by Joey W. Hill
"And you are serving him and Niall well?"
Her gaze swept down. "That is for my Masters to say, my lord. But I do my very best to care for them."
"I suspect that is far more than they deserve."
"No doubt, my lord," Niall said with amusement. "But best no' give her too many airs. She already thinks she runs things around here."
Uthe touched her face to draw her attention back up to him. Only a handful of months ago, Niall's joke would have discomfited her greatly, Alanna interpreting it literally as a black mark against her InhServ training. Now he saw humor dancing in her once far-too-serious eyes.
"If I was putting my money on which of them gets above their station," said a new voice, "it would be the newly turned vampire who likes to show off his fangs at every opportunity."
Evan was windblown enough to suggest he'd made haste, remedying any lack of perceived courtesy at his delay. The genuine pleasure in his face had a peculiar effect on Uthe. He'd always been very fond of the younger vampire, but Evan's obvious eagerness to see his sire flooded Uthe with sentiment. Vampires downplayed connections to other vampires; however, the young artist Uthe had turned on his deathbed was the closest thing Uthe had to a son. And this might be the last time he'd see him.
Even though he'd been frail as a human, Evan had been a handsome male, and the strong sculpted features of his Jewish heritage were only enhanced by his vampire conversion. He had thick dark hair he kept cut to his nape and gray deep set eyes that examined everything around him with an artist's eye. His shoulders were broad though he was rangy, muscles lean and knotted.
"Better one who likes tae show his fangs than one who's always showing his arse," Niall returned. At Evan's arched brow and what Uthe expected was a mind-to-mind reminder of the rank of their company, Niall cleared his throat. "My apologies again, my lords. 'Tis rough living out here."
"You had three hundred years to learn manners around vampires," Uthe said, rising to hold out a hand in greeting to Evan. "Though I expect you're less used to exercising them here, it's important to have them ready to hand. You don't want to offend the wrong vampire, Niall."
Niall wasn't as bad as Gideon, but the reminder was needed, especially now that he was a vampire. A fledgling would be broken faster than even a servant if he got above himself.
"Thanks, my lord. He never listens to me."
Then, undermining the point irreparably, Evan bypassed Uthe's outstretched hand and gave him an exuberant hug. Uthe returned the gesture, though, keeping the admonishment to himself.
As Evan drew back, his eyes narrowed on Uthe's face. "You need to feed, my lord. You are exceptionally pale." His gaze shifted to Keldwyn, then back to Uthe. "What's going on? Why are you here?"
Uthe had somehow been maneuvered back down onto the bench. It was disconcerting to be handled, or maybe he'd sat back down himself. Cosseted or forgetful. He wasn't sure which explanation made him less comfortable. Evan sat down next to him. "What may I do for you, my lord? Anything I can provide is yours."
Uthe nodded. But rather than speaking immediately of his need for blood, he looked around at the house built into the hill, the beauty and solitude of the place. "You have my envy, Evan. This is a very good spot to create, and to love and live."
Evan was self-confident in ways that much more physically powerful vampires lacked, because he was exceptionally intelligent and used to relying on his wits instead of brawn. Uthe approved of that, for it boded well for his longevity. That, as well as the Scottish vampire who loved him and would in time be able to crush any physical force that could not be dissuaded by Evan's considerable intellect.
"Yes, it is." Evan swept a pleased gaze around them, but Uthe noted it lingered on Alanna and Niall, revealing they were the vital piece of wherever he called home. "I don't think I could live the life you live, my lord. I'm grateful you've given me the opportunity to live outside the structure of the vampire world."
Once Uthe was gone, that patronage might dry up. Why had he not asked Lyssa to watch after Evan? Because he needed to trust Evan was capable of his own care, he told himself. Niall was now a vampire, and Evan had an InhServ at the top of her class at his side. There were no better allies he could have, once Uthe was gone.
"What is going on, my lord?" Evan repeated. "What brings you here, with Lord Keldwyn?"
"Let him feed first," Keldwyn said firmly. "Then he will tell you what he wishes to share."
