by Aneesa Price
“Yes,” Anais responded, “we needed to update the house for the wedding business.”
“Very clever of you, ma chérie. I’m happy you could find something to do with your skills. A wedding business seems to be a smooth transition from your previous role here to entrepreneurship.” He said it as though there weren’t many skills for her to choose from.
“I’m proud of you and my grandchildren.” Yves bestowed a patronizing stare on them. This was unusual as he’d barely spoken a word to the vampires that Anais had turned but they hid the surprise from him – he wouldn’t appreciate it and the consequences of his disfavor was frightening.
“In fact,” he continued, “that’s what I’ve come to speak to you about.” He paused dramatically to let that sink in and went on to make the inevitable request, “Akeldonna’s opened a vampire club, or rather, she’ll be opening one. Naturally, she’ll require an opening night and I thought that it would be a good opportunity for you to illustrate your loyalty to the Vampire Council by offering to coordinate this event for one of its members.”
“But we already have a vampire club in New Orleans,” the words were out of Marie’s mouth quicker than V could jab her in the side to shut up.
“I see that you still let your children run wild, Anais,” Yves voice dripped with disdain and disapproval, he flicked a hand to Marie, who writhed on the floor in silent agony.
“I apologize, Yves,” Anais responded, faking humiliation at Marie’s perceived show of disrespect while resisting the urge to rip at his throat. She’d experienced that side of the ancient vamp’s power and her instinct was to protect her ‘child’. Doing that now she commented, “I’ll see to Marie later, after the party. After all, I need her to cook the food.”
“Of course,” Yves flicked his wrist again, pulling Marie out of the silent hell he’d put her in. “And I trust that you’ll control your children to see to the party – I know I raised you well.”
You sure tried, you bastard, Anais thought as she inclined her head, a smile pasted on.
Yves smiled in approval, “Merci, ma chérie. Your actions are noted and appreciated. I will let Akeldonna know that you’ll be in touch.”
At Anais’ nod he continued, “Talking about your actions, how are things progressing with our guests? And where are they?”
“All’s well in that regard. We’ve been showing them the attractions and introducing them to the local vampire community. But, they’re not as fond of the night as we are,” Anais gave threw him a smile, “they retired to bed a few hours ago.”
“Then we must not disturb them,” Yves stated, accepting a glass of warm blood from Miss Suzette as she came, served and retreated as speedily as she could. Yves took a sip and smiled, contemplating the glass, “the blood of an interesting sinner – a cannibal. A rare find.” Taking another sip, he rolled the liquid around in his mouth, like a wine taster would a good red, “I can detect faint traces of other humans. Merci, my child, your hospitality always surpasses itself.”
Anais inclined her head and sipped her non-cannibal blood to hide her grimace. They’d relished killing that monster and draining him but they could never bring themselves to drink his blood, using it instead for vampire cocktails. She’d known that Yves would appreciate it though and from his reaction, she was sending him home with what was left of it.
“Now,” Yves leaned forward speculatively, “as this is the first opportunity I’ve seen you without our guests, do tell me how they are enjoying their introduction into our world.”
Anais took another sip, fortifying herself for what would be a long, uncomfortable night with her maker.
Chapter 10
Anais took Conall’s offered arm and directed them towards the club. They’d left the car at the house in the Garden District, where they’d just finish consulting with Akeldonna for the party and Conall had met with Yves. They were on their way to the Quarter to see what they had to work with and Conall and his guards were tagging along.
“So, how did the meeting with Yves go?” Anais ventured.
Conall regarded her, he detected a hint of distrust for him, distaste for her maker.
Anais picked up the look, responding with a shrug, “Just asking, I was after all, involved in this by both of you.”
“Fair enough,” nodded Conall, “but I’ll answer that question if you answer one of mine.”
Now it was Anais’s turn to regard him warily. She contemplated – he seemed hesitant to answer so she was fine if his question made her squirm a bit (and it was bound too) if he squirmed too. “Okay but you first.”
