Sig’s hand became warmer against my arm when he realized I was about to say something.
“Don’t show up without a proper explanation,” I said.
I was tempted to call her all sorts of names, but I didn’t feel like dealing with Sig.
“Is that a threat?” Marcia had the audacity to ask with a grin.
“I don’t threaten. I find it’s a waste of time.”
“Bless your DeDe heart. They always were territorial. I don’t know what it is about that piece of swamp they love so much,” Maria said.
“Should I let you know now I’ll be in for Essence Fest?” Benji asked.
I turned my head to look at Sasha. He had a sinful smile on his lips, and he raised his glass to me in a salute. Lady Gail, who was sitting two chairs from him, signaled for a footman. A bottle of wine was brought to her. A round of drinks appeared at the same time she took her first sip. The tables magically cleared instantly. I was surprised I had a Kamikaze and Sig, a Fiji, in front of him. These guys knew all our drinking habits.
The true purpose of the get—together commenced when Gail stood and positioned herself between the two main tables. She wasn’t a tall woman, but she was imposing. As she stood, a slippery pink gown draping down her slim figure, no one breathed a word.
“Welcome to the annual American Court convention. I’d like to take the next few moments to introduce the heads of the high Houses to everyone once again, and to say what a pleasure it’s been to work with all of you this past year,” she said. Her eyes roved around the dining area as she sipped from her glass of wine. She placed the cup down and swept her hands out. People stood up as she named the sitting chairs for the races.
“Representing the fairies is Lord Frank, House of Sky. For the elves is Lord Rowland, House of Losalfar. Lord James, House of Siege, represents all specialty shifters. Lord Jack, House of Soeil, represents general shifters. Lord Gaelen, House of Cosmer, represents the demons. Lady Maria, House of Sangria, represents the entire vampire sector. Lord Benji, House of Drail, is representative for gargoyles and Lord Jon, House of Merle, represents witches.”
These introductions took but a minute to do. The guests assembled fidgeted in their seats to get a better look at those mentioned. I saw several people raise their glasses in a toast when their delegate’s name was called. I didn’t miss the slight of not introducing the mafia bankers, who were all in black suits looking churlish. A subtle change in Lady Gail’s tone made me pause the sorting out of names, titles, and species.
“I’d also like to introduce everyone to Lady Bethany escorted by Sir Sigmund. She’s our newest allodial. Her sector, House DeDe in Region Two,” she finished and gave me a blinding smile.
There were many grumbles after this announcement, and a few not so friendly smiles thrown my way.
“Thank you all for coming. Please mingle and renew friendships. Tomorrow is soon enough to begin work. Agendas have been left at your corresponding rooms so everyone will be on the same page.”
She refilled her glass gathering her slippery pink dress about herself and headed into an adjacent room, where music was softly playing. The strains of a haunting melody that escaped from the room made me groan. It was a damn ball. I hadn’t learned any formal dances. Sig pulled my chair out as I was formulating my escape.
“Stay away from Jack. Keep your temper under control, even if you have to bite your tongue off. I can fix it later. Dance with whoever asks for your hand except Sasha.”
“Sig?” I said under my breath pretending to search for a mint in the tiny clutch bag he had given me. He stopped running down the list of instructions as I whispered. “I don’t know how to dance.”
“Weren’t you taught?” he asked carefully as he brushed the sleeves of suit down.
“Are you serious?” Ballroom dancing wasn’t something my generation did.
“Your lack of education confounds me. Stick to drinking. You’re exceptionally talented in that area.”
He walked away after handing me a flute of champagne. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out in his direction. Maria, leaving her escort behind to find his own way, walked beside me.
“I heard you had a run—in with Jack. I was thrilled to learn what you did to him,” she purred.
Instructions: Stay away from Jack and I assumed the subject. I sipped my champagne as Maria sipped from her glass.
