by Lisa Olsen
“For the most part, aye. The population knows what’s what. We still get a fair bit of crime, but it’s no as rough as it is in your neck of the woods, from what I hear.”
That didn’t sound like the picture Bishop painted of things at all. Was he making excuses or was his boss really running him ragged, but only him? “How long have you been in the Order? Or sorry, is that too personal of a question?”
“It’s fine, ma’am. I dinnae mind telling you I’ve been in the Order since I was turned in ‘88.”
“You went straight into the Order? Is that usual?”
“It is when they’re looking to expand a certain skill set. I’d a fair amount of experience with modern surveillance working for MI-6.”
“Oh, sort of like being recruited into the army?”
“No entirely, I wasnae given much of a choice at first. It was either join or die.”
“Oh my God, that’s awful!” I had no idea they snatched people up like that. But was it any different from how Jakob had chosen me? I wasn’t given a say in the matter.
“I’ve made ma peace with it,” he shrugged. “I simply traded one government for another.” That was one way of looking at it. “Here we are then, ma’am. You’ll know your rooms by this sigil here.” Fisher’s fingers traced over a wood carving of a swan set into the ornate trim to the right of the door.
“Thanks. You can call me Anja, by the way. Calling me ma’am makes me feel old.”
“No offense intended,” he said quickly. “I’d be pleased to call ya by your given name, thank you. Now then, these are your rooms.” Fisher opened the door to reveal a suite of rooms decorated in a decidedly more feminine style than the rest of the house I’d seen so far.
The walls were plastered over and painted a soft cream, accented by touches of gold wherever there was crown molding or ornate trim. A fire crackled in the fireplace, the heavy marble depicting two angels standing over it, their wings folded towards the center of the mantle. The furniture was far too nice to think of sitting on, in a French style, with touches of rose and yellow. It flanked the fireplace and a plush carpet covered the polished marble floor.
Off to the left, through a set of double doors, I caught sight of the massive bed. A drape of gauzy fabric suspended from a ring above the bed, cloaking it in soft waves of lacy romance.
“Does it meet with your satisfaction?”
“More than,” I nodded, still recovering from the grandeur of it all. I sure hoped Bishop didn’t get into trouble for commandeering such a spectacular room for me.
“Grand,” he smiled. “There’s a house phone in case ya need anything,” he said, pointing to the old fashioned handset by the door. “And the bell to ring your human is next to the bed there.”
“The bell to ring my… you mean for Bridget?”
“Aye, it will ring directly to her room. If you’d prefer a taste of something more local, it can be arranged, of course.”
“Of course,” I nodded. It took room service to a whole new level. Cool beans. “Do you know what’s happened to my luggage?” I saw the carryon piece sitting on a trunk at the end of the bed, but no sign of my larger suitcase.
“Like as not it hasn’t been brought round from the car yet. I’ll have someone fetch it for ya.”
“Thanks, Fisher, you’ve been super helpful.”
“Och, it’s ma pleasure. I hope you’ll be with us a good, long time.”
Left alone to the sumptuous room, I discovered the furniture was more comfortable than it looked, and the bed was something right out of a fairytale. I had a small balcony outside my bedroom, but the fog had rolled in shrouding most of the estate in gloom. As fun as it was to check out my new surroundings, it didn’t take all that long to explore everything there was to see.
I was too chicken to venture outside the room, not knowing if anything was off limits, and I didn’t want to pull the bell and disturb Bridget’s rest. At least I had my laptop in my overnight bag, but I couldn’t figure out how to access the internet. Resolving to ask Bishop about the password later, I lounged in front of the fireplace reading from my Kindle app while I waited for him to come back and finish what we’d started in his room.
But as the hours ticked by, there was no word from him, and I didn’t want to bug him with a text. After the way he’d greeted me, I knew Bishop was busy and not trying to avoid me. Still, I couldn’t help but feel down about it as I climbed into the great big bed all alone when the sun stole into the morning sky. Heavy black out curtains blocked all but the tiniest slivers of light from the room, and I couldn’t help but feel small and alone in the gloom.