“It was unexpectedly boring.”
Huh? Anais raised a questioning brow, motioning for him to go on.
“I’ll be straight with you. My gut and my magick tells me that you’re not that fond of Yves, so this is my way of extending a first hand of trust towards you.”
“Fair enough,” Anais’s echo of his earlier response was all she said.
“I don’t know what Yves’ agenda is,” Conall continued. “He invited me over here to discuss vampire-witch relations but I seem to be on a type of cultural exchange program.”
“Maybe that’s his strategy,” offered Anais. “Get you au fait with the vampire culture and debunk some myths you might have bought into.”
Conall nodded, “I thought so initially too. But I’ve been here for nearly two weeks and there has been no talk of cementing vampire-witch relations or how we will make it happen.”
“So, you feel like a pawn in Yves’ game.”
“Yes, and I can see that you know what I speak of. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that you’ve been a pawn in one of his games before.”
“Is that your question, Conall? Because if it is, you haven’t fully answered mine yet.”
“No. It is not. We’ll leave the discussion of your relationship with your maker for another day.” Conall left that issue there, letting the implications marinate for a moment. “But back to the meeting. It was purely a courtesy meeting. Yves said that he wanted to be sure that I was enjoying vampire hospitality.”
Anais muttered, “Bastard can’t even trust me to play tour guide.”
“Right again, but then I don’t think he trusts anyone. Maybe it is his age and he’s become a cynic but I think there’s more to it. He wants me here for some reason and I have to figure out what.”
“Well,” shrugged Anais, “I can’t help you there. He’s never confided in me but I do think there’s merit in your theories. You’re not European royalty doing a courtesy visit to previous colonies. You’re a witch – the witch – prince, here to form an alliance with another race, yet you’re being given the said courtesy visit.”
“I guess it will be revealed in time,” Conall remarked.
Anais tilted her head to the side, studying him – letting her gut get a feel for his motives. Satisfied that her head and gut were aligned, she offered, “I can make a deal with you that if I get wind of what is going on I’ll fill you in if you do the same?”
Conall’s lips curved, sending all thoughts of politics and business away.
“I’ll honor that trust Anais. I’ll share mine if you share yours and vice versa.”
The loaded statement made Anais blush. Self-conscious of the act, she looked away at the revelry and tourists around her. “Now what’s your question?”
“How’s things between you and I and between you and the wolf? I haven’t seen him much lately.” Nor you, he thought. She’d avoided being alone with him and this was as good as it was going to get to settle the dust and move forward.
“Raulf’s been around but we agreed that he’d put some space in between the two of you, which is slightly uncomfortable given that he’s basically family and you’re a guest staying over. But at least there hasn’t been sparks and fur flying since you both acted like jerks.”
Ouch! Conall flinched, “I deserved that and what you said that night. And because I haven’t had the chance to say it and it needs
saying, I’m sorry.”
“Look, Conall, I know you had to defend yourself but you took it over-board. And so did he.”
“You’re right and again, I’m sorry.”
The frank reply, lacking any argument and filled with reasonable regret stunned her. She hadn’t expected that! It was refreshing.
“And,” Conall continued, “I promise to only defend myself – nothing more – should your wolf and I engage claws again.”
“More like engage testosterone,” Anais muttered, making him grin. God, what a mouth! “Okay, fine. Apology accepted.”
“And to make amends, I’ll speak to your wolf – come to a truce of sorts.”
“You can start by calling him by name – Raulf.”
“Okay. Raulf – I’ll seek him out tomorrow when he comes around to the plantation and work out a truce.”
“Thanks,” Anais’s voice was filled with relief. She hadn’t realized just how uncomfortable it had been to live in limbo until now with the promise to clear things up – at least to get things done amicably. She wasn’t naïve enough to hope that they’d be life-long buddies.
“So, are you and he okay though? And are we okay?” Conall went back to his original question.
