by Sophia North
Big mistake.
"Ah, Vlad. How soon you forget," Simone said, shaking her head in disappointment. Tapping her ear, she continued. "Vamp hearing. Minus ten. Sloppy, very sloppy. Do you have anything else to add?"
Vlad stood there fuming, but kept his lips sealed. He wasn't about to have it out with Simone while the lady in question was present...along with her misguided lapdog. And she should be grateful for that fact. Wife of Dante or not, she was dangerously close to crossing a line with him. And that could carry consequences she may not like.
"I thought not." Simone returned to her chair and took her time getting comfortable again. Let him stew, she thought, extremely displeased by Vlad challenging her authority. It was unlike them to quarrel. They may have their differing opinions but they were never out and out rude to one another.
"Now then, I get the impression you are here to berate me. Please proceed, should you still feel so inclined." The comment was directed at Vlad.
Penny sat rooted on the couch. She hadn't heard what Vlad had said, but Simone's reaction to whatever it was told her plenty. Her friend was very, very displeased with him.
Darius started to saunter over, thinking himself cleared from Simone's wrath after Vlad's faux pas. It was not that he disagreed with his brother's comment. Simone's fury with them over Penny did seem a bit on the extreme side. But as he was no wiser than his friend on the power of sisterhood, he totally misjudged the situation.
"Freeze," she demanded of him. "I don't recall giving you permission to move."
Flashing her his pearly whites, Darius turned on the charm. "Simone, I will comply to any and all of your commands, if in the doing so, I can finally sit down and have a civilised conversation. What say you, my sweet? Am I forgiven?"
"You're fortunate I find you pleasing on the eye, Darius. Otherwise, your grins wouldn't get you far. Come, both of you, join us."
Vlad approached warily, unsure how to deal with being so close to Penny. Last time he checked, she didn't want him within a hundred feet of her.
Darius, on the other hand, wasted no time in plonking himself down next to Penny. "Simone, may I have permission to speak to Penny?" he asked deferentially.
The cheek! How Simone liked him for it. Dante and Vlad could be such stuffed shirts sometimes. While Darius, well what could she say? He was a vamp who knew how to have fun. Usually at his friends' expense.
"Permission granted," she conceded. Why not? His pretty words had earned it and Vlad's wounded bear routine was getting old.
Vlad wanted to gag. Darius could really try his patience at times.
Penny, feeling a bit frisky herself, decided to play along. It was cruel to make Vlad squirm but she wasn't exactly feeling charitable towards him. And Darius had been nothing but a gentleman in his treatment of her.
"May I say how beautiful you look?" he crooned.
"You may," she replied, returning his smile.
"It would appear my interest in you has caused some ripples. My apologies for that. Would you let me take you to dinner to make up for it? As friends," he added, to ensure he stayed within Simone's strict rules of engagement.
Penny pondered his request. "That doesn't seem quite right, as it was your assistance last night that saw me safely home. It should be me taking you to dinner in thanks. Unfortunately, you don't eat."
"Hmm, a quandary to be sure. What say you to splitting the difference? You pick the spot, anywhere you'd like in the city, and I'll pay."
The logic didn't quite work, but why quibble?
"Deal," she agreed readily. "How does Tuesday night sound?"
"Ideal. I'll pick you up at your studio. Say, nine on the nose? You can tell me where you want to go then."
Vlad seethed. The fucker had just arranged a date with the love of his life right in front of him. And Simone was sanctioning it! He'd be ringing Dante shortly and leaving one hell of a message.
Penny stood unexpectedly. "It's late. I should head home."
Simone embraced her. "I'll have Alfred drive you. It's almost eleven."
Eleven! How had he lost track of time?
Oh yeah, he'd been side-swiped by having to endure this farce.
He needed to get back to Lowerton. Godfrey had been very specific about coming to his chambers by midnight.
But then there was Penny. He needed to speak to her too. Fuck, he hated emotional choices.
"Good night, Darius. See you Tuesday," he heard Penny say. The click of her heels as she walked away echoed in his ears. She'd left without even acknowledging him.
