Nevermore: Crossbreed series book 6

by Dannika Dark

  He laced his fingers together. “These events can be so dull. It’s nice to see a new face.”

  I wondered if he’d met Lenore but didn’t ask. The last thing I wanted her Vampy ears to hear was my interest in her social connections. I hadn’t made eye contact with her since my arrival, mostly because all I could think about was how she’d buried Christian in a coffin.

  “Is something wrong, female?”

  I snapped out of my daydream. “Sorry. Wine goes straight to my head. I should probably eat more steak before the auction starts.”

  Quaid raised his arm and snapped his fingers. Like magic, a waiter hustled to the table and placed another steak in front of me.

  I cut into it, the medium rare just a little pink for my taste.

  Quaid turned the pages of the booklet and reviewed the information about each item going up for bid. “This is new.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A Burmese ruby necklace. They send out a preliminary list weeks in advance to all the usual buyers, and rarely do we see anything slip in afterward. People attend these auctions to acquire a specific item.”

  “What did you come to buy?”

  “A Renaissance painting by a talented Chitah. Tragically, he died, but some of his art still exists. We try to keep Breed art out of human hands, but unfortunately some of it has made its way into their museums.”

  I swallowed another bite and washed it down with a gulp of wine. “Are you interested in the ruby?”

  He glanced at the information in the booklet. “No. The last-minute items are inexperienced sellers. What a shame. They likely won’t get what it’s worth.”

  “Why not? Everyone here looks loaded.”

  He gave me a tight smile. “Not everyone wants a necklace.”

  Someone tapped a microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you would gather in the adjacent room, the auction will begin shortly.”

  Quaid stood. “It was a pleasure seeing you again, Miss Black. I hope you enjoy your first auction.”

  “So do I.”

  Two of his personal guards flanked him, and he strode away.

  I scanned the room. Surely someone in here would be willing to spend 2.5 million on a necklace.

  After I gulped down the rest of my wine, I got up to follow the crowd. The next room had the same tacky carpet that was in the banquet room, but the lights were a little brighter. Instead of tables, there were chairs spaced apart with an aisle up the center. It almost looked like we were about to attend a wedding.

  Except instead of a groom, there was an easel up front with a cloth draped over it.

  Lenore waved her hand at me, and I actually looked over my shoulder to see if she was calling someone else over.

  No such luck.

  Lenore had a front-row seat. She gestured to the empty chair on her right, and I sat down as the remaining people shuffled in and found a place to sit.

  The man at the podium tapped the mic. It wasn’t turned on at a high volume, just loud enough for everyone to hear. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to tonight’s auction. We’ll begin with a piece that dates back to 1503, painted by the great Giovanni de Varmo.” He slowly unveiled the easel beside him, revealing a painting of a battle, mothers clutching infants in one arm and wielding swords in the other. “This one is titled Wrath, as described in your catalogs. The bid opens at ten million.” He looked in the back. “The gentleman has bid eleven million. In the room, twelve million. Thirteen. That’s thirteen million dollars. Now we have fourteen on my left.”

  I turned, astounded at how fast the bids were rising. Along the aisle, the Overlord raised his slender finger, increasing the bid by another million. Once it reached thirty, the bids began to wane.

  The auctioneer looked to his left. “We’re at thirty-one. Now’s your chance, sir. That’s thirty-two. Anyone? We’re at thirty-two million. Last chance. We’re looking for thirty-three. Do I have thirty-three?”

  The Overlord raised his finger.

  “Gentlemen on the left, lady on the right, fair warning. We’re at thirty-three million.” There was a stretch of silence. “Thirty-three going once, going twice, sold to the dark-haired gentleman on the aisle.” He tapped a gavel, finalizing the sale.

  A light flutter of applause filled the room.

  Lenore retrieved a silk folding fan from her clutch, snapped it open, and fanned her face. I began to ponder over what it might mean for me if people were spending that much money out of the gate. Would they have anything left to spare for an impulse buy? One gentleman who lost the bid had already left the room.

