That was the longest speech I’d heard out of Leo and I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear another. He seemed too willing to take Lannan’s side. But I had to admit, he was probably right. Lannan wouldn’t have been the engineer on this plan. He wasn’t that ambitious. It was probably all Regina could do to force him to play his part in carrying it out.
“If Myst gains control of New Forest, his stable will end up as mangled as that goblin did,” I muttered.
“Crap, that was Anadey. There’s been another attack,” Rhiannon said as she replaced the receiver on the cradle. She paled, shaking her head.
“Another? Where? Who?” The past five days had been hell. The attack on a movie theater the other night pretty much outed the fact that a pack of hunters was on the loose. The majority of people didn’t know exactly who was behind the attacks, but they knew that anybody was fair game and that people were dying.
“Two. A mother and a child. Eaten down to the bone. Cops found them two hours ago and are circulating the rumor that there are wild dogs in the area.”
“That makes ten victims, including two children.” I stopped, giving her a bewildered look. “Did you say wild dogs? They really expect people to believe that?”
Kaylin bookmarked his novel and put it on the table. He frowned. “It’s amazing what people will accept when they don’t want to believe something worse.”
“Oh, I don’t think people are that dense. They know something’s out there. They also must realize by now that the cops aren’t going to protect them. I can understand why the magic-born aren’t all leaving—we’re connected to this land by the energy. But why aren’t the yummanii leaving?”
Yummanii was the term the magic-born used among themselves for those born fully human. The yummanii possessed their own kind of magic—not as obvious or flamboyant as the magic-born, but a psychic energy . . . call it instinct, if you will, and the power had grown more noticeable among the yummanii children of the past few generations. Whether the yummanii realized they were growing strong, we did not know. But it wasn’t our place to tell them or we risked altering their natural evolution.
As for the yummanii, they had always known about the magic-born, and they accepted us. Just like they knew about the Weres and the vampires and Fae.
“Perhaps they can’t leave. It costs money to pull up stakes, to head out of town and start a new life. And if you have a good job, or children, then it’s that much harder. Unemployment is low here in New Forest and—until Myst came—life was relatively safe. Geoffrey keeps a watch on the vampires and doesn’t allow many rogues. All sound reasons to stay put.” Kaylin shrugged. “It’s easier to take a few precautions and hope for the best.”
I nodded. The dreamwalker made a lot of sense.
“We need to get moving. Geoffrey will have us by the neck if we’re late.” Leo shuffled, glancing at the door as if it might burst open to reveal the Regent.
I shook my head. “If he’s so all fired up to talk to me, why the hell has he kept me waiting this long?”
“Calm down, Cicely.” Chatter’s voice whispered softly from behind me. I whirled to see the Fae leaning against the arch leading into the dining room and kitchen. “You cannot help Grieve if you lose the support of the vampires. Myst cannot be defeated without them and you know it.”
“I know. Trust me, I know. I can’t get away from them no matter how much I might want to. They own me for the rest of my life. How can I ever forget that?” With a snort, I added, “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Leo, Rhiannon, and I headed out, leaving Chatter and Kaylin to watch over the house. As we stepped into the icy night, a lazy shower of snow drifted down. Myst had brought with her a long winter to blanket the town, a cold and chill premonition of what life under her rule would be like.
The Queen of Winter, a tainted Fae Queen whom the vampires had once tried to turn as if she were human, Myst had risen from her deathbed before she could die, fully alive and far more dangerous than the vampires ever dreamed possible, and from her descended the Vampiric Fae. They could breed, and they were ruthless killing machines who lived to feed and spread across the land.
And now she had traced down her maker and looked to wipe out Geoffrey and his people. She aspired to take over the land, one town at a time.
I climbed into the driver’s seat of Favonis, my Pontiac GTO, and, making sure our doors were locked, we headed over to Geoffrey’s to plan out a war.