An awkward silence descended. Her cut was obvious. But he let her go without a word.
Rising moments after her departure, Vlad smiled stiffly at Simone. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go whilst I am currently even with the house. Darius can be your voice of reason tonight. I suggest you listen. And don't worry, I shan't be going near Penny again."
Simone looked at him worriedly. She had let her temper get the better of her over what she felt was a slight towards her best friend. But the exchange she'd inadvertently facilitated between Darius and Penny had been wrong and she knew it as surely as he did.
"Vlad, I didn't mean it like that..."
But her attempted apology fell on deaf ears. Vlad had left the room before she'd finished her sentence.
Chapter Seventeen
GODFREY'S CHAMBERS WERE located in the oddest of spots.
To get to them one had go through an irregular little door next to the lift in the Grand Archives and through a warren of corridors that seemed to go on forever. The first time Godfrey had asked Vlad to join him for a drink in his rooms, he'd severely doubted he'd be able to fit through the tiny door. Yet, as he and Godfrey were about the same height, he figured there must be a way.
And there was...but it was all rather strange. The moment he'd grasped the small iron handle, the door grew until he was able to pass through it and yet, once on the other side it immediately shrunk back to its original size.
Vlad had tried not to think about the door's bizarre properties too much. There are some mysteries in life best left unexplained.
Racing through the corridors, Vlad knew he was cutting it close, but with three minutes to spare he arrived at his destination. About to knock, the door swung open. Godfrey's imposing figure filled the space. Clearly the big monk had been awaiting his arrival.
Moving aside, he waved Vlad in. His screwed-up baby-face reflecting his exasperation over Vlad's tardiness.
"Don't give me that face, mate," Vlad said scathingly, stomping into the room. "I've had my fill of them tonight. I'm here, aren't I? Although why you were so adamant about midnight is beyond me. Are you going to turn into a pumpkin or something?"
"No," a soft feminine voice replied from a far corner. "He did it for my protection."
A woman in Godfrey's chambers? Damn, clearly he'd underestimated the sexual attractiveness of mute monks with bald heads. Who knew?
Hidden under a long hooded cloak, Vlad reckoned whoever she was, she must be severely disfigured. What else could account for her continued subterfuge and...well, Godfrey?
"And who might you be, sweet, to require protection from me...a faery?" Vlad asked smoothly. Then a horrible thought hit him. Fuck, he hoped this assignation wasn't anything kinky. Godfrey had a weird thing for faeries.
The woman laughed as she pushed back the hood of her cloak. The dim candlelight revealed one of the most beautiful women Vlad had ever seen. Rich honey-coloured hair, curled at the tips, flowed down to her waist. Whomever came up with the phrase the ‘beauty of an English rose’ must have had her in mind. Her violet eyes sparkled delightfully, yet there was a depth to them. Some might call it wisdom.
"I wouldn't be here if you were a threat," she replied, a wry smile on her full lips. "I am here, Elder Barath, because my brother assured me you could be trusted."
After looking his fill, Vlad finally found his voice. "And who might your brother be, petal?"
The woman w
rinkled her nose. "Petal? That's a first, which is rare given my age. Wilhalf is my brother, Elder Barath."
Wilhalf, her brother? She couldn't be serious.
"Forgive me. But how could a vamp nigh on as old as Methuselah, and looking every year of his ripe old age, be brother to you? For I swear, if you ascended a day past your quarter century, I'll drink one of Godfrey's god-awful cocktails. I'm sorry, mate," Vlad said to Godfrey, "but they are foul."
Godfrey grunted but accepted the critique.
Wilhalf's 'sister' laughed merrily at his jibe. "Your taste buds have been saved, Elder Barath. I turned twenty-five the day I ascended."
Vlad eyed her suspiciously. Vampyre knowledge about female ascension was still quite limited. Up until the Terrors, females had not ascend before. In fact, the prevailing opinion on the matter attributed their existence as the result of vamp experimentation with breeders gone horribly wrong. So, it seemed a bit suspect to have this bird claiming to have been a vampyre for as long as Wilhalf.
