A Lady of the Realm (House of DeDe)

by Sharon E Mamolo

  “Is that an invitation?” he asked teasingly.

  I glared back, mortified. I tried, unsuccessfully, to save face. “I said I’d let you know.” Tactic number two; change the subject. “Did Caleb tell you what happened out at Malachi’s place?” I asked him as I repositioned myself under the red throw Sasha had found in the hall closet. I edged just out of his reach.

  “You mean the lightning thing? Yes, he did. I’m impressed minx. For a late bloomer you did well. The last DeDe had an affinity with earth. She could move the ground and created fissures where none existed. I think your talent is more impressive.” His smile was calculating. Did Malachi talk to him already?

  “It works sporadically, or when I’m mad. Very mad in fact and that seems to be recurring more often. Even then I’m not in control,” I said, twirling my drink. He grew somber as he stilled my fidgety movements.

  “Don’t worry. With time you’ll come to control it like everything else.” His flat tone made me believe he knew about everything else.

  A sharp, loud, insistent knock on the door interrupted us. Sasha rose in one fluid motion. He swung the door open as Caleb walked in. The unusual sour expression on the vampire’s face alerted me.

  “Your brothers are coming to visit.” He announced gravely.

  Sasha’s mood darkened at the same time as the next knock on the door came. Caleb turned to let the guest in as Sasha gulped the rest of his drink down. Trystyn walked in with another elf that I took an immediate dislike to. So violent was my emotion that I had to stop from cringing into the cushions.

  The third elf was similar in height to his brothers. That’s where all similarities ended though. Where Trystyn was a dark selkie from the Irish legends, and Sasha a golden god from a long ago pantheon, their skin was still similarly luminescent. Their features were alike enough to denote them as family.

  The third elf had short rich brown hair. His skin, while still luminescent, was just a shade darker than any other elf I’d seen so far. Curling inward and sparkling, striking as if in constant battle with everything around him. His eyes, when they locked with mine, were a strange violet color. Darker in hue, somehow. Not the normal dark hue of intense emotion either. This was deeper. His overall aura was menacing.

  Trystyn stepped around everyone as he jostled towards me and kissed each cheek. His embrace was fierce. It was unexpected since I only saw him a handful of times before.

  “Nice to see you again. Sasha told me that you were coming. About time we got that piece of real estate back in our coffers,” he said releasing me.

  The other elf sneered, “This is the claimant to the House of DeDe? Is this a joke?” If I had any warm feelings because of his family ties, they had vanished completely.

  “Watch what you say, Nicholas. You’re not my keeper,” Sasha said softly.

  “No, I’m not. That role is reserved for another,” he said.

  Sasha bristled at the insult. He refilled his glass slowly as he kept his eyes on Nicholas.

  “What are you doing here?” He asked rudely, not even attempting to be cordial. Hurray for my dark elf. Unfortunately, Nicholas was unconcerned by his insolence. With a sigh of complete boredom, he answered Sasha.

  “Welcoming you, of course. I just arrived and heard you were here, of all places,” Nicholas said.

  “I’ll consider myself welcomed,” Sasha said dismissively. Nicholas didn’t budge. Didn’t know when to take a hint or didn’t care to take a hint. He inclined his head to where I sat.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me, little brother? Maybe let me taste a drop of her blood so I’ll rest assured?”

  Sasha took a moment before inclining his head towards each of us in turn.

  “Bethany this is Nicholas. Nicholas this is Bethany. I believe your business is finished here,” he said as he gestured towards the door. Nicholas had other ideas.

  He ignored Sasha and moved towards me with a smile. “A pleasure. Bit of advice for you. Don’t stray far from your Lord. From what I’ve heard, you’ve got a couple of Houses upset with you, and you’re not even recognized yet.”

  Wariness oozed in my mind, coating every thought I had. Something wasn’t right with this dude. Another freaking knock interrupted my already distracted attention. How had I become so popular? Caleb opened the door and in waltzed Malachi. If I thought the tension in the room was heavy before; it increased so much I could’ve cut it with a dull butter knife.