Geoffrey’s mansion sat on two acres, and it was truly a manor, three stories high. Who knew how far it extended underground? As it glittered white with gold trim, a dizzying array of lights sparkled from inside the building and armed guards—all vampires since we were into the night—wandered the grounds.
Last time I’d been here, I’d unwittingly signed away my freedom, but there was nothing I could do about it, so I decided to let it go and move on. We drove up to the valet, who took one look at Leo and nodded us toward the entrance.
At the door, a tall, broad-shouldered guard stopped us. Like all of the true vampires, his eyes were jet-black, gleaming like obsidian with no patches of white or other color marring their surface. That alone spooked me about the Vein Lords: How could they see through those inky orbs?
He searched all of us, including Leo, and then opened the door. A maid—a bloodwhore by the look of her outfit and the fact that she wasn’t a vampire—motioned for us to follow her.
I’d thought we might be heading into Geoffrey’s office, but instead she led us to a room to the right of the grand staircase and opened the door, all without a word. Peering in, I saw Geoffrey—he motioned for us to enter, and the maid closed the door behind us.
A glance around the room told me that the parlor was really a royal hall in disguise. The room was geared for an audience, and the chair in which Geoffrey sat might as well be a throne, with its crimson velvet and placement.
The Vein Lord wasn’t very tall, but the power he wielded hit me over the head like a brick. He reeked of authority. He wore his long black hair smoothed back in a French braid; a royal purple jacket with ruffled sleeves, open to show his bare chest; and leather pants.
As he leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, a faint smile flickered across his lips. One thing I had to say about Geoffrey: Of all the vampires we’d met, he was the most polite and deliberate of action. Sure, he could rip your head off in a second, but he’d think it through first and say “Pardon me” afterward.
“Please, sit and be comfortable.” He motioned to the semicircle of chairs, all facing his own. “Welcome. Our other guests should be here shortly.”
Now that I thought about it, Geoffrey reminded me of a vampire version of Kaylin, only more seductive and dangerous. According to history, he’d been some sort of warlord during the Xiongnu period, in a region that would later become Mongolia.
I nodded and slipped into the seat opposite him. Leo and Rhiannon sat on my right. Just then, the door opened again and Regina and Lannan Altos sauntered in. Well, Lannan sauntered. Regina’s heels clipped on the hardwood floor at a quick, steady pace. Twins and lovers, they were dangerous and both of them were freakshows, though Regina had more restraint than her brother. Regina was the Emissary to the Crimson Court, and she was top dog around here.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Geoffrey held up one hand and I quickly shut up. When the Vein Lords order silence, obey.
“We are waiting on Lainule; save your words for when she arrives.”
And so we sat in silence for another moment until the door opened again and the Queen of Summer came gliding in. Even in the dim light, her brilliance shone against the others. Without thinking, I rose and knelt before her.
Lainule smiled down at me, then leaned down and cupped my chin in her hand. “Take your seat, Cicely.”
I silently obeyed.
Geoffrey cleared his throat. “Welcome, Your Majesty. My home is graced by the presence of the Queen of Rivers and Rushes—”
She waved his wo
rds away. The three of us stared. Nobody ever cut off Geoffrey, unless it was Regina. Or the Crimson Queen herself.
“Save your chatter, Regent. We have no time for pleasantries, nor am I in the mood for small talk.” She grew taller in her impatience. “Have you figured out whether the Consortium knows what’s going on?”
He nodded. “I have, Your Majesty. They know nothing, as far as we can tell. And my sources are reliable.”
Considering his words, she finally shrugged. “Very good. We must keep it that way. I cannot imagine what they would do should they find out about the Shadow Hunters. Especially considering what our plan unleashed.” Turning to me, she asked, “Have you ever heard of the Consortium, Cicely?”
I blinked. “The Consortium? Of course, hasn’t everybody?”
With a low chuckle, Geoffrey leaned back in his chair and stared at me, those glowing obsidian eyes following every movement I made. “Oh, Cicely, you can be amusing.”
