Falcon noticed that Song didn’t seem the least nervous about playing her part. He suspected that confidence came from knowing that her older brother was the bad ass of his time. She evidently believed nothing could happen to her when Rammel was close by. Falcon hoped she was right.
When they reached the whisterport elevator Glen and Ram began taking turns giving Song instructions.
“We just want to know if he’s telling the truth. That’s all,” Glen said.
“You’ll sit across from him and observe, but do no’ talk or he’ll hear your accent,” Ram said.
“Why would it matter?” she asked. “He would no’ guess who’s under this getup.”
As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Glen said, “She has a point. So you can talk if he asks you a question. Remember to try not to look too regal.”
Ram snorted, which brought a glare from his sister while she swung a large Hermes bag at his head. He ducked and laughed. “There you have it, sports fans. My sister doing her best impression of regalness.”
When she’d smoothed her clothes back in place, she said, “What are you goin’ to say is my purpose for attendin’?”
All three men came to a standstill.
“I didn’t think about that,” Glen said.
“Why do you no’ simply say I’m a psychic come to take him to task?”
The three men stared at her for a few beats before Glen said, “Honesty is the best policy,” with a completely straight face.
“Agreed.” Ram nodded.
So again they set out for Dublin Down thinking they had a plan in place.
When they stepped into the bar, the hostess smiled at Falcon. “Mr. Falcon?”
He couldn’t have been more surprised, but managed to clear his throat and say, “Yes?”
“Right this way.” In acknowledging the rest of the party she attempted a surreptitious down and up again scan of Song, but one woman can never fool another about such things.
“Want a photo?” Song said.
Ram smirked. It appeared that Song had come prepared to be anything but regal and, hel, he kind of liked her that way.
Glen looked at Falcon. “Did you…?
Falcon shook his head. “No. I did not.”
“Well,” Glen said, “let’s go see what other surprises are in store for us.” To the little group he said, “Look alive, everybody.”
“That won’t help,” Falcon said. “He looks as alive as the rest of us.”
Falcon followed right behind the hostess, since he’d been called by name, and since he’d be the one recognized by Jaxon Kell. The girl seemed to be deliberately putting some extra sway into her hips, which amused Falcon, but didn’t interest him otherwise. She led them to a wine room located in a back corner. It was just big enough for a table for six.
Kell was just putting an hors d'oeuvre in his mouth when they arrived. He got to his feet, chewing and looking slightly embarrassed to be caught eating.
Glen and Rammel exchanged a WTF look because Falcon had failed to mention that Jaxon Kell seemed to love food.
“Sorry,” he said, swallowing. He looked over their heads, eyes coming to a rest on Aelsong. “Oh. I thought it would just be three of us.” With an ingratiating smile, he said, “It’s a good thing we have a bigger table then.” To the hostess, he said, “Be a doll and send our wait… person. We’re going to need more of everything.”
She smiled, nodded, and left the way she came.
Extending his hand toward Glen, he said, “Jaxon Kell. Vampire.”
Glen took his hand and shook, noting that it was the same temperature as his own. “I hope you don’t mind, but we’re not going to exchange names at this point.”
“If that makes you feel more comfortable. Please sit.” He gestured toward the chairs.
Song waited to see where Kell was going to sit so that she could situate herself across from him, all the better to observe. Ram and Glen had predetermined that they would be on either side of her.
“I understand that you don’t want to give names, but may I know your, ah, function, or purpose for being here. Without that I’m really at quite a disadvantage.”
“I believe you already know what the gentleman to your right does.”
Kell looked at Falcon. “You’d be correct.”
“Well,” Glen continued, “the man to your left and I are much the same. Except I’m their boss.”
“I see. Thank you.” Kell smiled then looked at Song. “And you are a… date?”
Song treated Jaxon Kell to one of her dazzling smiles. “Psychic.”
He grinned. “Psychic. Indeed. And are you here to determine whether or not I am who and what I claim to be? Or are you here to determine whether or not my offer of help is backed by good intentions?”
