by Lora Edwards
“That is an awful tale. It is sad that there are those of our kind who prey on others. It is remarkable that he is not bitter or more hateful to all like us after such a tragedy.”
“Llewellyn is a special man. He has been a good friend to my grandfather for years. When I came back to the institute and the spell holding my powers back evaporated, allowing my memories to come flooding back, he was in some of my fondest ones. He is a kind and gentle soul.”
“Llewelyn is one of a kind, and it always pains me to see him so nervous,” Armand said, striding in the doorway with Victor not far behind. “I try to stay out of his way as much as possible. It is a crime what was done to his family, and let’s just say justice was served in that instance.” Armand’s eyes glittered coldly for a moment before warming as he smiled at Teagan. “My dear, what have you dug up for us? It looks as if you have been quite busy the past few days.” Armand surveyed the stacks of books and papers on the table.
“Yes, it has been a whirlwind, very tragic but so very fascinating.” She stood and waved her hand in the air as Armand and Victor took seats at the table beside Victoria. She felt the brush of his arm against hers and she shivered.
“I have put together a map of the modern world as we know it. The names of places have changed, but the land masses have not.” She waved her hand again, showing a mass of glowing purple lines over a flat map of the world. “You will notice there are places the countess has visited many times over the centuries.” Teagan again waved her hand and dots appeared. “These red dots mark places she has returned to over and over throughout the centuries.”
Victoria nodded, recognizing places the countess frequented: Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice. Exotic places with a romantic atmosphere were something the countess loved.
“The interesting thing to me is that none of these purple lines intersect the Eastern Bloc countries where the countess is originally from. She has, for all intents and purposes, stayed away from those areas.”
Vitoria spoke up to explain. “She does not kill in her homeland. Even one such as she has some morals. She was known as the Bloody Countess long before I knew her, but something happened and she vowed to not kill there. She has a fortress somewhere in that area. I was not allowed to go outside when we traveled there and the windows were covered in black cloth, but that place is her sanctuary, the place she would go to when her pursuers, as she called them, got too close.”
“I almost caught up with her a few times, and then she would vanish into thin air. That would explain why I couldn’t find her.” Victor leaned onto the table to get a closer look at the floating map.
“She never revealed who was chasing her, only describing them as pursuers. If I had known it was you, Victor, I would have tried to get word to you…” Victoria trailed off, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“There was no way for you to know, my Amora.” Victor caressed her cheek, tears forming in his own eyes. “If I had known she had turned you and was holding you hostage, I would have ripped the world apart to get to you.” Victoria felt her heart swell. She did not have any family anymore, all of them being long dead and buried. She had been content if not somewhat lonely living at the London house and working for the institute, and to have found Victor again was like finding a family.
She laid her cheek on his hand and just closed her eyes for a moment to let the fact that she was really there sink in, to absorb that Victor was there and at long last she had a semblance of a family again.
Sniffles caused her to look up at Teagan, who stood next to the map, tears streaming from her eyes. “I am sorry, that was just so beautiful, and I’m a sympathy crier.” After a deep breath, she continued. “Back to the briefing. That is something I would worry about—if you pursue her too long and too hard, she will head back for her bolthole and we will never be able to find her.”
“I don’t know many things I was rarely aloud out of my room and the servants never spoke to me.The little I overheard they sounded Slavic. They were loyal to her and well paid to keep her proclivities a secret. She never fed from them, never harmed any of them, and she gave them the chance to make a fine living, so they abided her rules religiously.”
“We need to make her think of it as a game. She appears to loves games. What do you think, chérie?” Armand turned to Victoria.
She thought on it for a minute then nodded, “Yes, Armand is correct. There is nothing more she likes than games, and especially if she feels she is in control and can scamper away when we get too close. If we do not press too hard, she may become careless. She has an immense ego and believes she cannot be caught.”
“She has reason to believe that is so—it has been hundreds of years that I have chased her in earnest and she has escaped me countless times,” Victor grumbled.
“She is a vampire with powers of a witch who had a safehouse we knew nothing about. Don’t be so hard on yourself, Victor. Now that we have Victoria to help us, we will be successful, and you can put this to rest.” Armand looked over at Victor’s downtrodden expression.
A rueful grin spread across his face. “The thing is, I have been consumed by my quest for many years, just as you have by this institute. A part of me is afraid to catch her, because then I will have to find another purpose for this immortal existence.”
Victoria reached over and stroked his arm. “You will find another purpose. It means more to me than I can say that you have spent centuries trying to avenge me. That I mean that much to you…it fills my heart.” Victoria choked out the last part.
Taking her hands in his, he looked into her eyes. “You were my family then and you are my family now. You are the smart, independent sister I have always wanted. You fill that place in my heart for family, and I would have avenged you until the final death if that were what was needed. Besides, what was I to do with all of the centuries? This was a noble cause.”
“You guys are killing me.”
Victor and Victoria looked over at Teagan, who had tears streaming down her face again.
“We are sorry, Teagan. We didn’t want you to cry.” Victoria smiled at her friend through her own tears.
