"Remus, there is a... mage at the door to see you," Lyon said awkwardly, and Rush lifted his eyes to the Shade family lycanthrope with the same amount of confusion. Hovering just at the door, Lyon's gold eyes glowed as he awaited his master's command. The man was so loyal, but Lyon was also as dear to Rush and Darius as any of their own family.

They'd been sitting together and going over some of her mate responsibilities and protections under vampire law. It was best she was knowledgeable in how to interact if a vampire intended to accost her without knowing her new position. That one word meant a whole hell of a lot to these vamps.

"Do I know this mage?" Rush asked, standing from the couch and going to Lyon's side.

"Not to my knowledge, though he insists you've met. General Forest Copse."

"Forest?" Rush rubbed his chin as he thought. "We interacted when we took down Angelus. I remember him. The man is a fool if he thinks venturing into my territory will lead to anything but his incarceration though. I will hear him out. Come along, Meredith."

Mer hopped off the couch, straightened her blouse and skirt ensemble and headed after him. They hadn't expected company, so this getup was a little strange to greet a mage in, but they were going anyway.

"Would you really just drop him in a cell?" Mer asked as they headed down the hall to the greeting room doors, and Rush let out a slow breath.

"Depends why he is here, but I can't have mages thinking I will receive them without hostility. It opens up too many doors for betrayal– What the fuck are you doing?" Rush raised his voice, and Mer jumped from his quick change in mood. It was so surprising for him to curse at all, let alone yell.

Looking ahead into the greeting chamber, Mer found Forest Copse had a pitcher of water and was pouring it out onto the tiles. "This should be plenty, thanks," Forest said up to the vampire next to him, returning the pitcher and settling back into a standing position. Mer didn't fail to notice his shackles. No mage would be allowed into the Shade territory without them.

"Forgive me, Remus." The guard bowed, water spilling out of the pitcher still in his hand, and Mer smothered her chuckle as the man righted himself immediately. "Forest Copse asked for water, and I saw no harm in it with him shackled. Humans grow parched easily and he was yet to be taken to the cells, so I assumed you wanted him respected until such time as you said otherwise."

"You asked for a pitcher of water so you could pour it on my floor?" Rush was so miffed that Mer couldn't contain her laugh any longer, drawing both their gazes.

"Is that offensive?" Mer asked Rush, and he looked down to her with his jaw hanging down and his lips rolled back in his frustration with the man.

"Not definably," Forest answered with a pleasant smile, speaking to her though she'd asked Rush. "Just odd. Remus Shade is trying to figure out what I'm plotting. Vampires are quite suspicious."

"What are you plotting?" Mer asked, and every eye in the room turned on her, the guards included. Perhaps she was supposed to let Rush do the talking, but she'd gotten so close to him lately that she'd spaced on her position again.

"My mate may speak on my behalf," Rush said sternly, and the guards bowed their heads, making her blushed.

"You are mated now, are you? Congratulations, Meredith. Will you be taking his name?" Forest asked as if this was a leisurely chat at the supermarket, not like he was shackled in a vampire's territory.

"I haven't thought that far," Mer admitted, and Forest expression really softened. It was as if he was unbothered by a vampire and a mage being together, which was opposite of every mage in the eastern complex. It was almost like he was a decent guy, which was saying a lot for mages.

"What do you want, Forest Copse?" Rush asked impatiently.

"Not what I want. I am an emissary."

"For who? What does the mage order want?"

"Not them. I represent the Arcs."

"I beg your pardon?" Rush said, narrowing his eyes.

Mer focused on him as well, trying to figure out how this mage general knew Neil. From what she knew of him, Neil wasn't great with people let alone mages. That brat had gone on about how he couldn't associate with her for so long that him just up and befriending a general wasn't fair. She'd punch him next time she saw him in private.

"There are eyes everywhere, so an Arc coming here would be noticed," Forest Explained. "It hasn't circulated yet, but a little birdy told me that you are now the house head for the Shades and that you have agreed to honor your Alliance with the Arcs."

