Knights of Black Swan, Books 7-9 (Knights of Black Swan Box Set Book 3)

by Victoria Danann

  Elora breathed in the aroma, judgin’ from the rise of her chest and the smile on her lips, and took a sip. “Wonderful,” she said, and our hosts beamed.

  You know I care no’ at all for manners and think that, for the most part, ‘tis a batch of silly customs invented to preoccupy prissy poseurs. But in spite of myself, her lovely manner and her lovely manners made me proud that she was mine. Mine whether she knew it yet or no’.

  I knew I had a split second to act before Storm managed to rush in between us and spoil the moment. So I stepped toward her. “Would you care to sit here by the fire?” I asked, as I pulled out a chair near the end. She acted like she had no idea about traditions like pullin’ out chairs for ladies.

  I froze, thinkin’, for Paddy’s sake, the woman believes I’m a lunker. ‘Tis fine to hold manners in disdain when your future does no’ depend on such things, but clearly Elora held some esteem for convention, which meant I needed to reevaluate its importance. Such a woman does no’ want a boor for a mate.

  I was thinkin’ maybe ‘twas time to grow up and try to be worthy of such a prize.

  Elora chatted up one of the locals durin’ dinner, but by the time dessert came, I could see that she was tired and tryin’ to hide yawns.

  Storm turned to the facility sovereign, which in that case was either of two people. The sovereignship of Drac Unit was shared by the Relacques, the married couple who were our hosts. It was a unique arrangement, but seemed to work. Since he was sittin’ closest to Monsieur Relacque, Storm directed the question to him.

  “What are the plans for tomorrow?”

  Monsieur Relacque let his eyes drift over those of us who were interested parties, meanin’ those of us who were directly involved, as he said, “We’re prepared for the interview to take place whenever it’s most convenient for you. We’ll serve breakfast in the morning at nine. So, anytime after that?”

  I pushed back my chair and stood. “I’ll walk Ms. Laiken to her room.”

  Elora did no’ leave me lookin’ like a fool. Takin’ my lead she said, “Yes. It’s been a long day and I want to be at my best tomorrow.” To the Relacques, she said, “Thank you for the lovely dinner. It seemed like an occasion. You made a memory I won’t forget.”

  Aye, indeed. I knew that my mum was goin’ to cherish this girl.

  Storm looked confused and perplexed. Elora gave me a grateful glance as I pulled out her chair, but the gratitude was no’ for the gesture. ‘Twas because she was fallin’ over sleepy and needed a gracious escape.

  She was silent as we climbed the staircase and walked down the hall toward our rooms. When we reached her door, she turned toward me. When her lips parted to say something charmin’ like, “Thank you for walking me back, Ram.”

  I pulled the side of her body flush with the front of mine and nuzzled her ear, askin’, “Would you like me to tuck you in?”

  She released a tiny giggle and said, “Um. No?”

  “You do no’ sound sure.”

  I was suspectin’ she had enjoyed the warmth of the red wine more than usual. That was confirmed when she made a mock serious face before sayin’, “No,” in a low voice and burstin’ into a series of giggles.

  “I like it when you imbibe. Unfortunately, you’re countin’ on me to be a gentleman.” Under my breath I said, “And I never thought anyone would be accusin’ me of that!” I pushed her door open and stepped back. “I’ll leave my room unlocked just in case you get cold in the night. ‘Tis that one.” I pointed to the door across the hall.

  O’ course she thought ‘twas banter. I assure you it was entirely serious.

  CHAPTER 18

  Ram

  I was sittin’ in the day room with my eye on the door, listenin’ to Storm and Kay chat up two of the knights currently stationed there. Storm had known one of them from school in San Francisco. I spread marmalade on toast, then spooned scrambled eggs on top of that. It was no’ dainty, but ‘twas a heavenly way to start the day. Especially when paired with good coffee.

