Blood, Smoke and Mirrors
Page 14
“Wow,” I said numbly.
“Am I good or what?” Portia grinned, and I nodded in mute agreement. “We should do something about the glasses.”
“Don’t touch the glasses.”
“But they don’t ma-”
“You’re not touching the glasses.” With my luck she’d accidentally screw up the prescription and I’d spend the night stumbling around half blind.
“Fine. Okay, now we just need to do your hair, and I was thinking maybe a diamond and ruby choker with matching drop earrings, and I have such perfect perfume, you have no idea, and a matching evening bag studded with crystals…”
The music floated up around me as I approached the grand ballroom, and I paused at the unique combination of snow falling indoors mixed with a multitude of small, crystalline spheres that waved and danced in the air like soap bubbles blown by a child on a summer’s day. They caught the soft light and reflected it in rainbow patterns throughout the hall. As always it was cold, and I wished Portia had thought to add a wrap of some sort to my ensemble.
I almost felt like Cinderella about to enter the ball as I walked down the stairs, but there were too many important differences keeping me from embracing that story. This party was held in my honor, and I already had a place here, a home. I wasn’t a poor scullery maid looking to escape her dreary life-not that my life was glamorous, but it’d certainly been exciting the past few days.
I needed the support of my clan, and I needed their protection from the vamps that wanted to tear my throat out before I could become Titania. The purpose of this party was politics, and the fact that a guardian with a sexy southern drawl was probably somewhere on the other side of those huge double doors meant nothing to me. Honest.
Standing straight and proud, I approached the doors and breezed through them confidently when they swung open for me. The room was beautiful, as expected-the Silverleafs don’t do anything halfway. More falling snow and crystal bubbles floated overhead, mixed with multicolored balls of light that darted to and fro in time with the music. Though they have a love of all varieties of music, a classical selection had been picked for the occasion, a symphony of strings, reeds and percussion instruments weaving together to form an entrancing waltz. Not my typical style of music, though I do have an appreciation for some classical pieces.
A woman in a rich purple gown glided up to me, her face lit with a bright smile, and it took me a moment to recognize Portia without her wings. The confusion must have shown on my face, and she giggled at me.
“They ruined the line of the dress so I took them off,” she explained as she took my arm. “The wings get in the way when I’m dancing too. I’ll put them back on later.”
“Oh. Well, that makes sense then.”
With Portia on my arm I surveyed the room. A large percentage of the clan had decided to attend, both full-blood faeries and mixed blood mortals like myself, creating a virtual sea of glittering finery that moved and hummed with excitement. There were several familiar faces in the crowd, but I continued scanning it until I realized what I was doing and then mentally kicked myself for looking for Lex. Apparently he was still upset, and a cold knot of guilt formed in my gut. Yeah, he should’ve told me what was going on, but it couldn’t have been easy watching a vampire paw at the woman he’d spent the night before with.
Pretending everything was all right in the world, I allowed Portia to lead me around the room. I smiled, I laughed, I chatted, I nodded, and smiled some more. I danced when asked, and eventually sat down and had a glass of wine with a circle of Portia’s friends, listening to their gossip.
I didn’t enjoy myself. My eyes kept wandering over the crowd, looking for a long black coat and listening for a familiar drawl. The tension caused the urge for a cigarette to loom larger and larger in my mind, until finally I decided to sneak outside for a smoke.
The faeries wouldn’t have cared if I smoked indoors. I could’ve smoked an entire pack like a virtual chimney in the middle of the room and it wouldn’t have fazed them. Faeries are immune to disease, so they had no worries of cancer from secondhand smoke. But I’m used to living in a world where smokers are right up there on the popularity list with lepers and felons, so when I feel the need to light up I find somewhere to hide. Excusing myself, I slipped out of the ballroom and then outside into the courtyard.
