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

by Victoria Danann

  After three hours, the two of us were in for a big pot. Aye. I won it. And got to learn one more thing about my girl. She was no’ a sore loser.

  CHAPTER 22

  Ram

  The rest of the week was uneventful, which was good and bad. ‘Twas good because my partner and mate had no’ been put at risk. ‘Twas bad for the same reason. We were startin’ to think our brilliant play to stake out the alleged vamp hot-spot was no’ so brilliant after all.

  No’ much could dampen my enthusiasm because I had planned a romantic day in the city with the Lady Laiken and nothin’ would take the shine off that.

  A cold front blew in from Canada Saturday night bringin’ wind with it. And nothin’ stings like moisture-rich wind rushin’ through the canyons formed by tall buildin’s between the two rivers.

  She opened the door with a smile that quickly vanished when she saw the look on my face. “What’s wrong?” she said, lookin’ down at her clothes.

  I smiled. “With you? No’ a thing in the world. But you’ll be needin’ a warmer coat. ‘Tis colder than a well digger’s arse where we’re goin’.”

  “Oh,” she said. “And where is that?”

  “’Tis a surprise. Grab a hat while you’re at it. The hair bob does no’ leave you much protection from a bite of winter.”

  “Sometimes I think you want to dress me up like a doll.”

  “Nothin’ could be further from the truth. Although…”

  “Never mind. I’ll be right back.”

  I waited by the door with Blackie, who, I noticed, was wearin’ a leash.

  “Goin’ somewhere”? I asked. He grinned at me, showin’ off his sparklin’ white canines.

  “How’s this?” Elora held her arms out askin’ for approval. She was wearin’ one of the polartech coats. That should do it.

  “Perfect.”

  “Good. Let’s go.” She grabbed the leash.

  “Um. I had no’ planned on havin’ the pooch accompany us.”

  “Oh, I know. I’m droppin’ him off at Operations. They like havin’ him around and he’d rather be there than alone in here.”

  “Okay.”

  “Tell me where we’re going.” I was mightily encouraged by the excitement I heard in her voice.

  “Sightseein’.”

  “Really? Where?” She was almost breathless. It was adorable.

  “Today we’re tourists. There’s a whister waitin’ to take us into the city. There’s more to New York than Notte Fuoco and Times Square.”

  She almost squealed, makin’ me feel good about the time I’d spent researchin’ romance. I knew the Yuletide decorations made the city more romantic because the guides said so.

  We walked three blocks from the drop to Saks to look at the display windows. I had my hands in my pockets to keep them warm. She linked her gloved hand to the crook of my arm and snuggled in close while I laughed from the pure joy of havin’ her so close.

  We walked down to Rockfeller Center to see the Yule tree and the ice skaters.

  “’Tis a tradition to get hot chocolate when you come to see the big tree.”

  “I could learn to love tradition.” She smiled.

  “Very well. Let’s put that to the test and begin with women in the kitchen and knowin’ their place.”

  She laughed. I went to fetch chocolate while she went to find a table by the rink where we could watch the skaters. She waved at me to show she’d been successful in snaggin’ a place to sit.

  “This reminds me of Yule at home.” She looked a little sad. “We always had a big tree – well, not as big as this.”

  I stopped, almost afraid to breathe. It was the first time she’d mentioned something from her life before and I did no’ want to say the wrong thing. After mullin’ it over, I decided it would be safe to say, “With lights and ornaments?”

  She nodded. “The works. Does your family celebrate Yule?”

  “Oh, aye. In a big way. They are very much into good times.”

  “Well, that explains a lot.” She smiled at me with something lookin’ enough like affection to make me think my plan was workin’.

  “Here’s to good times spent together.” I raised my paper cup in toast. When the cocoa was gone, I said, “’Tis too cold to sit still. Let’s keep movin’.”

  I noticed that some people were gettin’ photos in front of the tree. Seemed like a good idea. So I stopped an elderly gent and asked if he’d take a photo of us with the decorations behind us.

