“The murder, Sasha, try to focus.”
He sighed dramatically. “Someone dies every year. The only thing that changes is the who, when, where, and why. We’re confined to our quarters until further notice. Which means I’m stuck,” he said with a grin.
“Really?” I asked. A murder had to occur in order for him to spend time with me?
“Yes, minx. Now tell me what’s for dinner,” he said licking his lips meaningfully.
“Arrogant elf,” I exclaimed and popped him with a pillow.
“I love your idea of foreplay, pet. Would you like to hit me in earnest? Maybe teach me a valuable lesson? I’m sure I’ve done something to earn it,” he said and crossed his hands behind his head.
I jumped on top of him and bent down. Licking him softly along his neck, I inhaled deeply. He smelled wonderful. My hands reached for the end of his shirt; I slipped them underneath it. My fingers traced the scars across the bottom of his abdomen slowly. My lips moved to his, my tongue running along the edges. His hand fell upon my head and I pulled back.
“I’m going to order you to stay in that position if you don’t behave,” I said.
He moaned. “Mercy, pet.”
“If you want to stay, promise to keep your hands to yourself,” I said.
His eyes darkened. He wanted to stay, but not with conditions. I saw the scar twitching painfully along his jaw as he thought.
“I promise,” he finally said.
I rejoiced with the victory. I could get use to this kind of compromising.
“Lovely,” I said licking his neck. “Let’s go make dinner, but I refuse to eat anything that’s either leafy or green.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Interrogations
A few hours later, I awaited my interview alone. I found out soon enough who Jeffrey was. He was one of Malachi’s half—brothers. I was jittery with nervous energy. This was the first time I would address council members as Lady Beth. Sig had tried to dress me, groaning at my final choice.
My attire wasn’t important. My concern was Malachi. I didn’t want to divulge any personal information. Malachi and I had all sorts of conversations. He’d spoken of his brothers, once. He despised both of them. A half-breed, a bastard, their mother’s favorite; it hadn’t been an easy upbringing.
He spoke of his childhood, eight centuries ago, and how they tried to rid themselves of him. It’s how Malachi earned such a poor reputation among the freaks. He showed early on his command of space and energy was superior to most everyone else. There was no love lost in the dysfunctional family. He considered Sasha his brother; the only one he could trust. I didn’t care if he killed Jeffrey. He wasn’t my brother.
The doors across the hall opened, and an older man beckoned me to come in. I stood up slowly, dusting off my jeans and taking my time. I marched serenely into the room and stood, staring at some of the same people I had eaten dinner with last night. Lord James, Lord Rowland, and Lord Frank were sitting along a long table representing the three powerhouses. Malachi’s much-despised, still living, half—brother sneered as I entered. Lady Gail was standing behind them, gliding back and forth, lost in her own thoughts.
I took a seat before it was offered, sitting forward in the chair. James started first.
“Where were you this morning?”
“In the gardens with my tutor,” I returned swiftly. My head whipped around as another question was fired.
“It’s my understanding Lord Malachi was in your rooms last night. Can you verify the time he left?” Rowland asked as he looked down at his notes twirling a pencil between his fingers.
“I don’t keep track of time when I’m having fun, but I can tell you I’ve been here four minutes and thirty—six seconds.”
The twirling of the pencil stopped, and his head came up.
“These proceedings are serious, Lady Beth. We expect you to answer our questions without mincing words. Do you understand?” he asked.
“Murder is serious no matter what race you’re in,” I responded, my stomach churning. I turned my ring around hoping that the icy feel of the gem would curb my retorts.
“You’re not trying to cover up for any of your lovers are you?” Frank asked with deep uncertainty.
“I’ve no lovers at the present time. Do you want to fill out an application?” I asked. My back stiffened. I knew better than goading Inquisitors.
“Don’t be cheeky DeDe whore,” he hissed, his silvery skin sparkling with emotion.
“Don’t assume to know my personal affairs.” I answered; the air in the room became heavy with tension as we stared at each other. He sent a wave of white light towards me, which I flicked away with a wave of my hand.
