Death be Charmed

by Epstein, Katie

  “I don’t have time to try it on,” I told him through gritted teeth.

  “Time? Of course you have time. Bernard told me to ensure you have the perfect gown. So I will see it done.” He clapped again. “Now strip.”

  A growl left my mouth as I went to tear him a new one, but Kaleb grabbed my waist this time and swung me around. He gently pushed me toward the fitting room and whispered, “Play nice.”

  But I didn’t want to play nice. We’d wasted so much time here already, and I’d tried to be patient. But the more time we spent here, the less time I would have to go along with Kaleb to check out The Mutuari.

  “Fine,” I snapped, and I snatched the gown out of the assistant’s hand. She was about to enter the fitting room with me but my glare had her stopping in her tracks.

  Muttering under my breath about what I would like to do with Lavani’s fashion sense, I stripped off each item of clothing with determination. My job was to chase down criminals, not pretty up like mutton dressed as lamb. And that’s exactly what I would be. I wanted the comfort of my black dress back. At least I could handle that.

  Stuffing myself into the long, floaty material, I struggled with the fastening on the back. Once I was finished, I glanced in the mirror before me and gasped out loud. Okay. Wow. The gown was like … well, wow.

  A black sweetheart corset gripped my torso, somehow blending into the cream skirts that flowed like water. It was ethereal and pretty. And so not me. Yet when I stroked down the front, I couldn’t help but think that it was so me. I swayed a little. Just a little. Then I reluctantly stepped out of the fitting room.

  “Happy now?” I demanded with my arms out.

  Yelps of “oh yes!” and “it’s perfect!” and “charmant!” hit my ears, but it was Kaleb’s eyes I found. Why his opinion was important to me, I would never know, but then I saw him. He paused from playing with the beads of a garment on the mannequin next to him, and his hand hovered in the air as he stared at me.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, his voice low and quiet. But then he blinked a few times and coughed to clear his throat. “I mean, you look good. Great.” His usual smuttiness returned. “I would take you for a spin in that. A horizontal spin.”

  “Oh shut up.” I rolled my eyes and twirled like an ungraceful elephant. “Just tell me if it’s okay. Will it do?”

  “Well, I would do you in it, if that helps.”

  “From you? It does.” I looked over at Lavani. “Get it bagged in five minutes or I walk out without it. Deal?”

  “Deal,” he said with a very big grin on his face. “But do not fret. For the price Mr Vostreux is paying for the gown, I’ll get it delivered to Darkwood for free. Your friend gave me the address.”

  His words made me check the price tag. “You have got to be kidding me! This is a fu—”

  “The tab has already been covered by Mr Vostreux,” Lavani said, cutting me off. He waved his two assistants to get to work. They ushered me back into the fitting room before I could really begin to express myself.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Kaleb said loud enough for me to hear through the thin walls while the two assistants wrestled the dress off me. “Just give Bernard a bit more than a kiss next time, and you’ll have paid it off before you know it.”

  The dress being pulled over my head drowned out my colorful retort. Lucky for him, once they’d yanked the gown to safety, I’d calmed down enough. He still received a low blow in the stomach once I finished dressing and left the store though. That was the least I could do as we headed off to The Mutuari.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  THE MUTUARI WAS a Currency Hold that attracted some pretty big clients. There were no such things as loans or credit cards over here so the citizens favored the Currency Hold if they needed to get hold of quick money. Different types of Currency Holds accepted various clientele. The Mutuari was the kind of place that would only deal with those who could leave behind highly priced items.

  Imports from Earthside were big sellers over here, so any chance for The Mutuari to get their hands on them they would take. That meant they had a lot of expensive things onsite behind lock and key and, hopefully, a security camera.

  Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, the ‘Closed’ sign was hanging on their front door, making me rage with impatience. After banging on the entrance for ten minutes, it was evident that no one was there.

  “Damn it!” I said, giving the wall beside me a light kick. “Stupid, stupid dress shop!”

