“Bethany … snap out of it. Bethany!”
I heard Malachi’s voice drift through the red haze of my mind. I turned my eyes upon him. He was a yard away, his eyes vivid with astonishment. Caleb stood next to him, his arms covered in a bizarre looking tattoo, which throbbed in the morning light.
“Bethany … it’s okay. Calm down, duckie. Breathe deeply. That a girl.”
Malachi’s voice was low. I was still on all fours contemplating sending another wave of energy towards Sig. Maybe if I pretended to calm down, I could take him out.
“Well done, young one. Now … regain control. Seize your charm, Beth,” Sig said as I began to breathe in and out.
My head swung back around as Sig positively beamed at me. I waited for a second contemplating. Those were the first encouraging words he’d ever said to me. Maybe killing him wasn't a good idea. Sasha did say I needed him for a while. I grabbed a hold of the sapphire on my choker. It was ice cold.
“Think of controlling your urges. It's a matter of you controlling it as opposed to it using you,” Sig said quietly as he began to stand up.
I closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down. I kept count of my heartbeat. It was racing, nearly a hundred-fifty beats per minutes. I hummed a nursery rhyme silently and counted the heartbeats. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed while I crouched on the ground clutching my gemstone. The next thing I was aware of was the men talking.
“It’s always been both,” Sig was saying.
“Do you want me to inform Sasha?” Caleb’s clipped words floated in the air.
Sig’s derisive snort seemed loud. “He already knows.”
My mind couldn’t make heads or tails about the snatch of the conversation I heard. I began to stand up. Sig was suddenly beside me, smiling from ear to ear. I forgot what I wanted to know when I made contact with Sig’s eyes.
“You can harvest lightning,” he said proudly, pointing out his scorched suit. I was aghast. The suit cost more than I had in my bank account.
“I'll pay for it,” I said, stumbling forward.
“This old thing? I'll bill Sasha, don't worry," Sig said happily as he escorted me into the house.
“Maybe you should get different clothes, Sigmund,” Malachi sniggered, following behind.
“The thought never crossed my mind. I shudder to think of dressing like a commoner.”
Caleb laughed as he rounded up Peaches who had taken refuge from my insane actions somewhere in the woods.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Registration
“You belong here. Every step you take must exude the sentiment,” exclaimed Sig from just behind me in a whisper as I entered the building. My first impression of the place was … wow. It looked like a very expensive and extremely exclusive resort. The kind of ritzy, posh place that I never dreamed of staying in a mere year ago. Money and power radiated from the pores of the stucco walls.
Sig guided me swiftly through a set of double glass doors adorned with gold filigree vines along the edges. Inside the massive castle—like structure was a modern, aristocratic looking lobby. There was no one lounging about waiting to see or be seen as if you would expect at normal stylish resorts. It was cool inside the building and dimly lit compared to the glare from the sunshine blazing outside. Behind a massive, black granite-like counter with sparkles of glimmering gold awaited a beautiful woman with a huge smile upon her face.
She immediately picked up a phone when she spotted Sig behind me. Her smile slipped by an immeasurable degree when her eyes slid past me once more with a look of speculation. Sig tugged discretely on my elbow, and I leaned my head down so that he could speak. I secretly thought it was a wasted effort seeing as most non-humans, if not all, had supersonic hearing.
“Wait here until I have our room keys and attendance registered. Caleb went directly to Sasha to report our arrival, so I’m sure he’ll be here any minute. Malachi will be in shortly; he was delayed. Don’t make eye contact with anyone.”
I nodded carefully, aware of the receptionist’s gaze on us. Sig strolled forward as he fished for a cigarette from his jacket pocket. I played with the new ring on my left hand.
Caleb was a master of all trades. Sig wanted me to have my gem closer to my palms; it helped me concentrate on my powers. Caleb fashioned a ring I could swing easily around my middle finger. It felt comfortable in any position. I left it with the gem on the inside and gazed around the room.
