by Lora Edwards
She slid across the rich leather of the seat as Armand climbed in next to her. She ran her hand along the exquisite material; it felt like butter and smelled fantastic.
“Leather—they are made of leather from cowhides.”
Victoria’s gaze traveled from the rich leather seats to the crystal vases with dewy red roses in them. It was perfect and very romantic.
A loud pop startled her out of her thoughts when Armand opened a bottle of champagne. He poured the bubbly liquid into a handblown crystal flute and handed it to her as the car soundlessly glided through the streets of London.
Victoria took a sip and let the bubbles dance over her tongue. She had drunk more champagne in the past few weeks then she had in the previous hundred years. She could get used to all the celebrating. It felt good to be in good company again, to feel free to go where she wanted without having to worry she would be spotted and the countess would find her.
“Is the champagne to your liking?” His voice sent shivers down her spine.
“Oh yes, it is lovely.”
“It is from my vineyard, a special vintage I only bring out on special occasions.”
Victoria blushed at the implication and was glad when he turned the topic.
“How are you liking the institute? Are your apartments satisfactory?”
“Yes, I am loving it here. Everyone is so kind, and my rooms are lovely. It’s as if they were designed specifically with me in mind.”
“That is because they were.”
Victoria sipped at her champagne and frowned at Armand. “How could that be?”
His eyes twinkled. “Magic.” He laughed at her frown and continued with the explanation. “Before you opened the door, were you thinking about what you would like your rooms to be like?”
“Well, yes, I was wondering what they would be like and thinking about how my dream apartment would be set up.”
“The mages have a spell on all of the unoccupied apartments in the institute. When someone is assigned the key and they remove it from the envelope, it activates the spell, which is capable of seeing a person’s deepest desires, what comforts them, and what their style is. The rooms transform themselves into a pleasing configuration based on what the spell transmits. It is, I am sure, much more complicated than that, but that is how the mages explained it to me.”
Victoria sat back in her seat and stared at him. “That is amazing.”
“Thank you. I won’t take credit for the work, just for bringing in the people who do it. There are mages and other supernaturals in laboratories all over the institute. Some work on spells and this type of magic, some work in healing magic, and others just experiment. Some of these experiments have produced some useful inventions which we have been able to sell in the human world to help make money to keep the institute running. There are even humans employed by the institute who have no idea that the entire business they are employed by is run by a vampire.”
Victoria chuckled. “You are a marvel, Armand.”
“Just trying to keep the immortal life interesting, though I do believe after this mission I will step back, let the younger generation take over for a while. I am ready for a different kind of adventure.”
The car slowed to a stop and the door beside Victoria opened, surprising her. The driver stood, holding the door for her as she climbed out, Armand right behind her.
“Thank you,” she murmured as she looked up at the nondescript grey stone building in front of her. She turned and gave Armand a curious look.
He only smiled back and offered his arm as he said, “Thank you, Bruce.”
The driver tipped his black hat at the couple and smiled. It was nice to see Armand so relaxed.
“This is where we are going?” Victoria looked up at the plain stone building again.
“It is much more than it appears, chérie.”
The sound of his French accent sent shivers up her spine as he led her to a plain thick wooden door. He pulled a small silver card out of his pocket and swiped it over a black box, causing the light set inside to blink from red to green.
A soft thunk echoed in the night as he opened the door, ushering her inside. She had expected Armand to take her to an upscale bar or the theater. She felt her curiosity being piqued as she looked down the long white hallway. He gave nothing away as he escorted her down it and stopped again at another large wooden door. He pulled the same small card out of his pocket, and this time when he opened the door, Victoria gasped.
Here was the opulence she had expected from Armand. Large glittering crystal chandeliers dripped elegantly from a hammered copper ceiling. Soft light fell on intimate round tables covered in snowy white linens, and the fine crystal adorning each one glinted in the light from the chandeliers.
There was a quiet buzz of conversation around the room, and most of the tables were full. It was almost entirely filled with vampires. Victoria gaped; she had never seen so many of her own kind in one place.
“Are you all right?” Armand looked at her, concern marring his brow.
“Yes, I just have never seen so many vampires in one place.”
He grinned. “Yes, it is a very popular place. I am quite proud of it.”
A man in a black suit glided up to them. “Sir, how lovely to see you. Your usual table?” Armand nodded and the man led them through the dining room. Victoria could feel the gazes of the others boring into her back, and the silence as they walked by was telling. They all wondered who she was and where she had come from. This was exactly the kind of situation she would have tried to avoid before. She felt the stares like knives in her back. Her palms started to sweat as she thought of all the gossip that would come from this one outing, as that gossip would doubtless get back to the countess.
Armand leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry, chérie, this is what we want—word to get back to her that you lived. She needs to know so we can flush her out in France. She will not be able to resist coming to taunt you.”
