The security detail was Tomas’s idea and Yasmin had to admit she felt safer with those guys scattered throughout the building. In theory all her guests were friendly and there wouldn’t be any trouble. But Tomas had been right - Flux creatures were an unpredictable bunch and no one really knew how they would behave.
Her stomach heaving with butterflies, Yasmin did one last circuit of the main ballroom. It was a lovely room. Gilt-edged mirrors dominated the walls over intricate cloth panels. The dim lighting was perfect for a masquerade ball. Several waiters were preparing champagne flutes at the far end of the hall. Yasmin retreated so she could make her entrance after the majority of guests had arrived.
She waited in one of the adjoining rooms, looking discreetly though a crack in the door. Several guests, resplendent in all manner of colorful gowns and masks, arrived over the next half an hour. Yasmin felt her anxiety rise as she wondered how she was going to identify folks behind their masks. A masquerade ball had sounded like fun at the time, but now that she was faced with the reality she cursed herself for her foolishness. It was an important night for making political alliances. Later in the evening a special meeting had been planned for all the attending species leaders. Until then, though, there would be plenty of awkward encounters behind these infernal masks. Yasmin hurried across to her personal chamber and retrieved her ornate mask. It was a stylised mask in rose and vermillion to match her dress.
Feeling somewhat protected behind her mask, Yasmin took one final peek into the grand ballroom and was relieved - and horrified - to see it bustling with beautifully-dressed guests. The buzz of conversation hit her in a wave of sound. The electricity in the air was palpable.
Yasmin made her entrance, opting for a subtle, discreet entry. What happened was exactly the opposite. At first only a few guests noticed her, but the whispers of “Silver” and “vampire queen” were obvious. Yasmin didn’t have much notion of where the vampyra sat in the scheme of things, but Tomas had warned her that her position would be viewed as fairly prestigious. After all, what could be more glamorous than a vampire queen? As more and more masked guests turned and stared at her, Yasmin suddenly felt ridiculous in her designer dress the color of blood. Who did she think she was anyway? Then some fool started clapping. How could they be sure of her identity? Her platinum hair, flowing like liquid ivory to her shoulders, was admittedly easy to notice.
Yasmin made her way awkwardly through the throng, not knowing who to turn to. The entire ballroom was now filled with clapping. Maybe the guests were simply thankful for the invite, or maybe they truly believed she was a queen.
Whatever the case, her nerves threatened to overwhelm her. Just as it seemed likely that she would faint, she was drawn into a clutch of guests and given a flute of champagne.
“Drink up, girl, or you’re liable to collapse.”
The voice was familiar. The woman was wearing a simple maroon dress with a wolf mask.
“Mother Aurora?” Yasmin stammered.
The woman nodded. Yasmin had never been so relieved in her life.
“Thanks for saving me,” was all she could say.
“Don’t mention it,” Aurora said crisply. “I don’t envy your task tonight. But the Lycan Society appreciates the invitation all the same.”
“I don’t really know what to expect,” Yasmin said honestly, feeling so young, so inexperienced all of a sudden. “I just wanted to reach out.”
“This is new for all of us,” Aurora said, almost soothingly. “I hear you’ve taken up residence in Europe.”
Yasmin nodded, on the defensive all of a sudden. How much did the Mother know? Yasmin wasn’t sure if she was comfortable divulging the location of her castle. She and Tomas had a lot of work to do in strengthening their position first.
“I’m a work in progress,” Yasmin eventually admitted.
To change the subject, Aurora gestured to a portly man to her right.
“This is Gustav Almasy,” she said. “Leader of the arachne.”
Yasmin offered her hand, which was kissed gallantly by the stranger. He wore a grotesque blue mask in the shape of a spider.
“Charmed, dear girl, charmed,” he said in a deep voice.
“My people in Europe discovered Gustav in Lithuania,” Aurora said. “I hope you don’t mind his inclusion. The lycans have a lot of time for other naturebound folk.”
“Of course,” Yasmin said. “It was my intention to spread the word.”