  And we still had thirty items before the necklace.

  WE HAD TWO TEN-MINUTE BREAKS. The auction was longer than I’d expected. Some items had a lot of history, and because the catalog only provided basic information, the auctioneer sold the hell out of the coveted pieces. The most expensive items went first, and as the night wore on, the starting bids got lower and lower. The item that had just sold was a jeweled crown worn by a Shifter prince whose people were wiped off the face of the earth. And by people, not just his family but the entire race of Tasmanian tigers.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, our final item.”

  A female assistant held up a black necklace easel. The ruby pendant hung from its silver chain, the multifaceted stone capturing the light. Despite the history with Lenore and the fact that I needed the money, my heart still ached at seeing it up there.

  The auctioneer gestured to the necklace. “This is a genuine Burmese ruby pendant, cut into a heart shape and secured in a sterling-silver prong setting. Our jeweler has authenticated the quality of the stone. The crown affixed to the top is also sterling silver, as is the chain. This stunning gemstone is thirty-two carats. Refer to your catalog for the details and estimated value per carat. Because we are lacking papers and a history, we’ll begin the bid at five hundred thousand. Looking for five. Do I have five?”

  My stomach knotted as I peered at the room behind me.

  An older lady raised her hand.

  “Five. We have five hundred thousand on this exquisite piece. Do I hear six?”

  A younger woman joined in the bidding war, then a man behind me. Within minutes, the amount reached 1.3 million.

  “It doesn’t even list the provenance,” the man behind me grumbled to his friend. “Where did it come from? Thin air?”

  It became apparent to me during this auction that the value of an item largely depended on the history. Buyers wanted a personal connection behind the piece and bragging rights. To them, this was just a necklace with no backstory about being smuggled out of the country by a band of pirates or owned by a great Chitah queen.

  I gripped my seat as the bidding continued.

  “One point five,” the man said. “Do I hear six? One million six hundred? The lady has bid one million five. Last chance.”

  My palms started sweating when I realized I wouldn’t have enough to pay off General.

  “One million five going once. One million five going twice. Gentleman in the back bids one million six.”

  My head whipped around, and I craned my neck to see.

  Standing in the doorway was a tall, dashing man with black eyes and a scruffy beard. Christian Poe made no eye contact with me but raised his finger after the older lady upped the bid. He had on that old suit with the tight pants and vest jacket, like someone who had stepped out of the last century.

  “One million nine,” the auctioneer said. “Looking for two million.”

  Christian raised his hand, displaying two fingers and then five.

  “Two point five million from the gentleman in the back. Two and a half for the ruby necklace. Going once. Going twice.”

  “Five,” a man said.

  My eyes widened, and I searched the room where the voice had come from. A man on the far side removed his fedora, revealing bleached white hair.

  Houdini.

  Unlike Christian, he looked directly at me and held my gaze. My hair stood on
end. What the hell was he doing here? Why was he bidding on a necklace that he’d returned to me? Then again, maybe it was better if he won instead of Christian.

  But then Christian said, “Six.”

  Lenore audibly gasped and twisted around in her seat. The fan she’d been holding snapped within her grasp.

  “We have six million. Do I hear seven? Seven from the gentleman on the right. Seven million, ladies and gentlemen. Do we have eight?”

  I shook my head at Christian.

  “Eight,” he said coolly.

  I wanted to strangle Houdini. This could very well be Christian’s life savings. We never talked about money, and I didn’t know how much Christian had or didn’t have.

  “Nine,” Houdini countered.

  “Nine,” the auctioneer parroted, his grin widening. “Nine million. Do we have ten? Nine million from the gentleman on my right. Nine going once. Nine going twice.”

  “Ten.” Christian took an assertive step forward and dipped his chin.

  “Ten million dollars,” the auctioneer confirmed. “Do we have eleven?”