Armand put his hand on her back and led her through the room, giving the others in the room the impression that she was his and under his protection. Victoria felt her shoulders sag. This was the true reason he had invited her out. He didn’t want to get to know her, didn’t have an interest in her; he just wanted her to be seen by the others to get the rumor mill started so the countess would come out of hiding.
Armand pulled out a plush high-backed royal blue chair for her, and Victoria sank into it. She mentally took herself to task. It was fine that the purpose of her staying there in the future was to flush the countess out and stop her reign of terror before she outed the supernatural world to the humans. The modern world was different; it was harder to hide, and the Bobbies—or police, as the Americans called them—had tools that would make it hard to pick up and run. If the countess were caught, her true nature would be revealed. All of the supernatural world would be vulnerable, and that could not be allowed.
“Victoria, are you all right? You are very quiet and solemn all of a sudden.”
She looked up at him and pasted a bright smile on her face. “I am lovely, just not used to being out in the open. It’s making me a bit jumpy.”
She picked up the paper that lay in front of her place setting. Printed on a thick cream cardstock, the gold-inked letters scrawled across the page in old-fashioned calligraphy. It was like any other high-end dinner menu, with exotic flavors and unique foods dominating the selections.
The one difference was that it was all in liquid form and they were all mixed with blood. Victoria thought back to the delightful mixture Armand had treated them to in his office. She scanned the page and realized there were even some flavors of her favorite confections. She had seen and smelled many different chocolates during her long existence, but of course they all tasted of sawdust to a vampire.
“Do you see anything you fancy?”
“All of it.” She laughed, turning heads throughout the restaurant. “I do have a question: usually human
food tastes of sawdust and there is no flavor, so how did you accomplish it?”
He only smiled at her over the top of his own menu, wiggling his eyebrows in a teasing manner.
The sparkle in her gaze reflected in his dark eyes, and for a moment, she forgot his earlier words. “Magic, I take it.”
“And the prize goes to the lady.”
She sat back in the chair. She would enjoy herself and his company; there wasn’t any reason not to do so. If he had brought her here to further their mission, that was fine, but it didn’t mean she had to spend the time sulking. He was an intelligent, kind, and fascinating man, and she didn’t believe he was only being kind to her because of the mission. It appeared he was naturally gentle in nature, and she imagined that held true until he was riled.
“Does the lovely couple need more time,” came a bored voice from her side.
Victoria started; she hadn’t notice the man standing there.
“I am ready. Victoria,” Armand asked with one eyebrow quirked.
“Yes, may I please have the beef wellington, and later a cup of the chocolate.”
“Good choices, miss. And for you, sir?” The server’s tone became less bored and more respectful as he turned to Armand.
“I will second the lady’s choices,” he replied, handing over both of the cream menus. The man gave a slight bow and glided away toward the back of the room.
“Does everyone bow and scrape to you?”
A sigh escaped him, and for a moment, his face showed his true age. “Yes, and it has become very tedious.”
Victoria let out another laugh and was pleased to watch the sparkle come back into Armand’s eyes.
“It is one of the reasons I am keen to take a break. After our mission, I will give the institute over to Bran, and as I told you before, I will embark on a new adventure, one where people do not treat me as this untouchable thing, the master in charge, but just as a man—or a vampire, to be more accurate.” He flashed his fangs at her when he smiled.
“Some people would not want to give up all your power. They would revel in the ability to command time and to influence history.”
“Would you, my dear? If given the chance, would you want the responsibility of trying to keep safe and sound all of the different supernaturals and continue to root out the ones that cause trouble and risk exposing us to the humans?”
She stared into his dark eyes for a moment. She felt as if she stood on the edge of a cliff and the answer to his question was a fork in the road. Answer one way and go safely on your way; answer the other and take a dive off the cliff to your final death.
“No, I would not. I am content with the life I have, though I am looking forward to our adventure. It has been quite some time since I have had a chance to be involved with something so exciting.”
“Being kidnapped by the countess and almost dying the true death was not exciting?”
Victoria looked down at her hands in her lap as the terrifying events played through her mind. She looked back up at Armand, her face like stone.
“I would not consider being kidnapped and tortured by your maker exciting. I was more on about being able to travel and unravel the mystery of where the countess hides.”
Armand’s face softened and he had the grace to look embarrassed. “I am sorry, chérie. I didn’t mean to make light of your ordeal.”
“I am sure you didn’t. What sort of adventure are you looking for after we capture the countess?”
She’d deftly changed the subject, and Armand let it pass, contemplating her question.
“I am not sure, to be honest. I only know that I want something different. The institute has been my life for so long, my passion and my only focus for centuries. I have loved every minute of it, even the times of great stress and peril, but it is time for something new. It runs smoothly, and I know Bran and Delphine will be able to continue to run it just as well.”
“It must be a bit daunting to leave something that has taken you centuries to build. What are you going to do if you leave it and desperately want it back?”