"And when was that exactly, love?"
The beauty looked at him and arched a honeyed brow. "Long enough to know a woman never reveals her age."
Vlad smiled at her comeback. As suspected, she was far from stupid. Maybe there was a Wilhalf connection. But sister? That was still a step too far for him.
Sensing his continued distrust, she emerged completely from the shadows to come and stand by the fire. "I’m sure you have your doubts about me," she said. "My brother did say you'd be difficult. Stubborn as a bull, were his words, I believe."
"And did he share anything else, other than that well-known trait of mine?" Vlad asked, hoping to reveal her as a fraud by catching her out over her knowledge, or lack thereof, of him...or Wilhalf.
"He wanted me to inquire as to whether or not you've found Haan's papers. But we both know the answer to that is 'yes', now don't we, Elder Barath? " she returned sweetly.
"Fuck," Vlad swore under his breath. He'd felt a pair of eyes watching him during his time in the bowels of the Great Archives. It must have been her.
Wandering over to his favourite chair, he sat down, dazed by her revelation. "Godfrey, mix me one of your concoctions. They may be fucking foul but they're potent. And right now, I'm going to need the strong shit." Settling back into his chair, Vlad rubbed the bridge of his nose. Where the fuck to start? His head swam with questions.
"Do you have a name, sister of Wilhalf?" he asked, easing into what he expected to be a complicated conversation.
She sat down opposite him and replied, "I am Mariam, Elder Barath."
"Call me Vlad. This Elder shite makes me feel old."
Mariam nodded. "As you wish...Vlad."
Godfrey returned carrying a tray with their drinks.
"You've known about Mariam for a while I take it, mate?" Vlad asked him sarcastically, as Godfrey handed him his drink. "Cheers for the heads up."
Godfrey shrugged his shoulders indifferently. There was no question as to where his loyalties laid.
Ah, pretty faces. Vlad had tried to warn the vamp. Trouble tended to follow.
Bracing himself for what would no doubt be another fucked up twist to his night, Vlad sighed. "Alright, Mariam. Why don't you start by enlightening me about why Wilhalf neglected to mention your existence...ever."
"Hmmm. That might take some time to tell, Vlad. And there are other, more critical matters, which require our attention at the moment."
Of course there were. "Such as?" he asked, happy to humour her.
"The traitors in our midst who rigged the Council vote on genetic testing and Haan's plans to return," she said bluntly.
Vlad spat out his drink. "Jesus, what the fuck is this?" he coughed, referring to his drink rather than her grand declaration.
Mariam took a sip from her goblet and smiled. "Mead, my favourite."
"Huh, I didn't believe it possible, but this shit is worse than one of Godfrey's cocktails."
Godfrey slammed a bottle of whisky down in front of him. His violet eyes glowered with discontent at his offerings being so callously treated.
Staring at the dusty bottle, Vlad smirked. "Damn, I should have known you were holding out on me." Throwing the disgustingly sweet drink into the fire, it sizzled slightly, dampening the flame, before roaring back to life even stronger. Whatever the fuck mead was, its alcohol content was certainly impressive.
Mariam, sensing he needed a bit of quiet time to digest what she'd revealed, sat silently sipping her mead.
Cracking open the bottle of whisky, Vlad poured out a liberal amount of the amber gold, downed it one and refilled his goblet. Leaning back, he stared at the cup, rotating it this way and that, catching the fire's light in the surfaces of the encrusted gems that decorated it.
The way they glimmered made him think about Penny's shock at how he lacked the expected riches being a vampyre should have brought. Little did she know that before Vlad had become an Elder, he was considered the wealthiest vamp in Lowerton. He could have showered her in gold and jewels back then, and not have put the slightest dent in his net worth.
Penny. His heart clenched at the memory of their encounter tonight. Her cold shoulder had been expected. He'd hurt her by saying he was sleeping with other women, but at the time it seemed the only logical way to convince her it was over between them. What he hadn't reckoned on was how shit he was going to feel about it afterwards.