  “Come close.” I smiled at Elora and she obliged, snugglin’ in tight like she belonged there.

  “Smile,” he said. And we did.

  As we walked, she babbled in the most precious way, askin’ questions about everything in sight. When we passed the Sherry Netherland on the way to the Metropolitan Museum, she said, “Oh that’s where…” But she did no’ finish the sentence.

  “Where what?”

  “Um, I just heard nice things about it.”

  I had to laugh at the understatement. “Aye. ‘Tis probably the most costly hotel in this hemisphere.”

  I hailed a cab to take us the rest of the way. Elora said she wanted to try it the next time.

  “Try what? The Sherry Netherland?”

  “Ha! You wish. No, silly. Getting a taxi.”

  “Oh. Aye.” ‘Twas turnin’ out to be a wonderful day in so many ways. ‘Twas a great pleasure to share that she was findin’ adventure in simple things taken for granted by most of us.

  “The museum is a wonder. You could spend weeks there. Maybe months, but we do no’ have long because I’m set on givin’ you a ‘taste of New York’. One day is no’ nearly long enough to see the Big Apple. So we’re like butterflies, just lightin’ down here and there for a short time.”

  “Why do they call it the Big Apple?”

  “No idea,” I answered honestly, wonderin’ why I’d never been curious enough to find out.

  “Let’s ask somebody.”

  I paid the cab driver while Elora began askin’ passersby if they knew why New York was called the Big Apple. After a dozen or so people had been queried, every one regardin’ her with the suspicion usually reserved for census takers, she was ready to give it up.

  “Well, what’s the point of nicknaming a city if nobody knows what it means?”

  I smiled and shrugged. “You make an excellent point. I vow to go on knightly quest for my lady and will no’ rest until I bring you the answer.”

  She grinned and batted her eyelashes.

  We climbed the steps and found the end of the coat check queue. I turned to have a look at who else was out on a blustery Sunday and came face to face with a cute toddler, ridin’ her mother’s hip and primed for a flirt with me. I was engaged in a fetchin’ game of peekaboo, when I noticed Elora watchin’. I turned toward her with a smile.

  “So you like babies,” she said.

  “Well, aye. Who does no’?”

  “Most people like their own, I guess. You’re full of surprises, Rammel Hawking.”

  “Back at you, Elora Laiken.”

  I got our tickets and pulled Elora out of the way where she could have a look at the guide.

  “What’s your fancy? Sixteenth century violins? Eighteenth century paintin’s? Ancient Egyptian tomb raidin’s?

  She pointed to a square on the brochure. “Arms and armor.”

  “O' course,” I said.

  After a couple of hours, she said, “You were right, Ram. It would take months to see everything here. And that’s if it was your full time job.”

  I nodded. “Just so. And we’ve used up the time allotted for this stop on the tour.”

  “Oh, no, but…”

  “We have lunch reservations at a place that specializes in chocolate.”

  “Which way to get our coats?”

  I chuckled, but cataloged the fact that my mate could be manipulated with chocolate as easily as persuadin’ a horse with sugar.

  When we started away, I said, “What w
as the most surprisin' thing?”

  “How tiny people used to be.”

  “You’ve lost me.”

  “Didn’t you notice that the suits of armor looked like they’d been made for twelve-year-olds?”

  “Well, now that you mention it. I suppose you’re right.”

  One thing about Elora, she was as unpredictable as the weather, which suited me just fine. I counted myself the lucky one to be in for a very interestin’, never borin’, life.

  Outside, she said, “Ooh. I want a turn at getting a cab.”

  “You’ll get your turn, but no’ here.” I pointed at the taxi stand. “See. They’re already lined up and waitin’ for us.”

  “Too easy,” she said.

  At Serendipity I told her to go easy on lunch and save room for frozen hot chocolate. After we ordered, she turned to me and said, “A Bi-Sensual burger? Is that code for bisexual?”

  She was referrin’ to my order.

  “Certainly no’,” I said. “It means twice as sexy.” I gave her my best seductive smile, but she looked more dubious than turned on.

