More noise exploded from the crowd, forcing Adrian to speak louder. "I traveled to high court to rescue the princess, who we now realize is our great queen. King Tsedaka made false allegations against her honor, refused her a fair trial, and then tortured her with malicious intent. It's very possible that his highness would've killed our queen if I hadn't taken immediate action."
Shock and indignation displayed themselves on nearly every face. There were also gasps, enraged shouts, and lots of comments like "oh god" or "holy mother". Overall, an angst filled hum of energy spread throughout the room. One that was obviously tipped in our favor.
"Clearly, the king will send soldiers to retrieve her. This means that I," Adrian faltered, flashing me a sideways glance. "Excuse me, we need all of you to take defensive positions across the property. And you will give your lives in our defense if the circumstances call for it."
The reactions grew louder, most vamps totally on board. Although, a few leery individuals began to argue. "I won't cross swords with the king," one of the dissenters yelled. "It'd be asking for death!"
Soon after, another vamp boomed a sarcastic, "I agree. Why should we believe your story without first hearing from his highness?"
"You have no choice in the matter," Adrian barked in a haughty tone. "These are my orders and you will obey them as such."
Suddenly, I lurched to my feet, finding it impossible to keep my mouth shut for a second longer. For real, what made my life any more important than theirs? And who gave Adrian the right to command all of them to die for me?
"Please listen," I shouted into the commotion, my words causing the crowd to quiet almost instantaneously. "I'm a firm believer in free will, so whether or not you fight on my behalf is your choice. I know I'm contradicting Lord Adrian, but I hope he'll understand." Glimpsing his expression from the corner of my eye, I was happy to see that his face shined with approval. Good, I didn't overstep my bounds.
"If you choose to stay," I continued, feeling more sure of myself. "You have my deepest gratitude and I hope that one day I'll be able to return the favor. On the other hand, for those of you who decide to leave, there will be no repercussions. All I ask is for you to be on your way as quickly as possible. I don't want anyone to accidentally get caught in the crossfire."
The room's ever-increasing qualities of a tilt-a-whirl ride notwithstanding, I couldn't miss the boisterous applause as I collapsed back onto the throne. Surprisingly, none of the vampires seemed to be vacating the premises, not a single solitary soul. Instead, there were yells of "Great queen!" and "All hail the queen!"
"As everyone can see, our queen is exhausted," Adrian announced, pausing to nod at me reverently. "I shall accompany her to her quarters. That said, I promise, I'll rejoin you all the moment I'm capable. Until then, however, my heads of security are in charge of organizing the defense."
Chapter 27
Since leaving the main hall, Adrian and I had been walking down a series of tunnels for a couple minutes. Well, actually, walking would be a bit of an overstatement. In reality, Adrian's arm was supporting most of my weight while I limped and he patiently ushered me along. But whatever.
"Are you certain I can't carry you?" he asked sympathetically. "It won't be any trouble."
"I'll get there on my own," I groaned, fatigue deepening my voice. "So, um, how much farther?"
"Another two hundred yards, maybe less."
"I'll make it then, I just have to lean on you." I lifted my chin, willing myself to push on. And I didn't want him carrying me. Seriously, I wasn't a goddamn invalid. "So, um, what's this stuff about me being the great queen?"
"First, you must understand that none of us knew you were the great queen until tonight. When Michel announced it, I was as surprised as you were." He let out a nervous chuckle. "And it's probably better if Michel fields your questions. After all, he's the one who wrote the prophecies."
"Prophecies?" Not one, but multiple. Freaking wonderful. More poetic nonsense I'd never even come close to comprehending...
"Michel started foretelling your existence while he was a human, years before I turned him. He's written numerous pages on you over his lifetime. And that's why it'll be more appropriate to discuss it all with him. I can send him to your chambers once you're settled in, if you'd like."
I sighed and rolled my eyes dramatically. I didn't need some old guy speaking to me in riddles. The groveling and the supplication were quite enough. "You know what? I changed my mind. I'm too tired to deal with the prophecy stuff tonight. I'm sure I've already got the gist of it anyway. I'm the great queen, the most powerful vampire on earth, here to unite the vampire race, blah-blah-blah."
