by Misty Evans
He was right. “Let’s get this show on the road then.”
Maddy handed me a black lynx fur coat that had been stuffed in one of my closets along with the Versace dress Lilith had stolen. Damon took it from her outstretched hand and held it open for me. “Allow me.”
The heavy wood smoke scent enveloped me once more. There was a flicker of something I couldn’t quite name in Damon’s eyes again.
Merde. It was going to be a long night.
Slipping my arms into the coat, I asked, “Where’s Rad?”
Cole smirked. “Guitar Boy said there was something he had to do. Left about an hour ago.”
My heart sank. Guess I knew he wouldn’t walk into a nest of vampires, but still, it rankled that he’d deserted me.
JR shuffled in. There were dark shadows under his eyes and his shoulders sagged more than usual. “Hey, boss. You need me tonight?”
“When was the last time you slept, JR?”
He slanted his attention to the ceiling, wiggled fingers as he counted back the hours. “Couple of days.”
Loyalty was a priceless thing. I wanted to send him home, but Toel was still on the loose. I expected he’d be busy with me at the coronation, but the damn vamp had showed me up one too many times. “We’ll be gone most of the night. Grab a blanket and a pillow out of the upstairs linen closet and get some sleep. After tonight, things should get back to normal and you’ll be safe at home and at Sweet Investigations.”
He yawned and dug a piece of paper out of his pocket. “Rad asked me to give you this.”
I took the note while the others put on their coats. Rad’s familiar, elegant handwriting took my breath away. The last note I’d had from him had been in Rome all those years ago, the words professing his undying love. Was this another love note?
Not hardly. The message was short and sweet and entirely confusing.
Watch your back at the coronation tonight. When things go bad, get out. RB.
I fixated on his initials, caressing the end of my whip absentmindedly. There was no Love, RB. No See ya later, RB. Just RB. All business.
When things go bad…what did that mean?
The answer whispered in my head. Bad equaled Noctifectors.
Rad was bringing a group of Nocts to wipe out the vamps.
I whirled around and faced Damon. He was watching me with a keen interest, and for a heartbeat I wondered if he was reading my mind. “Where is the coronation taking place?”
“Carpathia in Lake Forest. Their upper level managers all live there.”
The Carpathia house was the region’s private Undead hangout. A mansion that made Nudra’s place look like a Barbie house. Uber private…most of the supernatural world didn’t even know where it was located. Hell, I didn’t know exactly where it was. “Did you give Rad the address?”
“No. Why?”
The Noctifectors probably knew the address. I waved him off, another thought surfacing. “Nudra didn’t live there. He had two other residences. A condo downtown and that mansion outside of Naperville.”
Damon shrugged, glanced at the paper in my hand and gave me a questioning lift of one dark brow. “Nudra bucked the system and did what he wanted most of the time. But he did stay in Lake Forest at least half of every month as dictated by vampire canon.”
Vampire canon. What else did it dictate? I was sure I didn’t want to know. “I’m not living in some prissy vamp house in Lake Forest two weeks out of every month.”
Damon heard the teeth in my statement. Decided not to push it. “Duly noted.”
There were three black, aggressive-looking SUVs waiting in the parking lot for us. My Land Rover and a couple of caddies. I’d kind of expected limos from the way the Council was dressed, but I preferred what was there. Like my charcoal lined eyes, the three SUVs would make the right statement. Sophisticated with a don’t mess with us edge.
The sleet had stopped and a fingernail moon shown in the sky. As we hustled out to the waiting vehicles, drivers dressed in black suits and black caps opened doors for us. Lower level demons, they were accustomed to servicing the Bridge Council and did so with blank faces and skilled hands.
Maddy climbed into my Land Rover and I passed Victoria off to Damon. He gave me a don’t be ridiculous look. “You ride with me. We have strategy to discuss about tonight. Things you need to know.”
Cole stepped to my side. “Then I ride with you too.”
Damon shook his head. “Kali will be safe with me. You ride with the two vampires.”