  Houdini bowed his head in defeat.

  “Ten million to the man in the back. Ten going once. Going twice. Sold.” The gavel struck the sound block on the podium, and a riotous applause broke out.

  My heart was in my throat as I stood up and made my way through the crowd. People weren’t in any hurry. They mingled, still swept up in the drama that had just unfolded.

  “That was simply marvelous,” one woman said. “I love a good bidding war.”

  By the time I reached Houdini’s chair, he was gone.

  CHAPTER 34

  Christian bristled as he hurried out of the auction room. He wasn’t about to let Houdini vacate the premises without confronting the bastard. This wasn’t the first time Christian had visited this country club, so he knew about the soundproof rooms in the back. It was where they finalized paperwork with the buyers and settled payment. Some buyers remained anonymous and sent people in their stead to bid, so discretion was always a factor at these events.

  He glanced over his shoulder and noticed Houdini following him. As soon as they entered one of the private rooms, Christian shut the door and seethed.

  “That was considerably more than what you paid for it at the last auction.”

  Christian blinked. “How the feck would you know that?”

  Houdini put his hands in his pockets, that ridiculous hat still on his head. “I was there. I remember what a ruckus your companion made. Funny how life brings us full circle.”

  “You didn’t really want the necklace, did you?”

  Houdini shrugged. “When I saw you bid, I was curious how high you were willing to go.”

  While that might have been true, Christian was certain Houdini had used it as an opportunity to drain his account.

  “Had I won the bid, I would have been doing you a favor,” Houdini said convincingly. “Raven would’ve walked away with my money, and you would’ve walked away with yours. But you couldn’t let it go, could you? Now you’ll find out if she wants to be with a poor man. Women are fickle creatures. They say money isn’t important, but the only way to know the truth is to test them. I don’t think she’s your type anyhow. The blonde with the nice tits in the front row seems more your speed. But I guess you already know that.”

  Christian held his tongue when it suddenly dawned on him what this was about.

  Houdini turned away and fumbled with a stack of papers on the desk. “It would have been remiss of me not to inform Miss Parrish about the job opening with the higher authority. And she seemed especially surprised to hear that you were alive. Shocked is probably a better word.”

  When Christian bargained for Raven’s memory on Arrowhead Bridge, Houdini had promised it would come at a price and Christian would know when that time came. Now everything was crystal clear. Houdini had intentionally brought Lenore back into Christian’s life in hopes that it would split him and Raven apart.

  “I don’t know what happened between you two,” Houdini continued. “But I seem to recall your being a permanent fixture at her side. Until you weren’t.” He sat on the edge of the desk and folded his arms.

  “Well, aren’t you the saint? Reuniting two old friends out of the goodness of your heart.”

  Houdini tilted his head to the side, the brim of his fedora concealing one eye. “You claim to love Raven, and yet she knows nothing about the man you really are. I do love a good plot twist.”

  “Here’s one for ya: Raven and I are together.” Christian took a step. “So if you have any notions of splitting us apart, you can save yourself the trouble.”

  Houdini smirked. “Together or not, she now has irrefutable evidence that you’re willing to harbor secrets from her. Nothing is set in stone except the name on a grave.”

  “And that name will be yours if you don’t keep away from her. You had your chance to raise her as your youngling, but you threw it away. She’s not yours anymore.”

  “On the contrary, Poe. She’ll always be mine. Just as you’ll always belong to your maker. Perhaps yours has given up on you, but Raven fascinates me in a way that no one else does. She has an innate loyalty that never falters, and that’s why she’ll always feel connected to me. She’s not wired like everyone else. How many new immortals do you see thinking at her level? She’s also merciless. One day neither Keystone nor you will be able to satisfy her insatiable thirst for transformation, and only then will the metamorphosis begin.”