“You’re a true vampire aren’t you? You weren’t made,” I asked. A true vampire was born, not made. They lived exceptionally long lives. My recent study into the vampire Houses had revealed not many vamps were made anymore. It was frowned upon, and those made were treated as inferior.
“No made vampires can ascend to the head of a House. Unheard of … like so many other traditions that are disappearing,” she said as she sipped from her glass and eyed me sideways. I scanned over the growing crowd on the dance floor and ignored the insinuation.
“What are they dancing to?” I asked, gesturing towards the twirling couples on the floor.
The doors had been open to the public, and it had suddenly become stifling. The ridiculously small fan Sig had provided was ineffective in stirring any air. In the middle of the swaying mass of bodies, I spotted Jack. His companion, a willing female by the look of adoration beaming from her eyes, was hard to miss. She wore something like genie clothes. Everything was sheer and translucent under the chandeliers. I sipped the champagne and stared unabashedly. Maria caught the direction of my gaze and chuckled.
“What was it about Jack that made you strike him? His charm perhaps?”
I sighed internally. I hoped Maria would’ve dropped the subject. Sig told me never to say what was on my mind. The truth was dangerous in the wrong hands. I took care on how I phrased my dislike.
“He caught me by surprise. It’s my first time meeting many of the Lords and Ladies,” I said.
Maria smiled knowingly. “My House is better behaved, especially with humans. We take a little here and a little there, and we always leave them with a lot of frivolous gifts they seem to adore,” she trilled softly. Maria tilted her glass towards Jack’s back as he twirled his partner. “His medieval ways need to be reformed,” she said with a strong lisp.
I turned to see what the problem was. Her fangs continued to elongate as she stared at Jack on the dance floor. I’d seen the fangs come out before, in some of my customers back home. Vamps couldn’t control the reaction during certain emotions. I was betting Maria didn’t want to jump his bones so she must not like him either.
“Can we?” I asked, forgetting to pretend I didn’t know what we were talking about.
Maria’s fangs disappeared back into her mouth. “Nothing lives forever,” she said.
Maria talked softly in the background as I studied the room. The room was like any other ballroom I’d ever visited. Of course, I’d always been serving drinks or waiting on tables at those other functions in the Quarter. Yet the walls here had the same tired cherub motif; and the moulding was an atrocious gaudy gold color.
There were no seats inside, I assumed, so that people could mingle. When I saw Katie come in, my mood soured. The werewolves headed straight for Sasha and his father, who were firmly entrenched by the liquor table, like any good elf, with the faeries.
I watched stoically as Katie latched on to Sasha’s arm and moved in closer to him. She slithered her thigh up his leg, pressing into him suggestively as she whispered in his ear.
“That wolf has no limits,” Maria said when she noticed where my attention was focused.
“You’ve got to strike while it’s hot,” I said under my breath.
“She’s been striking for four hundred years,” she said.
Maria continued to prattle about the gardens, the entertainment, her many lovers, and whatever else came to her mind. I made a note to send an invitation to my next party her way. I liked people who could ignore the obvious in an attempt to make you feel comfortable.
Sig had walked over to the demon fell
ow, whatever his name was. How was I supposed to keep up with all these names? They were talking in the corner of a room by themselves. No one approached the demons as they did the other heads of the Houses. It was odd. They had at least five feet of people—free space in every direction.
I saw Malachi in the other end of the room. He smiled when our eyes met and began walking my way. I was afraid to attempt polite conversation with him when he stood next to me. I tended to say exactly what was on my mind with him around, and I wasn’t at liberty to do so now.
“Having fun?” Malachi asked skeptically.
My facial features were frozen in a perpetual half-smile. Between ignoring the tramp on Sasha, Maria’s endless chatter, and my own speculations, I was nearing the quota of my allotted patience for the day.
“I’m peachy,” I replied.
Malachi looked about the room. “Would you care to dance?” he asked extending his hand out.
“I thought you liked me,” I hissed.