Victoria’s head went back and forth, watching the verbal tennis match with interest.
Cole put his hands on his hips. “I’m Kali’s bodyguard. I don’t leave her side.”
“Boys.” I held up a hand and stepped between them, facing Damon. “I have a strategy, thank you, and I’m riding with Cole and Maddy.”
Victoria seemed pleased with my decree and sidled up to Damon, looping her arm with his. Witch or vamp, she was drawn to power. I couldn’t wait to put her in a room with Toel.
Damon drew a patient breath. Pressure filled my head. You owe me, demon.
I was pretty sure sending Lilith back to hell had me way up in the who-owed-who department.
Pissing match over, Cole and I climbed into the backseat of my Land Rover. Maddy rode up front. As the driver pulled out of the lot, I handed Cole Rad’s note.
Using the overhead light, he read it. Read it again. Looked out the window in thought.
“What does it mean?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“Guitar Boy knows something we don’t.” He looked at me, suspicion evident on his face. “Anything you want to tell me?”
That’s when I should have confessed my insider knowledge. Told my bodyguard the truth about the tattoo between Rad’s shoulder blades. “Like what?”
“What your boyfriend does in his spare time?”
“He’s a singer in a rock band. I assume the old axiom is true. Drugs, group sex and hotel room trashing.”
He held my gaze for a long moment before looking away. We rode the rest of the way in silence, the trust we’d established over the past two days strung taut.
Chapter Forty-four
Like mansions everywhere, the Lake Forest vampire house was ostentatious. Once our IDs were checked and names crossed off the visitor list, a gate opened and allowed us onto the grounds. Victoria and Maddy were allowed in as my special guests.
Bilateral symmetry, check. Veranda covering the front porch, check. Rotunda domes flanking the ends, arches and columns, check and check. A water fountain spouting blood colored water in the front. Gross.
Undead guards stood at the French doors. They didn’t make eye contact, but both murmured “queen” under their breaths as they allowed me to pass. The single word rang with sarcasm.
The entry hall was marbled, two story with a giganto chandelier that would crush multiple vamps if I severed the chain holding it. Double staircases book-ended the foyer, and as I looked up, I saw stars twinkling through a skylight.
We were greeted by Undead servants in dark suits who took our coats with downcast eyes. The French doors to the grand ballroom were closed, but there was no noise coming from the other side. Fresh blood and grave dirt scents accosted my nose. The most prestigious vamps in the Central United States were on the other side of the walnut doors, waiting for us.
In utter silence.
Trap, my gut said. My brain echoed the sentiment.
I grabbed Damon’s forearm right as two male servants prepared to open the doors. “I don’t like this.”
He patted the top of my hand. “The Bridge Council will be with you every step of the way.”
He thought I was worried about myself. In reality, I was worried about all of us. Inviting the leaders of Chicago’s Bridge Council here under the guise of crowning me queen suddenly seemed like the best underhanded plan I’d heard of in a while. We were sitting ducks.
Before I could state the obvious, Damon’s voice filled my
head. Show no fear. Act like an equal.
How did he know my mantras?
I didn’t have time to figure it out. The servants threw open the doors and the oldest one, looking severe and gaunt in his tux, made an announcement. “The vampire queen-elect of the Central United States.”
The grand ballroom sported multiple chandeliers hanging from a two-story ceiling, stone walls, marble floors and a fireplace large enough three people could stand upright in it. A hundred or more vamps stood around in groups, dressed in their finest duds with crystal glasses of blood in hand. They turned their gazes to us, taking me in before they bowed their heads, fell back to open a path to the front of the room and repeated in unison, “my queen.”
Standing at the front, one male’s head—covered with thick brown hair and jelled to messy perfection—didn’t bow. The glass the male vamp held was filled with bubbly champagne rather than blood. His gaze ignored my entourage, his eyes instead doing a slow slide up my legs with heart-stopping intensity. They followed the shape of my hips, skipping over the gathered tulle at my stomach and landing on my cleavage. He scanned my whip bracelet, the muscles in my arms, the pulse beating at the base of my throat.
