‘Tease?’ I finished for him.
‘The word I was searching for wasn’t quite that polite.’
We both laughed, and I snuggled my face into the warm strength of his chest. Alec lifted my chin and pressed his lips to mine, his tongue sliding into my mouth. I held back a moan.
Kari’s voice intruded, ‘Okay, enough kissy, kissy. Shoo, Princi. Laura needs to dress.’
Alec ignored her and finished the kiss. ‘See you in twenty-five minutes.’ He let me go and strode back the way we came.
Kari opened the door and pushed me through it.
Chapter 11 - Prelude
LAURA
My walk-in closet was full of all the clothes, shoes and accessories any girl could possibly want, hand-picked by my parents in anticipation of my homecoming. Among them were several formal gowns. Kari ‘oohed’ at the sight of them.
We selected three – a shimmering deep royal-purple strapless creation with a sweetheart neckline and ruched bodice, into which were sewn an assortment of crystal beads. A long, flowing A-line skirt flared out gently from below the bust.
The next was a one-shoulder, ivory, pleated Grecian-style gown with a belted waist featuring sparkling crystals and beads. Gorgeous.
There was also a stunning black number; a tight-fitting, strapless mermaid gown, which shimmered with sewn-in metallic sequins and ended in a flared, tulle tail.
It too, was lovely, but reminded me too much of Morticia Addams.
‘I’m not wearing black,’ I said. I liked the ivory dress. Kari preferred the lilac.
She tapped her finger against her lips, brows creased. ‘Try them on.’
I slipped on the ivory dress first, enjoying the soft silkiness of the fabric as it flowed over my body. Instead of hiding it, I let the ruby vial Luc had given me dangle down over the tight bodice. It was too big – and uncomfortable – to hide beneath, and as far as I knew, it didn’t have to be. To a casual observer, it was an unusual piece of antique jewellery. Who could possibly guess it’s true purpose? I admired the way the precious substance within seemed to glow with a life of its own; it’s vivid scarlet contrasting dramatically with the stunning simplicity of the creamy Grecian gown.
‘Nice pendant,’ Kari said. ‘Looks amazing on that dress. Where’d you get it?’
‘Um, present ... from my father.’ There was no way I could tell her Luc was my father, nor what was in the vial.
She nodded in appreciation. ‘If you want to wear it, you’re best off leaving that purple one,’ she indicated the other gown with a flick of her head, ‘for another occasion.’
‘I prefer the ivory colour anyway.’ I did a little twirl in front of the mirror, watching the way the skirt billowed out from my legs and wondered what Alec would be wearing. He’d worn a tux for the Ritual.
‘What about your hair?’ Kari asked.
I hadn’t given it a thought. Most of the time I tied my hair up in a ponytail – easy, no hassle and perfect for work.
‘Leave it down, or,’ she gesticulated with her hands, ‘piled up with a long strand hanging down over one shoulder. I used to wear mine like that when I was human.’
I turned from the mirror and stared at her. It was said so nonchalantly, so ... flippantly almost, as if it was normal to drop a statement like that into a conversation. Maybe it was, in their circles, and I was now part of that. ‘Did you have a choice, Kari? About becoming a vampire?’
‘Of course. Jake wouldn’t have done it otherwise.’
‘Jake? Jake changed you?’ He was one of my invisible bodyguards, part of a group of Roman soldiers under my grandfather, Marcus Antonius Pulcher’s command. And, like him and the rest of the men, Jake had been transformed into vampire form by a witch’s curse nearly eighteen-hundred years ago. I met him during the Ritual, yet he had known me a long time. He said he used to give me ‘piggy-back rides’ when I was a baby.
‘Sure did,’ Kari answered.
‘Why?’
She laughed. ‘He saved my life, Laura. I was dying. But I was lucid enough to know the choice he was giving me.’
‘You were twenty, weren’t you?’
‘Uh huh.’
I took a breath. ‘Would you tell me about it?’
‘Sit down. I’ll give you the quick version while doing your hair. But first,’ she glanced around, ‘where’s your bathroom? I need a comb and hairpins.’