“Aye,” she said simply.
Clearly charmed, he laughed. “Very well.” He gestured toward the table. “They make fine appetizers here. Are you hungry? I…”
The waitperson appeared in black shirt and skirt with a crisp white apron over. “Seems like you’ve drawn a crowd,” she told Kell with an Irish accent.
Ram and Song both turned to look to see if she was human or elf. Since she was human, they turned back toward the table without saying anything.
She took orders for coffee from everyone but Kell, who ordered a Scotch that made Ram’s mouth water.
“Don’t be bashful,” Kell admonished. “Tonight is my treat. Have whatever your heart desires.”
As much as Ram would have loved to take him up on the offer of old Scotch, he waved his hand and stuck with coffee like the others.
When they were again alone in the room, Glen said, “So my associate tells me that you’ve extended a proposal that would be very interesting if all the facts bear out.”
“I’m pleased you’re interested,” Kell said. “Because, although I’ve been happy to fill my days with the pursuit of grand leisure for some six hundred years, and haven’t found that it gets at all old, I have a vested interest in wanting to preserve a healthy and ignorant population of humans.”
The Black Swan men stared, being somewhat put off by Kell’s distant and rather callous attitude toward humanity, but after a couple of beats Aelsong burst into tinkling wind chime laughter.
Ram nudged her under the table.
“What?” she said.
“Inappropriate,” he replied through clenched teeth.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scoffed. “He only said it like that to see if he’d get a rise out of you.”
Glen, Ram, and Falcon looked at Kell, who shrugged and smirked. “I need to know what I’m getting into sensitivity-wise. Some humans have no sense of humor.”
“I see,” said Glen. “So there was no truth in what you said about your motive? Wanting to maintain a healthy, uh, population?”
“Oh, sure. I’m serious as a wooden stake.”
“Okay. So, for the sake of being on the same page, would you mind starting from the beginning? Tell me everything you told Falcon. I’m sorry to ask you to repeat yourself, but what can I say? We’re a bureaucracy.”
“I don’t mind at all. Who doesn’t love to talk about themselves?” He looked at Song. “Right?”
She smiled and nodded.
And so Jaxon Kell began with his birth on a farm in Yorkshire and ended with an offer not only to assist the knights attached to Jefferson Unit, but also to recruit others of his kind to function in a similar capacity in other cities where deadheads liked to cluster.
He was nearing the end of his informal presentation when the population of the room almost doubled in size with the arrival of B Team. Storm, Kay, Rev, and Elora strode into the room to get a look at Jazz Man.
Kay watched Jaxon Kell do a double take when he saw Elora and said, “Oh, here we go.”
Kell got to his feet and was in front of Elora before anyone else in the room realized he was rising from his chair. The speed with which that happened was stunning. And scary. He was so
fast it was almost as if he disappeared for a second.
He was holding Elora’s hand like he was about to kiss the back of it and looking at her like she was a display cabinet full of pastries. Ram had stood on his chair and was in the process of launching himself across the table at the vampire because of aggressive behavior toward his wife. Oddly enough, it wasn’t the first time that scenario had been played out.
Seeing that Rev Farthing was taking things in hand, Glen grabbed Ram before he set foot on top of the table and shoved him back into his chair. Rev took Elora’s hand out of Kell’s grasp and said with an authoritarian gruffness unique to himself, “Now sit yourself back down over there where you were. You’ll keep your hands and your mouth to yourself until we sort this out and decide what to do with you. Understand?”
Kell cocked his head at an angle, regarding Rev with curiosity. He hadn’t been spoken to in that manner since, well, he’d never had anyone talk to him like that. Ever. He grinned at Rev like he’d found a new toy, and decided to sit because it pleased him to play along.
As he sat he winked at Elora, which caused Ram to start out of his chair again. Once more, Glen practically sat on him to keep him from turning the scene into pandemonium.
Kell was studying Ram at that point. “Oh! She’s yours?” He cast his smile at Elora again. “A shame. What are you, anyway?”
