“Suck it up, buttercup.”
I glanced at her in surprise.
She laughed and gave my shoulder a little squeeze. “That’s what my dad always used to say to me. I know you don’t particularly want to have anything more to do with the vampires, but this may turn out to be a good thing.”
“In no way will my further involvement with the vamps be considered anything but potentially disastrous,” I complained, rubbing my temples. “Dammit, Magda! This isn’t fair!”
“It’s called life, and it sucks at times.” She looked up as Ray opened the door and stuck his head in, asking if we were almost ready to go. She told him we’d be right there. “Then again, there are times when it really is very nice.” She sighed happily as she watched him through the window.
“Christian is holding Mattias prisoner, which means I’m going to have to try to reason with him. You know what that means, don’t you?” I said glumly to my hands. “He’ll make me go talk to their council. And you and I both know what they want to talk about.”
“A certain incredibly gorgeous vampire, so handsome he makes your eyes hurt, and we won’t even go into that sexy, sexy Italian accent? Oh, yeah. And I can’t say I blame them. I’d want to talk about him, as well. Mrrowr . I mean that, of course, in the strictest of platonic ways.”
“It wouldn’t matter if you didn’t,” I said, sighing heavily before picking up my satchel and purse. “It’s not like Kristoff wants me.”
“Bah. You just need to have a little quality time with him.” Amusement was rich in her voice as she walked out the door. “Besides, I’ve never been to Vienna. I bet it’s very pretty this time of year!”
I locked the door behind us, giving her a little shake of my head. “You can’t possibly be serious about wanting to go with me.”
“Of course I am,” she said, whapping me on the arm. “We’re here to spend two weeks with you, aren’t we? So if you go to Vienna to meet with the vampires, and then pop over to Iceland to pick up Kristjana and Ulfur, we’ll go with you. We’ll be your entourage! It’ll be fun!”
Fun. For some reason, that was the last word that came to my mind.
CHAPTER 3
“Well, that looks . . .”
“Ominous,” I said, pausing next to Magda as we emerged from customs at the Vienna International Airport. Three men stood waiting at the end of the hallway for us. All three were tall, clad in black or midnight blue, and each wore the same identical suspicious expression. Two were dark-haired, one blond. All three were gorgeous enough that more than one woman’s gaze lingered on them.
“They look familiar,” Magda whispered to me as we walked toward them.
“They should. The one on the left with the scowl is Andreas, Kristoff’s brother. The middle one is their cousin Rowan. And the guy on the left is named Sebastian. I don’t know what his connection is to everyone else, but he seems just as unflinching as the others.”
“Oy,” Magda said under her breath.
I thought for a moment of turning and running back to the plane to demand that I be taken back to safety, but I had a feeling that Julian, the messenger, would grab me before I took more than a few steps. “You’re the one who begged to come with me,” I reminded Magda in an equally soft voice.
“I didn’t beg. I just had you suggest to your watchdog that if he ponied up tickets for Ray and me, you would be less inclined to smite him with that blinding light you can summon up. And you have to admit he didn’t really protest much once you told him you changed your mind.”
I glanced behind us. Ray walked alongside the messenger, the former chattering happily and looking about with bright, interested eyes, while the latter stared at me in stony silence.
“I just wish we didn’t have to involve an innocent bystander in all this. You’re sure Ray is OK with the whole vampire thing?” I asked Magda.
“He is, rather surprisingly. He said he always suspected there was more going on around him than people were willing to admit, and who am I to poohpooh general paranoia? To be honest, he’s dying to see them, since he’s a big Joss Whedon fan. He was a bit disappointed when I told him they don’t change their appearance at all, but he’ll survive.”
My gaze moved to our reception committee. “The question is, will I?”
“They do look awfully grim, don’t they?” Magda agreed.