I pointed to the door on the other side of the room. Kari made her way there, and I pulled my mobile out of my bag. Where was I going to put it? The dress was a tight fit. There must be something in the closet I could use. Sure enough, nestled between an assortment of bags on one of the lower shelves, was a pearl, mesh Oroton pouch with a long shoulder strap. It was perfect. I popped my phone in, slung it over my head and let it dangle unobtrusively at my hip. Just as I sat on my dressing table seat, Kari returned, carrying a small basketful of hair accessories – pins, combs, several butterfly clips and ribbons.
‘Alrighty then.’ She took sections of my hair and pinned them in place. ‘My parents moved from Finland to France before I was born. They named me after their homeland.’
‘Why did they leave?’ I watched her in the mirror. Her shoulders rose in a slight shrug.
‘Work. My father was a builder. There was too much fighting in our land for that, so he and my mother moved first to Sweden, then to France. That’s where he met Lord Luc. He was making improvements to his chateau in the Rhone valley. He hired Papa, and that’s where I was born.’
‘On Luc’s estate,’ I said, oddly surprised by how readily I now accepted the longevity of Brethren; thinking it nothing when discussing someone renovating their chateau several-hundred years before.
She nodded. ‘The people in the village knew what he was, but because he was such a good master, they ... kind of ... overlooked it. Anyways, I grew up there and was engaged to be married when a fever swept through our region. Many people died. Jake tried to save as many as he could, and he did, but still....’
‘Jake? Why not the local doctor?’
‘He died, and besides, Jake’s a physician – like Princi,’ she said as she twirled and tucked several locks of my hair in place.
I’m sure my eyes widened at learning that Jake had a medical background. But then what did I know? I was only drawn into this other world a week ago, and the men hadn’t been the topic of our conversation. I made a mental note to ask either Alec or Judy more about them. Who else could boast their bodyguards had once been real Roman soldiers?
Kari stood back, and with hands on her hips examined her handiwork. She nodded, moved to my other side and began to style another section of my hair. I said nothing, so as not to interrupt her flow. Her story had me fascinated.
‘Mama died first while I nursed her, then Papa caught it, then me.’ She grew silent, which, from my limited acquaintance with her, was probably unusual. Kari had the same sad and distant expression I’d seen on Luc whenever he spoke of the past.
‘If it’s painful you don’t need to tell me anymore.’
She perked up and smiled. ‘Nah! I don’t mind. It’s so long ago. Anyways, Jake couldn’t save Papa—’
‘He didn’t ... you know, change him?’
‘Papa didn’t want to.’
‘Why did you, Kari?’ I softened my voice, hoping she wouldn’t take offence at my asking.
‘I didn’t want to die.’
‘Even if it meant living as a blood drinker?’
She flashed me a smile. ‘Hey, look at the bright side – I’m forever young, and I’ll never need cosmetic surgery. What’s not to like?’
‘I guess if you put it that way.’ Yet, something in Kari’s tone suggested another reason for her making such a bargain. Perhaps it was to stay with her fiancé; she said she had been engaged. Would he want to marry a vampire? ‘Kari, did you marry your fiancé?’
‘No.’ Her expression sobered. ‘He believed I died. Jake brought me into the chateau and became my mentor; taught m
e how to survive in my new life.’
‘You two must be very close.’
‘Yeah.’ She lowered her eyes. The smile appeared again, less exuberant than before.
‘You still live there – in the chateau?’
She shook her head. ‘Got a place of my own. When I completed my juvenile stage, Jake bought me my own house and transferred several of his properties into my name. Rent from these keeps me happy. And if I ever need extra cash,’ she gave me a cheeky smile, ‘I go out and mesmerise some hunky billionaire into donating a few measly million into the Karelia Anakeinen fund.’
My jaw dropped. ‘Jake taught you that?’
‘Hell no! He’d have kittens if he knew. He thinks I manage my money well.’ She moved behind me and gathered my hair in her hands. ‘Well, he did provide me with a new set of skills. They’d go to waste otherwise.’
Rather than be shocked, I burst out laughing, and Karelia joined in.
‘Oh, they’re here,’ she said, and her eyes brightened.