The lobby was big. The muted tones of ivory and cream intertwined with gold made it seem bigger. The plush black and gold couches with matching settees strewn carefully around the area were coordinated in such a way that it gave every seating arrangement a semblance of privacy. The heavy crystal chandeliers, five that I could count from where I stood, hanging in the room were enormous. I was wondering how one keeps those things sparkling and clean when the entrance of another party made me look away.
Now I remembered what Sig had said. No eye contact. Keep myself as inconspicuous as possible. Make no moves that would be remarked upon. So forth and so on. I glanced towards the desk and sighed. Sig was still busy getting our rooms situated. Keeping my head down, I leaned against the nearest pillar and focused my attention on counting the tiles on the floor.
It was more difficult to stay put and pretend I noticed nothing and no one than I could’ve imagined. The new visitor was in a foul mood judging from his tirade. He wasn’t a fairy or an elf. I could spot them a mile away. Nor was he a vampire because he was deeply tanned, from what I could see, and he came in from the glaring sunlight in a tank top, shorts and flip-flops. He wasn’t a chiseled specimen of masculine perfection. Far from it in fact. He was kind of effeminate in his bearings even though he was clearly over 6 feet tall and about 200 pounds.
“No, no, no! This is all wrong. I told you all that I wanted my matching valise and bags in the rooms before I arrived. Can you beasts do nothing right?” The man bellowed as he came in with two men at his side and a woman, a very young woman who was clearly bruised and afraid, slinking behind and flinching with every word uttered.
“I’m sorry, m’lord. Your bags arrived as requested, but I’m afraid the instructions we received on this end weren’t clear. Your rooms are ready, as you like them. Your servants are awaiting you as we speak, and the special accommodations for your property is in place,” The gentleman in the blue blazer said as he looked at his clipboard. He looked up towards the beach bum and gave him a thin smile.
“If there’s anything else we can do for you, please contact me personally. This is a direct number,” he said as he handed beach bum a business card, “my name is Daegan, and I’m in charge of this establishment.”
Beach bum grunted something in the affirmative, and Daegan nodded slightly as he moved away. Daegan looked my way. I was certain he had more human than freak blood running through his veins. He didn’t give me the absolute creeps like beach bum did. Daegan smiled briefly as he headed in the direction of Sig, who was visibly becoming irritated with the receptionist at the front desk. Sig turned towards him, and he immediately thawed out.
Back behind me, beach bum was continuing his tirade to the only person who couldn’t escape his foul mood, the helpless young woman who cowered at his every word.
“You better be prepared to entertain my guest as I see fit you useless wench. I want no hesitation from you or your minions do you hear me?” He said loudly enough that I couldn’t help but look towards him.
“Yes, my Lord.” I heard the young girl’s soft whisper float across the lobby. Beach bum bristled for no good reason that I could see. He yanked up the young girl by her auburn hair. I couldn’t believe the degree of fear that glowed from her hazel eyes.
“So that I know you understand, undress now, and follow me like the bitch you were bred to be.” He said softly into the girl’s pale face. He placed her back on the floor, his gaze pinning her to the spot.
I struggled with indignation. Red spots appeared in my vision as I looked towards beach bum, and
the girl he continued to degrade. The poor thing looked around helplessly and found my gaze, giving away my up until then, concealed position. Beach bum turned around towards me, nodded once, and quickly turned again towards the girl who must’ve not moved fast enough. She sank to the floor after a vicious slap.
He proceeded to tear the clothes off the girl’s back as I stood and watched. My back began to tingle as it had before when I spared with Sig in Manchac. We had spent the last two days honing my abilities. I was still having problems controlling it once I lost my temper. I knew the warning signals.
Calm. I needed to stay calm. Mellow. Oh, who the hell was I kidding? No way was I letting this asshole get away without saying something.
“What are you doing?” Damn it. I knew my instructions. Sig wouldn’t be happy.
Beach bum turned around and actually smiled at me. Smiled. Which sent my blood boiling close to the edge I was supposed to maintain. He extended his hand out for a handshake as he tried to introduce himself.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. Lord Jack to you.” He sniffed the air around me and dropped his hand. “Are you here for a position?” he asked tilting his head in confusion.