“Hello, gentlemen. I expect you remember my friend Magda,” I said as the three men stepped forward to greet us. I gestured to Ray, who stopped on Magda’s other side. “This is Ray Victor. He’s a friend of Magda’s who has kindly consented to accompany us.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Ray said, sticking out his hand. After a moment’s slight hesitation, Andreas shook it. “Can’t tell you how grateful I am you let Mags and me come along. I’ve been a big fan of Angel ever since the show came out, and it’s a real thrill to meet a vampire in person.”
The three men introduced themselves briefly to him before turning back to me. I was a bit puzzled by the cold reception we were getting-although I hadn’t parted on the very best of terms with the Dark Ones, we weren’t enemies, either. In fact, Christian had gone to great trouble to ensure that I was not blamed for the murder of an innocent woman, handing over to the police the person to blame. I knew how much that had cost him, and was duly appreciative, a fact about which Christian was aware. So why was I now getting the icy treatment?
“Hello, Andreas. How’s your brother?”
Andreas had blue eyes, as did Kristoff, but where the latter had eyes of the purest teal, Andreas’s were darker, a midnight blue that considered me now without the slightest bit of warmth. “You will find out soon enough,” was all he said before he turned around and started walking out.
The two remaining vampires fell into place behind us as we were escorted out of the airport to a waiting limousine.
“Your vampire friends sure know how to travel,” Ray said in a hushed voice as we filed in to occupy the backseat of the limo. Andreas and Rowan sat facing us, while Julian and Sebastian took up positions in the front of the car. “This is very nice. Are we going to the hotel first? I’d like to get my camera out of my bag so I can get some pictures for my travel album.”
“I assume so,” I said, puzzling over Andreas’s comment. I leaned forward a smidgen. “Is Kristoff here? In Vienna?”
Andreas ignored me, turning to look out of the tinted windows.
I switched my attention to Rowan. “I realize there’s no love lost between us, but I would appreciate it if you could overcome your natural aversion to me and answer my question.”
Rowan had reddish brown hair and grey-green eyes. His face was not as angular as his cousin’s, and had hints of laugh lines around the mouth and eyes. There was no evidence of any form of amusement on his face now, however. He simply looked at me as if I were a bug before answering, “He is here.”
I sat back, my heart beating wildly all of a sudden. Kristoff was here, in Vienna. I was going to see him.
Magda touched my hand and mouthed, I told you so.
I shook my head at that-if Kristoff had suddenly been possessed by a change of heart regarding me, he would have told me, not had the council summon me with grim faces and a pronounced air of suffering. Still, he was in Vienna. That meant something. Didn’t it?
To my surprise, we weren’t taken to a hotel. Instead, we stopped at a large pale pink stone house that sat at the end of a row of connected tall, narrow cream-and-yellow houses in the fringes of Josefstadt, a section of downtown Vienna.
“This house belongs to the Moravian Council,” Julian said, showing us into a room on the top floor. “The administrative offices are below us. The top three floors are set aside for residents and guests.”
“Nice,” I panted as I dropped my bag and tried very hard not to collapse on the floor. “Sixth . . . floor . . . Nice . . . view.”
“Sweet Mother Mary.” Magda gasped as she, too, staggered into the room. Ray propped her up on one side, his own b
reathing a bit frantic as he leaned against the wall. “Couldn’t you people put in an elevator? Or at least install a bench halfway up?”
“Your room is across the hall,” Julian said, a somewhat martyred look on his face as he opened the door in question.
Magda shot him a narrow-eyed look, but followed him out to the other room. I looked around while I caught my breath, admiring the clean blue-and-white decor of the room. It was rather sparsely furnished, but the bed, bureau, and small writing desk and chair were all antiques.
“Do you wish to change your clothes?” Julian asked as he returned to my room, eyeing me in a manner that had me tugging self-consciously at the collar of my blouse.
“That would be nice.” It hadn’t occurred to me that I would want to change as soon as I got here, but seeing the coolly elegant vampires made me feel sticky, sweaty, and decidedly unattractive. I might not be able to do much about the last item on that list, but at least I could greet the council looking a little less unkempt.