“It’s okay. It is just so amazing how you love each other.”
Victor and Victoria smiled at each other again and then turned back to Teagan.
“No more emotional moments. We are ready to be better pupils.”
“I am holding you to that, Victoria.” Teagan pointed at her with a mock serious face. “Where was I? Oh yes, the countess. It would seem from the historical record that she mostly flounces around Europe leaving a trail of dead bodies in her wake until she feels threatened, and then she disappears off the map altogether. Here are some of the times I was able to document her disappearing from the historical record, or rather her crime sprees ceasing.” Teagan waved her hand again and a list of dates showed on the side of the map.
Victor nodded in confirmation. “That aligns with when I was close to catching her. Each of these times was when I was almost on top of her, and then she would just disappear into thin air.”
“Now we know why.”
The other three looked over at Armand. He had been quiet for several minutes, and they had almost forgotten he was present. Victoria looked at the impassive expression he wore, trying to read what he was thinking. Was he upset over the emotional display she and Victor had prompted? Some of their kind did not like overt displays of feeling or affection.
“Are you alright ” Victoria ventured, looking to see any crack in the facade.
Armand looked at her coolly. “Yes, chérie. Why would I not be?” He arched a brow in her direction, and her face immediately flamed red.
Victor chuckled on her other side, and Teagan watched, completely lost as to what was happening.
“Teagan, is there any other pertinent information you need to share? I have many things I need to ready before we make the trip,” Armand asked, his face still an impassive mask.
“Yes, sorry, you know me and my tangents
. Just one more thing—I have combed the recent historical record and there have not been any new crimes of this nature. So, she has either jumped back to the past and is wreaking havoc somewhere we’re not aware of yet, or she is still in France.”
“I would say she is still in France. If there is no heat, why would she leave? It is one of her favorite places.” Victoria spoke up, her face still burning with humiliation. Why was he being so cold to her?
“Then to France we must go. Thank you, Teagan. You have done a wonderful job, as always. I must go as there are things I need to see to.” Armand stood and left the room.
Victor chuckled and laid a hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “Do not let it get to you, my dear. He is just in one of his moods. He will come out of it soon enough.” He patted her shoulder one last time before leaving the two women alone.
Victoria crossed her arms on the table, laid her head on top of them, and groaned. “What was that all about? He was so warm when we went out yesterday evening—he even walked me to my door. Now today he is cold and impassive.”
Teagan shrugged. “Men—vampires, dragons, humans, or any other variety—are a mystery, but I know the antidote.” She looked at Victoria, eyes sparkling.
“You do?” Victoria looked at Teagan.
“Yes. It is called a girls night out.”
“Girls night out…this is a modern custom I am not aware of.”
“Well, not modern, per se. Women have been getting together and gossiping about men and life in one way or another for centuries, but don’t get me started on that topic—you will get a lecture for the ages. Let’s just say it will be a fun night out with drinks and friends.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“All right, I will round up the others and pick you up at your place at eight. Just wear something casual.” Teagan winked then waved her hand to make the map disappear, turning back to the stacks of books and papers on the table.
Victoria stood and looked at her watch; she had a few hours until this girls night was to happen. She would make her way back to her new apartment, soak in the deep clawfoot tub, and read for a while, all the while trying not to brood about Armand’s abrupt attitude change.
Chapter 9
By the time Teagan knocked on her door at eight on the dot, Victoria was feeling much better. She had soaked in the tub and had a brood then read one of the new books Teagan had lent her. She’d called the novel a contemporary romance, and Victoria had enjoyed the story. As a side benefit, she was learning a lot about modern culture and had decided she really needed to see a ranch and a cowboy at some point before returning to her own time.
“You ready to hit the road,” Teagan asked when Victoria opened the door.
“Hit what road?” Victoria frowned at her friend.
“Never mind, it just means let’s get this party started,” Ovidia exclaimed, reaching around Teagan to grab Victoria’s arm and pull her out of her apartment.
“Wait, Vid—I have something for her first.”
“Seriously, are you going to gift those things to everyone who comes to the institute? Is it part of the new welcoming package?”
Tegan ignored Ovidia’s sarcasm and handed a bag to Victoria.
“I know Vid took you to get a few things, but every girl needs some comfy clothes to curl up in with a book and a cup of hot chocolate.”
Victoria took the bag from Teagan and moved to set it on the table in the foyer of her apartment.
“Thank you, Teagan. You are most kind.”
Teagan tapped her foot and put her hands on her hips. “Aren’t you going to open it?”
“You want me to open it now,” Victoria asked, eyes wide at Teagan’s impatience.
“Oh, just do it, Victoria. We will be here all night waiting if you don’t, and I am ready to dance.” Ovidia rolled her eyes.
Victoria looked from one woman to the other and shrugged. “Well, all right.” She dipped her hand in the bag and brought out a strip of soft fabric. “Thank you, Teagan, but I think you may have underestimated my size.” Victoria looked at the material in her hand. It was soft and felt divine against her skin.
Teagan just laughed and snatched it from Victoria, holding it up to show her.
