“You think that our leverage will suddenly appear at this party?” Loriella frowned. Sympathy clouded her eyes. “Young Eina, thank you for your suggestion, but I’m afraid we’re going to need more than a party to help us figure this one out. Leave this to your elder sisters.”
There was another twittering of laughter, but Loriella cut it off with a curt wave of her hand. Eina wrapped her arms around her waist and blushed down at the stone floor beneath her tail.
“Great going, Cascade,” she muttered out of the side of her mouth. “Now, I’m the laughing stock of the whole mermaid colony.”
Cascade giggled again and swam close enough to reach out and softly caress Eina’s nose. “Dear friend, if you want them to take you seriously, you’re going to have to take things into your own hands.”
She regarded the water sprite with distrust, her eyes narrowing. Cascade had a talent for getting her into trouble. “The last brilliant idea you had got me four weeks of sea cucumber duty.”
A shiver ran down her spine. She could still feel the squishy bodies of those cucumbers as she harvested them from the ocean floor.
“A minor oversight.” Cascade shrugged. “How was I supposed to know the difference between a whale watcher and a whale hunter?”
Cascade’s insistence on punching a hole in a passing whaler’s boat had been more than a minor oversight. Eina was passionate about protecting her fellow sea creatures, so she hadn’t even paused to question the plan. But as it turned out, the boat actually belonged to a whale watching company and instead of doing the environment a favor, they managed to dump twenty innocent people into the Bering Sea who had to be plucked from the water by a passing cruise ship.
“And the pearl escapade?”
“My source swore it was the giant black pearl of legend,” Cascade said with a flourish of her tiny hands. “If I had known it was an unexploded bomb left over from the human wars, I never would’ve suggested we harvest it.”
Eina groaned. The sprite had an excuse for everything. If she continued to follow her advice, she might not live to see her twenty-ninth year. Her sister’s efforts at hatching her as a young merfish would’ve all been for nothing. It took years of stored up energy for merfolk to create their offspring. They didn’t just spring up from the sea foam like Aphrodite.
“Go to the wedding,” Cascade said with a twirl, her hair flowing out around her. “See what you can learn. If nothing, then no harm will come out of it. But if you learn something vital, it could be your chance to shine among your sisters.”
Eina’s eyes flashed with untamed excitement. There really was no harm in just milling about at the wedding, soaking in all the information she could on their targets. No one had to know. And besides, she’d always been curious about vampires and werewolves. In her mind, they were all horrid creatures with flashing fangs and bad breath. She’d like to see one of those up close for herself.
“For once, I think you might be on to something,” she whispered to her friend. The meeting around them had once again dissolved into an argument and no one was paying her any attention. “I’ll go to the wedding and bring back our leverage. That’s a promise.”
“Oh, goody.” The fairy clapped her hands. “I can’t wait to see what you find.”
Eina’s lips curled into a pleased smile. She’d always had the desire to attend a wedding. There was something about the whole affair that made her young heart flutter with excitement. It was time to see what this kingdom of Monstrana was all about.
And just maybe, she’d also find the key to assuring a spot for their fledgling mermaid country at the table of supernatural kingdoms.
Chapter Three
Leo spun the lovely Duchess Beatrice around the dance floor, chuckling at her jokes and nodding when appropriate. The waif-like blonde vampiress was one of his grandmother’s recruits. A foreign dignitary meant to tempt him into settling down. She was certainly doing her best to fulfil the ticket. At one point, she even mentioned that she’d love to take a midnight ride on the back of his motorcycle later tonight.
She’d done her homework.
“If you’ll excuse me, Duchess,” Leo said with a bow after the song had ended. “I’ve hogged your attention for far too long. If I don’t let you dance with one of your many admirers tonight, I’m afraid someone might put a target on my back.”
Duchess Beatrice blushed and looked around for a sign of her admirers. In truth, she was quite beautiful. He wouldn’t be surprised if half a dozen men jumped for the chance to ask her for a dance the moment he stepped away. He was counting on it.
