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guarantee there are vamps out there ready and willing to take up the additional burdens of setting up a judicial system.  If we pay them a decent wage, they’ll be less susceptible to bribery and corruption.  Or is it only the West that’s run that way?”  I could see from their faces that it wasn’t.  I could also see the tide turning.  They were at least considering my proposal, and that was a huge step in the right direction.  Maybe something good could come out of Volkov’s treatment of us after all?
    “There seems a simpler way to go about this,” Jakob observed, his voice cutting through the din.  The room fell silent, all of them hanging on his every word.  “Disband the Order if they have outlived their usefulness.”
    “Yes!” Jennike declared, her dark eyes shining.  That alone told me it was a stupid idea if she supported it.  The room was more conflicted, the murmurs flying fast and free.
    “Wait, you can’t do that,” I gasped, my head swiveling to catch his gaze.
    “Can’t I?” he smirked. 
    “Have you not been listening at all?  We need order, not chaos – we just need to limit the Order’s charter.”
    Jakob spread his hands.  “You have the chance to remake the Order as you would have them.  Starting fresh will ensure there they are all entirely loyal to you, not harboring a desire to return to the glory days.”
    “He speaks the truth,” Faust agreed.  “Were we to build our own force from the ground up, we could shape them as we would.”
    I could see them start to sway the crowd and I couldn’t be sure any decision to disband the Order wouldn’t come with a whole lot of bloodshed.  “That would take entirely too long.  The infrastructure of the Order is sound enough, it only needs some adjusting.  These people are used to following orders, we just have to be the ones to make sure the orders they get are the right ones.” 
    Macallister drew himself up, addressing the group for the first time.  “I know I’m new to these pro ceedin’s and all, but it don’t seem like there’s much sense in reinventin’ the wheel here.  All she needs is a couple ‘a whacks to get her back into shape again and we’ll be set.”
    “Exactly.”  At least someone got it.  “Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.  There’s no reason to start from scratch, and if we do… we run a much higher risk of widespread violence in the process.”
    Faust stood, waiting until he was sure he had everyone’s attention.  “But we are all agreed that some change is necessary?”  The murmurs were universally in agreement.  “Then I move we table this for another day after we’ve had time to think on it.  I for one don’t want to rush into any decision, no matter how cruel their treatment of one of our own.”  His blue eyes came to rest upon me. 
    Was he truly so concerned over the Order’s treatment of me, or was he using my situation for his own agenda?  As long as it ran the same direction as my own agenda, I didn’t question it too closely for the time being.         
    “I agree,” I nodded.  “It’s been a taxing couple of days.  I say we adjourn for the night and come back to this with fresh eyes.”
    The meeting broke up then, most of them milling around to try and get in a private word with Jakob, whose ego ate it up.  Man, he was going to be impossible to live with if I didn’t get him out of the spotlight soon.   Mac approached me, his dimples in evidence as he pulled me aside for a few semi-private words. 
    He was tall, casually dressed in a plaid shirt and a pair of Wranglers with pointy toed cowboy boots peeking out below.  His sun streaked hair fell over one eye, in definite need of a trim, but still more sexy than slovenly.  Clear, green eyes snapped with delight, a joyful smile curving his lips. 
    “You really came through, darlin’.  We’re one step away from bein’ recognized as a sovereign nation, thanks to