‘The prefects?’
‘No, Jake.’ In a burst of speed, she finished braiding the upper part of my hair and draped a long, loose curl over my right shoulder. She raced out the door before I had a chance to slip on the matching shoes.
‘Kari!’ My human speed was nothing compared to hers. By the time I got to the top of the stairs, she was already at the bottom with a group of men. As I joined her, five faces turned to look at me – Marcus Antonius, Jake and Terens, and two men I didn’t recognise. One stood an inch or so taller than the rest, with deep, penetrating eyes that seemed to bore into my soul. The man next to him, with his dark, curly hair and moustache, would have been handsome but for his sneer.
‘Ah, our little Ingenii,’ the first man drawled. ‘How I was looking forward to meeting you.’ If a voice could drip evil, his did. Hypnotic eyes. Strange warmth crept over me.
‘Lower your eyes, snake,’ Marcus Antonius snarled. I was vaguely aware of him pushing the man onto his knees.
I blinked and gripped the marble bannister as Kari stepped in front of me, blocking him from my view. ‘Go back upstairs, Laura,’ she whispered over her shoulder.
‘Control your pet, Timur,’ Alec said from behind me as he came down the stairs. His voice held a lethal tone.
Kari glanced up at him, smiled then stepped aside and went to stand next to Jake. He whispered something to her I couldn’t catch; his mouth was a hard line, jaw clenched.
Alec joined me and took my hand. He was formally dressed in a lead-coloured suit with black lapels and matching shirt, and a lavender tie that set off the brilliance of his eyes. The cut of the jacket, in particular, emphasised the width of his shoulders and nearly took my breath away. It was a stunning contrast to my ivory dress and for a moment I wondered if he’d listened in on my conversation with Kari.
The moustached man spoke again. ‘Why should I do that? He amuses me.’
Marcus Antonius stepped forward and backhanded him with enough force to snap his head to the side. Blood sprang from his lower lip. ‘Is that how you answer your lord princeps? On your knees,’ he growled.
Terens pushed him down, but Timur kept his head up and glared at Alec. ‘I’ll never bow to a slave!’
Kari sucked in a breath. I tensed, but Alec didn’t even flinch. I’d only learnt of his servitude to my father a few days ago. It was customary among the Brethren for a newly created vampire to be trained by their sires or dammes for a century – a type of legal slavery – and Alec had only five years left before gaining his freedom. But that had been cancelled by my father, Luc, and recognised by the Elders. Alec was free – no longer at the “beck and call” of his master.
Perhaps Timur hadn’t heard.
‘It appears you need reminding, Count, that Lord Alec was sired by my son,’ Marcus said, ‘a prince whose Roman blood is far nobler than yours. By slighting him, you insult Lord Lucien and myself.’
Timur paled.
‘You’ll be taken before the Elders to face punishment. Escort our Hungarian prefect to the ballroom,’ Alec said.
‘Shall we, Count?’ Terens, who had been standing behind the man, pointed the way forward with his sword.
As he was led toward the staircase, where Alec and I stood, Timur looked at me in a way that made my skin crawl, but I dared not show it. Instead, I lifted my chin and gazed back at him. I could do bravado, too.
As he passed us, Timur closed his eyes, threw his head back and inhaled deeply. When he opened them again, he stared back at me, and I knew he could smell Alec’s scent on me. His brow creased and I could see confusion in his eyes.
I gripped Alec’s hand tighter.
‘Don’t keep the Elders waiting,’ Alec reminded him.
Terens prodded Timur in the back with the sword and urged him up the imposing marble steps.
‘As for you,’ Alec briefly turned his attention to the other kneeling man before addressing Jake. ‘Take him to the cellar and place him in the cage with the others.’
‘My pleasure.’ Jake tapped him on the shoulder with his sword. ‘Get up and keep your eyes down.’
The man rose, his gaze locked on the ground, the knuckles of his clenched fists white as they hung by his side. It seemed the very air around him crackled with suppressed rage. I wondered if the others felt it. As Jake led him away – Kari by his side – I breathed a sigh of relief and hoped I would never have to meet the man with the penetrating eyes any time soon.