Anais looked around, spotting the rest of her friends chat with his – they’d obviously given her and Conall the time alone with the intent to have this conversation. She narrowed her eyes at him, “You didn’t by any chance arrange this time alone did you?”
Conall looked baffled, sincerely so. Now it was her turn to feel guilty. “Sorry – guess I have some of my maker’s cynicism. Our friends are all intelligent, caring and conniving enough to manipulate us both on their own.”
“Apology accepted and yes they are. And you’re avoiding my question Anais.”
Anais decided to get to the crux of it, “Raulf and I don’t have a history in that way. We’ve never been together. We had a kissing episode – similar to yours and mine but that’s it. I love him like a brother but I’m also attracted to him.”
“And you don’t know me, had a kissing episode with me and you’re attracted to me,” Conall offered.
“So, you have two suitors that both have a fair chance and you have to make a choice because you feel for both of us.”
“Ummm…” jeesh, though Anais, and she thought she was getting to the matter at heart. “Yes. I need to make a choice – it’s not only about want. I need to take the risk with one of you but whom, is where the difficulty lies.”
“There’s an easy enough solution to that,” stated Conall. “You let us both attempt to woo you and whoever does so more successfully wins. And we’ll agree to it, if you’re game and Raulf’s game and will not get into another fight. It will be an honorable contest for the lady’s affections.”
“Jeesh – now why does this sound like a Regency romance plot?” sarcasm dripped from her voice.
Conall shrugged, “Any other suggestions?”
Thinking on it, Anais shook her head, “No, but let me talk to him first and we’ll take it from there.”
“I’ll agree if I get to start now – call it a practice run.”
“Okay,” Anais smiled up at him, shooting a blast of lust to the area below his waist. What in the name of the Goddess did he get himself into, he thought as he smiled back.
“I’m glad you two have finally made up,” Marie quipped as she joined them.
“Aye, now we can quit acting like there’s no elephant in the room,” concurred Niul.
The rest joined them and began asking about the upcoming party and the club.
“What do you know of Akeldonna?” asked Sylvain from all the vampire ladies as they made their way down Rue Bourbon.
“Not much,” offered V. “She’s been a member of the VC – Vampire Council – since her marriage to Akhilleus. That’s just over a millennium. She controls the reins on the business and the politics and represents the Greek fraction of the race.”
“What’s she like?” Sylvain continued to gather information. Sylvain inwardly frowned. That was one vampire that exuded malice. He recollected how his skin crawled every time she’d looked at him at the pre-meeting dinner. He’d gotten the distinct impression that she’d wished that he was on the menu – and it wasn’t blood lust.
“We’ve no idea,” responded Sophie. “She’s hard to read and this is really the first time we’ve interacted with her directly.”
“Why do you ask?” questioned V.
“Just curious,” responded Sylvain nonchalantly. “It does seem odd that she’d open a vampire bar in a place that already has one that caters sufficiently for the vampire population here. At least that’s what I thought when you took us to the other club.”
Marie blanched, thinking back to when she asked the same question and raising the guys’ eyebrows.
“Marie thought the same.” Anais jumped in to save her friend from discomfort. “Yves didn’t take to well to what he thought of as impertinence. Maybe it is just an investment and she’s a bit greedy.”
“It’s possible,” nodded Conall, sending a mental request to Sylvain to back off. He didn’t want to lose the ground he’d gained by making them uncomfortable. “We’ll see when we get there.”
Conall saw the relief flood Marie’s face, which was echoed in that of her friends’. He mentally asked Niul and Sylvain to change the subject and keep the others occupied. When they complied by asking questions of the fascinating Quarter, he pulled Anais closer
“When we get to the club, I’d appreciate it if you’d take time out of your planning to dance with me. I’d like to hold you, find a rhythm with you,” he whispered, sending tingles along her skin, from throat to thigh. He had the satisfaction of seeing the lump she swallowed and pulled back a bit, lightening the mood, “maybe you can show me how to do the Cajun two-step? I’ve heard of it even in Ireland.”