It was a clear command. Uthe registered Evan's curiosity about that, about his own passivity in the face of Keldwyn taking charge. He cleared his throat, straightened.
"I need a sustenance feeding. Where we are going, I may not have access to blood for several days. You may have heard I released Mariela from my service. I would prefer to draw blood from a servant rather than an unsuspecting human whose blood origins I do not know."
Though he certainly could have done that. It was Keldwyn who'd suggested Evan. He wondered now if the Fae had proposed it because it gave Uthe a chance to see Evan, Niall and Alanna once more before entering the Shattered World.
He kept assigning motives to Keldwyn that were entirely sentimental. Perhaps his judgment was already more impaired than he realized.
"Certainly, my lord," Alanna said immediately. Niall shot her a look.
"Might hold off offering what's your Masters' right tae give away, muirnin," he chided her. Alanna bit her lip, her gaze cutting to Evan. Evan rose and went to Niall, putting a hand on his suddenly stiff shoulder. "She didn't act inappropriately," he explained. "A Council member can demand blood from any vampire's servant, except one belonging to another Council member. It is his right."
"That is true," Uthe said. "But I am not demanding it, Evan. I assume I do not need to do so, son of my blood."
It was an old term, not much in use any more. Evan looked toward him, his hand still on Niall. His gray eyes flickered and he inclined his head. "You are correct, my lord."
At Evan's gesture, Alanna came to Uthe and knelt in front of him. Her training reminded him so much of Mariela, his heart dipped in nostalgia, hoping she was doing well. He really was getting to be a sentimental old man. Until recently, he'd never felt old. Vampires didn't experience that. Physically, he didn't look older than a human in his thirties, and age only brought more strength and speed, unless a factor like the Ennui intervened. That was probably why he suddenly felt...ancient.
"I know you have resumed contact with other InhServs. Have you heard anything of Mariela recently?"
A shadow crossed Alanna's gaze, and he touched her chin. "Do not lie to me to spare my feelings," he said.
"She grieves, my lord. It is difficult for any of us to be reassigned, especially after serving a Master such as yourself, who is the epitome of what our service is about. But our purpose is to serve to the best of our ability, and she will. Mariela will never fail in her duty as an InhServ. Yet she has a high regard for you, my lord."
Her matter-of-fact praise of him was unexpected, though he hurt for Mariela. "I would consider it a special favor for you to convey that no matter her regard for me, mine is without limitations for her. I send prayers for her wellbeing daily."
"Consider it done, my lord."
He said nothing for a few moments, thinking. He wasn't even aware of the passage of time, or that his mind had wandered, until Keldwyn leaned forward and touched his shoulder. "My lord," he said. "It is time for you to feed."
He focused. Alanna's gaze was on him, open, caring, and probably all too understanding. He saw shadows in her lovely brown eyes, only now they were for him. There was little that InhServs missed.
"Your wrist, Alanna. That is my preference."
"Of course." Rising on her knees, moving between his, she lifted her right arm for him to grasp, her left hand resting on his knee. She had two rings on it, one a pewter band with Celtic-looking scrollwork, and the other antique gold. He expected both had inscriptions on the inside from the men who'd given them to her.
As he brought her wrist to his lips, he inhaled her lovely female fragrance, and nuzzled the silk of her flesh. As he'd told Kel, there was no way to separate a surge of sexual arousal from the feeding process, but he would channel it into the taking of her blood. The slight constriction of his fingers on her arm, a reminder of restraint, made her catch her breath. He was pleased to see her eyes getting that slightly unfocused look a submissive was powerless to suppress when the right triggers occurred. The charge of sexual energy was pleasant. Though it was a benign thing he had no intentions of pursuing, he was amused to see that, as gracefully as Evan had capitulated to his request, he was not entirely separate from Niall's feelings on the matter. His gaze was trained on her, his face a neutral mask, though his body was preternaturally still.
He was not concerned about Evan's reaction, though. His gaze shifted to Niall. Another reason Evan had been given permission to turn him was that deficit of strength and abilities a vampire Evan's age should have. Whereas, since his turning, Niall's strength had been gaining on his former Master in leaps and bounds, probably accelerated by his additional years as a servant. It would make for an interesting power exchange between them.