  Christian was no fool. He recognized that Houdini wasn’t an amateur. He was calculating and unpredictable. His fixation on Raven was disturbing, and even more worrisome was that he knew Lenore. Did he also know about Christian’s past deeds? How much? Who was this man, and where had he come from? Christian couldn’t guess what Houdini’s gifts were or how powerful, and it was apparent that he wasn’t an ordinary Vampire. Christian had to tread carefully with this man, or Houdini might bring them all to ruination.

  “Raven doesn’t want you,” Christian informed him. “She never will.”

  Houdini tipped the brim of his hat. Instead of more verbal sparring, he simply walked out, singing that old Rolling Stones song “Time Is on My Side.”

  WHILE AUCTION WINNERS were escorted to private rooms, I lingered in the lobby just outside the doors in search of Christian or Houdini. Both men showing up had blindsided me, and I was still shell-shocked after watching Christian spend $10 million on me. I couldn’t help but admire his chivalrous act for stepping in at the last minute when all hope was lost, but Christian couldn’t have come prepared to pay that much.

  And yet he had.

  For me.

  “Another impressive display of stupidity,” Lenore remarked, sidling up next to me.

  I flipped my hair back to cool my neck. “And why’s that? Because he spent all that money just for me?”

  She peeled off her white gloves. “Foolish girl. A man can’t win your heart with baubles. Besides, we both know whom he originally bought it for.”

  I looked around, cool as a cucumber. “I don’t give a damn who he originally bought the necklace for. It’s mine now.”

  “And sixty percent of his money is mine. I’m sure he’ll be over the moon when he finds out.” She waved her hand. “Oh, Chrissy! Over here.”

  I jerked my head back. Chrissy?

  Christian swaggered over, looking sexier than ever. He stood next to me and put his hand across my back as he kissed my neck.

  Lenore beamed. “Raven and I were just discussing our good fortune.”

  He looked down at me. “You mean my good fortune.”

  “I have a cut of your sale,” she boasted. “Only sixty percent. I can’t help but find this whole situation amusing. Imagine! You’re paying me for my necklace.”

  “Give it a rest, Lenore. Unless it’s the dust bunny falling from your fanny, you’re not dropping a bomb. Raven informed me about your deal.”

  She lifted her chin and gave him a ha
ughty stare. “Six million should suffice for the embarrassment you caused me all those years ago.”

  I lunged, but Christian held me back.

  An older man interrupted. “Sir, I have a few papers for you to sign before you’re on your way. Come with me.”

  Christian followed him to the room on my left, and the door closed.

  “Stay away from him,” I warned her. “You had your chance, and you blew it. I don’t know what you’re scheming, but haven’t you destroyed his life enough?”

  She looked at me with derision. “Why would Christian waste his time on a Mage?”

  “I give good light.”

  “You’re weak, that’s why he’s with you. Christian’s an addict, and he’s done a phenomenal job of selecting a companion with weak blood. Careful not to let him get too addicted or he’ll drain you dry. He’s better off with his own kind.”

  I leveled her with my eyes. “He gave me his heart, and you’ll never have it.”

  “If I wanted the necklace, I would have kept it.”

  “I wasn’t talking about the necklace.”

  She stepped closer, her black eyes swallowing me up. “What you have will never erase the bond we share. Part of me still flows in his veins. Revel in your newfound love, but love withers. Someday he’ll betray you or you’ll betray him, and he’ll want something more. Christian is loyal to a fault, and I was his first companion.”

  I showed her my back while waiting for Christian to finish the paperwork. Lenore wasn’t worth the argument, and I couldn’t fight over an unforeseeable future. Her opinion didn’t matter.

  When I glanced over my shoulder, Lenore had left the room. People were milling around, still high from the events of the evening as they indulged in white wine. Spending money was like a drug to these aristocrats.

  The door finally opened, and the well-dressed man smiled at me before he sauntered away. Christian held a narrow black box in his hand that must have contained the necklace.

  I entered the room and clutched his arm. “Are you okay?”