The vampire that walked down to meet us visibly recoiled as I pulled my sword from the car and strapped it to my back. “Leave that here,” Dario commanded. I don’t think so. “I’m a Templar. I need to have my sword by my side.” “Since when?” Dario walked around the SUV to stand beside me. “You can’t carry a weapon into an audience with the Mistress. You’ve got to leave it in the car.” There was no way I was going to leave my sword in his car, not after what I’d discovered today. “I’m not going to remove it from the scabbard or anything. Think of it as part of my attire, sort of a Templar uniform. It’s not like you all have anything to fear from a sword.” His eyebrows shot up. “Thousands of dead vampires would beg to differ. It’s a blessed sword, a holy weapon. It needs to stay in the car.” I wavered. I had an amulet, a butter knife, and a can of mace. Still, the thought of leaving my sword behind nearly sent me into a panic attack. “I will disarm while in audience with your Mistress, but I’m not leaving my sword in the car.”