  “Don’t hold back, Terra.” Kaleb grinned from beside me. “By all means, say what you really feel.”

  “Feel?” I growled. “How I feel right now would get me arrested if I acted upon it. If we hadn’t gone for the dress first we may have made it.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll visit the Mutuari in the morning. I’ll contact you at Darkwood if I find anything.”

  “No. This isn’t right. We got a lead … I mean, you got a lead. And now I’ve held you up over a petty gown. These prisoners, Kaleb …”

  “I know.” He stepped forward and took hold of my shoulders. “They’re dangerous. You’re worried. I am too. But we got lucky with Nuo because of the vision you picked up on. Aren’t you the one who is always telling me that sometimes with fate, timing is everything?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “But nothing. We got the information. You’re going back to Darkwood. And I’ll check it out in the morning. I’ll keep checking on any other leads in the meantime.”

  My anger simmered once more before I let out a deep breath, releasing it. He was right. But I didn’t have to like it. Going to that dress shop first was a bad idea. Now, because I was out hunting for a stupid gown, we’d given the escapees another night to make a move toward whatever they were planning. It irked the hell out of me.

  “Fine,” I said, shrugging his hands off my shoulders. “Thanks, Kaleb.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, come on. Don’t you have a ball you need to get to?”

  Rubbing my face, I gave in. “Yeah. The driver is waiting for me at the border.”

  “Then let’s get you to the ball, Cinderella. We don’t want you riding back in a pumpkin now, do we?”

  Jools, the driver, was waiting outside the car when I reached him. He opened the door for me, but before he shut it he leaned down and said, “I have received a transmission requesting that you attend afternoon tea with Marco Perduto upon your return. However, I have replied as pending until I received your response.”

  “Thanks, Jools. Has my husband been invited, do you know?”

  “The transmission did not say so, I’m afraid. But I can take you back to the House of Osiris first if you so wish?”

  “No. It’s fine. I’m on a tight schedule if I’m to have time to get ready for the ball tonight. Take me straight there, if you please.”

  “Are you sure, ma’am?” he asked, a slight look of concern etched onto his features. It looked like Marco had a reputation.

  “I’m sure. I assume I’m meeting him at this house?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then I’m sure I won’t be alone there. I’ll be fine, Jools. Thank you for your concern.”

  “Very well.” He pressed his lips together as if to stop himself from saying any more. If he pushed any further he would consider it rude no doubt. He also wouldn’t want to say anything that could get him into trouble with Marco himself. Even though he reported to Ramses and the Osiris House, he was still a dhampir. He would be required to remain loyal to all of the vampires.

  Watching Jools close the door, I leaned my head back against the seat. So it looked like Marco Perduto didn’t want to wait for another ball to have a little chat. He wanted to speak to me personally. And after the tour of his house, I had to admit I was intrigued.

  When we arrived, Jools opened the door for me. I climbed out of the car to see Marco waiting at the entrance to his house.

  “Terra,” Marco said in welcome, a joyful smile greeting me. I
tentatively smiled back before telling Jools that I would walk back. He appeared as if he wanted to say something, but then he nodded and got in his car to drive away.

  “Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Perduto,” I told him as I approached the elegantly dressed vampire. Today, he was dressed in long satin robes. The shine reflected in the golds and aqua of the patchwork that shimmered beneath the crystal lighting around his property.

  “I thought it would be good for us to get to know each other.” He opened his arms in welcome and took my hand as I approached. Before I could shake his, he leaned down and kissed the back of my mine. “While your husband is occupied with Ramses.”

  “So it is a targeted approach,” I said with a smile.

  “I thought to take advantage of it, yes. Everyone wants a piece of you at the moment. And I’ve always liked Bernard. I’m riveted, but not surprised, that he decided to marry a human. He’s more complicated than a lot of vampires give him credit for.”

  “And more open-minded?”