Julian gave a short nod. “I will tell the council you will be ready to meet with them in a quarter of an hour.”
“Can you make it half an hour?” Magda called from the room given over to her and Ray. “I’d really like to take a quick shower. I had no idea Vienna got this hot in the summer.”
Julian paused on his way downstairs, frowning slightly. “Your presence will not be required.”
“Now, wait a minute,” Magda said. I stopped digging through my suitcase for something that wouldn’t leave me looking like a rumpled tourist, and went to my own door. “You guys agreed that we could come with Pia. I was there when she talked to you, remember? You said that it would be fine if we accompanied her.”
“To Vienna,” Julian said, glancing over at me. “The council agreed to the Zorya’s terms because they had no other option, but only she will be permitted in their presence.”
Magda looked at me. “What do you think? We can leave if you’re not comfortable with the idea of bearding the lions by yourself.”
“The Zorya already agreed-” Julian started to protest.
I raised a hand to stop him. “I’ll be OK by myself.”
“You sure you don’t want someone with you when you tell them you want . . . you know.” She cast a glance toward Julian.
He raised his eyebrows at her.
“I don’t think you can help me there, but thank you,” I answered.
“All right, but I’m willing to make a fuss if you need me.” Magda’s face, normally filled with sunny good humor, was clouded with worry.
I gave her a little smile. “I’m still technically a Zorya. I think Christian knows the sort of power I can wield if anyone gets out of line.”
Julian took an involuntary step backward.
“You have a point,” Magda agreed, watching him. “All right, but if you need us, just yell.”
It didn’t take me long to get cleaned up and presentable. I spent a few minutes shaking out my clothes, trying to decide between a pair of linen harem pants that were flattering to my figure, or a gauzy peach sundress with a matching shrug, eventually going with the latter. Although I knew the vamps would not have forgotten the fateful evening in Iceland-or, more to the point, my role in it-I figured it couldn’t hurt to emphasize the fact that I was a woman.
“If men insist on being chauvinists,” I muttered to myself as I slipped on the thin shrug and tied it beneath my breasts, adjusting so it exposed a smidgen more cleavage, “then they can’t complain when it’s used against them.”
Julian was waiting outside my door when I emerged. He said nothing, just gestured toward the stairs. I caught him wrinkling his nose, though, as I passed.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, pausing on the landing.
“No. Why do you ask?” He looked surprised at my question.
“You made a face when I walked by you. I’m sorry if you don’t like my perfume. I didn’t use much of it because I know some people are sensitive, but I hate going out without a little dab of something.”
An oddly embarrassed look flitted across his face as he gestured again toward the stairs. “It’s not that. It’s . . . er . . . you are a Beloved.”
“Technically, yes.”
“Has no one told you what that means?” he asked, marching down the stairs beside me.
I met the frankly curious glance he slid my way. “Not really, other than the fact that I evidently gave Kristoff back his soul or something along those lines.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” he said slowly. I continued down the stairs, grateful we were going down, not up, so I wouldn’t arrive before the all-important council sweaty and out of breath. “Once Joined, a Dark One can’t exist without his Beloved.”
“I hate to doubt you, since you must know your people much better than I do, but I’m pretty much a contradiction to that statement. I haven’t seen Kristoff since the night he got his soul back. So obviously Dark Ones can get along just fine without their womenfolk.”
He didn’t look surprised, just gave a little shake of his head. “You will judge for yourself how well Kristoff has been without you.”
I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked at him, a sudden stab of fear piercing my heart. “Is something wrong with him? Is he sick?”
Julian just waved toward a hallway. We were on the second floor, at one end of a long hallway that ran the length of the house. “As a Beloved, you must know the mental, physical, and emotional state of the one mated to you.”
I laughed a grim little laugh. Julian’s prim, chiding manner somewhat reassured me that nothing serious was wrong with Kristoff. Surely if he had been injured, someone would have told me? “June Cleaver I’m not. Besides, communication is a two-way street, and thus far Kristoff has refused to venture down that particular avenue.”