Armand smiled, amused. “I will simply come back and take a more active role, maybe try my hand at being an operative.” He flashed his fangs again. “I do not foresee that happening, though. It feels right at this time to close that chapter and open a new one. For all that the institute has been to me, I want some time to enjoy the riches I have collected, to see the world in all its glory and the parts that have changed in the centuries since I did my last grand tour. In fact, that sounds like a grand plan. You have inspired me, Victoria—when this business is settled and the institute taken on by others, I will do another grand tour.”
Victoria sighed. A grand tour sounded lovely, to be able to go to all of the places she had never seen in the luxury and style of the modern world, to see the places that had been transformed from how she’d known them centuries ago.
“That sounds enchanting, a well-deserved reward for all the hard work you have put in over the centuries.”
“It would be better if I had someone to share it with.” He looked at her with a contemplative expression on his face. He could see her by his side traveling through Europe, showing her the Americas…
Before Victoria could respond, the server was again at their side, delivering their choices in large ornate goblets. Victoria turned hers around and around, admiring the amazing craftsmanship. There must have been enough jewels and gilt on that one goblet to run a small country. It fit the atmosphere Armand had created there, one of unapologetic wealth and elegance, a setting perfect for vampires.
She lifted her goblet and sipped, closing her eyes as flavors she hadn’t tasted in centuries slipped over her tongue. She let out an involuntary groan, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him watching her. His deep brown eyes deepened, and she could hear the low sonorous beat of his heart.
She flushed and looked down at her goblet. “I apologize, it has been so long since I have tasted these flavors, I quite forgot myself.” She inwardly cursed at herself; she sounded like an uptight prim Victorian woman. She had indeed been a Victorian woman before coming to the future, though she hoped not an uptight one.
“Never apologize for expressing your pleasure, chérie. I quite enjoy watching.”
She found herself blushing again and promptly changed the subject.
They spent the rest of the meal in casual conversation, laughing and talking. When it arrived, the chocolate almost brought her to her knees, and he watched as she enjoyed it with the same electric light in his eyes, the same sonorous sound of his heartbeat telling her without words how he felt about her. There was that spark of attraction between them, there was no denying it, but Victoria had to focus on the mission. She was not interested in a love affair, and she was not sure if she would be the same woman on the other side of it if she started one with Armand. She could see herself losing her heart to him, so she would focus on the mission and try to fight the attraction she felt for him.
Chapter 8
“Welcome to the library.” Teagan smiled at Victoria and led her over to a table piled high with books and papers. “As you can see, I have been hard at work tracing the countess—and you, at times, it seems—through the timeline, ascertaining locations where she might have castles she owns or places she may be able to hide.”
“You did all of this work in the past few days?” Victoria was stunned by the large expanse of materials scattered across the long table.
“Not on my own. I had help, but yes, my team and I have tracked her through the centuries and learned about the terror and carnage she left in her wake. It was one of the easiest ways to track her—just look for strange happenings and a large number of missing young women in the area and you would find the countess. She even made a visit to Salem and had a hand in starting the hysteria of the witch trials.”
“Salem?” Victoria quirked an eyebrow.
“American history, very tragic, but not important now. Sorry, I go off on tangent
s. As soon as Armand and Victor get here, we can start the debrief. I know you have a ton of knowledge about the countess, so if you see anything I missed or notice something important, just chime in, okay?” Teagan patted Victoria on the shoulder.
Victoria just nodded, sitting in one of the chairs around the library table. An older man bustled in, the makings for afternoon tea piled high on the tray in his hands.
“I know vampires don’t eat, but Armand still enjoys a good cup of tea, and I brought extra cups in case the others might want some as well.” The older man set the tea tray on the table then caught sight of Victoria. “I apologize, miss, I didn’t see you there.” He looked flustered.
“It is fine, and a cup of tea seems just the right thing.” She smiled a closed-mouth smile at the man. Some were wary of vampires, and this man appeared to be one of those, so she didn’t want a flash of fang to make him even more nervous.
He only nodded and filled her tea cup with a slightly shaking hand.
“Llewellyn, she is not going to reach across the table and take you as a snack.” Teagan rubbed the man’s shoulder to soothe him. “You work for a vampire,” she reminded the nervous brownie.
Victoria eyed the man as he put the tea cup in front of her. “I am Victoria. Thank you for bringing the tea.”
He nodded at her before turning to Teagan. “You are correct, I work for a vampire, but very indirectly. I have only had cause to have contact with Armand a few times and he was unfailingly gracious and polite, but I can’t help but be nervous.” He turned to Victoria, an apologetic smile on his face. “I am sorry, miss, I do not mean to be nervous. It is just that vampires unsettle me.” He whispered the last part as if it was some great and horrible secret.
Victoria gently smiled at him, keeping her fangs from being visible.
He smiled wanly back and left the tray, hurrying back into the bowels of the library.
Teagan sighed. “Please forgive Llewellyn. In his youth he had a frightful encounter with a vampire, resulting in the loss of his sister and younger brother. Despite knowing you would not hurt a fly, he is still very nervous.”