  Marco chuckled and let go of my hand. “You could say that. Vampires can be very closed off to a lot of possibilities. That is why someone like Bernard is a quandary to them. Come,” he waved me through the door to his home. “Let us continue with our conversation over a beverage or two.”

  “I can only have the one, I’m afraid. I need time to get ready for the Strix ball this evening and have a battle with my hairbrush.”

  Marco chuckled again as I followed him through the dark, wooden halls. “Then I am very grateful for your time. Come, have tea with me.”

  The parlor he led me into was decorated as grandly as the rest of the house. Green and blues cleverly incorporated into the four walls. It gave the impression of being underwater; flowing patterns and ocean colors forming a backdrop for the imagery on the walls. Paintings of what appeared to be ancient temples told a story as the images changed subtly, from one to the other. I walked along them, fascinated by the pictures before me. The ones in this room told that of a love story. One where a man and woman in flowing white robes were separated by the divide between their families. Love overcame everything in this story, however. It surprised me. Considering how cynical the vampires were.

  When I turned back around, Marco was seated in a green chair, high-backed with a gilded, woven frame of gold. He was watching me, a tilt to his head as he studied my behavior. Feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny, I walked over to take the seat opposite his.

  “You have a beautiful home,” I told him and he grinned, the warmth in his eyes unexpected.

  “Candace told me you were very enraptured on the tour.” He leaned forward and poured tea from the delicate floral teapot into matching cups. “Cream? Sugar?”

  “Both, please. And enraptured is an understatement. It’s like a museum here rather than a shrine to what could have been. There are layers of what could easily be taken for history. It lays credence to a lot of your beliefs.”

  “And ones that many shun. But we don’t pretend to be something here like some of the houses. We merely are. I think that makes a difference.”

  Taking the teacup he offered, I waited for him to take a sip first before I indulged. Call me paranoid.

  Marco’s upper lip twitched as if he knew why I hesitated, then he took a long sip from his own cup. I followed suit a few seconds after.

  “Do you invite all the new wives of vampires to tea?” I asked, not liking how comfortable his home was making me feel. And I’d felt that way before the drink, so I couldn’t blame that.

  “There aren’t many new wives of vampires because vampires don’t usually marry. That tends to be a human thing to do.”

  “And I’m a human.”

  “And someone of interest. It can get pretty boring living a long life, and you’ve stirred up a lot of interest by being here.”

  “Because I’m a human?”

  “Who has married a vampire. Who can definitely hold her own. Who has her own mind. You’re one to watch.”

  A laugh of disbelief left my lips. “Wow. It has been a long time for you all, hasn’t it? I haven’t been considered interesting by anyone for a long time. And coming from Earthside, that’s saying a lot.”

  “Is that right?”

  “I wasn’t interesting over there because I was different. In fact, over there I was seen as wrong. Over here, I’m on the bottom of the food chain in more ways that one. Many of my fellow agents make that known on a daily basis. The fact that vampires are intrigued by me is laughable.”

  “I wouldn’t say laughable. And just because others have put you down in the past, it doesn’t mean that you should. It is beneath you.”

  “Beneath me?” I scoffed. “Yeah right.”

  “Power is in the eye of the beholder. Think about that when you next look in the mirror.”

  Raw feelings came to the surface from his words. I didn’t like how he could probe so deeply with so little information, so I shut down, falling back on politeness.

  “Ah,” he said in understanding once he saw my reaction. “I have prodded a raw nerve. I apologize. I didn’t mean to insult you in any way. I only wish for you to understand that how you see yourself is wrong. Not that you are wrong. And you’re not in Earthside anymore. A very backward place. You’re in Portiside. Still, a very backward place.” He smiled and I couldn’t help but smile with him. “But a little more forward.”

  “No insult taken,” I managed and he seemed pleased with that.

  “Good. I’m glad.”

