Page 8 of Rafael (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 28)

“Therianthropy is pretty straightforward, too,” I said.

“Yes, but they didn’t stop there, the social justice warriors, they had to create new names for all of us. Arouraiothropy is impossible to spell, and most of us can’t even agree on a pronunciation.”

“I agree that the new vocabulary is ridiculous, but as a marshal I have to use it, or I get written up.”

“Did you get written up already?” Claudia asked.

“Yes.”

“By whom? Because it wasn’t one of us that complained,” Rafael said.

“Another marshal,” I said.

“If Anita would fight in the pits to just first blood with one of us, then she would have earned her place and that would slow the challenges,” Benito said.

“As her bodyguard, I can’t agree,” Claudia said.

“You guard her, but you are sworn to serve Rafael.”

“If we let them bully us into making Anita fight in the pit, our enemies could maneuver us into Anita being forced to fight a true battle. Not against one of us, but against one of our kind who could take the chance offered and hurt Anita badly.”

“Are they allowed to kill the human who’s fighting them?” I asked.

“No,” Claudia and Benito said.

“But the wererat is within their rights to demand that the human draw to third blood just as they must,” Rafael said.

“What happens if I lose?” I asked.

“Normally you would simply not be allowed to become one of us. If the next full moon doesn’t see the defeated human turn, then it is over,” Rafael said.

“And if a defeated human turns on the full moon?” I asked.

“They are hunted down and killed,” Benito said.

“Because they didn’t earn it,” I said.

He nodded.

“That is our way,” Rafael said.

“I don’t turn, I can’t turn, so even if I lose, I should be fine.”

“Jean-Claude will never allow you to risk yourself on the sands of our fighting pits,” Rafael said.

“He’s not the boss of me yet,” I said.

Rafael smiled. “I am not certain anyone will ever be the boss of you, Anita Blake, but I would not risk the alliances we have built up between all of us on something that will not stop the duels for kingship.”

“It would show that you still honor the ways of the rodere and that Anita respects our ways. That would calm some of the worst fears that you are abandoning our culture in favor of Micah and his leopards,” Benito said.

“Why Micah in specific?” I asked.

“He travels the country as head of the Coalition that is bringing unity to all the animal groups,” Benito said.

“Yeah, Micah is the poster boy for the cause of better relations between humans and Therianthropes, and all the flavors of shapeshifter,” I said.

“Some among my people think it should have been me in charge of the Coalition.”

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