Finally, he raised his gaze to meet my dark-rimmed eyes, giving me a full-on challenge.
My perusal of him was quicker, less blatant, and more about his weaponry than his body proportions, although those were quite nice. Black leather was his choice du jour from the jacket to the pants and barely concealed the line of the sword he carried at his waist. His feet were encased in thick black boots, steel toed no doubt, and a wide belt with two rows of sharp studs—similar to the ones on my special-made enforcer boots—hugged his waist. A plain white t-shirt peeked out from under his leather jacket and was most likely the only piece of clothing on his body not concealing a weapon.
He regarded me with a mix of rebellion and magnetism. It wasn’t a glamour, just the stature of a confident vamp very high up in the food chain with a chip on his shoulder. He could have been trying out for axe man in the Chaos Demons or one of the endless pretty actors who appeared on the CW or ABC Family TV shows.
“Your new queen has arrived. Finally,” he added in a tone of mock regard. His deep voice echoed off the stones. “And she is a double rainbow of demon, isn’t she folks?”
That’s Alexandru, Damon said. One of Vlad’s sons. Weapons expert and Carpathia House Master and protector.
Weapons expert. That explained the armor. Master and protector of the house explained the attitude. Impertinent little vamp.
Damon chuckled beside me. Make nice, Kali.
I snorted. This could only be described as one of my worst nightmare—being the center of attention in a room full of Undead and expected to treat them nice.
Worse, I found Alexandru likable and not just because he was a pretty boy. The renegade attitude was done to perfection. from his clothes to his bored, half-lidded eyes and deriding tone of voice. A vamp, yes, but an interesting one.
Releasing Damon’s arm, I signaled Cole to stay put and sent Alexandru a calculating smile. I strolled toward him, and as I did so, the watching vamps on each side of me, dropped one by one to their knees, reminding me of a crowd of sports fans doing a reverse wave. As they bent down, they murmured “my queen” again under their collective breath. Apprehension and reluctant respect rolled off them as I continued my approach to Alexandru.
The only ones who didn’t show respect were three males standing to one side. Toel’s buddies from the previous night. Apparently, they’d forgotten their vows to me already. Guess I’d have to teach them a lesson before the sun rose.
I stopped directly in front of Alexandru and tipped up my chin. He gave me a curious return stare, waiting to see what I was going to say or do. Not wanting to leave him in suspense, I plucked the champagne glass out of his hand and took an exaggerated, lingering sip.
His eyes widened ever so slightly, his magic reaching out to tease mine. It was strong and virile, clawing at the cage surrounding it. The cage, however, secure, reminding me of my own cage and demon.
Hmm. What would it take to make him lose control?
Licking my lips, I loosed my magic, letting it reach out and play with his. His pupils expanded, grew darker. Ah, yes, there it was. Lust. Desire. Power. Those things I could manipulate with or without magic.
I swirled the champagne in the glass, bubbles rising to the top in a frenzy. “I appreciate the warm welcome, Dru.”
The use of a nickname, probably one he hated, got him. But he didn’t get mad as I’d expected. Instead he gave me a cocky, pulse-skipping grin and lowered his voice. “I’ll show you my weapons if you show me yours.”
I gave him my Bambi eyes. “What weapons?”
His grin widened. He raised his voice for all to hear. “The queen-elect wishes you all to return to your drinks and conversation until the midnight hour.”
Murmurs rose around us as the Undead did as instructed, reforming into groups intent on gossiping and drinking. Alexandru and I stayed eye-locked in a mental show down. From the corner of my eyes, I saw vamps shooting us curious stares. Toel’s minions glared openly.
In my head, Damon chastised me. I said play nice, not undermine Alexandru’s power in front of his house.
This was why I hated Damon looking over my shoulder in the field. He understood power in the political arena he worked in inside the Institute’s walls. Street power was a foreign language. But it was a language I was quite comfortable with, especially when it came to a hard-ass vamp who needed a little challenge in his life.