Yet as a fledgling, the Scot had less impulse control. He wasn't pleased Uthe was about to take blood from their servant. While it appeared Niall was doing his best to contain the reaction, Evan shifted to his side and spoke to him a low voice. Niall quivered as he put a hand on his shoulder. At another time, Uthe might reinforce that with a stern reminder to the young vampire he had every right to take blood from his servant, and back it up with a more physical response. However, he had no desire to go through the posturing and aggression vampires used to maintain pecking order.
He wondered what Niall's response would have been if Uthe had wanted to take blood from her throat. Though drinking from the femoral was more sexually blatant, with the head between the servant's legs and fangs sunk into the vein so close to the genitals, all vampires knew the throat had the most intimate implications. When a servant exposed his or her throat, the message was I surrender. I am yours.
He thought of sinking his fangs into Keldwyn's throat. There was also another message to it. I nourish you. I care for you in a way no other can.
Alanna was an InhServ, like Mariela, but Alanna would never be reassigned again. She would live and die with these two, her only heart's desire, and she'd more than earned it after her ordeal with Stephen. His gaze fell on those two rings, and he wondered what the inscriptions on them said.
"Can I give you nourishment, my lord?" Alanna made the formal request, prompting him.
He could hear and feel the pulsing of her veins, reminding him of his hunger. He unsheathed his fangs and Niall shifted. Evan shifted with him, but then a third factor intervened.
Keldwyn rose from the picnic table and moved so he was between Niall and Uthe. He was not blocking the vampires' view of their servant, which would have been a tactical error, but he made it clear Niall was not advancing further. Niall showed fangs, and Kel's expression transformed to the trademark cold look capable of raising the hairs even on Uthe's neck.
"He outranks both of you, and he is well within his rights. His actions deserve your deference and respect, and he is treating her kindly. You will stand down and ease back, and not present a threat to him while he is feeding. Or I can show you how easy it is for a Fae to put a vampire down."
Evan's grip on Niall's massive shoulder increased, a protection and steadying influence both. "He understands, Lord Keldwyn," he said. "It is an effort to control bloodlust at this age, and she is very precious to us." He pressed his body to Niall's, his mouth close to the male's ear. "She is fine, neshama. My sire has need of blood, and honors us by asking for it from our servant. He saved my life, nourished me through my change. She comes to no harm at his hands, and he has no designs upon her."
Protocol allowed Uthe to take whatever he wished from Alanna. He could have her body on the picnic table in front of them. According to the way the law currently stood, he could even kill her in front of them, though ironically he would answer to the Council and be required to make compensation to them for taking the life of an InhServ, a valuable Council asset. But Evan was expecting his sire not to point those things out. In certain circumstances, Uthe would have, since made vampires usually needed more reminders of the way things were in the vampire world. This was not one of those times it was necessary, even if he'd been willing or interested in doing so.
Niall relaxed somewhat, head jerking in a tense nod. Evan's calmness before Keldwyn's threat indicated he'd expected nothing less. Niall might soon outstrip Evan in strength, but those three hundred years as Evan's servant were still deeply ingrained in Niall.
Dominant, submissive, give, take, resistance, flow... There were so many ways it could go, and not just in the vampire world. Lifting Alanna's wrist to his mouth, Uthe sank his fangs into the tender skin. As the blood filled his mouth, his body's urgency began to ease, like a sigh of relief. Alanna kept her gaze lowered, her position one of obeisance as her training had taught her. He expected she was not so formal with her Masters. She was being so now to help Niall see the difference. She'd always been exceptional at the politics that commanded the vampire way of life.
As he drank, a hand clasped his shoulder, sliding over to the back of his head. He recognized Keldwyn's touch. But when he glanced upward, he saw something he didn't expect to see simmering in Keldwyn's dark eyes.
Keldwyn didn't like Alanna feeding him. Did the Fae realize he was having that reaction? Touching Uthe seemed to contain the reaction, but Uthe felt a weighted quality to that contact. Possessiveness.