Instead of tossing and turning, I drifted off as the sun climbed higher, stirring only when I felt Bishop climb into bed beside me. I roused myself long enough to insert myself into the shelter of his embrace, a happy sigh parting my lips when he whispered tired apologies into my hair. Finally, I was back where I belonged.
*
“Rats…” My fingers met nothing but cool sheets when I slid my hand out to reach for Bishop, and I cracked my eyes open to see I’d been left to my lonesome again. The only light in the room came from the flicker of the fireplace out in the sitting room, but it was enough to see a white box lying across the wooden chest at the end of the bed, my laptop propped on top of it.
Scooting to the edge of the bed, I pushed away the flimsy fabric hanging from the ceiling to reach for the computer with one hand, the box with the other. As soon as I touched it, the laptop woke up and I saw that Bishop had taken the liberty to add the local Wi-Fi network to it, enabling the internet. “Bless you,” I murmured as I opened my email, eager to download what I’d missed since leaving California. Right on top was an email saved to drafts from Bishop himself.
I didn’t want to wake you, you looked so peaceful, but I had to take care of some business. Call down for Fisher when you’re ready to go downstairs, I’ll join you in the hall later. I left you something to wear in the box.
Bishop
Tearing into the box, I was stunned to find an elegant dress with a beaded bodice in midnight blue with heels to match. Holding it up, it looked like a perfect fit, and I couldn’t help but wonder — when had he had time to do that? There was no sign of the rest of my luggage yet, only the overnight bag I’d brought with me, but it was enough to get ready to go downstairs. I twisted my hair into a fancy up-do and went heavier on the makeup than I normally would; it seemed fitting with the elaborate dress.
Fisher’s jaw dropped when I pulled open the door, and I felt a stab of worry. “Is it too much?” My hand slid over the top of my chest above the bodice, self-consciously.
“Nae, ya caught me unawares is all,” he recovered swiftly. “You’ll fit in proper with this lot.” Letting out a low whistle, he offered his arm. “Where are ma manners? Allow me to escort you to the soiree.”
Slipping my arm onto his, I refrained from asking what kind of shindig we were in for, preferring to keep to the façade that Anja Gudrun went to these things all the time. Fisher led me to an open room big enough for dancing, but only a few people milled about inside, standing around with casual grace. There were several sitting areas and a fireplace big enough for me to stand in without having to stoop at all.
A dark bearded man held court in the corner of the room, his hands holding loosely to the massive armed chair that nearly dwarfed him. I pegged him for his mid to late forties, but with a vampire you could never tell. There was a faint smile on his lips that wasn’t reflected in his eyes. As his gaze skimmed over me, even the lips lost their smile, as though he’d found me wanting. Turning to survey the rest of the room, I made a point of not looking in his direction again, but I could feel the weight of his stare on my bare shoulders.
Bridget and Rob were nowhere to be seen and I wasn’t sure if I should ask after them or not. There was only one human in the room and she sat on a small footstool beside her vampire, her hazel eyes large and tragic. She was beautiful, with a long, graceful neck, her dark
hair elaborately braided and sparkling with jeweled pins to coil it atop her head. The vampire was handsome in the classic sense, but there was a cruel twist to his lips I didn’t care for. Even from across the room, I heard him berating her in a cold voice, and I could practically hear the way her heart fluttered and quaked in response. What was going on there?
“Would ya like something to drink?” Fisher asked, drawing my attention away from the couple.
“Oh, um… yes, I’ll have a sherry, please.” Not that I was a big drinker, but sherry seemed appropriate for the venue. The small exchange drew the attention of the jerky vampire, and I held my breath, hoping his gaze would move on. No such luck.
“You’re a new one.” There was something about the way he looked me over that made me want to scrub with a loofah and disinfectant. Still, I offered a polite smile.
“Yep, that’s me, the new kid on the block.”
“American. How nice for you.” His lip curled in thinly veiled disdain and I felt the urge to tell him to frak off.
“Of late, yes,” I said mildly, sticking to my cover story. “Originally from Austria though.”