“Our Cicely is delightful, in so many ways.” Lannan’s voice slid warm and rich over my name, making me shiver as if he’d just stroked my body with those ice-cold hands of his. “She’s also quite the vixen.”
He leaned back against his seat, his legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles, his hand lightly resting on his crotch. Another moment and he’d be wanking off right there.
Regina laughed, rich and throaty, but she gave me a speculative look, which I did not return. Best not to let a vampire catch your gaze—especially one who might consider you set to woo away her lover. Even when you’d rather stake him.
Geoffrey gave Lannan a long, slow shake of the head, then turned back to me, ignoring him. “Not everyone has heard of the Consortium, and many who have wisely stay a good distance from them.”
I pressed my lips together and clenched my fists. I refused to allow Lannan to get a rise out of me. I would not let him goad me. After taking a long, deep breath and exhaling slowly, I nodded. “The Consortium is a volatile and dangerous agency. I have no interest in making their acquaintance.”
A worldwide organization to oversee the magic-born, the Consortium pulled strings behind the scenes and, together with the Vein Lords and the top yummanii officials, were the real power running most of the world. And as in most powerful organizations, corruption was rife, with magic used to remove those who opposed them.
Geoffrey nodded. “Lainule speaks wisely. If they find out about Myst, they may take it upon themselves to fight her. As powerful as they are, they are no match for the Queen of the Indigo Court. She is Vampiric Fae, and as much as I am loath to admit it, we have no clue how far her powers extend.”
“Nobody ever kept track . . .” I shook my head. “What about their history—The Rise of the Indigo Court?”
He shrugged. “A scratch on the surface. Add to that, the members of the Consortium have an arrogance matching that of the Vein Lords. Only they would not admit they need aid. So keep your mouth shut. This is the reason I instructed the police to issue the statement about wild dogs causing the current spate of attacks.” Geoffrey gave me a long look, as if challenging me to argue his decision.
The Regent fascinated me. He was terribly intelligent, and he ran things aboveboard, for the most part. As we held each other’s gaze, it occurred to me that all of this was his fault. He’d been the vampire who decided to try to conquer the Unseelie Court by turning the dark Fae, so many eons ago. But now, as I searched his face, I realized that playing the blame game would be stupid. We had to deal with the present.
Geoffrey’s lips curled at the edges, and all of a sudden we were sitting together, alone in a small room surrounded by mist. He leaned forward and took my hands. “You are curious about me, Cicely. Know that I do not share Lannan’s tastes for games of humiliation. If you should ever want a sire, I would be more than willing to take you into the fold, to turn you, to teach you our ways. My wife is a lovely woman who does not object to sharing our bed with others.”
His hands were as cold as Lannan’s had been, but his lips were full and promised the sting of ecstasy. His tongue flickered out, for just a second, and I wondered if it would be different, having someone drink from me who wasn’t out to crush my spirit.
“Think about it,” he said, and sat back, and suddenly we were in the parlor again, and nothing had changed. No one seemed to notice what had gone on between us but for Lannan, who slowly turned his head toward Geoffrey, then toward me. An angry possessive look stole over his face.
I quickly averted my eyes, but I could feel the Vein Lord staring at me long after I glanced away.
“We have been working on an antidote,” Lainule said. “A way to shift the plague we sent into the Shadow Hunters that will minimize their rage. We had no idea that the light-rage would happen, and to be honest, we have no idea what the counteragent will do to them. We might make things worse. At least we have managed to keep them from wandering abroad during the daylight but . . .”
“How do you intend to get this ‘antidote’ to them? Will it be spread like the first plague?” I asked, ignoring Lannan, who was still staring in my direction. Let him look. We had another couple of weeks until my next blood tithe and by then, who knew? I could be dead. So could he—and that idea, I rather liked.
She shook her head. “First, we have more testing to do. Then we worry about spreading it through the colony. That’s what they are, you know—a colony that’s breeding and spreading. A swarm of destruction, a brilliant and beautiful deadly disease. And we have to eradicate every member we find. Myst and her people aren’t the only offshoots of the Indigo Court—too many years have passed since the first infection for there not to be others.” She looked pointedly at Geoffrey, who said nothing.