  Elora swept in lookin’ fresh as a daisy in full bloom. The mix of turquoise threads in her sweater made it near impossible to look away from her eyes. Perhaps ‘twas the point. Women are always dabblin’ in bewitchin’ with their fashion schemes. At least she had listened to me about no’ wearin’ red. A woman like Elora in red would be servin’ herself up as a vampire’s catnip.

  I watched her take a cranberry juice, hot chocolate, and an orange scone from the sideboard. Storm was dividin’ his attention between watchin’ Elora and listenin’ to what his friend was sayin’.

  She sat down in the chair next to me. “Good morning,” she said.

  “Mornin’. You want us to ask for some red wine to go with that or did you have enough last night?”

  She snorted softly. “Like you’ve never had too much of anything?”

  I grinned. “More is more.”

  She broke off a corner of her scone, stared at it for a bit, then put it down on the plate. She took a sip of juice, but just looked at the cocoa like she was no’ sure why she’d got it.

  I leaned toward her so no one else would hear me. “Off your chocolate this morn?”

  When her eyes slid sideways toward me I knew she was nervous. I sat waitin’, wonderin’ if she’d lie and give me bluff and bluster. But she was no’ that sort. Instead, she nodded and smiled a shy little smile like she was embarrassed to be found out.

  I reached for her hand underneath the table where no one could see. She wrapped her fingers around mine and did no’ pull away. “You do no’ have to do this, Elora. I’ll pull the plug before you can say, ‘Baka, go fuck yourself ’.”

  Her eyes widened for an instant before she laughed and, just like that, the nerves were managed. “Thanks. I’m good.”

  I was proud of her for agreein’ to go through with this, but must tell you that what I really wanted was for her to come to her senses. ‘Twas worth another try. “No one would think less of you if you change your mind. I promise.”

  She shook her head. “Let’s do it.”

  Exactly what I was afraid she would say. “Have you a stake in each boot?”

  “I do.”

  “When you’re ready. No' before. ‘Tis all on your terms.”

  She turned to the knights who’d been talkin’ to my teammates.

  “Are there any rules I should know about?”

  “Rules?” They both repeated at almost the same instant and looked at each other.

  “Yes,” she said. “Like, time limit for instance?” They looked at each other, their faces blank. ‘Twas obvious no one had given thought to the parameters.

  “Well, in that case,” she went on, “I propose twenty minutes. That seems fair to me. If I don’t like the way things are going, I’ll end it then. If I think something productive could be gained by staying longer, I will.”

  “If you want to talk about fair,” I said, “one minute is more than fair.”

  “Let’s just settle on something solid,” Storm said. “Like no more than twenty minutes no matter what.”

  Elora crossed her arms and widened her stance. I recognized that body language as meanin’ that she was no’ goin’ to budge on how she would handle this. “Twenty minutes is a loose guideline. If I think something useful will come from staying longer, I will.”

  Storm narrowed his eyes. “Why did you ask about rules if you didn’t have any intention of abiding by them?”

  “As it turned out, there weren’t any rules, were there? We’re making this up as we’re going, which means I might as well advocate for my point of view.”

  “Twenty minutes. No more. And if I say you’re done, you’re done. We’re pulling you out of that room without further argument.”

  She pursed her lips and said nothin’ more, but I knew her well enough at that point to know that did no’ mean acquiescence. No indeed. What it meant was that she was done arguin’. No more. No less. If Storm was stupid enough to think that meant he had her agreement
, that was on him.

  The four of us rode the small elevator to the top of the tower. Elora’s jasmine scent filled the space and made me a little dizzy. It also made me mad with jealousy knowin’ that Storm and Kay could smell it, too.

  The doors opened to a small observation area, clinically minimalist. The far wall was mostly a large glass window that looked directly into Baka’s room. I could hardly call it a cell because ‘twas far too opulent for that.

  I did no’ know how secure the glass was, but the doorway was protected by a security vault that would be at home in Fort Knox.

  Within a second of steppin’ off the elevator, my eyes had swept the room for equipment, counted two knights and one control panel attendant, and landed squarely on the vampire standin’ at the back of his plush cage. Supposedly he could no’ see through the glass, but for all the world he appeared to be starin’ at Elora. It made my skin crawl and I wanted nothin’ more than to simply grab her and leave the madness behind.

