But the reality of what I was and what I could do wasn't at all bad. I had been given four gifts, each one corresponding with a type of greater magick, forever tying me to the factions.
My witch magick which allowed me to tap into and alter technology was the one I leaned on most regularly. My werewolf magick allowed me to hide my scent both physical and magickal from others. My fae magick amounted to the least useful glamor ability ever, letting me change the appearance of others but not myself. Unsurprisingly, my vampire magick came down to blood. By drinking my own, I could heal myself like vampires could heal humans. It was gross, but useful, and I'd been forced to use it more than a few times throughout my life. If push came to shove, it would probably be my most useful defense.
I’d hoped that night wouldn't be the one where I'd have to put that theory to the test.
My ability to see the magic of others was the one I had actually inherited from my biological family and was considered to be lesser magick. It was the ability I most treasured because I'd never gotten the chance to meet the family who had shared my talent. It had nothing to do with what made me special, but everything to do with where I’d come from.
If only I had some way to show my abilities then and there, to remind Eduardo and Dublin’s Mistress who I was. But it was no secret that he was a vampire, and there was no benefit in hiding who I was. Glamour seemed inappropriate considering the situation, though I had briefly considered disguising Simon before we arrived. The effort had seemed pointless at the time, but it might have made for an interesting party trick. There wasn't a single piece of modern technology in sight, rendering my witch magick useless. And drinking my own blood at that particular moment would have been gross and completely unnecessary, though I wasn't ready to rule it out completely if things went badly.
"Well, now that we've gotten out of the way," I said, doing my best to sound self-assured, "I believe we have business to attend to."
I sounded pompous even to my own ears, but Eduardo smiled in response, looking pleased at my reaction, which only had me second-guessing myself. If the creepy vampire approved, how right could it have been?
"Of course, of course. If you will follow me, my mistress would be delighted to make your acquaintance. There is much to discuss."
Chapter 11
At first, I’d thought what I was seeing was a trick of the light. Or lack thereof. But no. The longer I looked at her, the more certain I became: the Mistress of Dublin was a child. Instinctively, I knew that she couldn't actually be a child. Based on her position alone, she would have to be at least two centuries old. And, from what I’d heard, she was three times older than that, maybe more.
But she looked like a child. Her pale face was round with rosy cheeks and wide blue eyes. Her short brown hair was bobbed to chin length, shining as though her mother had brushed it that very morning. As she smiled at me from across the room, there was even a glimmer of innocence in her eyes, a look I knew I couldn't believe for even a moment.
Eduardo had led us up to the third floor, to a room that extended the full length of the building. I was surrounded by white walls that housed no windows even though I knew I’d seen them from the outside of the building.
I tried to take in everything I could about the Mistress as we approached, but it was hard not to stumble over the reality of what I was seeing as I moved, knowing I was running out of time before I would be expected to interact with the creature in front of me.
I hadn't exactly pestered Ethan for more information than what he’d offered, not expecting that there would have been much he could tell me, considering the situation I'd gotten myself into. I would at least have hoped he'd have thought to tell me that the incredibly powerful faction leader I had been about to meet looked to be about eleven years old.
However, almost stranger than her apparent age, the childish figure in front of me looked so very much like a modern pre-teen girl. I wouldn't have looked twice if I saw her in the mall or walking on the streets of Galway, if not for the intense red mist pulsating from her pale body. There was no hint at all that this was someone who had grown up in an entirely different era. She’d adapted just fine.
Her appearance wouldn't be enough to trick me into thinking I was dealing with someone without any real power to their name. If anything, it had the opposite effect, making me even more aware of what I was dealing with. If she was capable of looking like that, what else could she do?
Blue eyes stared at me expectantly from behind an oak desk which, while grand in appearance, looked to have been scaled down to fit the size of its owner.
With an impatient gesture, the Mistress motioned for me to sit in the empty chair across from her. With no reason to argue, I did as I was asked, Simon moving into place behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder just as I had done for him that morning. This time, though, the move was far more deliberate. I could feel the warmth of Simon's thumb against the back of my neck, providing the skin-on-skin contact that he would need in order to get us both away from Dublin at the first sign of trouble.
Well, the second sign of trouble. The first sign was that we were here in the first place.
As Simon took his place, so did Eduardo. He had already told me that he was a consort to the Mistress of Dublin. Once I could see what those words actually meant, the idea left me feeling mildly nauseous.
No one had ever tried to tell me that the vampires were people to be admired. They were easily the most hated of the factions, and no one was giving them medals of honor for their behavior to their victims or to one another. Still, it was yet another reminder that this was not a faction I wanted to align myself with any more than necessary. I couldn’t afford to have them as enemies, but we certainly didn’t need to be friends.
"Well?" the Mistress said, her eyes still searching mine.
It took more strength than I wanted to admit to not look away. Though, with werewolves, maintained eye contact could be taken as a sign of aggression, Simon had made a point to remind me that, with vampires, this was very much a power play. The Mistress wanted me to blink first, to look away or in some way demonstrate that I recognized her for the predator she was. But acknowledging that was something I couldn’t easily do. I let my gaze drop as the Mistress started to speak.