“Different,” was all she said.
“Indeed.”
“Not that we’re not glad to see you, but what are you doing here?” Glen said to B Team before throwing an accusatory look at Ram.
“Can’t blame us for wanting to see what’s going on,” Rev said.
“Yeah?” Glen replied. “And who’s covering your patrol?”
“We’re not staying,” Rev said in his no-nonsense matter-of-fact way. Then once again forgetting that he wasn’t in charge, he proceeded to say, “But while we’re here, let’s find out what we got.” He looked at Kell. “Let’s see your fangs.” Kell looked amused. He grinned as his canines descended looking lethally mesmerizing. Rev turned to Elora. Pointing at Kell, he told her to, “Check him out. See if they’re real. And if they are don’t pull them out.”
Kell looked at Rev like he was insane. Had the idiot just instructed the woman to not pull his fangs from his head? As if she could? He was finding this interaction with humans much more entertaining than he could have guessed. He should have tried socializing with them centuries ago.
Without hesitating, Elora walked around to Kell. She was the only person in their world to have completely recovered from vampire bites. If he was a vampire and bit her, she was immune and would be none the worse for wear. If he wasn’t, they’d be on their way, and be none the worse for wear so long as he did pick up the bar tab.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth open,” Elora said.
Kell was beginning to wonder if everybody in the crew was nuts.
She hooked a finger around the fang closest to her and gave enough of a yank to surprise Kell and make him say, “Ow.”
In doing so, he accidentally pricked her skin with the sharp tip of his fang and drew a drop of blood. When that single drop of blood came in contact with his tastebuds, he suddenly felt certain that he could leap tall buildings in a single bound, should he decide to try it. He looked at Elora like he was awestruck.
“What are you?” he repeated.
“Told you I was different.” She wiped her hand on the side of her sileather pants. “I suppose he could have had them superglued, but that wouldn’t explain how he could make them go up and down,” she said.
They all looked at Song. “Aye,” she pronounced. “Real deal. I did no’ detect fabrication of the facts. When it comes to opinion, the part about bein’ the best lookin’, best dressed vampire ever who also has the best taste in everythin’ from cars to silverware and is the best lover of all time? Even that is no’ really a lie because I think he believes it.”
“Thank you for stopping by and for your help,” Glen said to B Team. “We’ll take it from here.”
Ram leaned over and said something privately to Glen. “Hold up a minute.” Ram walked over to B Team and told them in a low voice that he’d finish the night with them. Rev could see Aelsong safely back to J.U.
It was evident by Rev’s reaction that he was itching to stay and finish the meeting that could be the biggest boon for progress against the insurgent tide of vampire infection since Monq had believed he’d found a cure. It was a historic moment and he knew it, but he also knew and accepted that his tenure as Sovereign was over. The baton had passed to a much younger man, but he couldn’t begrudge Glen the privilege because he relished having time to walk on the beach with a woman he adored. It might seem like a small thing to most people, but to someone who had once dreamed of having an hour of leisure time here or there, it was epic. So he motioned for Song to join him.
She got to her feet, grinned and waved her fingers at Kell. “Good night,” she said in a sing-song like she hoped they’d be seeing each other at a social event soon.
“Just a minute,” Kell said. He was looking around. “By chance does anyone have a pen I might borrow?”
After a round of patting pockets, Song produced one from her Hermes bag, which couldn’t have been more out of place with the rest of her outfit. She handed it over.
“Oh, good. Now, could I trouble you for an autograph, Princess? So happens I’m a fan.” He grinned and, with a wink, handed her one of the heavy vellum wine menus.
After her fake brown eyes flew open as wide as ridiculously heavy fake eyelashes would allow, she jerked her gaze to Ram, who looked just as befuddled about how she could have been recognized.
With another curious look at Kell, she signed the wine menu and handed it back to him. “Maybe I should ask for reciprocity. ‘Tis no’ every day one meets a…” She looked at her brother.