However, I wasn’t up for a mental showdown with Damon in the midst of this foray. I wanted him off my back and the best way to do that was to act the humble employee. Sorry, boss. I’ll make nice now.
There was more grumbling in my head, and then he told me he and the rest of the Council had been asked to meet in private with Vlad, Rafael and Juliana. The Prince of the Undead was staying in his chambers until the official ceremony. They’d be upstairs for an hour or so.
Behave yourself, he added. You represent the Bridge Council.
I represented the Council, but not enough to know the secret handshake that got me into their meeting. And so much for him staying with me every step of the way.
Be careful, I told him, miffed that I wasn’t invited and concerned that being in this house surrounded by vampires was still a bad, bad idea.
He told me not to worry and the Damon-invoked pressure in my head cleared.
I was still invading Dru’s space and should have broken eye contact and stepped back, but he was so damn cute, I couldn’t resist. His magic continued to tease mine, which I rather liked.
The grin on his face teased me as well. “Nice play, demon, but I do have to ask you to surrender your weapons.”
“No dice.” I sipped the champagne. It was the real stuff, not just sparkling wine. “This is delicious.”
“The devil’s wine,” he said, retrieving the glass and taking a drink. There was something intimate about the way he sipped from the opposite side, his gaze never leaving mine. “I imagine you have a refined palate for the stuff.”
“I grew up in the Roman Empire at the feet of Queen Maria. My refined palate is thanks to her, not the devil.”
He gave a tilt of his head. “Touché.” Handing me the glass, he snapped his fingers at a passing servant who hustled over to refill it. “Now, about your weapons.”
Cole wormed his way closer, Maddy his petite shadow. “I never go anywhere unarmed.”
“You’re safe here. No one will harm the queen-elect.”
“I’m not worried about the vamps in this room.” That was a lie, but he didn’t need to know my imagination was running wild with worst-case scenarios. “I’m worried about outside intruders.”
“You have enemies who would breach the House of Carpathia to get to you?”
“Currently, Toel Chase heads my list of enemies. Not hard for him to breach your doorstep.”
&
nbsp; Dru’s hand went to his sword’s hilt. His fingers dug into the pommel.
No love lost between those two. That worked to my advantage. “He’s caused me quite a bit of grief in the past few days, killed a Bridge employee, and his last message was a direct threat to my life.”
Another squeeze of the pommel. “He will be dealt with after the coronation. You have my word.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“Let’s walk, shall we? I’ll show you the house’s security. It’ll make you feel safer.”
Didn’t answer my question. Irritating, but I allowed him to take my elbow and guide me through the throng of people.
Magic buzzed from his fingertips into my skin. A pleasant sensation set up camp in my stomach.
Cole and Maddy fell in step behind us. Dru leaned over, lips close to my ear. “We’re being stalked.”
“My bodyguard and assistant.”
“Even with a bodyguard, you carry your own weapons?”
“How do you know I’m carrying?”
He squeezed my elbow and a zing of magic laced its way up my arm. “X-ray vision.”
Right. “A man of many talents.”
“Many,” he agreed with a smirk.
The crowd parted before us and the vamps bowed again. I took it in stride. This time, there was less resistance in the air as I passed. Apparently, Dru’s acceptance earned a bit of respect.
Approaching the doors, I noticed Victoria standing by herself, chewing on a fingernail.
“Do you have anyone who might take a newly turned vamp under their wing?” I asked, motioning my chin at Vicky.
Dru hesitated a second, snapped his fingers at someone in the crowd. A female hurried over. He whispered in her ear and she went off to introduce herself to Vicky. The new vamp gave me a half-grateful look as we passed by. She was still pissed, but she was awed by the fancy digs and power radiating throughout the room. If she had to give up being a witch, this was the next best thing.
We moved into the foyer and Dru led me toward one of the matching grand staircases. “This is usually the point where my sire gives the history of the house and its significance to the Undead dynasty to visiting guests. Do you really care?”
