by Julie Wetzel
“What do you think?” Darien held his hands wide so Elliot could give him an honest opinion.
Elliot rubbed his neatly trimmed mustache, considering Darien’s disguise. “You just need a nice goatee to be a proper villain,” he chuckled.
“And you need a cape to be a proper Zorro.” Darien looked over the all-black outfit the fay had given his friend. His tight, Spanish pants and V-neck shirt would have looked great on the Western film hero. Elliot tugged on the black suede gloves.
“It would get in the way.” Elliot smiled at him. “But you do look nice, Barnabas.”
Darien chuckled at the use of the classic TV character’s name. “Thank you, Varney.” He performed a sweeping bow that fit the outfit he was wearing.
Elliot laughed at Darien’s name choice. “I haven’t read penny dreadfuls since the mid-1840s!” Sighing, he wiped a tear born of laughter from his eye.
“I have a copy of Feast of Blood at home if you would like to reread it,” Darien offered.
“I will take you up on that.” Elliot pushed off from the wall he was leaning on and started towards the doorway. “Come on, Barnabas, you have a lady to find.”
“After you, Varney.” Darien waved for Elliot to lead the way out.
William, having just gotten into the room to have the fay change him, stopped as the two vampires started to make their way out. “So, we’re going with fictional vampire names.” He grinned at the two leaving. “Does that mean I can play Edward?”
Darien and Elliot paused and looked at him. “Vampires don’t sparkle,” they said in unison.
William laughed and continued on to be enchanted. Most of the Council kept up with current vampire fiction to see how the worldview of them changed over time. That particular book had been passed around for a good laugh. The vampires were so far off the mark that none of them could take it very seriously.
Darien followed Elliot out of the room and looked over the elaborately dressed guests twirling around on the dance floor. His eyes landed on several people with golden-blond hair who were about the right height to be Vicky, but he knew none of them were her. The fay would make it a lot harder for him to find her in this crowd.
Elliot looked over the crowded room for a possible partner. “So, where are you going to start?” His eyes landed on a beautiful woman in white with large wings, dancing with the Robin Hood version of Darien.
“There.” Darien pointed to a woman with golden locks, dressed as a princess. Even from a distance, he could tell that this woman was the spitting image of Vicky.
Elliot drew his eyes away from his first target to look at the woman. “You know it’s not her.” He grinned at Darien’s choice. Of course, he would start with the ones that looked close to the woman he loved.
“I know,” Darien said, “but I’ve got to find out who the fay chose to dress like her.”
Elliot chuckled and locked his eyes back on his target. The woman in white had taken her partner over to one of the mirrors for a guess. He could tell by the look on the man’s face that the girl had guessed right. “Go have fun.” Elliot patted Darien on the shoulder. “I’ll meet back up with you when Dakine calls for the mixer dance.” Darien nodded, and Elliot headed off through the crowd to claim a dance with the winter fairy.
Darien watched his friend go before turning his attention to the woman standing on the edge of the dance floor. She was getting a lot of odd looks, but no one had asked her to dance. It could be the fact that she looked identical to Vicky. The sky-blue eyes and golden locks were set off by the high-waisted, Renaissance-style dress and matching headpiece. Darien bowed to Vicky’s double. “May I have this dance?”
The woman smiled and held out her hand for him.
Darien took the offered appendage and kissed the back lightly before pulling her out onto the dance floor. He instantly knew it wasn’t Vicky. This woman was too familiar with the older movements for it to be the modern woman he loved.
“I was wondering if I was going to have to ransack someone to get them to dance with me.” The woman smiled as they stepped lightly across the floor.
Darien chuckled. “I think it’s because you look so much like our host’s lady,” he returned with a grin.
“Now I know how poor Vicky feels.” The woman sighed.
Darien raised an eyebrow at how she spoke. Most of the supernatural community referred to Vicky as Darien’s Lady or Victoria when she wasn’t around. This had to be someone Vicky knew well for them to be using her shortened name.
“I imagine it has gotten worse recently.”
Now he was really curious as to whom the woman was. “What happened?” Darien asked in a tone that sounded a little disinterested. He didn’t want to come off too strong and startle the woman into not speaking.
She looked at him, not sure if she should continue the gossip. “It doesn’t matter.” The woman decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to go on.
“Please.” Darien pulled her in against him, trying to persuade her to continue. He wanted to know what she knew and how she knew it.
She pushed away from him a little. “Be careful.” The woman looked around them for anyone that may have seen and objected to the close contact. Her eyes fell on the double of Darien in the green outfit, but he hadn’t noticed. “Master Darien wouldn’t like to see that.”
“Why not?” Darien asked as he took her back in his arms respectfully and danced on. “I thought he let his lady dance with whoever pleased her.” It was mostly true.
“Yes,” the woman sighed, “but I have it on good authority that he has become a little possessive of her as of late.”
Darien’s couldn’t keep the shock from his face. How had this woman come to that conclusion? “Last time he went to the club with her, he sat in a booth and watched,” he said, trying to figure out where this woman got her information.