Alec’s gaze followed him until they were all out of sight.
‘Who are they?’ I asked.
‘Count Timur Széchenyi and Grigory Rasputin,’ Marcus Antonius answered in his deep baritone voice. He’d remained standing in the hallway, sword sheathed.
‘The Rasputin? The mad monk who got the Russian royal family killed?’
‘The same.’
‘No wonder they couldn’t kill him.’ From what I remembered of my high school history, he was supposedly poisoned, shot, bludgeoned and his body thrown into a frozen river by Russian aristocrats trying to protect the Czar’s family. Obviously, they were unsuccessful.
Marcus Antonius’s expression softened, and he came toward me. His gaze briefly lit on the ruby-crystal vial hanging down the front of my dress. ‘Antonia’s pendant. I see Luc told you,’ he said quietly.
‘Yes... Grandfather.’ I wanted to know how it would feel to address him that way. He looked no older than my father.
‘Long time since anyone has called me that. I like it.’ He smiled. ‘Keep the vial safe, child, and hidden. There’s no point tempting fate, although,’ he looked me up and down, ‘I can see it’s a challenge in that dress.’
The heat of a blush crept into my cheeks. ‘I’ll fix that. Don’t worry.’
He turned to Alec. ‘Have you told Laura our contingency plans?’
‘Not yet.’
‘I’ll leave you to it, but don’t be long. Everyone’s gathered.’ He cupped my face and said, ‘You’re in safe hands, child,’ and planted a light kiss on my forehead. With that he was gone, but his words left a chill. Contingency plans?
Alec took my hands in his. ‘Laura, in case things turn ugly tonight, we’ve arranged to leave through the servants’ passage – the one Luc and I came through the other night – and head down to the cellar, to the blood-vault.’ He must have seen the panicked look on my face, for he added. ‘Darling, I’m sure things’ll be fine, but just in case....’ The muscle in his jaw ticked, and his gaze darted to the top of the stairs – in the direction of the ballroom.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My old life – boring and predictable as it had been – seemed like a halcyon era, and for a moment I longed to turn back time and go back to being simply, Laura Anne Dantonville, primary school teacher, with no special blood in her veins. No special anything.
But then, I wouldn’t have known Alec, and the thought left an empty hole deep inside me. No, as long as he’s beside me, I can face anything.
I took anot
her deep breath, and looked into his dark, lavender eyes. ‘Let’s get this over with.’
His gaze lingered on me and his fingers gently brushed my cheek. ‘Did I say how stunningly beautiful you look?’
His compliment had an instant calming effect, and when he bent his head and grazed his lips over mine, I surrendered to the moment. He hoisted me into his arms, and a split second later we were outside the sliding, mirrored doors leading to the ballroom. Sprinting up two flights of stairs while kissing me was quite an achievement.
Alec lowered me to my feet. ‘Ready?’
‘Wait!’ I remembered what Marcus had said and tucked the ruby vial into the bodice of my gown. It was a snug fit, but comfortable, and rather than the anticipated cold, it felt warm nestled between my breasts.
I felt Alec’s gaze on me, and when I looked up, his eyes had darkened. We stared at each other. When the mirrored doors slid open, several hundred pale, lavender-eyed faces turned toward us.
I swallowed the tight knot in my throat.
Alec offered me his arm. We stepped in, and with a muted thud, the doors slid closed behind us.
Chapter 12 - Round One To The Rebels
LAURA
With my hand firmly on Alec’s arm, I walked through the divided rows and past the standing Brethren. Never was I more aware of their otherworldliness – their absolute stillness, typical of predators, and their burning gaze, which followed us the length of the ballroom to the dais and the waiting Elders, Luc and Marcus among them.
Wasn’t I one of them? Or, at least half of me? How much of those characteristics did I display? No one had ever mentioned it. I would ask Jenny next time I saw her.
The tension in the room was palpable, almost as if we’d interrupted a heated discussion. Perhaps we had. Whispers grew into murmurs. By the time we reached the makeshift stage, the two other Elders – Kwome and Zhao, whom I had first met at the Ritual – were holding up their hands for silence.
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