“Very well, your highness.” She returned his bow with an elegant, sweeping curtsy. “But don’t think I’ve forgotten about that motorcycle ride tonight.”
An amused smile twitched on his lips. She really was determined. “Of course. Enjoy your evening.”
He found his escape among a crowd of men smoking cigars near the open doors to the garden. Rodrigo stood at their feet, his pink nose sniffing the air appreciatively.
“I see you’ve already shrugged off the potential suitors,” he said, leaping to the top of the nearest table. He eyed the unlit cigars with the tiniest hint of envy. “That didn’t take long.”
“I’d say it’s a new record.”
Leo grinned and leaned his elbow on the table. His eyes scanned the crowd and took in the sight of radiant Princess Stasia in a fluffy white wedding gown with her arm wrapped around her new husband’s back. Leo liked Billy the moment he’d met him, but he still didn’t understand why a guy like that would trade his life of independence to be shackled to the next werewolf queen of Monstrana.
“Leo, I’d like to talk to you.”
The prince groaned and exchanged looks with Rodrigo. He knew that voice anywhere. It sounded awfully like the voice of reason in his own head. The voice he liked to squash under loud music and crowded parties.
“Vik, if you’re here to lecture me, you might as well forget it.” He turned around to see his brother watching him with a heavy brow. They shared many of the same features. A strong jawline, amber colored eyes, and tall athletic figures. But where Leo was blond, Viktor was dark.
“No lecture.” Viktor’s mouth twisted into a disproving frown. “But, you do realize that I was in the middle of drafting a formal treatise with the ogres? It’s taken centuries to get us this far. The ogres are nothing but overly suspicious and distrusting creatures. Your most recent poker game most likely set us back another half a millennium.”
“Hmm. And I wonder who told you about that mishap,” Leo replied, throwing a wry smile at the black cat standing next to him.
Rodrigo shrugged his furry shoulders and took a leap off the table, quickly disappearing into the crowded ballroom.
“What I’d really like to discuss is the possibility of you taking on more royal duties,” Viktor said, lifting a goblet of red liquid to his lips. “More supernatural creatures are flocking to Monstrana every day. We’ve also had official delegations from parties wishing to claim their own sovereignty. I’d like to hear them out, but I simply haven’t had time to consider all the requests. I need your help.”
“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.” Leo snatched a cigar from the table and ran it under his nose, sniffing the exotic tobacco. “Doesn’t sound like my kind of thing.”
“And what exactly is your kind of thing?” Viktor’s eyes flashed. “Illicit poker games and getting into tight scrapes with nefarious sorts?”
He clapped his brother on the back and grinned. “Exactly.”
His eyes wandered across the room until they landed on a particularly alluring sight. A slender woman dressed in a stunning aqua dress stood next to the punch table. She had ivory skin with a warm, beige undertone, thick black hair coiled into a bun behind her left ear, and dark eyes that seemed to be taking note of every person in the room. Her lips were painted red and every time she moved, her dress shimmered like fish scales. Leo straightened his back and dropped the cigar back on the
table.
“If you’ll excuse me, brother, I have someone I need to meet.”
Viktor’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. But don’t think I’m dropping this. It’s about time you stepped up in your duties as a vampire prince of Monstrana.”
“Definitely. Later. Whatever you say.”
Leo had already drifted toward the crowd, his eyes glued to the stunning stranger. She couldn’t be a vampire. He knew every royal vampiress in attendance, thanks to his grandmother. She had to be some other fantastic creature. Who she was, he couldn’t be sure.
But he needed to find out.
❖
Eina shifted uncomfortably in her dress and fingered the goblet of water in her hand. So far, her infiltration of the royal wedding had been a bust. As much as she enjoyed seeing the surprisingly gorgeous werewolf princess walk down the aisle toward her beaming fiancé, she hadn’t found a single clue that would help her people of Aestus become a recognized kingdom.