“Is that all you’ve got?” I asked.
He stood up, both hands upon the desk as he concentrated. I sent a small stream of electricity towards him. He wasn’t able to block it. His shirt singed above his heart, and I grinned.
“Children play nicely. Lady Beth, do you know of anyone who might want Jeffrey eliminated?” asked James, bored with our foolish display of emotional baggage.
I took a breath and exhaled. “I’ve never even met him.”
Frank sat back down and placed his elbows on the table. He leaned forward, his voice rising. “He was Malachi’s brother.”
“Your point?” I asked.
“We’re wasting our time with this witch. She doesn’t know anything, or she’s superbly trained,” Frank said.
The two elders leaned back in their chairs with the same blank look on their faces. Gail glanced first to James then to Rowland; a slight tick in her cheek the only visible sign something was going on viciously in her head. James nodded his head slightly towards the paper before him, and Rowland placed his pen down as he folded his fingers together. Frank just sneered even deeper.
“You’re dismissed. Stay safe,” she said.
I wasn’t feeling good with that dismissal. Damn freaks had to make everything cryptic. There hadn’t been enough time to discuss the laws in detail. I knew the key point; the one law everyone was expected to observe. Do unto others as you will have done unto you. If not, be prepared to pay tenfold. Sig skimmed through many of the details, muttering under his breath that I should know most of it anyway.
As soon as I stepped out the doors, Sig was waiting for me. He stepped beside me, and we walked back up to our rooms in silence. As soon as I heard the click of the doors closing behind us, I rounded on him.
“Sig, what’s going on around here?”
I was trying hard to understand my world. Certain things, politics and my role in particular, were difficult to wrap into neat little packages for further investigation. These freaks were something else. They jumped from topic to topic, following a course of thought I couldn’t pursue. Something I’d said made them stop questioning me, and I wanted to know what.
“What did they say?”
“They think I’m either stupid or a great liar. Then I was dismissed.”
Sig had a lit cigarette in his hand.
“You’ve nothing to hide. Someone always dies when Court convenes. How else do others gain power if not by wresting it from another’s hand. It’s business as usual, and it’ll be settled soon enough. Death or extravagant amounts of money will cure it. Likely both since Jeffrey met his end.”
“The enforcers in the district will take care of it? Where’s the list with their names and don’t disappear again.”
A piece of paper materialized in the air and floated in my direction. I snatched it up and turned away, scanning down the names on the piece of paper. The list was divided into seven smaller lists, each headed by a continent (minus Antarctica) and the dubious title of Island Hoppers. I turned back around to face Sig who was still puffing away by the front door, his eyes hidden behind his glasses.
“Sig, all the names on here are guys.”
“Women are unpredictable.”
I huffed in irritation. “And they’re all demons aren’t they,” I asked running m
y finger down the list again.
“They are, but they’re not from high Houses. They were chosen because demons are incredible psychics. They work fast. They work alone. They stick to facts and a paycheck. It’s why shadows were created. Shadows increase the resistance to interrogations and mind probing.”
“So if they had an enforcer interrogator, I’d would’ve said exactly when Malachi left?” I asked, my eyes lifting up to meet his.
He didn’t smile. “They’re testing you, Beth. Start psychic training when you get back to the city. Defense is the key to surviving. You must know whom you can trust. As for Jeffrey, Benji will contact the appropriate people. It’s his Region. Don’t worry about it.” He tapped the ashes of his cigarette into an ashtray. His eyes were bright blue as he gazed at me.
“You know, I think Frank got himself killed.”
“I would say so. Normally, a murder of a prominent Lord wouldn’t take place in such a public setting. The fact he died while Court was in session proves someone needed him out of the way quickly.”
I thought about it for a moment. A hit in the human world involved money. You had great life insurance, reneged on a loan, or loaded the dice. Something got you killed. A hit with non-humans was different. They planned things out centuries in advance.