“It looks like some kind of tight something for a child, and they are covered in…” Victoria said, confused.
“Are those vampires? Teag, really? Are you getting everyone themed ones now?”
Teagan smiled smugly. “Yes, I am, and if I ever find some with a woman wielding a sword, you will be getting a pair.” She turned back to Victoria. “They’re leggings. They look small, but they stretch, and they are so comfortable and warm. They’re perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire and reading a book.”
Victoria laughed, her eyes shining. “I love the little vampires. Thank you, Teagan. I will cherish them.”
“Wait, there’s more.” Teagan reached into the bag again and brought out a hoodie.
“Oh Teag, must you really.” Ovidia groaned behind her.
“Yes, I must. Every woman should have comfy clothes to just wear around the house.” She smiled at Victoria. “I bought this for you. It’s what we call a hoodie. It is warm and soft and goes well with the pants.”
Victoria just grinned. It was a large black garment with glittering red letters that spelled out I would like to have you for dinner.
“It is fabulous. Thank you for thinking of me.” Victoria took the leggings and sweatshirt and set them to the side, along with the matching fuzzy socks with Go away, I’m reading written on the soles in white lettering.
It was a gift from one friend to another, and it told Victoria she had been accepted into this little group. She felt forever grateful. She had of course seen the modern women wear the garment Teagan called a hoodie, and she believed she had even seen Teagan in a pair of the leggings. It was odd having other women she wasn’t afraid of and didn’t have to take care of around her. She was looking forward to the night ahead and having fun.
Delphine waved at them from the elevator, her long hair in a braid down her back, the blues bleeding into each other. She normally spelled it blonde for going out in public, but since they were going dancing and not to a function, she had left it to its natural blue ombré. She was a beautiful woman with a face and figure designed to attract and hold a man’s attention, which made sense as she was a Siren. She was also kind, and as Victoria had heard tell of, quite fierce when it was called for.
Chapter 10
Victoria looked around at the space, eyes wide. There were still things from this time that felt so surreal to her. There was the music, for one, the bouncy suggestive lyrics so foreign and strange.
She looked down into her glass of wine and smiled as the conversation from the table swirled around her. These women were friends in the best sense of the word. They were brutally honest with each other, but each also knew the other was there for them one hundred percent.
“Come on, Vid, you really don’t ever want to have kids?” Delphine rubbed the barely there bump of her stomach.
Ovidia watched the motion with a barely concealed look of terror on her face. “I don’t understand what the grand appeal is. That thing grows inside you for nine months, you can feel it move and squirm”—Ovidia shuddered at the thought—“and then it comes out after hours of terrible pain. After all that, you have to wait on it hand and foot for the next few years before it can even walk or feed itself. I think I’m good.” She looked around the table at the shocked faces of her friends and the amused expression on Victoria’s, grabbing it like a lifeline. “I am not saying I don’t love your kids, I do, but it is just not right for me. I am grateful that you guys are willing to have them so I can spoil them and then give them back.” Ovidia took a large gulp of her drink and pointed at Victoria. “You get me, right? You are not going to be having kids.”
Victoria smiled a sad smile. “I wanted them, a whole houseful of them, but when the countess kidnapped and turned me, she made tha
t choice for me.”
Ovidia went pale and downed the rest of her drink. “I’m sorry, Victoria. I didn’t mean any offense.”
Teagan rolled her eyes and stuck her elbow in Ovidia’s side, provoking a yelp. “Vid, you have got to learn to think before you speak.” Teagan took Victoria’s hand, her eyes soft with empathy. “We are sorry for what you lost. You are welcome to come and snag the twins whenever you feel the need.”
Delphine nodded. “Same for Esme, and this little one as well, as soon as he or she makes their appearance.”
Victoria just nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. The fact that these women trusted her with their children and were willing to help her to ease the ache of not being able to become a mother—it overwhelmed her. She hadn’t had close friends since she was a human, preferring to keep to herself, not wishing to endanger anyone if the countess found her. Her worst fear was that the monstrous woman would use someone she loved as bait to get to her.
These women were strong and could protect themselves if the need arose. The countess would not get to them; she would make sure of it.
“So, Victoria, the rumor around the institute is that you and Armand had a cozy night out at Sanguine.” Delphine wiggled her eyebrows up and down.
Victoria blushed, the color bright against her pale skin. “It was just a business affair. He wanted me to be seen by the other vampires to start the gossip mill in the hopes that it would draw the countess out of hiding.”
“Are you sure that was all it was? The word from some of the others who were there said you looked very cozy, and he appeared very possessive.” Teagan leaned back and sipped her drink as she watched Victoria.
“I am sure it might have appeared that way, but it was not of a personal nature.” Victoria sighed. She hated it when she sounded so prim and proper. If she couldn’t reveal her feelings to friends then who could she reveal them to? “I was hoping it meant more to him, but he made it clear that it was a business function. I thought maybe the dinner was of a personal nature at first with the way he complimented my dress and how attentive he was being, but no.” She looked down, swirling the ice in her drink.