“Like that’s any better,” he smirked over the rim of his glass.
Ugh, what a snob. “I’m sorry, who are you again?” I put the biggest dose of snooty b.i.t.c.h. I could manage into my voice.
His chest puffed out importantly. “Jasper Banes.”
“Never heard of you.” I turned and strode away, plucking the sherry glass out of Fisher’s fingers and downing it in one shot. Only the fact that I didn’t have to breath saved me from choking it all back up again, and I held very, very still until the urge to cough passed.
“Another?” Fisher asked with barely concealed amusement.
“No thanks, I’d better not. I’d hate to say something I’ll regret later.”
“Och, I was rather hoping ya would.” He took the empty glass from me and handed it off to a liveried servant with a tray. I noticed all of the servants were vampires themselves.
A little surprised to see Fisher hadn’t gone off on Order business once he’d delivered me to the hall, I couldn’t help but ask about it. “Thanks for bringing me down here. Do you have something else you need to go take care of?”
“Nae, Bishop asked me to remain near ya until he returned from town. Does that bother ya? I could just as easily stand over there.”
“No, it’s fine. I should have known,” I sighed, already used to Bishop’s paranoia. What did he think would happen to me in the middle of the mansion? “Do you know where my friends are?”
“They went out before sundown, they haven’t come back yet.”
“Oh, okay.” At least I knew she’d be safe with Rob instead of being undressed with Felix’s eyes. Speak of the devil, Felix and Thomas entered the hall, looking dapper in formal dress. Thomas made a beeline for me as soon as he saw me, with Felix following behind at a slower pace.
“Wow. I mean wow.” Thomas’ eyes goggled. “You look… doesn’t she look…?”
“You look like a million bucks,” Felix said with an appreciative smile.
“Ah… a thousand millions,” Thomas sputtered. “I have to have her on my arm, don’t you think, Felix? That’ll really show them. Can I have her on my arm?”
Felix offered an apologetic nod. “She’s not a pet, Tommy. You have to ask the lady herself.”
“Oh, right. Miss Gudrun, would you do me the honor of honoring me with your presence?”
I wasn’t completely sure what he was asking me. “For how long?”
“To go pay our respects to the Warden,” Felix said quickly. “He’s not asking you to go steady or nothing.”
“Oh, sure, that would be fine,” I agreed. I was curious to meet the guy anyway. “Please excuse me,” I said to Fisher who nodded and took a step backwards. Taking hold of Thomas’ arm, I wondered if I’d made the right decision when he sort of giggle/snorted at my touch. I let out a long breath and offered him a faint smile, hoping for the best.
“Watch me do my bit,” he spoke out of the side of his mouth as we approached the Warden in the corner of the room. “Greetings, Simon Corley, Warden of the Vetis Lands. May your House prosper under the Sister Moon.” Thomas spoke in a loud, theatrical voice, surprising me with the formality and I dipped into a quick curtsey to match his half bow to the man in the chair.
Inclining his head in kind, Corley replied just as formally. “Greetings, Thomas Lyons, Elder of the Western Lands. May your House never know hunger.”
Wait… Thomas was the Elder? How had I missed that before? I’d thought the Warden was the Elder but apparently they were two separate titles. How in the seven levels of Hell had such a goober ever managed to rise to that position of power?
“Thanks for granting me an audience on such short notice. We have oodles to talk about.” Thomas broke into a wide smile, which was not shared by the Warden of Vetis. When the man spoke, it was slowly, as if weighing each word carefully.
“I am pleased to offer the same courtesy you have shown me in the past. Though I believe your… oodles should wait for a more private venue.” Though his tone was mild, I felt an undercurrent of something… censure, if not out and out disdain. I kept quiet, waiting to see what would happen next.
“Right, yeah, of course,” Thomas readily agreed. “We can do it later, right Felix?”
“Not too much later.” His brother met Corley’s gaze unflinchingly.
“I can’t wait.” The reply came, rife with sarcasm. Did everyone hate Americans, or just us in particular? “And who, pray tell, is your lovely companion?”