He arched his eyebrows at my answer. Placing his empty glass on a tray, he swung his arm around my shoulders. He massaged them gently as he bent down to meet my eyes.
“Let’s get out of here. We can find a better way to finish the evening in your rooms.”
I swatted at him because his words and actions had so much sexual innuendo. What those who heard the word play didn’t know was that Malachi had the unfinished game of chess on his mind. So far, I was up seven games to one, and he was less than thrilled. He’d popped out in frustration, not bothering to say goodbye, when I won the last game.
“Perfect idea,” I purred. I clasped his arm as we started for the door.
“See you around, Lady Beth,” Maria said with a wink.
I turned around to kiss the space just off her cheek. From my peripheral vision, I caught sight of Sasha, Katie on his hip. I swung my eyes in his direction and waved my fingers. He tilted his glass towards me and drank, his eyes never wavering.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Agenda
With Malachi staying the night, I got a good night’s rest after the insufferable dinner. Sig had to wake me up, pushing and prodding me like a parent with a sloth for a child. Sig wasn’t all-bad. He took me to the gardens for our morning meeting stating fresh air once a day should be sufficient for a witch.
We stayed for hours in a huge gazebo. I swayed lazily in a hammock, my hand trailing the wooden planks, as Sig went over the agenda left for us. It was lengthy, and I was glad Sig could decipher the legalese for me. He smoked like a chimney, lighting one after another after another.
“You know, smoking’s bad for you,” I said after he ripped open a third pack in as many hours. He smiled softly and lit another one.
“A lot of things I like are bad for me.”
I smiled back. That was the first exchange we had as equals. I liked it.
“What exactly are we doing for four more days?” I asked as he slid all the documents back into his bag. He was sitting on the floor and rocked back to lean on his elbows, his Armani clad legs stretching out.
“A meeting tonight to go over the agenda.” Sig heard my moan. “I know it’s redundant; but it’s tradition. The next evening the council will assemble and recognize all Chairs for their Regions. That’s the night you’ll be recognized formally. After that it’s voting.” His cigarette disappeared, a puff of smoke the only thing visible from where I rocked, his head tilting slightly to the right.
“Do many people voice opinions?” I asked.
The floor would be open for constituents to address the council. It was as much democracy as they could muster in thousands of years. It didn’t matter what people said and asked for. The council, all powerful members with obscene bank accounts, would do what they wanted regardless.
“No, and I don’t want you to say a word. Stick to looking like you know what you’re doing. It will keep everyone guessing.”
“I’m still unsure about my shadow.”
He slid his eyes away from mine. I read every file several times. I hadn’t spoken to Sasha, so he was no help. Sig said I had to grow up. Malachi told me to go with my instinct.
“Witches never had shadows before, Beth; you don’t need to take one. But if you do, everyone on the list I gave you is adequate. I trust them. They have Sasha’s approval, which is important since you’re his allodial. I’ve made a list of things you need to take care of over the next year. Dancing lessons, etiquette lessons, and you need a new wardrobe, kid. First impressions are everything.”
I looked down at my ripped blue jeans and Saints ‘I Bleed Black and Gold’ shirt. There was nothing wrong with my wardrobe. I dressed according to the occasion. Comfort was also an important factor.
“I’m not wasting money, Sig; and it sounds really boring. Haven’t you seen the new fashion trends? Distress is in.”
He snorted in amusement. “Lords and Ladies need to dress better than their subjects. Take some pride, Beth. If you can manipulate men without makeup or proper attire, imagine your allure when it’s honed.”
“I can improve? Why didn’t you say so?”
I would undergo a makeover if I could improve my success rate of getting what I wanted. I wouldn’t do dresses or skirts but maybe slacks. I didn’t like makeup; it took too long. There had to be a quick and easy way to look like a million bucks.
“I wanted you to discover it. Alas, my time with you is nearly up, and I want to prepare you. Beth, you’ve no idea the power in your blood,” he said.