It killed him to have her believe him capable of betraying her like that. He hadn't touched another since the night they'd met, so strong was his attraction to her. No other female came close to how she made him feel, and he would not settle for meaningless sexual encounters after that.
"You are awfully quiet, Vlad." Mariam had been studying his handsome profile, wondering why he seemed so disturbed by her words. She knew her brother had told him of Haan's growing threat.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled. He couldn't afford to have second thoughts about pushing Penny away. If what Mariam said about traitors and Haan was true, she would be far safer being free of him. Shit could get ugly and he wasn't going to let her get caught in the crossfire.
He drank down his second helping of whisky for fortification. "Right, let's do this...Mariam, why don't you give me the highlights? Because, quite frankly, I see little point in running through a bunch of information which will only obscure what's pertinent."
Rather than being offended by his brusqueness, Mariam was secretly relieved. She'd expected him to waste precious time by asking her a million questions about her and Wilhalf. Hiding a smile behind her hand, she silently thanked her brother for choosing so wisely. Vlad's no nonsense attitude was ideal for what laid ahead.
"We strongly believe the Serpent Brotherhood is responsible for rigging the vote about genetic testing," Mariam began.
"Belief is not evidence," Vlad interrupted. "And if the expectation is that I challenge the vote's outcome on your belief, you are shit out of luck on that front. I won't."
Godfrey cuffed him over the head from behind. Spinning in his chair, Vlad snapped, "What the fuck was that for?"
You are jumping to conclusions. And being impertinent, the vamp signed. Listen!
Glaring at the mountain of a vamp, Vlad rubbed his head. He'd never considered beating the crap out of Godfrey before - the vamp's monkish persona had always stayed his hand - but if he kept this shit up, Vlad might very well lamp him. Holy vamp or not.
Turning back to Mariam, Vlad motioned for her to continue, wisely keeping his mouth shut.
"Thank you, old friend. As I was saying," she began again. "Whilst there is no hard evidence yet on who is responsible for manipulating the vote, there is also little doubt it. Godfrey, perhaps you should explain."
Coming to stand in front of them, Godfrey furiously signed out what he knew. In the end it boiled down to him sensing a shift of energy moments before Alessio had tallied the votes. So basically someone magically manipulated the vote. Great. That narrowed the field. Not.
"
So, the plan is to find a bunch of magically infused vampyres with hard-ons for Haan. Sounds simple. Dare I ask how preventing genetic testing dovetails into his plans to return?" Vlad asked.
Mariam sipped her mead, staring over the rim of her goblet at him. "I take it, you've read Haan's journals."
"Too fucking right I did. And let me tell you, it made for rather unpleasant reading."
Mariam inclined her head in agreement. Haan's dark thoughts and plans were not for the faint hearted. "And what, if anything, stood out to you?"
Vlad swallowed, letting the whisky burn a path down his throat. He could say any number of things about what he'd read, but only one had made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and take notice. Haan's obsession with dragons.
"He seemed to spend a lot of time near the end writing about...uhm, fuck it sounds stupid in my head and god only knows how mad it will be aloud."
"Say it, I won't judge," Mariam encouraged.
"Dragons. He was convinced they existed and that the Vikings had driven them into hiding."
"Yes, I know. And we must find one before he does."
He was afraid she was going to say that. With his fingers steepled under his chin, Vlad studied the female opposite him. She was a damn fine-looking woman, if one was into beautiful blondes. But mad as a hatter.
Yet, what choice did he have? He had to do something. If the last year had taught him anything, it was to be as open as possible when supernatural forces were involved.
"And where does one start the search for a dragon...the zoo?" he snorted, unable to keep the incredulity from his voice. He'd been with her up until that point. Thwart Haan. Check. Save Lowerton. Check. Find a dragon...WTF?
"Hardly," Mariam snapped, unappreciative of the tone he'd taken. They'd been doing so well up until this point. But then again, Wilhalf had warned her Vlad was not going to be an easy nut to crack. "Dragons are not real in the literal sense, Elder Barath. They are descended from an ancient witch bloodline. You will need to find one of them," Mariam clarified.