If anything, her disgust in the rulers of Monstrana had grown deeper at the obvious exhibition of wealth and privilege. They got to enjoy their freedom while her mermaid sisters struggled for a hold on the world’s supernatural stage. It made her want to dump her glass on the next person who approached her.
“Good evening.” A masculine voice caused Eina to stiffen. Its owner touched her lightly on the elbow, causing waves of electricity to shoot up her arm. “I don’t suppose we’ve met? I could’ve sworn I knew all the ladies in attendance today. Are you here with someone?”
Eina gulped and turned to find herself lost in a pair of amber eyes. She blinked three times and managed to steady herself with a nearby table. A tall, attractive blond man with a teasing grin stared down at her. He had light skin and a black tux that fit his toned figure in all the right ways. Something about the way he was looking at her made her skin flush.
“No, it’s just me.” She cleared her throat, desperate for her brain to start working again. It hadn’t occurred to her to come up with an excuse for being there. She’d assumed she’d just slip into the crowds, unnoticed. “But I do have an invitation. Do you need to see it?”
He chuckled and dropped his hand from her elbow. “No, I’m not the palace guard. I just needed an excuse to introduce myself to you. Lame pick-up line, I’m afraid.”
She let out a nervous laugh and inwardly thanked her lucky sea stars. That had been a complete bluff, of course. She didn’t have an invitation.
Did royal weddings even need invites or did anyone with an overwhelming sense of self-importance just feel the supernatural urge to attend? She wouldn’t be surprised.
“I’m Leo.” He held out his hand.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she placed her hand in his. “Eina.”
He wrapped his long, slender fingers around hers and gently pulled them toward his lips, leaving a searing kiss on the top of her hand. She blushed and pulled away, averting her eyes.
“Can you believe all this ruckus?” Leo settled in next to her as if he hadn’t noticed her sudden shyness. “For a wedding? Seems like a waste.”
She glanced at him from under her dark eyelashes and smirked. “No kidding. Think of all the poor supernaturals in captivity they could’ve rescued by utilizing the budget of this event. It’s a shame.”
He chuckled, low and throaty, evoking a burst of warmth in her gut. “Actually, I was picturing a slightly different use of the money. Something along the lines of dazzling acrobats and mystifying magicians. But yours sounds more noble.”
A wry laugh left her mouth. “More noble than the vampires who run this place.”
She placed the goblet to her lips and ran her eyes across the room. As of yet, she hadn’t been able to place one of the royal vampires. She expected it was because they were still lounging in their coffins, waiting for the last rays of sun to extinguish before coming out in all their horrific glory.
“Is that so?” Humor danced in Leo’s amber eyes. He bent down low, as if to share a secret. “You’re probably right. I’ve heard that the vampire prince is an absolute scoundrel. Can’t trust a word he says.”
She nodded her head and made a mental note of the information. It would become useful when they finally reached treaty negotiations with Monstrana.
“And don’t get me started on the werewolves.” Leo placed a hand on her lower back and leaned in closer, his breath on her neck causing her to shiver. “They’d likely trade their own kin for a dog bone. Such beasts.”
“I have to admit, they weren’t what I was expecting.” She glanced at the bride and groom on the other side of the room.
“And what were you expecting?”
She bit her bottom lip and tilted her head to one side. “I don’t know. Fur sprouting from their knuckles. Long snouts. That kind of thing. They look too beautiful to be werewolves. And the smell isn’t nearly as bad as I’d imagined.”
Delighted laughter bubbled up from Leo’s chest, making Eina look up at him in alarm. From the tears that appeared in the corner of his eyes, it was apparent that he’d found something she said utterly ridiculous.
“You are just too perfect,” he said when he finally caught his breath. “Really, I’ve never met anyone like you.”
She didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered. Instead, she shifted a few inches away from his side. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“You’re not like the other noble women.” He pressed his lips together and stared at her in an admiring way that made her grip her water glass tighter. “You don’t care what anyone thinks.”