“Anti—shifting laws don’t apply to Sasha, why?” I asked.
He was able to pop in and out whenever and wherever he chose to. One of the reasons many feared him. You couldn’t hide from the dark elf if he had a beef with you. If no one could stop him, how many more were out there with the same frightening ability?
“He’s an exceptionally powerful person,” Sig said. “He’s more powerful than me, and I’m older by one thousand years.”
“How many exceptionally powerful freaks are there?” I asked in concern.
I never thought much about Sasha and his freaky abilities. Truth be told, the very reason others found him scary turned me on. I loved the bad boy image he portrayed. Same with Malachi. I didn’t get why they had such bad reputations. They were like marshmallows around me.
“With specific talents, more than I care to name. All-around powerful such as Sasha, it’s but a handful,” Sig said. “But shifting leaves an imprint for someone like me to follow. I know from sources no one shifted in or out of those rooms.”
“If no one shifted in, it wasn’t a surprise guest who did him in. I thought he had enough money to buy himself out of trouble.”
“Money wasn’t the motive, at least not money at hand. This was personal.”
I handed him back the list of names, not needing it anymore. I headed into the kitchen for a drink. Things always became clearer with a drink in my hands.
“How would one go about finding out who has to pay for Jeffrey’s death? Are there other ways to tell if someone entered the room?”
I took out two tumblers and poured a measure of vodka in the first. I added coffee liquor, cream, and stirred as I filled Sig’s tumbler with water. I felt odd making me a drink and nothing for him.
“Some of us have extraordinary senses. The demon House of Dasni is better than the wolves with their sense of smell. The culprit could’ve left a strand of hair or a fingerprint. There’ll be an intensive investigation into the matter. Someone always pays, whether the culprit or a scapegoat.”
“Hey, I’m all for punishment, but I’d hate to punish someone that’s not guilty. How can you be sure you get the right guy?” I asked. Sig sipped his water and went to the couch. I followed and sank into the chair.
“It’s not your problem and never will be. A Lady of the Realm deals more with small claims, rough justice. Your goal in life is to have parties agree to a settlement quickly. Once you establish a reputation, people will agree to just about anything.” He was shaking his head with a tight smile on his face.
“They’ll agree to corporal punishment?” I asked.
“You’d be surprised what people agree to.”
Creativity was a forte of mine. I’d started making a list of suitable punishments for various crimes. Sig was impressed how depraved my mind could become with proper motivation.
“Let’s go over the last bill we were discussing before they called me downstairs? The one the Champagne sisters wanted me to defend or something.”
The Sugarplum sisters, as I had nicked named them, had come to visit again. They were relentless. Yet the last visit did go better than the first. They were upfront about what they wanted. They asked politely, without tiptoeing through ambiguous sentences. I appreciated their forthrightness, and said I’d do what I can after reviewing the bill.
“Sure,” Papers materialized in his hands. “Maria is proposing all slaves be released. Don’t believe it’s a humane gesture. The vampires pay humans as it is; and she wants the rest to do the same. Frankly, it’s radical thinking.”
“Radical for whom? Jack doesn’t want to give up his slaves? The mafia bankers don’t want to lose trade? It’s not fair to the workers.”
“Jack and his lot are vocal. I don’t blame the shifter. For the last five hundred years, his House has gained power and money on the backs of the slaves. He might be a bit rough with the workers; but, it’s not the case with every member of his House. Now Maria proposes to change the rules. It’s an effort to drain some of his money.” My brows puckered at such a description.
Sig barked out a strained laugh and leaned closer to me. My heart began to thump erratically. “I’m not like them. I don’t think the brutalization of slaves is a good idea. But, I do see his position. Why ruin such a prosperous business opportunity with democratic thinking?”
“Don’t you want to be paid?” I asked. “You’d be spitting mad and ready to take someone’s head off if anyone used you. Why is it so difficult to see the slave’s position?”
“I’m a demon. No one would dare try those kinds of shenanigans. Besides, I always get paid, and we’re not talking about me are we?” he asked.