“You’ve heard of it even on Google,” interjected Sylvain sending Conall into a mental rant at him for being an interfering busybody.
Anais laughed softly, joining Sylvain in the playful teasing, “Sylvain, I’ll teach you the two-step if you show me how to do an Irish jig.”
Sylvain grinned, “I’ll be happy to show you whatever jig you want, Anais.”
“Go away Syl,” Conall jokingly shoved at his friend. Not to be bested with corny lines, he leaned in towards Anais to deliver another line…and watched her fall, eyes fraught with pain.
Chapter 11
Anais woke up feeling as though she’d been run over by something huge and metal. Sunlight streamed through the windows into her bedroom, assaulting her already pounding head. Groaning in protest, she squinted at Sophie, who rushed to draw the curtains. She didn’t recognize the weak whimpers that escaped her throat at the relief offered by the darkness. She didn’t know why her body seemed to automatically curl into a foetal position, her mind wanting succumbing to the sleep that beckoned at its edges. Anais vaguely recollected being wiped out on the sidewalk in the Quarter when ‘the feeling’ had slammed into her before darkness had swallowed her mind. She wanted to know what had occurred but her energy seemed completely depleted. Even moving her mouth to speak seemed a task beyond her current capabilities. The need to close her eyes again and drift off into the oblivion beckoned her. Hopefully that state of self-induced unconsciousness would take away the throbbing pain that pulsed in every inch of her body. Her muscles felt like battered jelly, her strong vampire bones were replaced with strung toffee and a badly performing marching band had taken occupancy in her head.
“I know, Anais,” Sophie laid an empathetic hand on her shoulder. Anais winced at the touch and Sophie quickly withdrew the torturous appendage. With unshed tears, Sophie struggled under the pain Anais felt, her empathic ability soaking it up more than was normal, courtesy of the connection they shared. “I can feel your pain and your confusion. Don’t worry about that now. Let me give you what you need. You’re thirsty. You need blood, so let’s see to that first and then I�
��ll answer whatever questions you have.”
At the mention of blood, the burning thirst that had been shadowed by her physical pain came to the fore. Nodding, Anais sat up, frail and unsteady. She tried to reach for the glass that Sophie held but her hands were shaking so badly, that as soon as she grasped it the blood sloshed all over her treasured four hundred thread count white sheets. Taking the glass back, Sophie held it up to her mouth gently and tilted the liquid in; slow enough for her to feel the soothing substance slide down her throat, lessening the burn a bit. She was so thirsty. Her body must have consumed much of what she had in healing her to her current feeble state. She wanted to grab the glass and guzzle the warm blood, feel it cool her parched, burning throat but her energy deserted her for even that natural act of vampirism.
Trickle by trickle, as the blood entered her battered system, she started to feel more able to tackle what was going on. She cast her eyes to an anxious Sophie, “What happened to me?”
“You fainted in the Quarter and we brought you back home. Conall thought you were under magickal attack and tried several things to bring you around. When that didn’t work we hooked you up to a bag of blood,” Sophie indicated the intravenous equipment with empty bags of blood hanging off of it. “I’ve been linking with you to monitor your progress. I found incredible pain.” At Anais’ incredulous look that said, ‘what’s changed?’ Sophie continued, “Believe me. It was worse. I’m glad you’ve been unconscious. I could barely stand to link with you to see what was going on. It,” Sophie’s voice broke, breathing in, she continued, “…It felt like we were losing you.”
Anais looked at the bags of blood again.
“Yes, the blood worked. But it was blood and magick that did the trick,” a male voice offered. “I gave you some of my blood, thinking the magick in it would help and it did.”
Anais’s eyes widened in surprise, and then looked to Sophie for clarification. What was Conall doing with them, knowing she was awake and Sophie was awake during the day!