"You refused to return the property of one of Greece's most powerful covens then demanded to speak with me. Now you sit here like a mute. You wish to show the world that you are powerful, Melanie Sinclair? I must say, so far, it isn't going all that well."
Super. I had come to Dublin for talks with someone who had the body of a child, the powers of an immortal, and the attitude of a snooty British grandmother. I was also a little worried that she'd read my mind in some fashion, giving her insights into my motives that I hadn't been eager to share, but maybe my desire to appear powerful to my new community was merely obvious to someone who had been playing power games for generations.
"I came here as a favor to Colin, out of respect for the important role he plays in my city," I said, praying that my mind would keep up with my mouth as I started in on one of the many approaches I'd been rehearsing my head during the walk over. "He arrived with instructions to remove two people over whom he has no authority, using second-hand threats to a child as a means of negotiation." Somehow my tone had started to match that of the Mistress, but I decided to roll with it. "I was less than impressed."
The Mistress quirked a pale eyebrow, leaning back into the black cushioned chair behind her desk. I took it as an opening to continue. "I come here with nothing but respect for you, your great city, and the position you hold. I understand that I am new and untrained in the way things are done. I am learning as I go. But I will only be pushed so far. My understanding is that you are unhappy I agreed to help someone who came to my city looking for assistance. Someone with a lesser magick, and the people he cares about."
"There is a prior claim on this man," the Mistress interrupted. "The Master of..."
I held up a h
and. "If Simon and his family do not acknowledge that claim, then neither does the Galway Lesser Magicks Faction. Nadir has no right to dictate where anyone who possesses lesser magick goes, or to kidnap their families in some sort of sick power-play."
As if she knew exactly what to do to drive me crazy, a slow smile crept onto the Mistress' face. Not one that suggested she liked what I was saying, but one that promised she was the tiniest bit amused by my words. It was the same smile my dad used to give when I was small and in the habit of saying ridiculous things with no basis in reality—except hers lacked affection.
"You disagree?" I asked. "Because I wouldn't have thought he had any right to make demands of you, especially to do his bidding simply because he's pissed off about the attempted murder of a human that didn't go as planned. You're the Mistress of Dublin, the most powerful vampire in the country, and you're sending those who you protect to do the bidding of a Master who has likely never even seen this land."
The smile fell, but I wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not.
Taking me seriously? Good.
Pissed off? Less good.
The silence dragged on for just long enough to leave me wondering how much trouble the Mistress would be in if she decided to kill someone who was technically an invited guest in her home. Within the factions, there were rules for how visiting leaders were supposed to be treated, but if the Mistress didn't acknowledge our faction, she probably wouldn’t feel all that obligated not to murder me.
Simon flexed his hand slightly on my shoulder, a comforting reminder of our backup plan. If this went south, we’d head back west.
"I have a question for you," the Mistress said at last, straightening her back slightly, her posture becoming less childish and more refined. I detected no specific movement beyond that, and yet by the time she had settled again, still watching me, she looked older, perhaps fifteen or sixteen.
I had heard rumors of vampire magic altering perception, compelling others to see what wasn't there, but this was not at all what I’d been expecting. Still, if nothing else, I was capable of rolling with the punches.
I pressed my lips together to keep my mouth from dropping open and my eyes from jumping in surprise. But even then, the Mistress must have seen something in my expression that relayed my surprise, as the slightest flick of amusement passed across her own.
"Despite having been born into our world in the most spectacular way, you are a child in every sense. Your abilities are unproven and, as far as I have heard, non-lethal." She paused, waiting for a response, but I had nothing to say. She wasn't wrong, I couldn't argue, and trying to defend myself wouldn’t get me anywhere. I hadn't heard a question yet, but since I was still breathing, I was happy to wait, glad to have Simon at my back, ready to get me out of there at a moment's notice. "Why you?"
"Excuse me?"
"I hold my seat through loyalty and power. The things you can do are unique but not powerful, and you cannot have earned loyalty so quickly. Your faction will be destroyed from within, long before those who would oppose you have the opportunity to do so. By putting you at the helm, your people are dooming themselves to failure, unless there's something I'm not seeing. So, why you?"
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Somehow, the Mistress had honed in on the very question I'd been asking myself right from the beginning. I didn't quite see things her way, but it was still a fair question. I didn't want to lead. Weeks ago, I hadn't even wanted anything to do with the factions, lesser magicks or, any of it
But the Mistress didn't need to know any of that. What I needed to give her was an answer that would persuade her to see me as, if not an equal, potentially useful in the future.
"I'll give you an answer, but I'd like you to answer my question first," I asked. "Why is it you're allowing another to dictate your actions?"
I honestly hadn't expected an answer. I'd mostly been looking to buy myself more time. But when Eduardo turned to face his mistress, the same question I'd just asked reflected in his eyes, I realized my mistake.
The Mistress didn't turn from me, didn't look away, and yet I knew she'd seen my misstep as clear as day. Slowly, bracing her hands against the desk in front of her, she stood. And as she did, a decade of life was added to her features, time passing before my eyes until the woman standing in front of me looked as though she were my peer, pretty and young.