“That may have been true, but, apparently, he has now staked more of a claim to her.”
Darien was totally flabbergasted that Vicky’s doppelgänger knew this fact. “Who told you that?” He tried to keep the demand out of his voice.
The woman’s eyes widened in surprise at his tone. “I… really shouldn’t say anymore.” She tried to pull from his arms, but he held on to her tightly and stopped dancing.
“Who?” Darien demanded.
The woman looked truly frightened.
“Please tell me.” He softened his words and swept his partner back into the dance so they didn’t draw any more attention. Had someone seen him drunk at the party?
The woman swallowed hard. “Vicky told me that Master Darien marked her.”
Darien stopped moving and stared at her. There was only one person that Vicky would talk to about her personal life. He laughed out loud and whirled the girl back into motion as he put everything together. “He did.” Darien sighed, happy that the answer was that easy. “But that’s not something you should be sharing with people, Sue.”
Sue’s mouth dropped open when Darien named her. Her mind churned on his words for a moment.
“Master Darien?” Sue asked.
Darien nodded his head.
“I am so sorry.” She bowed her head down so she was looking at his chest and not his eyes. “I should never have said anything.”
Darien chuckled.
“It’s all right.” He had, after all, pushed her to reveal the information. Moving his hand, he raised her face back up to look at him. “Thank you for being there for her.”
Sue smiled and nodded her head shyly.
“Let’s head over to one of the mirrors so you can get your flower.”
Sue thanked him, and they headed off to get her reward.
***
“May I have this dance?” Elliot swept his arm across his chest and bowed to Vicky as soon as she turned the duplicate of Darien loose.
“Of course.” Vicky dropped a curtsy and took his gloved hand. She couldn’t feel his temperature, but the gesture he had used was vaguely familiar to h
er. She had seen a few of the older vampires use it around Darien, so she tentatively sorted him into that category.
Elliot pulled her out on the dance floor and mixed into the couples. “I see you have already had some luck tonight.” His eyes flipped to the silver band around Vicky’s wrist. A small, blue flower sparkled on the bracelet.
“Yes.” Vicky smiled as she followed her partner’s eyes. “But something concerns me. The wolves can’t wear silver; are the bracelets going to hurt them?”
Elliot noted her consideration for the other races. “It would be a problem if the bracelets were silver,” he explained. “The bands are platinum, while the flowers and leaves are crystal.”
“Aha,” Vicky said thoughtfully as they danced. She looked around at the dancers, each with a band of platinum around their writs. “That is a lot of platinum.” She tried to calculate how much the bracelets would have cost. “Is Darien paying for them all?”
Elliot laughed at her. The question had given her away. “You don’t have to worry about that, my dear Victoria,” he grinned. “They are magical. And he could afford it even if they weren’t.”
Vicky’s wings shivered in surprise that her partner had discovered her identity so quickly. “How did you guess?”
Elliot cuddled her closer to him. “Your words give you away.” He purred into her ear. “Only one so close to Master Darien would use his name in such a way and worry about his finances.”
Vicky leaned her head forwards to rest on Elliot’s shoulder. Clara had warned her about using Darien’s name without the honorifics. Elliot tilted his head over to rest on hers, and she could taste just a bare hint of his power. The cool energy reminded her of dappled sunlight through trees, if that could have been a flavor. She smiled as she recognized the familiar feeling. Vicky stood up away from him. “Thank you, Master Elliot.” She turned a coy smile at him. “I will remember not to make the same mistake again.”
Elliot was surprised that Vicky recognized him in his short, dark hair and fine mustache. “You’re good at this game,” he smiled.
“Not really.” Vicky looked at him. “I could feel you.”
Elliot paused in their dancing as he thought about that. She shouldn’t have been able to feel him with Dakine’s spell active. He would need to go talk with the elf lord to make sure everything was working properly. “Very well.” Elliot smiled and pulled her over to the mirror for her reward. “Let’s see if you can find Darien with such ease.”
Vicky’s wings fluttered lightly as she named him for the looking glass to reveal. “But there are so many people here.” Vicky looked around the room as soon as they were done. “How will I ever have time to find him?” There were way too many men for her to dance with each of them.
Elliot petted his hand down her back, careful to not brush her wings. “Don’t worry,” he calmed her. “Dakine will be calling for a mixer dance as soon as everyone is changed.”
“A mixer?” Vicky said confused.
“That way we all get to dance with a lot of people in a short period of time,” Elliot explained. “You are bound to come across him in the dance.” He spun Vicky around so she was facing him again. “If you’ll excuse me.” Bowing over her hand, he kissed it. “There is something I have to check on.” Vicky agreed, and he left her to her own devices. He needed to go check with Dakine to make sure the spells were holding properly. It would be bad if the lesser fay got out tonight.
***
Vicky looked at the tall man in black with the gold and scarlet doublet dancing with another girl. She didn’t know how she knew it was Darien, but Vicky was sure she was right. He had been one of twelve people she had recognized in the mixer dance. Somehow, she could feel them and just knew who they were. Christian had been the most surprised when she correctly guessed his identity. Vicky already had their flowers on her bracelet and felt it was time that she collected on Darien’s.