  I elbowed Nicholas aside as I went to greet Malachi. I kissed him softly on the lips as a way of greeting. Nicholas hitched his breath and scorn dripped with his words.

  “Pardon my advice. I wasn’t aware the cub was still sharing his paramours with the half-breed.”

  My spine tingled. Lordy, I’d never been this short-tempered and bitchy, even during the prepubescent years. It had to be my time of the month. I turned and walked towards the still grinning, slimy bastard and looked him straight in his eyes. I had to look up, which made me even more cross.

  “You,” I stabbed Nicholas in the chest, “need to leave. Now.” I pointed towards the door that Caleb, thankfully, held open.

  “Or what? You’ll shoot me with a lightning bolt.” He asked defiantly. “I heard about you. You’ll get what you deserve for hanging out with these misfits. Until we meet again,” he said casually as he strolled through the door. Out of nowhere, Sig popped in, his eyes meeting mine. I took a deep breath and walked back to my seat. The beginning of a headache throbbed at my temples.

  “Sasha, how is it that you haven’t killed him yet?” I asked as I massaged my head. With his temper? Everyone in the room turned towards him.

  “It’s against the law, pet,” he said as he upended the bottle of Absinthe into his mouth.

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Acknowledgment

  Sig took me to meet the leader of the American Court that night. Lady Gail’s apartments were on the far side of the compound, encompassing an entire wing. I was nervous. My palms were slick with sweat and my stomach dry heaving. This woman was royalty. She dealt with the different Courts throughout the world. Malachi said he’d taken care of everything, but I still had to present myself formally.

  Sig walked briskly down the corridor, his suit crackling with every step. “They can’t deny you’re the rightful heir, and Malachi greased the wheels. Don’t let Jon goad you into doing something foolish.”

  “Yes sir,” I said mildly.

  I would make it through this interview with a smile. I knew how to prove my claim. Sig had helped me out with the details about how to go about it.

  The one thing no one could fake is blood. I was going to have to provide fresh blood for Lady Gail and whomever she chose to witness. Jon, the current chair for witches, would be in the room ready to kill me if my claim wasn’t valid, and I was only wasting his time.

  The doors swung open as we approached, a young man beckoning us to follow him into the interior of the suite. He opened a set of French doors on the right and bowed as we walked through into an office. Seated behind a small modern desk was Lady Gail, a woman of indeterminate years. She could’ve been anywhere from late twenty’s to early forty’s. Her platinum blonde hair was down, cascading around her slim shoulders. She smiled brightly as we entered and gestured towards a single chair in front of her.

  Sig nudged me forward, and I sank into the soft suede.

  “Welcome. I’ve been informed you’re a DeDe descendent and wish to claim the title. Is that so?” she asked kindly.

  “Yes ma’am, it is,” I said looking into the light green eyes that matched one of Malachi’s own. Lady Gail nodded to herself and sat back with a tranquil smile.

  From the left side of the room a man’s voice thundered in indignation. “I hope you’re ready to die if it turns out to be false.”

  I looked up and met a pair of hostile brown eyes. Jon, my distant cousin, wasn’t happy to see me. I couldn’t blame him. As the head of witches in America, he made a tidy profit from them all. I’d be taking a
way a sizable chunk of his income by reinstituting a lost House. I told Sig I didn’t want any recompense for past years, hoping that Jon would be placated. Sig said I was a fool.

  The fairy queen folded her hands upon the desk and leaned forward. Her hair pooling on the black desktop in shimmering ribbons of platinum gold.

  “Now, Jon, I’m sure she’s been apprised of the situation from Sigmund.”

  Jon scoffed and waved his hand in frustration. “How would that prepare her for death?”

  Sig stood up straighter, if that was possible. The man walked around as if a stick was stuck up his ass. A reddish glow escaped from under his dark sunglasses as his hand went inside his coat pocket.

  “Are you calling me a liar … Lord Jon?”