I delicately skirted her allusion. No need to get in the middle of a war between vampire and Fae. “What about Grieve?”
Her eyes were limpid, pools of clear water in the middle of a desert. She shook her head. “You cannot save your lover, Cicely. I know that you have been together in more than one life. I know that you love him more than you love anything or anyone else. And I know you are angry at us for using you, but you must understand: You were the easiest weapon we could employ to spread the infection through the colony.”
Weapon. I was a weapon to her. Her calm, collected words made me want to scream, but I knew that wouldn’t help matters any. But I wasn’t going down without a fight.
“Grieve and I are meant to be together, and there’s nothing on this earth that will make me give him up unless he tells me to go. I can’t just leave him in Myst’s arms. She’ll destroy everything that was ever good about him.”
Leo cleared his throat and tugged on my arm. “Cicely—”
“No!” I shook him off. “I’m going to have my say.”
Lannan laughed in the background, and I ignored him.
Lainule frowned. “Leave her to speak. She may say what she likes to me without fear of retribution, unlike with some of her compatriots.” Here, she shot a quick, steely gaze at Lannan, who winked at her.
I brushed Leo’s hand away. “Oh, I will have my say, Your Majesty. I respect you. I truly do, and I’m one of your people—at least on my father’s side—so I will listen to you. But I won’t necessarily obey you on this. Grieve is my soul mate. He’s a prince in your realm. How can you just leave him in her web?”
Lainule stood and faced me, taking me by the shoulders. Her smile was a fading glimpse of summer. “Cicely, I’m telling you this one time and one time only, and I expect you to obey: Walk away. Leave Grieve behind. He was lost to us the day Myst drank from his throat and turned him. The prince of my court is dead, and in his place, a pale Shadow Hunter now follows the hem of Winter. There is no place for him should he return to my realm. I would reject him. Or kill him.”
And with that, she turned away. Stunned, I could only stare at her back as she motioned to Geoffrey. “Vampire, we must talk in private. We have much to discuss.” Over her shoulder, she said, “Cicely, go home. Work your mag
ic and tend your business for the townsfolk. They need the help. Do as Geoffrey and Regina command you, since you’ve seen fit to indenture yourself to them. And leave Grieve in the dust. We will conclude matters later.”
In silence, she passed out of the room. Geoffrey motioned to his servant. “Ensure that Her Majesty is comfortable and tell her I’ll be there shortly.”
He turned to me. “Lainule is right. You will only come to despair if you seek out Grieve. Meanwhile, you will continue to report anything you notice. Lannan will see you out. Good evening.” Opening the door, he escorted Regina out.
I didn’t want them to leave. Even with Leo and Rhiannon in the room, I didn’t feel safe around Lannan. And I was right to be nervous. As soon as Geoffrey and Regina disappeared down the hall, Lannan turned to Leo.
“Cicely will meet you in a few moments. Go and wait for her at the front door.” He waved them off. Though I could see by their faces that they wanted to protest, they were smart enough to keep quiet.
As they passed out of the room, I closed my eyes, steeling myself. Knowing Lannan, anything could be coming my way. He closed the door softly and turned toward me. The golden man, Apollo incarnate, with shimmering hair and obsidian eyes, and oh-so-breathtaking looks. But looks were deceptive.
He circled me.
I stood still, silent. Stifle the feelings, turn on the numbness, barricade the emotions. Let him do what he wants and then get on with life.
He stopped by my side. “Cicely?” He reached out and cupped my chin. His voice was so soft I could barely catch what he was saying. “My lovely, beautiful, breathing woman. Your face is so warm, so vibrant. You’re blushing.” A smile, feral and predatory, crept into the corners of his lips. He held my chin so I couldn’t look away and leaned forward, mere inches from my lips.
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