Uh oh…
Chapter Ten
His dark gaze moved from Felix to me and I felt the weight of those eyes as an almost tangible thing.
“Allow me to present Miss Anja Gudrun. Am I saying that right?” Thomas whispered, and I nodded faintly, unable to look away from the hawk-like stare of the Warden of Vetis.
“Miss Gudrun,” Corley inclined his head and I bobbed accordingly. I was getting pretty good at the Regency bob. “Very pretty indeed. It strikes me as curious that we have not met before. Or am I mistaken?” Such a simple question, but I imagined I heard all manner of accusation in his voice. Somehow, I managed a faint smile.
“No, you’re right. I’ve never spent much time in England before and it’s been quite some time since I left the States.”
“But you are not from there originally.”
“No, I was born in Austria.”
“Und, vermissen sie ihre heimat?”
“What did he say?” Thomas asked, deep furrows appearing on his brow.
Thank God I’d studied up on my German. “He asked if I missed my homeland. No, not particularly. Home is where the heart is, which is why I’ve finally come to visit your beautiful land.”
“Hast du dein herz für diese ein?” His gaze settled upon Thomas with scorn.
“No, I already gave it to someone worthy,” I smiled wider. “I believe you know him as Bishop.”
“Ah, Bishop, of course.” Understanding dawned in Corley’s eyes. “It was good of you to lend him to us in our time of need.”
What the heck did he mean by that? “And… if I should want him back?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Perhaps that is a negotiation best left to another time.”
“As you wish, I am at your disposal.” I inclined my head again, falling into the formal rhythm.
Corley’s frosty smile returned, acting every inch the genial host. “I invite you to hunt in my domain and I offer you sanctuary come the dawn.”
There was probably some form of proper response to that, but I had no idea what it was supposed to be. “I accept your kind offer of hospitality.”
“Speaking of hospitality, is it too early to get our drink on?” Thomas grinned, and that time I didn’t imagine the annoyance that flicked over Corley’s face.
“Of course.” He rose from his chair. “Please, sit. I have been remiss in my duties as a host.
Miss Gudrun, allow me to escort you to a chair.” Thomas pouted as though someone had stolen his favorite toy, and I shot him a sympathetic look as I took Corley’s arm.
He led us to the central seating group in front of the fireplace, unfortunately next to the snobby vampire and his human girl. Settling me into a chair, his hand lingered on mine as he studied Jakob’s ring on my finger. I hardly thought twice about wearing it anymore; I hadn’t taken it off once since he’d put it on my hand. To even think about removing it made me feel uncomfortable.
“A lovely piece. I’ve not seen its equal in some time.”
“Thank you, it was a gift from my Sire. Perhaps you knew her, her name was Carys?”
“Carys, never heard of her.” Jasper’s eyes flashed at me malevolently as he tossed my own words back in my face.
“You’d do well to keep a civil tongue in your head when speaking of your betters,” Corley snapped, and I was gratified to see Jasper visibly pale. Boy, I never wanted the guy to talk to me that way! The Warden’s face softened as he turned back to me. “Yes, I knew her well. She was a great favorite of Sylvius’. I see now why you chose to remain apart from your brothers for so long.”
Brothers? Oh man, was my list of questions for Bishop growing! I had no idea what to say to that and wished I had a drink in hand to stall for time. “She spoke of him fondly,” I replied, hoping it wasn’t too much of a lie.
“Yes,” Corley said, his expression unreadable. “We shall have something to drink,” he called out louder and almost instantly servants stepped forth, a decanter on one tray and crystal glasses on the other.
“Hot diggity dog,” Thomas rubbed his hands together in anticipation, eyeing the tray with hunger. I was prepared to accept the drink, maybe even take a polite sip, but the moment the servant first poured out, I realized it wasn’t wine at all.
It was blood.
My fangs slid out in response, and I took a long moment to recover as I noticed none of the other vamps in the room reacted so strongly, sipping at the drink as though it was a fine wine to be savored. I wanted to taste it in the worst way, but what if it triggered a feeding frenzy?