  I didn’t hear any kind of threat in the words. No strange odors filled the air. No energies swarmed around the men. I’d seen how people feared Sasha. How they glanced from the corner of their eyes to make sure they knew where he was at all times. It didn’t matter if they knew him or not. So when Jon turned to the color of a turnip, I was surprised. I’d never seen another person instantly afraid by a few choice words. I didn’t think Sig was frightful. Creepy yes. Jon took a step back, his hands going behind his back as his voice trembled slightly.

  “Of course not, but we can’t always be right can we? I won’t hold it against you if you made a mistake.”

  Sig didn’t move a facial muscle as he retrieved his pack of Kools. He lit one up quickly and blew out a ring of smoke into the air.

  “That’s reassuring,” he said.

  Lady Gail’s voice rose as she talked to the room in general.

  “Gentleman … I brought my witness here for a cordial ceremony. As the elves have already acknowledged her as such and my own son vows for it, I brought a shifter. James this is the petitioner; Miss Bethany, this is Lord James and his son, Lord Caius.”

  I inclined my head towards the man emerging from the shadows. On his left another, younger man flanked him. They were wolves. I could feel it as soon as their presence was made known. The older man smiled warmly, but the younger one just stared, his eyes calculating.

  “Do let’s hurry, I have pressing business to attend,” Jon said with a tinge of impatience.

  “Don’t worry, it’ll not be your business for much longer,” Sig said.

  Lady Gail rolled her eyes upward at the banter. She retrieved a silver knife from the top drawer and began sliding her finger down the edge of the blade. I took in the size of that lethal weapon calmly. Sig’s hand came down on my shoulder as the fairy began to speak.

  “Place your right hand, palm up, on the desk. I’ll cut you once, deeply, in the palm of your hand. First I, then James and Caius, will taste.”

  Before I could register the instructions, the knife came down in a blur. The stinging sensation of my skin being sliced open made me wince. Gail took my hand up and licked softly at the welling blood. There was a triumphant gleam in her eyes as she passed my bloody hand to James. He also took but a fleeting lick as he turned and raised an eyebrow towards the fairy. Caius wasn’t as fast. He picked my hand up and licked from one end of the cut to the other, slowly coming back to the middle and sucking softly on the wound.

  Our eyes met as he suckled. His amber eyes stayed locked with mine as his pupils dilated. He let go of my hand; and I clutched it to myself. A handkerchief materialized at my shoulder and I quickly wrapped it around the stinging wound. Lady Gail’s head bent forward, her right hand flowing quickly over the page of an enormous book. She grabbed a small bottle and peppered her writing with some kind of gritty powder. Blowing on it softly, the writing started to darken. Her head came up with a smile.

  “It’s official. Let me welcome you to your new life, Lady Beth.”

  Jon came forward slamming his fist onto the desk glaring at the fairy.

  “This can’t be. The DeDe’s have been gone for nearly one hundred years.”

  Gail rose to her feet, and Jon stood at attention.

  “It doesn’t matter, Jon. Not only is she a full-blooded witch, she has both Merle and DeDe blood running through her veins. She has every right to claim the DeDe title if she wants it. We can’t deny Bethany her rightful place.”

  Jon shook his head vigorously, his voice cracking with suppressed outrage. “This reeks of Alek. How is it possible that he failed to destroy the House completely, and then managed to find the lone heir the year he’s to gain control?”

  “Alek always was lucky,” Gail said.

  Jon heaved a deep breath and looked at me. His palms were blazing. “You dare steal from me? A DeDe whore through and through aren’t you? Take from the righteous and give to your lovers.”

  Sig took a step in front of me and palmed his cigarette. The smell of his burning flesh stung my nose.

  “This interview is over.”

  Caius came forward and grabbed Jon’s bicep, pushing him back towards the door. Jon shook him off and stood his ground.

  “Let it go, Jon. You’ve nothing to gain,” Caius said.

  “Surely not advice from the likes of you.” Jon’s hands began to glow white. He took measured steps back towards the door; his hand stretched behind him as he groped for the handle.

  “You’re another one of her conquests. I can see it.”