“I find that difficult to believe.” Julian paused, his hand on one handle of twin doors. “He could not stop himself if he wanted to, and I can’t imagine why he would want to do so. His state makes it obvious that one or both of you is trying to deceive us. I will warn you not to speak such obvious lies to the council. They take a dim view of people who attempt to mislead them.”
“Lie!” I stopped him as he was about to open the door, anger at being so clearly wronged doing much to drown out my concern and nervousness at the thought of seeing Kristoff again. “Me? I haven’t lied to any of you vampires, and I’m certainly not deceiving anyone. I’m sorry you don’t believe me when I say that Kristoff won’t answer me when I try to talk to him, but it’s the truth. I tried just a couple of days ago, as a matter of fact, and he shut me down quickly enough.”
Julian frowned at me for a moment, his gaze searching my face. I had a feeling he was trying to judge whether or not I spoke the truth.
“Why would he do that?” he finally asked, evidently realizing I was speaking with absolute honesty.
“I have no idea. If he’s saying I’m refusing to talk with him, he’s either delusional or . . . well, he’s lying, but I don’t think that’s very likely. He didn’t seem like the sort of man who lies.”
“He has proven himself a master of deception,” Julian said simply, dumbfounding me as he flung open the twin doors. He indicated the room beyond. “That much has been demonstrated during the last month. The council awaits you.”
It took me a moment to gather my scattered wits, so shaken was I by Julian’s statement. Kristoff, a master of deception? What on earth was he talking about?
I entered the room, my gaze quickly searching it for any signs of the man who haunted my nightly dreams. There were four people standing together, three men and a woman, the latter speaking as I came in.
“. . . might have at least warned me she was coming so I could make her comfortable. Honest to God, Christian, you may be nine hundred years old, but sometimes you act like a caveman! That poor woman is probably as confused as all get-out, and you’re not helping-Oh, hello.”
The woman who was, to my u
tter amazement, chewing out the very frightening Christian Dante turned and limped over to me with a friendly smile and outstretched hands. “I’m so sorry about this. You’re Pia, aren’t you? I’m Allie, Christian’s wife. You’ll have to forgive him for simply dumping you in the attic like you were a bundle of old laundry. I didn’t have a chance to check your room first to make sure you’re comfortable up there, but I’ll do so just as soon as we’re done here.”
“There’s no need; my room is lovely,” I reassured her, momentarily nonplussed by the fact that her eyes were mismatched-one was very pale grey, almost white, while the other was an odd sort of mottled brown.
Her smile took a wry twist as she gestured toward her eyes. “They’re a bit freaky, aren’t they?”
“They are not freaky in the least,” Christian corrected, frowning at his wife as he moved over to stand next to her. Behind him, the other two men-Sebastian and Rowan-stood silent and watchful. “They are charming and unique.”
She made a face at him before turning back to me. “I tried contacts, but I’m allergic to them or something, so I just have to live with what I have. Josef! No! We do not bite guests!”
I spun around, looking in surprise at the toddler who had crept up behind me. He, too, had eyes that didn’t match, one being green, the other brown, but the difference was not nearly so pronounced as in the woman I assumed was his mother.
Allie scooped up the boy and told him to say hello.
“Hello, Josef,” I said, smiling.
He bared his teeth at me. I was stunned to see that he had fangs.
“No!” the boy said, pointing at me. “Bad!”
“Not bad, pumpkin. She’s a Beloved, like Mommy,” Allie corrected. “I’m so sorry, Pia. He just got his fangs, and we’re in the process of weaning him off mortal food and onto a blood diet. It makes him a bit fractious sometimes, and he tends to want to bite people.”
“Allegra,” Christian said, a warning in his voice as he moved to stand protectively between us, as if I posed some threat.
“Oh, stop it! I don’t for one moment believe anything you lot have been wringing your hands about,” she answered back in a tone that I wouldn’t even dream of taking with the head vampire.
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