The moon hung high above in the night sky, and I took a moment to stop and stare. There aren’t as many stars in my neighborhood, where the constant light from the city drowns them out. My first night in Faerie I spent hours just staring up, mesmerized by the sight of all those stars and how large and bright the moon was. The moon is important to me and my magic. It’s the second tarot card I wear tucked in the band of my top hat, the planet that rules my sign of the zodiac, Cancer. Now it was a bright, shiny reminder that the full moon was approaching, and the time left before the third test was running out.
Ducking into a shadowed archway, I dug my pack out of my tiny handbag and grabbed a cigarette. My hands shook from the cold as I reached for my lighter and fumbled with it. This was the replacement for the one that had exploded in my hand, and I hadn’t broken it in yet. I have a love/hate relationship with my lighters: I love to smoke, they hate to light. The long gloves weren’t helping matters either.
“Sure you’re allowed to use one of those after what happened last time?”
I glanced up to spot Lex as he wandered toward me across the courtyard. Under his long black coat he wore a black button-down shirt tucked into black slacks. He would have blended right in to the darkness if the moonlight hadn’t been so strong. I gave him a dry look as I continued to fight with the lighter, and then the flame finally caught, allowing me to light my cigarette.
“We’re safe as long as no vamps try to jump us,” I assured him after I took a long drag.
“Then I guess there’s nothin’ to worry about. Didn’t your fairy godmother think to give you a coat?” He slipped his duster off and draped it over my shoulders. The coat was heavy, and I resisted the urge to poke through it and search for hidden pockets and concealed weapons.
“No, and she’ll freak out if she sees me in something that doesn’t match this outfit.”
“You look beautiful.”
“It’s not bad.” I brushed self-consciously at my gown. “Though I think I’m going to buy Portia a set of Barbies so she’ll play dress up with someone else next time.”
We stood together in strained silence for several moments as I smoked my cigarette, and then he finally spoke up again. “Smoking is bad for you, you know.”
“I know. I tried to quit. A few times. Besides, trying to become Titania’s been bad for me too, and yet I signed up for that.”
“You’ll be good at it.”
“Should I live that long, I suppose,” I replied, trying to sound flippant about my imminent demise.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” The sincerity in his gaze sent a tingle down my spine, and I nodded.
“I know you won’t. I’m a big girl though, I can take care of myself. More or less.” Trailing off, I itched at the side of my throat with my free hand, remembering the sharp slice of fangs piercing my skin. “Lex, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what would happen.”
“You should’ve left Simon’s lair when I asked you to.” He scowled and pointed an accusing finger at me for emphasis.
“My problem, my responsibility.” I exhaled a long stream of smoke in his direction, and he waved it away in annoyance.
“It was my idea to bring you there, the payment was mine to make.”
My face turned nine shades of red as I blushed, and I was thankful for the concealing darkness of night to hide it. I ground out the cig under my ridiculously impractical high-heeled shoe and immediately lit up another smoke. “So it’s okay if the big, bad vampire molests you but not me? Forgive me if I’m not convinced by that.”
“He wouldn’t have done that to me. I’d already agreed on terms with him.”
I blinked, not understanding. “Wouldn’t have done what to you?”
Lex sighed, folding his arms across his chest. “It’s my fault, what he did to you-I should’ve been more careful in namin’ conditions, but I never thought you’d volunteer to be bitten. Vampires-and chroniclers-can vary the pain or pleasure in their bite. Simon wouldn’t’ve made me experience what you did, because he’s not attracted to men, so I didn’t think to mention it when I agreed on the price. He bespelled you in order to hurt me. I’m sorry. You’re right, I should’ve told you what the price was.”
“Wait a second, he did it to hurt you?” I blurted in disbelief. “I’m the one who got molested, how did that hurt you?”
Stepping away from his spot in the doorway, Lex moved toward me, almost pinning me against the wall. He snatched the half-finished second cigarette out of my hand and flicked it out into the middle of the courtyard. Frozen and wide-eyed, I stared up at him, and he placed a gentle hand upon my cheek and ran his thumb across my lips.
“It did,” he said, his voice low and strained. “What happened to you was my fault. Just like…it was my fault you were attacked that night. I should’ve been there. I was going to stop by the café, drive you home, but I got a call. If I’d been there, I could’ve done something.”