"You hit the nail right on the head, my love," he replied lightheartedly. "That said, you really should have a conversation with Michel. I promise it'll be enlightening."
"After everything's calmed down," I reluctantly agreed, wiping a layer of sweat from my face. The haziness of my super-sluggish brain and the weakness of my body were beginning to draw on me.
Sensing my discomfort, Adrian remained quiet for the rest of our seemingly endless journey. Eventually, however, we did arrive at a handcarved wooden door and he pushed it open with ease. Oddly enough, the stark absence of a locking mechanism caught me totally off guard. I mean, Tsedaka's facility had tighter security than a prison. Was this place gonna be safe?
My misgivings aside, we entered the foyer to be greeted by black marble floors and dark purple walls. The room's artful recessed lighting drew attention to a white grand piano and a cluster of plush white armchairs in the very center. The contrast between light and dark created an ambiance that felt good, soothing somehow. Regardless, the second I noticed the large number of doors encircling the space, I was still set aback.
"They lead to the bedchambers of our slaves and attendants," Adrian explained. "The two rear doors are ours, the right room is yours and the left one is mine."
I didn't know quite what to say. I suppose having my own room could be interpreted as a positive. Although, I wasn't too keen on the idea of acquiring attendants. And slaves, nope, definitely not gonna happen.
"So, um, are all the bedrooms on my side empty now?" I ultimately asked, blanching at the prospect of more grovelers.
"Yes, other than the chamber closest to you. It'll be Lucien's. Also, you should be aware that for safety reasons there are always four guards on duty." Pausing, he pointed to the vamps who were standing in the corners. They wore normal street clothes, exactly the same as the men I'd seen surrounding the stage in the main hall.
"Well, guards are certainly preferable to pass code locks," I blurted, lamely attempting to sound upbeat in spite of my growing uneasiness.
"Oh, we don't do that here," he reassured, grabbing my hand and guiding me toward my door at the far end. "Truthfully, there's no need. Considering I sired most of the guards, they inherited my abilities to travel small distances as well as superior telepathy. Therefore, door locks are virtually ineffective and video cameras aren't necessary for surveillance."
Precisely what I needed, more eavesdroppers. "So, um, yeah," I muttered, biting my lip awkwardly. "I realize I worked as a stripper and all, but that doesn't mean I want just anybody barging in on me while I'm..."
"Folks around here are very polite," he cut in, smoothly interrupting me. "Unless it's an emergency, the rule is that we announce ourselves prior to entry. And mind to mind communications are limited to where it's appropriate. None of us will be invading your privacy. You have my word."
"Well, that's good," I muttered, struggling to shelve my negativity. Still, if I decided to leave, their unique combination of powers would undoubtedly be a difficult hurdle to overcome.
Nonetheless, when I crossed the threshold into my bedroom, I found its vibe surprisingly relaxing. The white duvet on my king-size bed provided a pleasant contrast to the black marble floors and dark purple walls that continued on from the foyer. The silky bedding had been turned back, giving me a generous view
of the purple sheets underneath. Incidentally, they were identical to the ones in my dreams which caused my stomach to fill with a brief glimmer of butterflies.
Beyond that, a flat screen TV hung on the wall opposite my bed and a computer sat in the far corner. Immediately smiling, I was pleased to see that I wouldn't be cut off from the world. And, even though my room wasn't nearly as lavish as my quarters at dear old daddy's, no fancy chandeliers or mini-bar, my soul perceived the rightness of it. And intuition told me that this place really could be my home. If I wanted it to be, that is.
"I didn't presume to know what you'd like to wear," Adrian admitted as he flipped the light switch on inside my virtually empty walk-in closet. "My attendants stocked a few items for you. The basics, uh, jeans, sweatpants, tennis shoes. I hope they brought the correct sizes."
"Yep, they'll fit; sweats are basically one-size-fits-all," I assured, genuinely happy at the prospect of clothes that weren't shredded and bloody. "Seriously, thanks for everything. There's no way I'll ever be able to repay your kindness. You've gone above and beyond..."