"Who?" The word was a vicious growl, and Mer took a nervous step back from Rush as dark energy sparked off of him.

"Relax, Remus Shade. There are no traitors among your people. I have my ways of getting information. I am here to formally accept whether or not you wish to ally with us." Forest didn't seem nervous about Rush at all, despite being in shackles. The burst of anger from him had frightened her so Forest had nerves of steel to stand tall with his magic crippled.

"I will not treat with a mage over matters of vampire houses and alliances," Rush replied. "I have no proof that you are who you say you are, unless you want to say you're owned by an Arc and show proof of the blood seal."

Forest laughed. "I'm afraid not. Won't let any of those creeps near me with their fangs. I can help you with proof though. It's the only thing your men didn't confiscate from me." Forest rummaged through his mage robes and came out with a small coin.

Rush narrowed his eyes on it. "A piece of human currency?"

"I heard from Neil that Meredith is teaching you idioms." Forest laughed something horrible when Rush growled, this time so viciously that it tore through the room. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Forest flipped the coin into the air, and it went up with a clink and then fell back down to the floor where it plopped into the puddle at his feet. Not a moment later, dark magic coursed through the room, and Mer stepped into Rush as a man materialized from it, climbing out like the lagoon monster. Dark hair shined navy in the light and sparkled as the man shook the water off and pat down his clothes before standing up straight and smiling, fangs glinting in the light.

"Remus," the man greeted him, and Rush's aggression fell just a bit.

"Idus Arc," Remus acknowledged him. "Why is Neil using a mage as a patsy?"

"Forest is a lovely patsy," Idus said, jumping on the man's shoulders and slinging his arms around his neck. Forest groaned from Idus' weight but didn't try to remove him. "Forest should have already told you that we are doing things secretly, so it should be clear. This appears as nothing more than a mage conversing with your house in regards to your treaty with the east, as opposed to Neil inviting you to a small gathering he is having."

"A gathering? Do you think that wise?" Remus asked, and Idus dropped his smile for a blank stare.

"It's not like it's his quinceañera. It's a meeting to discuss strategy in the impending conflict. If you are indeed our ally, we'd like you present, and if we did not already think you'd made that commitment, we wouldn't be here." Idus was much more to the point that Forest was, and Mer got the idea that the vampire didn't fully trust them. There had been a few vampires who'd greeted her when she'd visited Neil over the last year, so Idus looked familiar, but she couldn't say she knew many Arcs by name.

"Very well. Where and when?" Rush asked.

"Somewhere and sometime." Idus answered and Mer took her previous thought back. "We will neither disclose the time nor location, but Forest will remain here to ferry you when the time comes."

"You want to leave a mage general here, unshackled, as he will need to be to ferry me anywhere." Rush asked, and even Mer was looking at Idus like he was crazy. It had taken a while for Darius to accept her around the castles without wanting to shackle her every moment or off her. An unknown general was a huge threat to the Shades.

"Forest is perfectly house trained. Uses the bathroom on his own, raids the fridge without needing to ask, and won't get in your hair if you want to..." Idus mumbled off the rest, apparently thinking better of what he'd been just about to say. "It's also not negotiable. Do you trust Neil?"

"Yes, I trust Neil, but–"

"Then you will trust Forest. I can't remain here or someone will take notice, so I must depart. Anything you need, you may ask Forest, and he will give what information he is allowed. If anyone here lays a hand or fang on him, however, that vampire's life is forfeit. See you around, Remus." Idus took a step back and dropped into the puddle without waiting for Rush to respond. Silence stretched out while Rush glared at the water on his floor, and Forest smiled far too innocently back at them.

"Do we have a closet we can stuff that thing in?" Rush asked his guards, and knowing him, he was serious.

"Rush," she smacked him on the arm lightly.