“No. Why are you treating that young lady like a dog. No, I take that back. Dogs are better treated.” I said through clenched teeth.
He sniffed again and stared at me. “Tell me, who’s your master? I have enough money to purchase you,” he said with such confidence that the red dots in my vision became bigger.
“I’m not for sale. If you want to negotiate, tell me how much for the girl.”
“Sorry, not for sale. She’s a favorite with the rams.” He laughed loudly, and the girl shivered but didn’t stir.
“Young one,” Sig said from my shoulder. I turned with a deep breath, shaking my head. The Lord caught me by the upper arm and hauled me close to him. His breath caressed my cheek as he spoke.
“I’ll have you before the end of the convention. Mark my words.” He then grabbed my left nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pinching so hard pain shot straight down my body. I heard Sig from far away but couldn’t focus on his words. No, I couldn’t focus on much beyond the cruel sneer from Lord Jack.
My hand came up in the age-old ritual of female offense. I struck at his face. A simple slap was what it should’ve been. Unfortunately, that’s not the only thing that happened. I had forgotten the rage, the red haze in my vision, the tingling down the spine. A lightning bolt shot out from my palm, striking beach bum and leaving a red, oozing welt on his cheek.
He was surprised for one split second, and then he began to morph right before my eyes. Shapeshifters were fast becoming my least favorite group. According to my parent’s archives, Lord Jack’s morphing into the iconic figure of Ra was a bad thing. Beach bum’s face contorted and elongated swiftly. His distorted head sprouting feathers as his mouth changed into a hard golden beak. Sig was glowing blue as he pulled me behind him. All of a sudden, the lobby was no longer deserted but full of people all trying to see what was going on.
I stood still, my eyes locked with his. He screeched out an expletive as he came towards me.
“Jack, old boy, whatever is going on here?” Sasha called out as he popped between us.
“That witch is going to pay for insulting me and my House, that’s what’s going on here Alek. Stand back.” Jack screeched through his misshapen mouth.
“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Jack.” Sasha placed a hand around the man’s shoulders, gently tugging him away from where Sig and I stood. “This might be a good time to introduce you to my new allodial. Lady Bethany, House of DeDe. Are you having a misunderstanding?” Sasha asked softly. I could practically see the tension in the room. The spectators held their breath collectively as they waited for Jack’s reaction.
Beach bum turned his massive head towards Sasha, his eyes blazing orange. “A misunderstanding Alek? That witch struck me. I deserve compensation for her atrocious conduct,” he said as he gestured towards the still oozing mark on his face.
Sasha turned towards me. I opened my eyes in irritation, shaking my head and exhaling loudly. “He touched me. He’s lucky I didn’t aim lower,” I said in a lowered voice as I dusted the sleeves of my blazer.
Sasha turned his attention back towards Jack. “You laid hands on her?”
Beach bum wasn’t as stupid as he looked. He knew Sasha was no longer in the mood to be nice. Acknowledging that retreat is the better part of valor, he shook himself once before opening his mouth.
“A DeDe allodial, Alek? I’ll send my request to your rooms later.” He turned around, grabbed the poor girl who still cowered on the floor by the hair, and departed through a pair of double doors in the far right of the lobby.
Sig lit a cigarette, mumbling something about following instructions and meeting me in the rooms later. Sasha turned towards me, his eyes blazing violet as he gazed around the room at the spectators. He took my hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed it softly.
“Welcome to Kalispell, Lady Beth. Let me escort you to your rooms.” I gave him a serene smile as he tucked my hand in the crook of his arm.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Lords and Privileges
I was ushered into a spacious apartment on the third floor of the main building. Sasha didn’t speak during the walk. His shoulders were tense, head held high; his aura shone a dull red as he controlled his temper. He was much better at it than I was. Maybe he could give me some tips before Sig had the chance to sermonize. So much for coming in unnoticed.