"Oh, darling, how I love you!" he chuckled, his eyes twinkling playfully. "You're so cute."
I pursed my lips in irritation, apparently having missed the joke. "Why are you laughing at me?"
"I'm not, it's merely that..." He faltered, ineffectively trying to hide his amusement. "You don't truly believe I'd leave you here with these rags, do you?"
"It doesn't matter, uh, I'll wear whatever." After the hellish past several weeks, looking stylish wasn't even on the radar.
"Follow me," he chortled, enthusiastically marching in the direction of the computer desk and swiftly retrieving a folder from atop it. "This is yours," he boasted, handing me a debit card. "You may use it to order anything you wish. The computer has internet access and our mailing address is saved in the address book program. If you place orders tonight, with overnight shipping, you should receive the packages by tomorrow evening."
Speechless, I held the plastic Bank of America card in my hand and was absolutely dumbstruck. It had my full name on it, Luna Lynn Miller. I knew he'd been waiting on me for years but a bank account? A freaking bank account?
"I've arranged a trust fund for you, darling. The interest and dividends alone will support you well. However, if you'd prefer learning the specifics of your stock and investment portfolio you can read the documents in here." He tapped the folder with his finger before returning it to its place on the desk. "You also own a vineyard in California."
My thoughts were in a state of total disarray. Plus, with my body weakened from the last few days' nightmarish activities, I could hardly grasp what he was saying. "I, uh, I don't think I..."
"Come, we're short on time," he insisted, hastily latching onto my empty hand and dragging me toward a second door at the back of the room.
"Wait, I can't accept this. You've already done too much for me."
Without slowing his pace, he flashed me a sly grin. "Isn't accepting a gift from me better than a career as a bank robber?"
"Um, uh..." He'd heard about my crime spree? Damn. And, speaking of, I wish Tsedaka's goons hadn't snagged my briefcase full of cash; it'd really come in handy. Sigh. "Well, at least robbing the bank was something I did for myself," I finally rebuffed, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Nobody gave it to..."
"Nevertheless, it's unimportant at the moment. I wasn't kidding when I said we're under time pressure. So, let me give you the rest of the tour. We'll discuss this later."
Promptly, he pulled me through the door into an exquisite bathroom. Everything was sparkling white, down to the marble floors, tiled walls, porcelain toilet, and antique clawfoot tub. As a result, my skin yearned to suds up, to wash the layers of dirt and grime into the distant past.
"We share the lavatory," he explained, his voice revealing a hint of apprehension. "I designed the layout in this manner because it increased the functionality of the space. I hope that's okay."
"Sure." Honestly, I didn't care whether we shared a bathroom or not. He'd seen me naked on dozens of occasions during our dreams. Therefore, if he decided to go all peeper on me while I was bathing, well, it wouldn't grate on my nerves too badly. My mental processes were much more concerned with his lavish gifts. Nobody gives money away for free. It doesn't matter who they are.
"My area's over here," he continued, seizing my hand once again and tugging me through the bathroom's other door faster than I could object.
And, strangely, his room was a mirror image of mine. It had the same black marble floors, purple walls, and white duvet. Two paintings, which hung neatly above his bed, were the only difference. The largest one depicted him as a teenager with an older couple standing beside him, obviously his parents, while the other portrayed him sporting a hideous powdered wig. Smiling at his hairpiece, I was unable to get past the absurdity. For real, how did people in those days tolerate dressing like that? Jeesh.
"I must go prepare for our defense," he announced with a slight bow at the waist. "I intend on stopping by my slave's chambers to feed beforehand. I'm aware that you need nourishment as well. Should I send your new slaves to you?"
Mortified, I waved my hands in the air as if to ward him off. "No, no. I won't be taking on new, uh, slaves. Frankly, it's awful that you even call 'em that."
"Familiars then? Is that more palatable?" he crooned, raising his eyebrows in a forced show of concession. In turn, I simply stared at him, a bitter taste growing in my mouth. "Regardless of the semantics, darling, feeding is a necessity."