  When she finished her black bean soup, she left for the powder room, which was civilized talk for the john. I had nothin’ to do but turn around and look at the commotion behind me. Six little girls and a chaperone out for some lucky little lady’s birthday. When I turned, they stopped and looked at me. So I made a face.

  At first, they weren’t sure how to react, but then one of them laughed. Within a couple of minutes they were all findin’ me hilarious. Unfortunately Elora returned to our table to find me with two long French fries hangin’ from my nostrils. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Until I was confronted by the horrified look of the woman I was supposed to be romancin’.

  I quickly pulled the potatoes out of my nose and set them aside on my napkin. Even I agree that it would be unacceptable to eat food that has been in your nose. In public.

  As she studied me, I waited for her to say that she was ready to return to J.U. At length, she smiled instead and said, “You’re going to be a wonderful father someday, Ram.”

  I was no’ goin’ to be a father at all. Elf-human matches are barren, but I would no’ trade what destiny chose for me for anybody else’s life. Elora Laiken was a treasure beyond compare.

  At that moment the waiter set an enormous goblet of frozen hot chocolate in front of her and I got a glimpse of what it would look like to be loved by Elora. I watched every movement as she dived into the concoction.

  Seemed like ‘twould be a good time to slip in twenty questions, while she was distracted with chocolate.

  “So what’s the best dinner you ever had?”

  She answered without hesitation. “Castle Kronberg, on the outskirts of Frankfurt.”

  “What are your favorite flowers?”

  “Stargazer lilies with Mexican red roses and tree fern. No baby’s breath or leather leaf. Ughh. And I don’t like flowers to look ‘arranged’. I like them to look like you just cut them in the garden, brought them in and dropped them in a vase.”

  “Favorite movie.”

  “Willow.”

  “Why?”

  “The love story, of course. And the rascal-turned-hero adventure.”

  “Best love song ever.”

  “’If ’ by Bread.”

  Somehow I managed to keep from gaggin’. Visibly. “Tell me about your favorite boyfriend.”

  She stiffened. Her demeanor changed and she set her spoon down.

  “I’ve never had a boyfriend.” She looked at me like she was waitin’ for a follow up question. “Okay, I know what you’re dying to ask so I’ll tell you. I’m not a virgin, but it wasn’t an experience I’m eager to repeat, either.”

  I could have kicked my own arse for stumblin’ into mood-ruinin’ territory. But her reaction was unexpected and contained the seeds of things I needed to know. My feelin’ at the time was that somebody had made Elora believe that sex was something to be avoided. I kept my face blank, but on the inside I was wishin’ I could track the bloke down and set him on fire.

  I’d vowed to have nothin’ spoil the day. No’ even me. So I had to do damage control and fast.

  “Hey. Let’s go do something fun.”

  “Like what?” She gave me a small smile. “Tell me now.”

  “Demandin'. I like that,” I teased. “The grand dame of modern department stores. Other than Harrods in London," he amended. "You want it. They got it.”

  “Ooh. My kind of place.”

  “Guessed as much. Enough online shoppin’ for you. Let’s go milk the real cow.”

  The walk to Bloomin’dales was even colder because the wind had come up. She nestled into my side, makin’ me thank the gods of winter for small favors.

  “Now I have one question for you,” she said. “What do you want more than anything else in the world?”

  O’course the answer to that question was easy and immediate. What I wanted to say was, “You.” Plain and simple. What I said instead was, “I can no’ say.”

  “I’m betting you plan to have a big family someday, lots of children.”

  I turned my face toward her. She was so close that my lips were practically touchin’ her cheek. I said, “’Tis no’ that important, Elora.” I hoped she would always remember what I said, that I spoke from the heart, and believe me.

  She pulled to a stop and, bein’ both strong and heavy, that meant I came to a stop with her.

  “Wait, Ram, let’s do this.”

  She was lookin’ at a neon palm sign above a door that read, “Fortunes Told”.

  “Give your future to Gypsies?”