“May I have the next dance?” she asked as the song ended and Darien released the redhead in the tight, black dress. A pang of jealousy hit her as she watched the woman’s hands linger on him a little longer than necessary.
“But of course,” Darien said with a hint of a Scottish accent to his voice. He bowed away from the woman in his arms and turned to take Vicky up as the music started again.
“I know who you are,” Vicky said as they took a turn out on the floor.
“Oh, you do now?” Darien grinned at her. “And who, pray tell, might I be?”
Vicky gave him the coy smile that she had been using every time she identified one of her dance partners. “You, my good lord, are our honored host, Master Darien Ritter,” Vicky said confidently.
Darien’s grin widened, confirming Vicky’s guess. “And you, my dear lady, are good at this game.” He looked down at the charm bracelet on Vicky’s wrist. There were already thirteen flowers and only one leaf. “How did you know who I was?” Only Sue had correctly guessed who he was tonight so far. He had seen this woman in white around but hadn’t had the chance to talk with her outside the mixer.
“Lucky guess.” Vicky fluttered her eyelashes at him innocently.
Darien wrapped the hand at her waist farther around her back and pulled her closer to him, gauging her reaction. Vicky’s wings fluttered, betraying her enjoyment at the more intimate contact with him. “The fay have really done a beautiful job with you tonight.” Darien ran his finger over the soft, spider silk of her dress. “Those wings are most impressive.” He moved his hands up to stroke one of the thin membranes.
Vicky shivered under the soft caress. “It took me a while to get used to them.” She hadn’t realized that fingers on those wings could feel so good.
Darien smiled as he ruled out the woman as fay. No fay would let someone touch such a sensitive portion of their anatomy like that. It was considered rude and should have gotten him hit. “How are you enjoying my party?” Darien’s voice dropped to a more intimate tone. He was rewarded when her heart rate jumped. Smiling, he ruled out vampire.
“It’s been amazing.” Vicky tried to get her body to calm down before she gave herself away. It just felt right being in his arms. “It’s nice to see everyone getting along so well.”
Darien cast his eyes around the room. He’d been surprised that there hadn’t been at least one disagreement during the evening. Even with the renewed truce, wolves and vampires were not natural friends. Over the years, he had done his best to see that the two groups cooperated as best they could. It was better for business if tensions in town weren’t heightened by conflict between the local pack and vampires.
“It is.” Darien smiled. He turned his attention back to the woman in his arms. She had to be either werewolf or human, but he just couldn’t decide. “Have you had the chance to visit the buffet? I hear the chocolate cake is divine.”
Vicky shook her head. “Only for something to drink.”
Darien ruled out wolf. They were known for having large appetites and tended to nibble constantly when food was readily available. That meant that this woman was human. Darien smiled and squeezed her to him. “You really should try the cake, Victoria,” he said softly into her ear.
Vicky was shocked that he had guessed her. She couldn’t think of anything she’d said that would give her away. “How did you guess?”
“Well,” Darien grinned at her smugly, “you are the only human I know that would stand this close—” he squeezed her lightly as he spoke “—knowing who I am, and not be somewhat afraid.”
Vicky giggled at him. “Should I be afraid of you?” She fluttered her eyelashes at him again.
“I would prefer not.” Darien folded her in against him so he could nuzzle her hair. “I like the way you are around me.”
Vicky wiggled in happiness. They danced quietly together for a while, enjoying the feel of each other.
Darien was pulled back to reality when someone cleared their throat close to him. He turned to see Elliot and the white wolf form of Zak standing next to them.
The wolf panted and came over to rub against their legs.
“I see you found what you were looking for.” Elliot shot them both a knowing smile.
Vicky blushed at the innuendo and hid her face in Darien’s chest.
Darien made a content noise that widened the grin on Elliot’s face.
“I hate to interrupt your moment, but it’s almost midnight, and Lord Dakine would like to start soon.”
Darien sighed and released Vicky. “Of course.” He took Vicky’s arm and followed Elliot over to the buffet table where the elven lord was standing.
“Everything is prepared,” Dakine informed them. “We’re just waiting for midnight.”
“What happens at midnight?” Vicky asked.
“The end of the masquerade.” Darien patted her hand.
Vicky looked at him, confused. “But isn’t it early to be ending the party?”
“We aren’t ending the party.” Darien smiled. “We’re just switching gears.” He looked over the room filled with creatures of the night. “I doubt if this bunch will leave before tomorrow night.”
Vicky gave him a long ah-ha as she nodded her head slowly. The ballroom music ended, and a deep bell began to toll the hour.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Dakine’s voice rang out over the crowd. “The time has come to end this masquerade.” The couples backed up from the floor as several of Dakine’s people brought out two short columns topped with brass bowls. He had them placed a few feet apart, right in the middle of the room. Dakine fussed with the bowls for a moment until he was happy. Laying his hand on one of them, a fire bloomed to life in both. “Bring that which you have found to be revealed.”