My heart sank-I’d never thought of it that way. “Lex, it wasn’t your fault. You know my neighborhood, it could’ve happened at any time. You couldn’t be there all the time.”
“I wanted to be.”
Swallowing nervously, I struggled for something to say as I tried to decipher his expression, but my thought process ended when Lex kissed me.
I closed my eyes as he drew me into his arms. One of Lex’s hands slid up my back beneath his borrowed coat, while the other tangled in the upswept mass of curls Portia had styled my hair into. My hands rested against his chest as he pressed me close to him, and I moaned low in my throat. Lex made a noise in response that sounded surprisingly like a growl, and it startled me enough that I pulled away from him.
“Catherine,” he whispered against my ear. As he trailed kisses down the side of my throat it triggered a sudden flashback to the sensations of being bitten, and I tensed in reflex. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, misreading my reaction.
“For what? Kissing me? Don’t apologize for that. I’m still a li’l annoyed about the macho ‘I should’ve fed the vampire’ thing, but the kissing I won’t complain about.”
Encouraged by my words, he grinned and then kissed me again, long and thorough, until I was so intoxicated by the feeling that it made me weak in the knees, and I had to tighten my grip on the front of his shirt to steady myself. With my gown and my high-heeled shoes I felt a bit like a girl who’d snuck away from the prom in order to make out with the school bad boy under the bleachers.
Oblivious to everything but Lex, I lost track of time. I’m not sure how long we stood there in the archway.
“Is your room close?” Lex asked when we pulled away from each other.
“Fairly.”
“How ’bout you give me a tour?”
“I suppose I could arrange that.”
Taking Lex’s hand, I led him through the castle to my bedroom, doing my best to appear calm and collected on the way there. When we arrived Lex shut the door behind us and glanced around the room. “Nice. Bigger than mine.”
“The benefits of being family.” I set my evening bag down on the dressing table. My heart beat wildly, though I knew there was no good reason for it-I wasn’t a virgin, this wasn’t our first time. “I believe this is yours.” Slipping the coat off, I held it out to him, and he grinned as he took it and nonchalantly tossed it to the side. The coat landed on the floor with a muffled thunk, and I laughed, shaking my head in amusement.
“I don’t think I’ll be needin’ that.”
Peeling off the long gloves, I plopped them on top of the bag, flexing my fingers once they were free. Coming up behind me, Lex slid his arms around my waist and nibbled the back of my bare neck. Impatient, he spun me around to face him and kissed me long and hard.
I nudged him away, needing to catch my breath, and decided to take the opportunity to remove his shirt. One by one I undid his buttons and tugged the garment out of his pants. Pushing the shirt off his shoulders, he moved his arms to let it fall to the floor behind us. Reaching up, I freed his hair from the tie that held it back, and it hung loose around his shoulders. Immediately wrapping his arms around me again, he slid his hands up the back of my gown and then paused.
“I’m not sure how Portia got me into this dress. I have no idea how to get out.”
“Hmm. Hold extra still, sugar,” he warned. I frowned, and he drew a knife from the sheath on his belt and promptly sliced a long cut down the back of the gown, through the lacing of the corset underneath. “Sorry, but I don’t have time to find the manual.” Lex tugged both garments off, leaving a pool of scarlet silk around my feet as I stood in nothing but a pair of lacy red panties and the evil high-heeled shoes.
“Fine, I’ll blame you then when Portia looks for someone to murder for ruining her dress.”
“I think she’ll agree it was worth the sacrifice.”
Stepping out of the dress, I kicked the shoes aside and grabbed the buckle of Lex’s belt, dragging him back toward the bed. He nudged me back a bit as I sat on the edge, and I scooted toward the pillows. Before I was out of his reach, Lex took hold of the panties, sliding them off as I moved.