  Storm got between Elora and the glass wall so that she had to look at him. “Do not take your eyes off him,” he said. “Do not turn your back or sit down. Do not allow him to get closer than five feet.” His eyes flicked to me. “They’re fast, Elora. Faster than you can imagine. I’m not saying he’s stronger than you. I’m just saying that you have to keep your guard up at all times. He’s very old and very wily.” Her eyes wandered. “Are you paying attention to me?”

  She looked at Storm. “Do not take my eyes off him. Do not turn my back or sit down. Do not allow him to be closer than five feet. Got it.”

  Storm slumped a little. “I hope to Woden you’re taking this more seriously than appearances would suggest.”

  “Serious as a judge.”

  Storm dropped his chin. “That’s sober as a judge.”

  “Whatever,” she said.

  That’s my girl, I thought.

  She looked at me as if I’d said that out loud. I nodded just enough for her to see, wantin’ her to know she had my confidence, if no' my approval.

  “He’s the most notorious vampire in Black Swan history,” Storm said. “Do not take this lightly.”

  “I’m not!” she said. “Let’s get it over with. I’m ready.”

  One of the attendants spoke up. “We’ll be able to hear as well as see everything that happens in that room. When you’re ready to leave, all you have to do is raise your voice and say, “Open!” He turned the arm on the control panel microphone toward his mouth and said to Baka, “Step all the way to the back of the room and remain still while your guest is admitted. If you make a move that might be interpreted as aggressive at any time, we will sedate you and extract Ms. Laiken. Do you understand?”

  The vampire nodded solemnly, movin’ nothin’ but his head, no’ changin’ expression.

  Elora took a step toward the vault door, but turned back suddenly and asked the control panel attendant. “Has he ever attempted escape?”

  He looked blank. The others looked from one to another. Storm, Kay and I shook our heads and shrugged at the same time. I did no’ recall havin’ ever heard a story about huntin’ Baka down since his imprisonment a hundred or so years before.

  Her voice pulled me from the effort of tryin’ to recall.

  “You don’t know?” The panel attendant shook his head. “Please call Madame du Relacques and ask her.”

  “Now?” asked the knight who stood over the security panel.

  “Yes! Now! I want the answer to that question before I go in there.”

  He looked at Storm, Kay and me, revealin’ himself as every inch the sexist asshole he appeared to be.

  Elora was fumin’. And I did no’ blame her. After all, she was the one riskin’ her neck to do a favor for Black Swan. I could almost see her thinkin’ about tossin’ the guy out the window into the river gorge below. The image of that gave me a phantom pain in the ribcage. If the fellow knew what was good for him, he’d comply and be quick about it.

  Storm nodded and said, “Call her.”

  Apparently she answered her own phone. We listened to him converse briefly in French before settlin’ the in-house phone in its cradle and sayin’, “No escape attempts.”

  Elora nodded and seemed satisfied with that. “Okay. Let’s do this then.”

  Storm, Kay, and I watched as bystanders while the local knights handled operation of the vault and trained weaponry on the vampire. Just before she stepped through, she glanced back at me. I gave her a nod and a wink, even though my stomach was turnin’ somersaults. Lettin’ her walk through that door was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, goin’ against eons of hard wired instinct to protect my mate. The openin’ was circular, like a science fiction portal to another world and I was scared shitless that I would no’ see her alive again.

  The locks sounded loud when they slid back to allow her entry. They sounded even louder, when they slid back into place, lockin’ her in with the leech.

  “Lady Laiken,” Baka said, with just a hint of a smile and a smaller inclination of his head. “I won’t bother to introduce myself because, well, because that would be silly. So I will just say welcome to my humble home.” He gestured at the relatively small room that had been his world for the past century.

  “Thank you,” she said politely. “Had breakfast?”

  Baka grinned, which was surprisin’, at least to me. I had no’ expected a vampire, even an old one, to be in sufficient command of his faculties to grasp sarcasm. “Would it make you more comfortable if I sit?”