“Such an elegant solution,” Gustav said. “I look forward to working alongside you, Yasmin. The arachne are creatures of the night, just like you.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Yasmin said. She didn’t quite know what to say. She realized she had a lot to learn about diplomacy and the art of polite conversation. What kind of queen was she? The truth was she was embarrassed to be talking to Aurora like this. It wasn’t so long ago that her heart was set on becoming a lycan. When the Mother had found out she was destined for other things, she was spurned by the Lycan Society as if she were an intruder. It was a memory that still burned in her soul. She knew she needed to rise above such personal considerations but it was hard when she still didn’t have much of a support network. Tomas was the only one who really knew about her fears and dreams. Tomas … and Jack Foley.
All of a sudden she absolutely needed to be in the burly lycan’s arms - if only she could get to him. She didn’t care how juvenile it seemed. She needed a sanctuary to give her strength before the meeting of leaders later that night - Jack was her safe place.
“Excuse me,” Yasmin said, nodding to Aurora and Almasy in turn. “I should attend to my guests.”
“Of course,” Aurora said.
Yasmin moved slowly through the throng of masked people, resisting the urge to rush back to her drawing room and stay there.
She received several compliments, but since she couldn’t recognize anyone she kept pushing blindly through the assembled guests.
Then, like a bolt from the blue, she saw him. An unshaven man in a splendid dinner suit wearing a fox mask. Had to be Jack. Same height. Same build. Same way of standing that warned people away. Same sense of humor - that fox mask was no coincidence. Better still, he seemed to be scanning the crowd too. Then their eyes met. He froze, then beckoned her to him quickly. She crossed the marble floor as quickly as her heels would allow. Resisting the impulse to jump him, Yasmin allowed the lycan to take her by the hand. She gestured to the door that led to her private drawing room. They slipped through quietly, hoping no one noticed.
“I can’t believe this is finally happening,” Jack muttered, spinning Yasmin around and placing his palms on her cheeks. “I fucking missed you.”
Yasmin felt a tear slide down her cheek. “Ditto, Jack,” she managed to say before Jack’s lips met hers. They kissed passionately, hungrily. Yasmin relished Jack’s familiar smell. It triggered memories of their magical night together in New York. It seemed like such a long time ago.
“How secure is this room?” Jack asked when he finally drew his lips away. He removed his mask and tossed it across the room disdainfully. Yasmin did the same. The time for masks was over.
“It’s private,” Yasmin said. “But someone could come in by mistake.”
“Then we’ll have to take a risk,” Jack said, cupping Yasmin’s buttocks with his strong hands. Her first impulse was to object, to say it wasn’t possible, but she wanted him so badly. In the end she turned her back to him so he could unzip her. She stepped out of her dress carefully and faced him wearing nothing but her scarlet lingerie.
Jack just stared at her hungrily while he removed his bow tie. Then his jacket. Yasmin almost swooned with expectation as he unbuttoned his shirt. She stepped forward and ran her hands across his hard chest, finding comfort there. She removed her bra slowly and pressed her body against him. Again she felt his strong hands kneading and stroking her buttocks. She gasped as he lifted her up to his waist. She wrapped her legs around him, allowing him to pull his trouse
rs down. Then he was inside her, pressing her against the wall for balance. She kissed his neck with savage hunger, her body ablaze with Jack’s heat.
“It’s been too long, Jack,” she whispered in his ear as he thrust like an animal.
“Longer than a lycan can possibly bear,” panted Jack in reply.
Jack was zipping Yasmin’s dress when Barker, head of the security detail, popped his head around the door.
“Sorry, ma’am,” he said uncomfortably. “My running sheet says its time for the meeting.”
Yasmin felt a twinge of nerves, but nothing like she might’ve felt had she not run into Jack. She held him in her arms for one last moment.
“Be careful in there,” he warned. “I know nothing of politics, but I’m certain you can’t trust any of those people.”
Yasmin nodded, giving Jack a final peck on the cheek.
“Keep a sharp eye,” she warned. “I’m sure everything will be OK.”