“Talkin’ vampire,” he provided.
Kell laughed at that.
“Aye. A talkin’ vampire. What gave me away?”
“Your voice. Your mannerisms. Your posture. Your air. Your laugh. Your accent. And the fact that the prince of Irish elves and father of the king, whose features are virtually identical to yours, seems particularly protective of you.”
Ever since the family had been plunged into the news, Ram had been wearing a black knit hat. Without his messy mop of blond hair and pointed ears, no one recognized him. Except Kell.
She nodded and said with a smirk that left no doubt she was every inch Ram’s sister, “So much for no’ givin’ names.”
When the room had cleared, the only people who remained were Glen, Falcon, and Jaxon Kell.
“Well, that was fun,” said Jax cheerfully.
“Yes, well, now that the formalities are out of the way…”
“Meaning that you believe my claims about who and what I am?”
Glen leaned forward a little. “Let’s say that I’m withholding judgment, but I’m tending to lean in the direction of belief.”
“Then progress has been made! Enough so that I might ask what to call you? Enough so that you might have something more substantial than coffee to drink?”
“I’m not much of a drinker, so don’t take it personally.” Glen glanced over at Falcon who sat on the other side of the table from Jax. “This is Kristoph Falcon, usually known as Falcon. I’m Glendennon Catch and I’m in charge of the New England unit of Black Swan.”
“The Sovereign?”
Glen tried to mask the surprise and wariness he felt as he learned, bit by bit, that the vampire knew far more than an outsider should.
Glen raised his chin. “Yes.”
“I’m honored.”
“May I ask how you know so much about our, ah, operation?”
“You can ask anything you want. I’ve had centuries to eavesdrop. Since you boys and my kind usually occupy the same territory at the same time of night, albeit for different reasons, I’ve had a lot of time to ‘listen in’ un
observed.”
“How are you able to do that? I mean, we aren’t blind.”
“My kind, as I told Falcon here, we call ourselves the Get… My kind have some abilities that have shrouded our secret. We can go virtually undetected because of an ability to blend into shadows and surroundings in a chameleon-like way. As you saw earlier, we can also move fast when we want to.”
“I see.” Glen looked at Falcon for an instant before returning his attention to Jax.
“If I’m understanding you, you’re saying that you, and your kind, could have taken out my kind at any point in history if it suited you to do so.”
Jax grew serious and his eyebrows lowered into a frown. “Are we capable of that? Sure. But why would we want to? And why would you even ask that?”
“I don’t have an answer to your first question. As to the second, I’m asking because we don’t have a history of forming alliances with vampire.”
“Lie.”
“Beg pardon?”
“You do have a history of forming alliances with vampire. The first was Istvan Baka. The second was with our creators, the immortals.”
Glen sat back and studied Kell. He had a point. Those were alliances. He’d forgotten about them, but from Kell’s point of view, it would appear that Glen was lying.
“You’re right. I didn’t think of those situations. I don’t know why. I suppose because they’re characteristically different. It’s not my habit to trick, manipulate, or fabricate, but I’m also not a diplomat. I’m a…”
“…fighter, not a lover.” Kell finished the sentence good-naturedly.
“My wife would disagree,” said Glen. “At least I hope she would.”
Kell chuckled. “Don’t worry. Let’s hit the reset button. Everybody makes mistakes, right?”
“Right.” Glen looked over at Falcon, who raised an eyebrow in response.
“I sense some hesitation,” said Kell. “Feel free to voice your concerns.”
“Well, there’s this expression. Getting in bed with the devil. No offense intended.”
“None taken.”
“But the morality of forming an alliance with you is somewhat questionable. Black Swan isn’t in the habit of making moral compromises.” Kell opened his mouth and Glen felt a protest coming on. He held his hand up. “Before you begin calling bullshit and reciting examples, let me reiterate that it’s a policy, which means it’s more a guideline than a rule.”
FALCON: Resistance (KBS Next Generation Book 1) Page 13