“You are setting a dangerous precedent, Melanie Sinclair. By meddling in the affairs of one seethe, you interfere with us all. We have crafted a careful balance, and that balance needs to be protected. Your powers are interesting, but only so long as they do not get in the way. And you are beginning to get in the way. I do not wish to envision what folly you might unleash if given the chance, simply because you don’t know any better.”
“And where does that leave us? You can’t return Simon by force. You won’t be able to hold him any better than Nadir could. On that same note, I wouldn’t even be capable of handing him over. Not that I would. Ever. Times are changing as I’m sure you can see better than most. I’m surprised you’re so willing to stand on the side of all that is stagnant and dull. Nadir doesn’t care about Ireland or those of us who call it home. I’d lay down my life for this place and these people.”
The Mistress stood, pressing her long fingers against the wood of her desk. “And it may come to that," she said, practically hissing. "I care little of who you are, one who would have those whose magicks are less than nothing, groveling at your feet. Things have been done one way for some time. Yes, unlike many of my peers, I am open to the idea of shifting how we do things to ensure our continued survival. Nadir is one of the few allies I have in this. Perhaps the existence of your little faction might have shaken things up. But this is not the time for any of that, not if we are to have any chance of moving forward in the right way, allowing humans to see us for what we are so that they may learn to worship us as they should. Step aside now, stay out of the way and perhaps you’ll be allowed to live long enough to make your mark. This is not your time.”
And there it was. The only real choice I had. Hand over the innocent or join their numbers in the ranks of the hunted. It was no choice at all. “That’s going to be a hard no.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, truly.” An innocent smile and a hard stare merged into something feral. “Your existence—"
The Mistress started moving before she finished her sentence, lurching toward me in one smooth movement, faster than any predator I'd ever seen on the nature channel. But as her hand reached for my face, nails like claws, I barely had a chance to flinch away before Simon's hand clenched around my shoulder and the world was ripped away.
Chapter 12
I opened my eyes as the world folded back in around me, my body returning to its regular state of being once more. The first thing my mind registered with the haze of the street lights above me. Was this Galway? Or Dublin? Whatever spot that Simon and I had landed in, wasn’t immediately familiar.
And then I spotted the ruins in the distance. Large stone columns, crumbling back down to stone. Not at all like the ruins you would find in Ireland. Simon’s fingers clenched around my shoulder for a moment before he let go and I spun around to face him.
“Where are we?” I asked, barely breathing.
Simon looked around, the expression on his face somewhat bewildered. “I don’t...” Recognition dawned. “Oh.” His whole body seemed to exhale. “I guess I kind of panicked. I wasn’t really thinking about where I wanted to stand up, just that we needed to go somewhere safe.”
I stood, open-mouthed, waiting for him to continue. Feeling anything but safe. But after only a few seconds, I couldn’t take the silence. “Are we in Greece?” I asked, afraid I already knew the answer.
“This is the town I grew up in,” Simon explained, looking around with a wide-eyed wonder. “I guess I took us to the place that most feels like home.”
When Simon didn’t move to immediately return us back to where I belonged
, I forced myself to examine our surroundings as well. We were in a quiet plaza, tucked in a dark corner. Our sudden appearance could’ve been seen by anyone, but we weren’t being rushed by a mob of pitchfork bearing villagers yet, so that was probably a good sign. The only good sign we had so far that night.
“I think it’s safe to say that our meeting didn’t go very well.”
Whatever relief had been apparent on Simon’s features disappeared. “No,” he agreed. “I’m not sure I was really expecting anything better.” I blinked, trying to figure out Simon’s meaning. “I’ll have to find them myself. I can make about ten jumps in a row before my body starts to turn on me. If I move fast enough, maybe they won’t even know... No, they have to see this coming.” At this point, Simon seemed to be talking himself more than anyone else. I wasn’t even sure he remembered I was still there with him. Probably because I had done him absolutely no good. So far, the good I’d done had amounted to nothing more than buying his sister-in-law more time. Time that he could have been using to get her somewhere safer than where she was.
I hadn’t even had time to take a breath before Simon popped out of existence before my very eyes. One second he’d been standing right in front of me, the next he was gone. The novelty of that particular parlor trick had yet to wear off.
“Shit,” I said, nearly shouting before I remembered that I had every reason to keep quiet. I was in a town that I didn’t even know the name of, whose residents spoke a language I was completely unfamiliar with. And the Mistress of Dublin had made it completely and perfectly clear that the authority I had created for myself didn’t extend beyond the boundaries of my own city. Out here, I would probably be little more than an extremely valuable hostage. Or worse, a show of force.
Had I really expected things with the Mistress of Dublin to go any better either? On some level, I had to admit that I’d been expecting a little more from her. And she had seemed interested in what I’d had to say, at first. But apparently, even being the oddity that I was, I was still only enough to keep a centuries-old creature of the night entertained for a few minutes. Once it was clear that our interests were not aligned, she’d have had no problem disposing of me completely to keep her path to power clear.
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