A murmur rippled amongst the guests as Yasmin reappeared in the grand ballroom without her mask. She no longer cared what they all thought of her. She was a vampire queen - she could do whatever she damn well wanted. Her tryst with Jack had flooded her with confidence, self-belief. That was one of the reasons she loved him - he somehow managed to bring out the best in her.
Gliding through the crowd, Yasmin felt good being herself - a young vampire with strong ambitions. She stopped at the champagne table and turned to address her guests.
“Ladies and gentlemen, would the various leaders and representatives please retire into the Gershwin Room.”
A set of double doors were pulled open by security staff. Yasmin was the first to enter, leading the way calmly. She took a seat at the far end of a circular mahogany table. Others filtered in behind. To her relief Mother Aurora took a seat to her left, and Gustav came and sat to her right. Hector Caliri, a powerful aquilan figure, bowed to Yasmin before assuming a seat. Others found places at the table. All removed their masks as they walked in, but Yasmin didn’t recognize them anyway. There was a mixture of men and women. At that moment they all looked like regular human beings. Their ‘normal’ appearance somehow conspired to set Yasmin’s nerves on edge. It made them difficult to read.
Once the table was filled and it was clear that no one else was coming in, Yasmin stood and smiled at her guests.
“I thank you all for coming tonight. My name is Yasmin Silver and, as ridiculous as it sounds, apparently I’m a vampire queen.”
The scattered laughter around the table was reassuring.
“We’re all getting used to our new bodies,” Gustav said, his chubby cheeks shaking with delight.
“Indeed,” said Yasmin. “I can imagine your heads must still be spinning. One minute you were going about your human lives, the next you had been given the task of leading your species into an uncertain Flux Age.”
“We need a common room or something,” said a jolly-looking man. “A place where we can drink and smoke.”
More laughter around the table.
“The reason I arranged this Ball tonight was because I feel a little lost,” Yasmin said. Long before the Ball she’d decided to be honest before her peers. She hoped it was the best way to elicit similar honesty from those she hoped to befriend.
“When a diviner told me what I was, who I was, all I felt was confusion,” Yasmin went on. “Especially as I was convinced I was something else.”
Yasmin glanced at Mother Aurora, who nodded in acknowledgement.
“The thing is, I’ve come to accept who I am. I’m growing to love who I am. But the reality that comes with that takes a lot of getting used to.”
“I can relate, child,” boomed Gustav. “Spiders aren’t usually seen as the most attractive of beasts.”
“And yet you’re here by my side, looking for ways we can help each other,” Yasmin said with a smile. “It proves that we need to remove all our old human prejudices.”
“Yasmin is right,” said a skinny man with pale skin. “One thing we must recognize is that all Flux creatures are intelligent. In in ideal world each species would be treated equally.”
“Hear, hear,” said several leaders around the table.
“So what can we do about that?” Hector said abruptly, stroking his beard. “I’m sorry to be so direct, but I’d like to take something tangible from this meeting tonight.”
Yasmin eyed the aquilan leader. She didn’t know much about him other than he had a reputation as a practical man. She suspected that the aquila had been in contact with the lycans of New York, considering their close proximity. She thought she knew what the aquila were after. Dark tissue. That was a controversial topic for another time.
“I want to talk about lore,” Yasmin said. “I’m sure many of you, like me, are still feeling your way. It’s not as if there are libraries of lore waiting for us when we discover our spirit creatures. We’ve come here from all the corners of the globe. It would make sense for us to pool our resources so we can all benefit from shared knowledge.”
“May I have the floor?”
It was Mother Aurora. The question was polite enough, but there was steel under her voice.
Yasmin bowed and sat down. The Mother cleared her throat and spoke in a tightly controlled voice.
“Again, I wish to thank Miss Silver for organizing this auspicious occasion,” Aurora began. “But I am forced to reject her notion of shared knowledge. It might make sense for the vampyra to access lore from other species, but we do not wish to reveal our strengths and weaknesses. To do so would put us at grave risk. I’m sorry if that seems callous, but the Lycan Society has the most to lose. I reject Yasmin Silver’s proposal.”