Stretched across the bed, I laid my head back among the pillows and moaned as Lex kissed a line up my inner thigh. One hand caressed its way up across my stomach and fondled my breast as his mouth teased the edge of my sex. I gasped, squirming slightly in anticipation as I felt the warm pressure of his tongue parting my lips. Lex moaned against me as he licked and nibbled at my clit. Arching my back, I ran my fingers through his hair as he tormented me with his tongue. A sharp wave of pleasure surged through me, and I cried out.
Lex drew away, and when I managed to catch my breath I grabbed his shoulders and tugged him upward. I kissed him, slow and savoring, feeling the heat of his body close to mine. I fumbled with the buckle of his belt, and managed to unzip his pants. Lex tried to tug both his pants and boxer briefs off at the same time, which really didn’t work well at the awkward angle he was in as he hovered over me. I smirked, shaking my head, and he grinned.
“Hold that thought.” Moving to the side of the bed, he quickly stood and removed the rest of his clothes. I ran my eyes over his naked body appreciatively-he really was all muscle, sleek and toned like a swimmer. Shivering from a combination of anticipation and the chill of the room, I ducked beneath the covers, and Lex joined me. As he lay beside me I ran my hands up and down his body in a slow caress. Reaching up, I drew Lex to me and kissed him, sliding my other arm around him as he moved to hover above me.
My arms encircling him, I watched him with a mixture of eagerness and anxiety. Lex gazed down at me, his eyes dark with desire. I could feel the hard length of him poised to enter me, and I shivered. He paused, and without a word thrust into me hard and deep.
“Lord and Lady,” I gasped.
He moved slowly at first, a careful pace that allowed us both to savor the experience. Lex murmured endearments to me in French, and I had only a vague notion of what he was saying. It didn’t really matter, because the sound of his voice alone was enough. He began to quicken his thrusts, and I matched his pace. Lex kissed me hungrily, as though he would devour me, and I felt an overwhelming wave of climax building.
I writhed beneath him, wanton and eager, until I let out a scream of ecstasy. My heart raced, and I let the sensations wash over me as we both slowed. He glided in and out of me with a lazy rhythm, enjoying my every whimper and sigh. Then when he decided I’d recovered enough, Lex pulled me even closer to him. This time he was relentless, and I came twice before he lost control. Shuddering and gasping he filled me, my name almost a prayer on his lips as Lex collapsed forward onto my chest.
Caressing my cheek, he kissed me softly. “I love you, Cat.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I blinked back tears. There was a small part of me that still wanted to hate him forever for handing me over to the witches’ council, but I couldn’t. “I love you too. You know, I think this may be the best party I’ve ever been to.”
Lex laughed, and then grinned. “Night’s young, Cat. There’s plenty of party left.”
Chapter Eleven
“Why do you own a sword if you have no idea how to use it?” Lex asked as I missed stabbing the practice dummy by at least three feet.
Dusting myself off, I raised my chin indignantly and glared at him. “Because it’s a ritual tool, and it’s not meant to spill blood other than mine. It’s a symbol, not a weapon.”
Lex and Tybalt turned to each other and sighed, both muttering, “Witches,” in the same disappointed tone of voice.
“Hey!” I scowled. “It’s not a bad thing to try to do no harm.”
“Not when there’s a hundred or so vampires out lookin’ to end you, darlin’,” Lex argued, and I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t see how this is going to help prevent that.” Waving the rapier in a series of swishing arcs, I eyed it dubiously. It wasn’t the most intimidating weapon I’d ever laid eyes on. I’d feel more secure with a claymore, except for the tiny detail that I couldn’t lift one. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but the rapier was faster and less likely to unbalance me.
Sure, I was safe behind my shields-as long as I remained conscious. A determined vampire could sit and wait for hours, even days, for me to pass out from exhaustion, and though I’d been bending the rules of witchcraft lately, I wasn’t about to start lobbing around fireballs like a sorcerer. I didn’t think I could even if I wanted to. With that in mind, Lex and Tybalt decided to teach me how to properly use a sword. Though really there was nothing proper about my technique, as I had all the grace of a dying wildebeest. It didn’t help that my muscles were already aching to begin with, from activities that had nothing to do with self-defense and were far more enjoyable.