He noticed Evan's speculative look. Whereas for most vampires, the idea of a closer relationship between a Fae and a vampire would be met with everything from puzzlement to revulsion, he suspected the boy was doing cartwheels in his mind, imagining his future visits to the Fae world. Uthe expected Rhoswen could freeze that idea right out of Evan's head, along with some other tender body parts.
He turned his attention back to the feeding. It took longer, because a sustenance feeding was three or four times as much blood as he would normally take from a servant. As he finished his meal, he pressed a chaste kiss to her wrist. "Thank you, my dear," he said. "I appreciate your generosity."
She nodded, a little wan from the blood loss. "It is what we are born to be, my lord."
"At one time, I might have agreed with you." He closed his hand over the rings on her fingers, squeezed gently. "Now I think what you are to Evan and Niall, that is what you were born to be."
Perhaps it was the ultimate intent for all of them. He thought of what he'd heard in his head about love and breadcrumbs, and wondered again whose thought that had been. His own? Or had Kel said such a remarkable thing?
As Uthe released her, Evan stepped forward and helped her up, guiding her to Niall. She reached up to the Scot's face. He responded with a twist of his lips and a brush of his mouth over hers that Uthe suspected would become far more demanding, as soon as the appropriate moment presented itself.
Though Evan had handled the situation as expected, from the look he swept over both the Scot and Alanna, Uthe expected the older vampire would be part of that re-claiming. Vampires didn't quibble over issues of ownership, especially if heart and soul were involved.
Jacob had a T-shirt he wore occasionally when doing manual labor at the Savannah headquarters, or in the evening when relaxing with other servants. The words on it said: "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was always yours. If it doesn't, hunt it down and kill it." Uthe had often wondered if it was a tongue-in-cheek comment about his lady, the indomitable Lyssa, and the nature of vampires in general. Uthe didn't disagree with it.
In the case of Evan, Alanna and Niall, whose balance of personalities and strengths could serve vampire kind as a whole, he fully supported their claim on one another. All three of them. Alanna was a submissive and a well-trained InhServ, but the way she touc
hed Niall, how her eyes softened as she looked toward Evan, said she considered them hers also. As Keldwyn had said, servants could be just as protective of their vampires, and protectiveness went hand-in-hand with possessiveness, no matter how "inappropriate" that attitude might be.
"Why don't you take Alanna inside to rest?" Evan suggested to Niall, his expression making it not a suggestion at all. "If you will excuse them, my lord."
"Certainly."
Niall acknowledged Uthe's permission with a passable nod, and guided Alanna away from the table. When she swayed on her feet, he lifted her in his arms and took her inside, closing the door. She would rest and Niall would feed her to replenish herself. She would be all right.
Evan took a seat next to him. "You already are looking more restored, my lord. May I now ask what's happening here? We heard that you took a leave from the Council. Is everything all right?"
Uthe reached out and brushed Evan's thick hair back from his brow, an affectionate gesture that had the male's brows rising. "When you were a sick human, do you remember I asked you what you could do with your art, if you had forever to pursue it?"
"I do."
"When there is no time limit, miracles and marvels are possible. They're still possible with more limited time periods, but..." Uthe shook his head. "My time is dwindling, Evan. There is a vital task I must complete, if it is within my power to finish it."
"Then let us help you. Let us stay with you." The younger vampire's eyes turned to storm clouds. "You have watched over me for many years. It's only right you give me the same privilege."
"This is a task I must do alone." When Evan's gaze slid over to Keldwyn pointedly, Uthe knew that was too complicated to explain, so he went with the simplest version. "What I do, must be done in the Fae world, and I am required by the Queen to be bound to a guide."
"Can he be trusted?"
Evan could be as diplomatic as the flow of water, but when loyalty was involved, he wasn't much for pretenses. He sent Keldwyn a challenging look, but Uthe tapped his arm in admonishment.
"You will not disrespect the Council liaison, Evan. Should anything happen to me, I can assure you Lord Keldwyn will have done everything to prevent it that I allowed him to do. Do you trust me when I say this?"