  “You wanted to see me?” a voice said from the doorway, and I looked up to see who had entered. One of the female vampires who I’d crossed paths with during the tour hovered at the entrance. Her face fell when she caught site of me, and she quickly dropped her head to the side as if embarrassed. “Marco?” she prompted, a quivering to her voice. I couldn’t tell whether it was from rage, fear or nerves.

  “I feel I’ve seen you out and about somewhere,” I spoke up, getting the same sense of familiarity as before. “Do I know you at all?”

  “No,” she replied hurriedly. “I mix with many people. Marco?”

  “I’m sorry, Fleur,” Marco said as he leaned around his chair to watch the vampire. “But I didn’t ask to speak with you. Maybe there has been a miscommunication?”

  Marco didn’t seem very apologetic when he said it. He actually looked amused.

  “Oh,” Fleur replied, backing away from the door. “I’ll leave then.” And with that she swiftly turned and hurried away.

  Marco turned to look back at me. “She’s relatively new to Darkwood. And to my house. She’s still learning to mix with others. I apologize for her rudeness.”

  “Not at all,” I shrugged. “I’m only sorry for startling her.” Looking at the clock on the wall I put my cup down. “And I think it’s time for me to go and get ready before Bernard comes looking for me. Thank you for the tea, Mr. Perduto.”

  “Call me, Marco. Please.” He drew out the word please as he held my eyes for a few moments. Thinking he may be ready to try something I wasn’t ready for, I quickly stood up out of my seat. Thankfully, it shook him out of his reverie.

  “I’ll be going now,” I told him. “Thanks again.”

  “You’re welcome, Terra. Anytime.”

  “I’ll show myself out.”

  I hurried out the door as if the devil was on my heels.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  LAVANI ADOPTED A very speedy delivery service. I had to give him that. The dress made it back to my room at Darkwood before I did.

  The bed was made too, which was a bit embarrassing. I wasn’t used to people cleaning up after me. And I wasn’t into making beds to save face either.

  The gown had been laid out on the bed with a pair of slingback shoes that I hadn’t ordered. A cream card stuck out of them.

  ‘For being such a delightful customer,’ Lavani had scrawled on the card, and I snorted in disbelief. If he thought he’d done me a favor by throwing the shoes in then he was
severely mistaken. That dress had cost more than three times my salary alone. Not that I was paying. But the amount was still way too much for a bit of material.

  The shoes were as dark as midnight to match the corset of the dress, and I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped my mouth at the sight of them. What a waste, buying them to keep up the pretense of a fake wedding. How lovely would it be to wear something for a man who truly loved me? One whose eyes would shine with love at the sight of me in it. A flash of Kaleb when he saw me in the gown came to mind, but I pushed it aside. That shifter would gawk at anything in a dress. But his brother was different.

  Would Cole react similarly to seeing me in such a gown? Or would he think me beneath him? No doubt his shifter bride would be one of elegance, with a good upbringing. Whereas me, I was more likely to challenge someone to a sparring match than worry about which fork to use.

  I let myself fantasize for a brief moment before giving myself a mental slap. There was no time to mope. It was time to get ready and then hunt down Bernard.

  Upon my arrival back to the House of Osiris, a footman had given me a message detailing that Bernard would meet me at eight o’clock at the base of the stairs. That meant I was going to be alone in getting ready so I had better make a start. Time was ticking.

  After three attempts to tie my hair into some form of a refined style to match the elegance of the dress, I gave up. Nothing looked right and I felt like a fraud. A failure.

  The make-up had gone on fine though. I’d managed that without too much hassle. But the hair … I growled and threw the brush across the room in frustration.

  My bag stared at me from the corner, so I raced over to the hidden section where I’d stuffed my watch comms. Dialing Rosie’s transmission code, I hoped she was either at home or at least in a position to answer.

  Rosie was elegant, and beautiful. Everything I wasn’t. With honey-coloured curls and smooth light brown skin, she was the kind of Fey who would make the men on Earthside drool like a bloodhound. She was the essence of classy, even in her lab coat, and she would know what kind of hairstyle would suit the dress.