Mother Aurora sat down again.
Yasmin felt flushed with humiliation as she got to her feet. Had the whole night been a complete waste of time? How could the Mother shoot her down so publicly? Worse, she made it sound like Yasmin was suggesting shared lore for her own gain. As Yasmin considered her assembled guests, all she felt was anger.
“I’m sorry the Lycan Society feels that way,” Yasmin said stiffly. “But then, it’s little surprise that the most powerful Flux species would have the most to protect.”
The venom in Yasmin’s voice was unmistakeable. She simply didn’t care at that moment.
“As for the rest of us,” Yasmin went on, “I wouldn’t think twice about sending items of lore to those who needed it. Apart from the lycans, we all need help. This goes beyond issues of security and power. It comes down to common human decency.”
Yasmin sat down again, her eyes drilling holes through the table. After several moments of tense silence, Gustav cleared his throat.
“I must say I agree with Miss Silver,” he rumbled. “I for one would support a knowledge sharing alliance with the vampyra.”
Yasmin smiled at Gustav, and couldn’t help but notice Mother Aurora shutting her eyes as if to brace herself for something.
More votes of confidence emerged from around the table. Bear, centaur, djinni and mer representatives strongly supported Yasmin’s proposition. There was even a wraith emissary who expressed enthusiasm for Yasmin’s idea.
Just as the discussion was beginning to take flight Hector spoke in his commanding baritone, his eyes never leaving the Mother.
“I would like to acknowledge the Mother’s reflections on the lycan position,” he said. “We should all remember what this remarkable society has done for humanity since the Dark Ages. Since the last Flux.”
Hector’s words were greeted with strong murmurs of agreement. Yasmin noticed that Aurora’s eyes were still jammed shut.
“The lycans have been our shield for an eternity,” Hector continued. “Our flame in the darkness.”
The burly, imposing aquilan locked his hooded eyes on Mother Aurora.
“Surely that weight of responsibility needs to be shared. Now that a Flux Age has begun we must all band together to protect humans from destroying each other.”
This time the mu
rmurs became claps. It had always been Yasmin’s hope that lasting alliances could be formed here in New York. But Hector had more to say.
“The aquila believe that the last Flux Age lasted no longer than a century,” he said. “If that is the case this time round, we can all expect to die out like we did a thousand years ago. Except the lycans.”
Yasmin’s heart was hammering in her chest. The silence that greeted Hector’s words was menacing. No one around the table dared say a word.
“We don’t think that’s equitable,” Hector eventually said. “I propose that the lycans be relieved of the horrible burden they have been carrying. I propose that their dark tissue, the substance that keeps them alive after the Flux has faded, be shared between the key members of a New Alliance.”
Yasmin felt a chill run down her spine and settle in her gut. What Hector was proposing was nothing that she hadn’t considered many times over the last few weeks. She had always wondered why the lycans would hoard all the dark tissue to themselves.
No doubt they saw themselves as humanity’s one true savior, or perhaps they simply didn’t trust any other species to do the job properly. She had to admit that the prospect of eternal ghouls, for instance, made her kin crawl. What would happen to the human race then? It would tear itself apart and civilization would collapse. For the first time she saw how crucial the coming Flux period was going to be. Humanity’s future depended on a lasting peace between all the Flux species.
“What Hector says makes sense,” Yasmin found herself saying. She wasn’t sure if it was born from genuine agreement or plain spite. The Mother opened her eyes for the first time in a while, and she looked at Yasmin with sorrowful, wounded eyes.
“I’m sure the vampyra would welcome the opportunity to live out their lives in the service of humanity,” she said quietly. Yasmin couldn’t tell whether there was sarcasm in there or not.
“Will the lycans consider sharing their dark tissue?” Hector asked firmly, clearly buoyed by Yasmin’s support. “Without it, none of us can continue to live beyond the Flux event.”
The Lycan Collapse (The Flux Age Book 2) Page 6