“Maybe...”
Except, it didn’t feel like the truth. She constantly worried about her colony and how she fit in there. Most days, the top concern on her mind was what everyone thought of her. It was that paralyzing fear that had kept her silent for so long during meetings, despite the fact that she longed for a bigger role in their ascension to a legitimate kingdom.
For some reason, this gorgeous man seemed to bring the opposite out of her. Two minutes after meeting him and she was already spouting off ideas and opinions which normally would’ve been kept under lock and key. It was like her tongue had become unglued. She couldn’t help herself.
“Would you like to go someplace quieter?” Leo closed the distance between them and looked down at her with hope written across his face. “Maybe a stroll out in the gardens?”
She gulped again, realizing what her mind wanted and her body desired were two completely different things at that moment. Fighting against the heat in her gut, she shook her head.
“I’d better not. I need to leave soon.”
“That’s a shame.” His gaze caressed her face and settled on her lips. “I really would’ve liked the chance to get to know you better.”
She had to use the table behind her to steady her trembling knees. It would’ve been easy to get lost in those mesmerizing eyes. Give into him. Go anywhere he asked. But at that moment, a large black cat bounded across the room and came to a dignified halt in front of them.
“Your highness! Your grandmother requests that you join her in the entryway to say goodbye to some of the guests,” it announced.
Eina gaped at the creature. She’d never seen a talking cat.
“Right away, Rodrigo.” Leo gave her one last regretful look and turned for the door. He paused, looking over his shoulder. “It was lovely meeting you, Eina. I hope we meet again soon.”
And then he was gone.
Eina gripped the table, something puzzling her about the interaction. As the cat turned to follow its master, she rushed forward and bent down low to tap him lightly on the shoulder.
“Excuse me?” It felt ridiculous talking to a cat. “May I ask you a question?”
It paused and fixed her with its large green eyes. “Yes?”
“Who was that?” She glanced up at the crowds, but Leo was nowhere to be found. “And why did you call him your highness?”
The cat huffed, as if he were laughing at her. He blinked his ey
es and yawned. “My lady, that was Prince Leo Romanov, brother to King Viktor, and next in line for the Monstranian vampire throne.”
The weight of the news forced her to sit back on her heels. She stared with wide eyes at the cat, horror filling her gut. Her brain rewound through her brief conversation with the prince, replaying every terrible thing she’d said. And he’d let her say them. She’d made a fool of herself.
So, that was a vampire. He might not have been the nasty monster of her imagination, but he certainly hadn’t won any accolades in her mind.
Despite her embarrassment, she filed away the piece of information, along with everything else she’d learned. Maybe, all of this wouldn’t be for nothing.
She just had to figure out how the Prince of Vampires would serve her cause.
Chapter Four
Leo fingered the bag of cash in his hand and whistled to himself as he strutted across an abandoned dock. After managing to escape the boredom of the royal wedding this evening, he’d made an appearance at his favorite secret poker ring in one of the warehouses dotting the wharf. The place had stunk of rotting fish guts, but that hadn’t kept him from cleaning house.
Thankfully, the fairies and goblins in attendance had taken his winning better than the ogres of last night. No fights and no near escapes. He was getting better at this. Viktor would be impressed.
His mind drifted back to the beautiful and mysterious woman he’d met at the wedding reception－Eina. She hadn’t been dazzled by his smiles or his touch and for some unknown reason, it’d made him like her all the more. If only she hadn’t disappeared.
He’d gone back to look for her after doing his grandmother’s bidding, but she was long gone. It was too bad. He really would’ve liked to take her on a romantic late night stroll and discover what made her so fascinating.
“I’ll bet she’s even more beautiful in the moonlight,” he mused to himself, reaching for his motorcycle hidden in the shadows.
Something Fishy About Love: Vampire & Mermaid Romance (A Monstrana Paranormal Romance Book 3) Page 2