  She laughed at me. “That’s the most superstitious thing I’ve ever heard anyone say! Don’t be ridiculous. Come on. It’s just for fun.”

  I do no’ like dabblin’ in the occult, or more likely, gettin’ fleeced, but ‘twas no’ a day for denyin’ her what she wanted. So I shrugged and opened the door for her to go before me.

  There was no wait. The boy who greeted us showed us into a back room that looked just like what people would expect. We sat down on foldin’ chairs in front of Madame Whatever.

  She looked at me. “Fifty dollars.”

  I fished a fifty dollar bill out of my wallet and set it on the moon and stars tablecloth in front of us.

  She folded the bill, put it in her bra, then said to Elora, “I know why you have come.”

  “You do?” Elora sounded as intrigued as a child and her innocence almost made me laugh out loud.

  “Yes. There are three men who are in love with you.”

  Wait. What? Three?

  “You are facing danger from a monster whose eyes are very pale, almost white.”

  “Aye,” I said, beginnin’ to fear that she might have enough actual talent to see that we were vampire slayers. “We get that a lot.” I was worried that the day was goin’ to take a turn for the worse and wanted to get Elora out of there before the fuckin’ gypsy began predictin’ rivers of blood or some such. I turned to Elora. “Let’s go. This is no’ fun.”

  She gave me a look that told me she agreed. We got up to leave and were almost at the door when the gypsy said, “I have a message for the lady.” Elora turned ‘round. “Choose wisely and love will be new for the rest of your days.”

  Elora did no’ respond. Just pulled her coat close and nestled against me again to keep the wind from gettin’ between us.

  “Okay, so I admit it,” she said. “You were right. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea.”

  “You know I do no’ care what we’re doin’ so long as ‘tis with you.”

  The way she smiled at me gave me the impression that finally I’d said the right thing.

  I never would have believed a person could have so much fun in a store. She wanted to look at evenin’ gowns even though she had nowhere to wear one. She wanted to look at gourmet kitchen tools even though she had no intention of cookin’. It was bizarre. But cute.

  We were behind a curvy
blonde in “JUICY” pants goin’ up the escalator to the next floor. And when I say behind, I mean there was no’ much to look at but the woman’s behind.

  I leaned over and whispered. “We should buy you a pair of those very fetchin’ britches to show off your gorgeous arse.”

  She gave me a scandalized look that made me laugh hard, even if it was silently.

  As soon as we got off the escalator, she pulled me a few yards away from “JUICY” and said, “First, ugh! Second, as my partner, you can have my permission to put my corpse in those, but only if there will be no open casket viewing. Third…” Though she was makin’ a fair to middlin’ show of a good scoldin’, I could see she was havin’ to work at keepin’ laughter inside. “…you do not have permission to comment on my gorgeous ass.”

  I leaned in like the conspirator I wanted to be. “I get it. Over your dead body. You know, scratch the surface and we find your very ladylike upbringin’ still hale and hearty and ready for tea with the queen. But I would no’ be wantin’ anyone else to see your very shapely, juicy arse in those fine britches.”

  I stood waitin’ for her reply with a smile born of talk about Elora’s arse. She opened her mouth like she had something else to say, seemed to think better of it, and marched off toward the Ugg boots. I would have loved to know what went through her head that she decided no’ to speak out loud.

  “If you buy anything else,” I said, shiftin’ the box of Ugg boots, “we’ll have to ask them to ship.”

  “What about the super cool leg warmers?”

  “Aye. ‘Tis fine. Those will no’ take up much room.”

  “And I really wanted a new hat. I don’t think I look good in raspberry.”

  “You’re very wrong. You look spectacular in everything. But if you want another hat, you shall have another hat.”

  After nearly an hour of tryin’ on hats, I was regrettin’ havin’ said that. “If you want my opinion, I love the way you look in the white. It reminds me of my special place in Ireland. The one I told you about.”

  She looked at me like she was tryin’ to decide if I was jokin’, then went back to where we’d seen the white hat. She put it on and looked in the mirror.