“Ah, pet, never a dull moment,” he said, tongue-in—cheek I suspected, as soon as the door shut behind us.
I flung myself in his arms and hugged him fiercely as he crushed me to his chest. I began kissing his chest softly. His unique scent slowly wafted up my nostrils and enveloped me with a sense of security. He pushed me back abruptly, his mood shifting in a flash to irritation. Damn, but he was volatile.
“How is it you’ve been here a mere 13 minutes and managed to pick a fight with Jack of all people? To think he placed his hands on you makes me want to do things, which aren’t in my best interest. Do you have any idea how he views women?” He asked in annoyance, his hands clenching and unclenching in frustration.
What could I say?
“Well, yeah. That’s what started the argument in the first place. He was treating the girl like a slave. I couldn’t just stand there.” I shrugged. I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.
Sasha leaned forward placing his forehead on mine as he spoke. “Minx, you’re going to have to learn to stay put and be quiet. Things are different here, and Jack, along with every House, is allowed slaves. T’was part of a bill passed almost five hundred years ago. A compromise, if you will,” he snorted with the last word.
I pushed back to look into his eyes again, which had turned nearly black by now. “You mean they can have slaves?” I asked. Before he could open his mouth to answer, I rattled off more questions, disgusted with the whole notion. “Human slaves? How many? Where do they come from?”
This must be what the elf, Frederic, had been talking about. Slaves. I tried to remember if I’d read about any of this in the papers from the library. Nope. Not a thing. Not a damn word. I would’ve remembered anything so depraved.
“Not human, pet, humans are classified as an endangered species. The slaves must have a minimum of an ounce of witch blood running through their veins. This makes them … how to put it tactfully … an anomaly. The resulting race is called a serf,” he said.
“You’re trying to say they’re no better than animals aren’t you?” I asked.
“In a way it is how many see them. Don’t look like that. It’s standard practice. Even your House owns a serf family, remember Nola?” he asked. I nodded slowly as he continued. “It’s how she recognized you, your House owns her family. It’s why she understands you, accepts you. We’re limited only by our accounts and where they come from,” he paused before breathing out the answer, “The outs
iders usually provide the best. They specialize in breeding and pedigrees. I don’t keep up with it. I don’t like Jack or his shapeshifting House, and you know how I feel about all outsiders. Stay away from him do you understand?” He shook his head slightly and proceeded to take my hand into his.
“Enough of Jack. Let me show you around. When I arrived and requested these rooms be made ready, they thought I had finally gone off the deep end and forged documents. Malachi had to call three different times and formally confirm your existence. Too bad you made such a ruckus downstairs. It’s going to be a tense week.” He mumbled as he pointed out the room for me.
There was a main sitting room done in soft taupe and various browns. A loveseat was positioned before a stone fireplace that looked as if it needed real wood to work. Two more armchairs and a coffee table completed the scene of posh luxury. Connected to it was a kitchenette on the left. It had all the necessary conveniences for a short stay; a microwave, coffee maker, small fridge and of course, a stocked bar. The fridge already had Mountain Dew and Fiji Water in it. Demons drank water exclusively.
Through a set of French doors was the master bedroom, also in shades of brown, and the master bathroom sported a Jacuzzi tub. Off to the right of the sitting room, a single door led to a smaller bedroom for Sig, my shadow for the present time. I was surprised to see my bags were in the closet in the front room.
After the tour, Sasha made a couple of drinks. We sat on the loveseat in companionable silence before Sasha broke the spell.
“All the rooms in the resort are enchanted. No one can shift in or out. The keepers try to stem strange or potentially dangerous occurrences happening during their watch.” I had my feet propped up on his lap as he played with my toes.
“Yeah, I can see how it could be a problem.” I didn’t have the ability to shift, but if I did, Jack would be in trouble.
“Does that mean you won’t be paying me any visits in the late night?” I asked without thinking. I turned beet red as I realized what I’d ask.
A Lady of the Realm (House of DeDe) Page 16