"Do you expect me to cater to it all night?" Rush asked seriously, and she frowned.

"I can watch him if you don't want to," Mer offered, and something darkened in Rush's emerald eyes, dipping them to forest, ironically, before he whipped a snarl at the mage general.

"Why are you angry at me?" Forest asked with a harmless chuckle. The man was far too comfortable among vampires. Was he really so confident of Neil's protection? That wasn't possible. There were too many unknown variables here. There had to be something else keeping him safe, but she had no way of knowing what.

Rush wasn't happy about her around any man, so Forest took a seat between two large statues at the end of the greeting hall and relaxed to meditate... or sleep. Mer was unsure which. With his eyes closed, he remained there and Rush wasn't comfortable taking his eyes off him, so the Shades observed him in shifts. It was a long angry night for Rush, which sort of put a dampener on her newly-wed status, at least as far as vampires considered it. She was actually looking forward to snuggling up to Rush and having some nice destressing sex when Forest was just there.

"The time has come," Forest said, walking right in on them as Rush was about to drop dead in bed. A growl rolled out of his throat as he looked at the mage trailed by two of his guards, but he turned around and put his shirt back on.

"During the day?" Rush growled.

"This meeting has mages as well, and they refused to meet at night. Not all of them trust Neil Arc to fight for us like I do, so concessions had to be made. You will be as safe as possible with Neil and the other vampires present."

"As possible?" Mer asked, crossing her arms. Rush wasn't the only one who had grown more protective of his mate after they were official.

"Well, it is in a bunker that suppresses dark magic, so all you will be able to rely on is a vampire's physical strength, and you will be reliant on a mage to ferry you in and out. I suppose if Meredith is competent with light magic, that would not be suppressed."

"And all I have is your word that this isn't me walking into a cell." Rush hissed.

"That is correct," Forest said and when Rush's expression darkened, Forest sighed. "Remus Shade, the mages are in a bind too. Imprisoning our only potential allies when we will need you to fight against so many vampires is a poor plan at best. It will only guarantee their deaths. Neil would not walk you to your death, no matter the misgivings you've had with him over the last year."

"And what would you know about our misgivings?" Rush lifted his chin in derision as he slid an actual blade into his over shirt. Without magic, he'd need protection at this gathering. A vampire could do plenty of damage with just a blade and their bodies, that was for sure. No magic needed.

"I'm the one he whined to every time you turned him down," Forest snapped, and Rush's expression dropped to confusion. "Why doesn't Remus trust me? What did I do to him? I swear I was nice in my request this time? Do you think this sounds unfriendly? What do you think I should say on my next visit? Is it rude to bring Ares? I figured Remus would be angry if I brought Damien, but Ares gets along no better with him. He won't even let me spend any time with Meredith anymore."

Forest's impression of Neil was pretty good, and Mer laughed at his raised voice and grating tone. Forest's smile dropped to a frown though, and Mer froze up.

"Those were the nicer things," Forest rubbed his temples. "It wasn't fun hearing the others. I had no answers for questions about what he would do if you attacked him on one of his diplomatic visits. As time went on, he started to get more and more upset and confused at why you hadn't given him an answer. Ares was decided that you'd sided against him with the Zehirs, and I thought that harsh at the time, but when we got word that you had said you would honor your alliance with the Arcs, even I was skeptical. You've done your fair share of dodging and torturing Neil, so the least you can do is trust the man who never gave up on you, regardless of what you made it seem."

"The decision wasn't entirely mine then," Rush said, abnormally quietly.

"Yet you didn't push Darius in any direction. You sat by silent, which is just as bad." Forest was admonishing Rush, and while he had a point, it was strange hearing it from a mage general.

"What is your relationship to Neil?" Rush asked, regarding him seriously but not with hostility for the first time.

"If we don't die in the fighting, Remus Shade, you will know," was all Forest would say, and Rush let out a slow sigh.

"Very well. Take us to this meeting."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Word Count: 2614