  “Somehow I don’t think the word ‘comfortable’ works for this situation. But, yes, I would like it if you sit.”

  He moved toward the fire with an exaggerated slowness.

  “Join me.” He pointed to the stuffed chair facin’ the one he’d just taken. “Would you like something to drink? Wine?”

  She glanced around the room, which meant she’d broken rule number one and taken her eyes off the bugger. “Sparkling cider,” she said.

  I leaned back to catch Storm’s eye and mouthed, "Sparklin’ cider?" I’d never heard her make mention of sparklin’ cider before. I was no’ complainin’ as I would have been if she’d accepted his offer of wine. We should have made that rule number one. No alcoholic beverages. Or doobies. No’ that the staff might pass doobies through the little doggie door.

  Storm just shrugged to let me know she’d never mentioned sparklin’ cider to him either.

  “Sir Ansel,” Baka said to the glass, “a sparkling cider for my guest, if you please.”

  Great Paddy, the monster maintained an air of old-world formality that made him seem like a cartoon vampire.

  “Who’s your decorator?” Baka indicated himself with a self-effacin’ cluster of posturin’. “Hmmm,” she said.

  “Is that ‘hmmm’ you like it or ‘hmmm’ you don’t?”

  “Very. Nice.” Her tone was non-committal even if the words were complimentary.

  After repeatedly breakin’ rule number one, gettin’ a good look around at his collections, she said, “You’re a musician?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you play all these instruments.”

  “Yes.”

  She nodded. “And paint?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you write vampire romances. Fiction I presume?”

  He grinned. “Have you read one of my books?”

  “I’ve read all of them, Valerie.”

  He raised an eyebrow and smiled in a way that I thought might look seductive to a woman. “And was that research or did you enjoy my work?”

  She raised her chin. “Loved it. Can’t wait for the next installment in the series. What will it be? Love Bleeds?”

  “Mocking me?” He was clearly amused, which made me even more nervous. “I’m crushed.”

  “A sensitive vampire? That has to be an oxymoron.

  “Actually, regarding your books, I did notice that there was a lot written about the joys of giving blood to irresistibly sexy, good-
looking vampire, but nothing about mercilessly ripping out throats and leaving unrecognizable corpses behind.”

  He shrugged. “I write romances. I don’t like horror.”

  “That’s very funny, Baka. You’re a lover, not a fiend. Are you gay?”

  Wait! What!?!

  Baka was apparently as startled by the question as I was, but he recovered fast and laughed. Long and loud, makin’ me wonder what a bloodsucker locked up for a century has to laugh about. Or maybe he was just that delighted to spend time with the most desirable creature imaginable.

  When his laughter subsided, he asked, “Why would you think that?”

  “Well, let me see. You’re into the arts. All the arts. You wear silk. You write romance novels. You have long hair. You’re over thirty with a flat stomach. And you have lots of pillows on your bed.”

  “I guess six hundred years is enough time to get in touch with one’s feminine side. I am not motivated to impress others with an unrealistic, arbitrary, or fashionable ideal of masculinity; a superimposed caricature of a man.”

  When the sparklin’ cider was placed in the panel cabinet, the vampire rose and slowly crossed the room. I was relieved to see that Elora regained her wariness and stepped back.

  Baka set the crystal stem on the table next to the other chair and poked at the fire. I wondered if she was thinkin’ the same thing I was regardin’ the absurdity of allowin’ a dangerous prisoner to have possession of an iron fire poker.

  When he took his seat again, he said, “Regarding my flat stomach, six hundred years ago people such as myself didn’t have access to sugar, beer, fried food, or fructose corn syrup. Thank you for noticing, by the way.”

  “Are these two chairs a permanent part of your furnishings?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you often have company?”

  “Never.” She raised her eyebrows as if waitin’ for further explanation and he did no’ disappoint her. “Even vampire have hopes and dreams. Mine are simple. I dream of having someone to talk to.”