“I haven’t done so bad up until now have I?”
“Your instinct balances the poor education. In a few years, you’ll be irresistible to most men. You’ll be the perfect counterpart for Sasha.”
“What does he have to do with anything?” I asked, irritated.
“Everything, young one.” He smiled.
A loud, shrieking alarm rang in the distance, interrupting our conversation. Perplexed I looked towards Sig who’d gone pale. Which was saying something ‘cause the demon was as pale as an albino to begin with. He lurched toward me, taking me by surprise. “Hang on.”
We popped up outside of our suite doors. Sig, half carrying me in since my legs were unsteady, huffed under his breath in another language. Caleb rushed inside before the door fully closed.
“What’s going on, Sig?” I slurred as he placed me on what had officially become my chair. Sig held my head, his energy radiating out and helping me with the sickness that was always present when I traveled through space.
“Someone’s died,” he said with no inflection. Caleb piped in from the background.
“Jeffrey.”
“Where did they find the body?” Sig asked as he pulled my eyelids down to check my pupils.
“In his suite. His mother found him,” Caleb said as he took a position by the front door.
Sig’s expression smoothed out. “In his suite?” he asked him, feeling my forehead.
Sasha strolled out of my bedroom with a drink in his hand. He didn’t look upset or worried. He did look as if he’d been awakened.
“How the hell did you get in here?” I asked.
“Popped in, pet,” he said. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. Of course, he somehow managed to circumvent so many rules.
“Sasha,” Sig said as he refilled his tumbler, “you know better than to shift into this apartment. What will the neighbors say?”
“Who cares,” he said as he gazed in my direction. Sig started to glow around the edges.
“You think I would somehow fail?” he said defensively.
Sasha turned around to face Sig. He placed his drink down, a big move for him, and held his hands up.
“No, Sigmund, not fail. Apologies. I had to see. I had to come,” he said softly.
Sasha didn’t move, didn’t exhale, until Sig nodded. With an explosion of air from his lungs, Sasha turned back towards me. He picked me up off the chair and carried me into the bedroom, shutting the door behind us.
“Where have you been?” I asked
as I pushed on his chest.
“Busy,” he said between the kisses he was raining down on me. I took a moment to savor the feeling of his lips on my flesh before continuing my interrogation.
“And you haven’t been able to see me for how many days?”
Sasha stopped all movement with his hands. He placed me carefully on the bed sweeping my hair back away from my face so he had a clear view of my eyes.
“Last time we spoke, you said you’d let me know. I’ve been waiting for my invitation. I see you like Malachi,” he said his eyes locking with mine.
“I like him a lot,” I said.
“I don’t mind sharing,” he said. “I want you to be happy. But you must admit, pet, my time with you is overdue,” he said softly as his lips came closer to mine.
“Get a grip on your hormones,” I said.
His lips never made contact with mine. They hovered just above, teasingly out of reach. He sniffed delicately. I could smell our combined lust in the air. It perfumed the room, insulated us in a bubble of desire.
“I want you,” he said.
“Katie warned me to stay away from you. I’m not good enough to be a pimple on your ass,” I said as a means of distraction. It worked beautifully. He pulled back as doubt washed across his face.
“Is that a jest?”
“Nope. Met her in the gardens yesterday. I think she likes you.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong. She wants to unite our Houses but … hmm. Maybe that night in Cairo was better for her than me.” I squirmed from underneath him. He continued talking after he clasped his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling.
“If you would’ve said her sister Maggie had approached you… she’s insatiable. Why haven’t you come to see me? I haven’t done anything to upset you have I?” he asked as he rolled on his side.
“I was told not to leave my rooms, Sasha.” That no—good demon. He had expressly told me to avoid Sasha this week. I sighed. “What happens now?” I asked as I nestled closer to him.
“What would you like to happen?”
A Lady of the Realm (House of DeDe) Page 19