  Caius became still, his muscular forearms flexing softly.

  “Speak not of that which you do not know.”

  “You’re rumored to be in league with the dark elf.”

  Sigmund waved his hand towards Jon, and he flew back into the doors. They popped open upon impact, and he fell backwards into the empty room. Sigmund turned back around and bowed to Gail.

  “If all is settled, we’ll head back to our quarters.”

  Gail inclined her head, “Of course, Sigmund.”

  I got up and started to follow Sig out the door, but Caius stepped in front and whispered, “Watch yourself,” before I could go far. I looked into his eyes briefly wondering where I’d seen the pair of amber eyes before.

  Chapter Twenty-Five: The Other Ladies

  Everything settled down to utter boredom the next day. I saw no other people of interest other than Caleb, Sig, and Malachi. I didn’t count the multitude of visitors that came courting as interesting. I think many were simply curious to see who the new kid on the block was. Sig was invaluable. He had business cards ready for me with contact information. He also bought me a phone for this pesky side to being a Lady.

  I spent a great deal of time drinking tea and coffee while listening to people complain or flatter. Many came bearing gifts. After the first two checks, totaling more than six figures, I became suspicious.

  “Do I have to take these?” I asked Sig on the side between visitors.

  He smiled. “No. Those are special interest groups. They want you to remember them in the future.”

  I wasn’t about to become beholden to anyone. It hadn’t worked out so well with the elf.

  “Write a thank you note and slip the checks back to them. Something along the lines that their community could use a new park or something,” I said.

  “I’m not a secretary, Beth.”

  “Okay, but for now?”

  He sighed and took the checks from my hand.

  “I’ll take care of it. The next group coming in will test your patience so turn your ring.”

  I turned my ring and folded my hands demurely as Caleb, who was nice enough to help me out for the day, showed in the next group. Three plump women, all dressed in purple skirted suits with plumes in their hair, came in. They were master conjurers as they demonstrated their powers by making coffee, pastries, and an extra chair appear.

  “Lady Beth, what a pleasure to finally meet you; I’m Henrietta and these are my sisters Orietta and George, House of Champagne.”

  I nodded politely, but I didn’t much care. I couldn’t tell the triplets apart. The only thing I needed to remember was that they were one of the five witch Houses left.

  “We want
ed to let you know.”

  “That we live but a stone’s throw.”

  “From your headquarters in New Orleans.”

  They were used to finishing each other’s sentences. I placed my hand up.

  “One at a time, please.”

  Henrietta was the official spokesperson. She laced her purple-gloved fingers together and smiled.

  “If you should ever need our services, we’ll be more than happy to assist. We brought you a gift to welcome you properly.” One of the sisters pulled an envelope from her purse and handed it to me. I didn’t bother looking inside as I handed it to Sig. That would go back but no need for them to know right away.

  “Thanks, I appreciate your visit. Here’s my card in case you need to reach me.” I handed each of them one.

  Henrietta coughed. “There’s something we’d like to discuss with you.”

  I sat back as Sig placed his hand casually on my thigh.

  “Go ahead,” I said.

  “We’d like you to sponsor our school in Plaquemines Parish. We haven’t recovered from the hurricanes or the oil spill. The Wilde’s didn’t want to sully their hands with our mess.” Henrietta raised her dainty cup to her lips and sipped her coffee. Her sisters mimicked the action.

  “If you need money, why are you giving me a gift?”

  Sig tried to disguise his laugh behind a cough. He was still teaching me the finer points of polite conversation. I hadn’t picked up the art of tiptoeing through a conversation as if it were a minefield. Henrietta turned several shades of purple, almost reaching a hue that matched perfectly with her outfit. She set the cup down and looked at Sig; her mouth pressed into a thin line.

  “It’s not money, girl. I’ve plenty of money. I want to open our doors to half—witches, and I need you to influence your lover into sanctioning the school.”

  “I don’t influence anyone, and I don’t have a lover,” I said.

  “DeDe Ladies are generally more sympathetic to witch causes.”