summoned, it can be done, most commonly by means of an invocation."

There were a few snorts of disbelief, but out of the corner of my eye I saw several people nodding.

"What Portia used was a general summoning spell, not an invocation pleading for a virtue. According to my research, the spell could have summoned anyone in the Court."

I gaped at my friend. "Why on earth didn't you mention that to me?"

She shrugged. "It didn't seem important at the time."

"It didn't seem…good gravy, woman!"

The mare leaned their heads together.

Theo took advantage of their inattention to drive home the relevant point. "All of which brings us back to the point whereby you knew that Portia had used a general summoning spell, rather than the more common invocation. How do you explain that?"

"We are curious as to that point as well," Disin said as the mare sat back in their respective chairs. She pinned Milo back with a look I was thankful wasn't, for once, turned upon me.

"Yeah!" I said.

Disin's gimlet glance descended upon me.

"Sorry," I murmured, folding my hands and going for a contrite look.

"You will now explain how you knew in detail what method Portia Harding used to summon the virtue Hope."

Milo looked decidedly nervous. I sent Theo a private smirk, and watched as Milo squirmed under the combined attention of the mare.

"I…that is, we…I…"

Carol leaned into him, whispering furiously. Milo's gaze was shifty, but he nodded a couple of times before straightening up and puffing out his chest. "By virtue of my role as vessel, and as a member in good standing in the Court of Divine Blood, I demand a renascence!"

There was a collective stunned gasp behind us, then utter silence.

He can't do that, can he? Overthrow the hierarchy like that?

I think he just did.

The mare got to their respective feet, all three standing in a tableau that reminded me, for some inane reason, of the three furies.

"On what grounds do you demand the renascence?" Disin asked, her voice deceptively soft.

Milo pointed at me. "The Court has been compromised. A non-member mortal holds the title of virtue, which is against the laws to which the hierarchy of the Court is bound."

"Portia is not yet a virtue," Theo argued, his arm sliding around my waist. I leaned into him, more than a little sick that everything had spiraled so far out of control. That I could be used as an excuse for the overthrow of the Court was unthinkable…wasn't it? "She will not claim that title until she completes the seventh trial."

"Which I am certainly not going to do now," I added.

Milo smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.

Uh-oh. What's he smiling about?

I have a bad feeling it's about something Terrin was about to tell me when you showed up with Carol in tow.

"You are unfamiliar with our laws, nephilim. When a renascence is called, all scheduled business is completed before the Court is disbanded and remade."

My stomach tightened into a small wad of unhappiness.

"The seventh and final trial of the mortal Portia Harding is scheduled for today, if I am not mistaken," Milo continued. "Once she has completed it, the grounds for renascence will be satisfied, and by the laws that govern the Court, it must be destroyed before reformation."

"Well then, I simply won't do the seventh trial," I told him, relief filling me at this easy way out of the situation.

"You cannot stop the trial from commencing," Milo said. "As it is scheduled, it must be enacted."

"Fine. Enact away. I will simply do the opposite of whatever it is. Er…what is the seventh trial?"

"Faith," Terrin answered, his eyes unreadable. "It is a trial of your faith."

I laughed without the slightest shred of mirth. "Displaying a lack of faith is not going to be difficult for me." I turned to the mare to explain, wanting to make sure they understood that my feelings were grounded in a lifelong battle rather than a slight against the Court itself. "I grew up in a religious cult, one that required its members to show absolute, unbreakable faith in the leaders and religion itself. Anyone questioning the religion was severely punished. I believe I spent more time during my childhood locked in a closet, ordered to examine my sins and renounce my disbeliefs, than I did out of it. Faith is not a commodity I have in abundance. Because of this, I can just about guarantee you that I will fail the seventh trial."