“That’s a poor excuse for doing nothing, Sig. You freaks scare me sometimes.” I stood and stepped around him going into my room. He was still laughing.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Unexpected Company
I swiped at the annoying buzz around my ear hoping it would go away. It didn’t. I rolled over, confident I’d be able to cover my head with the pillow and snatch a few minutes of sleep. Instead, I rolled into a solid object, which shouldn’t have been in my bed because Malachi had left earlier. Still half-asleep and not in control of all my faculties, I stuck my arms out in defense. My palms tingled and a zap emitted out towards the intruding bulge in bed with me.
“Ouch, pet. Didn’t think I wasn’t welcomed after our last conversation. If that’s the way you want it, I’ll take myself off.”
I clicked the lamp on the nightstand. Sasha, his eyes bright with mischief, was rubbing his chest gingerly. The red welt was already healing. His lips twitched despite himself, and I sighed in relief.
“What are you doing here?” I asked bemused.
For the first few days, I hadn’t seen him at all. All of a sudden, he’d started popping in, literally, every time I turned around. It was hard to keep up with.
“I’ve a busy schedule in a few hours. I thought I could catch up on my favorite extracurricular activity. Honestly, pet, how long do you think I can go without?” he asked gruffly as he twirled a lock of my hair between his fingers.
“Jeesh, Sasha. Can’t you self soothe?” I asked trying to hold back my laughter.
“I’ll never stoop so low,” he said with a smile.
“Nice … so what do you expect me to do for you?” I asked.
This was awkward.
Sasha placed a hand upon my forehead and held me still as he breathed softly against my lips.
“Do you still take me for a fool?”
“I take you for a self—centered arrogant dumb nut.”
“I smell you, pet.” He sniffed along my neck, his tongue gliding along my beating pulse. “You want me as badly as I want you
. It’s on your body, your sheets, in your hair,” he said kissing the corner of my mouth.
“Get off me.”
I pushed on his chest, my face burning in shame. This was mortifying. It was one thing to want him; it was another for him to know how much I wanted him. If he suspected my need, I’d lose my leverage. I’d become an expendable pawn.
“Not till I get what’s mine,” he said evenly pulling down the covers.
He came prepared for the fact that I slept naked. He didn’t have a stitch of clothing on. He reached for my hand and guided it to his hard cock. I felt the bead of moisture on the tip of my fingers as he glided my hand up and down his shaft.
“Which is nothing,” I cried out angrily. “You can’t pop in on me when you like and demand such a thing Sasha.”
I tried to snatch my hand back and grab the covers. He growled menacingly, bunching them up and throwing them across the room. I slapped him hard across the face before he grabbed my hands again.
He felt his cheek where the red welt was barely visible. I was relieved I hadn’t scarred his face. He didn’t need any more scars on his face. The one prominent scar running along his left cheek and down his jaw line ticked in anger.
“You want me,” he said. “If you’d admit it, our lives would be easier.”
“I admit I want your dumb ass, but I don’t need you. I’ve got my title secured. That’s all that’s ever mattered to me, Sasha. If you can’t handle it, leave me the fuck alone.”
His eyes turned pitch black before I closed my mouth. He flipped me over in a lighting quick move pinning my hands safely away from himself. His knees were between my thighs, his cock threatening to enter at any moment. Tendrils of energy slithered quietly down my ribs.
His breathing was nonexistent as he whispered against the nape of my neck.
“I believe the condition in the contract said you wanted to know when and why I would lay with another woman. When, will be in a few minutes. Why, many reasons. But the deciding factor shall be your reply to my next query.”
I stilled under him. He placed himself in such a position that struggling would be counterproductive. If I moved an inch in any direction, his cock would slip into my slippery cleft. I could feel the way my body responded to his touch. I was swollen and itchy, a thin sheen of sweat upon my naked body. I gulped and slammed my head into the pillow.
A Lady of the Realm (House of DeDe) Page 20