"I don't care," I grumbled, squaring my shoulders. "After Amelia died, I decided not to travel down that road again. Ever." He might be crafty enough to evade a chit-chat about the whole gift giving thing, yet he wasn't gonna get me to budge on this.
"It's the way of the world, love. You're a vampire; you need to accept that fact and move forward with your life."
Unfazed by his argument, I blinked up at him with my best puppy dog eyes. "Lucien told me that the unbonded humans sometimes donate blood. So, can't we do that? And, yeah, I'm totally starving. I'd just rather drink my food from a glass."
At a loss, he shrugged in defeat. "Fine, I'll order one of your future slaves to bring their blood to you in a glass. It'll have to suffice for the moment seeing that brevity won't permit a more in-depth discussion. That said, in the future it's imperative that you create bonds. A vampire in your position never has too many allies."
"Well, I'm telling you right now, I'm not gonna rob anybody else of their freedom. And, you can sugarcoat the situation all you want, but we both know that the bonding process does exactly that. It's despicable."
"Alas, we must revisit this later," Adrian grunted, tilting his head to the left and pausing as though he was overhearing a far-off conversation. "Remember, you're safe here. My guards are outside. And don't hesitate to ask for their assistance if you require it."
After which, he abruptly nodded and disappeared. Well, I guess that means it's time for bath. Sigh.
Chapter 28
With steam all around me, I soaked in the warm water and felt simply blissful. On the heels of Adrian's poofing act, I'd ditched my nasty clothes into a pile on the bathroom floor, poured a bucket full of flowery-smelling bubblebath into the tub, and proceeded to scrub the shit out of myself. And, yeah, this is gonna sound gross, but I ended up having to drain and refill the water three times before it stopped turning red. My body'd been that caked with dried blood.
The bath's relaxing tranquility had rooted itself securely within my frazzled psyche, when I finally realized it was time to get going. I didn't wanna fall asleep in the water. I might drown or something. Well, if vampires could drown, that is. Wait a minute, did vampires even need oxygen to survive? I rubbed at my droopy eyelids. Whatever.
Inhaling deeply, I wrapped myself in a towel and hobbled on shaky legs into my bedroom. I was utterly exhausted, a walking corpse barely remaining conscious. However, the second I saw the ornate silver platter resti
ng atop my desk, I perked right up. Somebody'd left me a tall glass filled to the brim with blood, a turkey sandwich, and a can of Mountain Dew. There was a god.
I hastily knocked back the blood in a couple large gulps. And, in spite of its tepid temperature, the exquisite taste exploded across my tongue. In truth, the sandwich and pop were good too. Although, the meal didn't strengthen me as much as I would've liked. My body still screamed for sleep.
Yawning, I began to rifle through the sparse stack of clothing in my closet, eventually deciding on a pair of sweatpants and a "New World Church of Light" t-shirt. I knew they'd be comfy to sleep in and I briefly sniggered at Adrian branding his cover story as I slipped on the shirt. Then, almost immediately, I felt pangs of guilt for doing so. For real, I shouldn't be laughing at hundreds of people living in servitude. It just wasn't appropriate.
And that's when I started thinking about Amelia. My poor sweet Amelia. If she were here, she'd have made sure my closet shelves were cram packed with an assortment of outfits, every accoutrement stylish and the correct size. She also would've loved taking Adrian up on that online shopping spree. I can see her now, sitting in front of the computer and buying to her little heart's content. Accordingly, my spirit swelled with grief, a solitary tear rolling down my cheek. I'd get those sons of bitches for what they did to her.
Fuming with vengeance, I crawled under the fluffy comforter of my bed. All the while, I ground my teeth together, lamely attempting to displace a portion of my bitterness. And, sadly, my efforts went unrewarded. Then, as if there wasn't already enough negativity plaguing me, my thoughts drifted toward Adrian. The guy had to expect something in return for his help.
Now, don't get me wrong. He was a sexy, sexy man and alone time with him really turned me on. Beyond that, he'd waited several decades to be with me, shown unimaginable loyalty, risked his life during my rescue, and bonus he was like a gazillionaire.
The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series) Page 24
