by Carina Cook
He shook his head in automatic denial. “She wouldn’t do that.”
Chandra snorted. “How do you know?”
He couldn’t answer without betraying himself. If he said what he felt, she would automatically know that he’d already made up his mind, that he’d never in a million years marry her, and that he’d do anything to protect Liss. But he had to say something. It took him a few moments to come up with a suitable response.
“Because she is my thrall,” he said. “I’ve worked hard to develop a relationship with the Lorensson line, and none of them would stab me in the back. They stand to lose too much.”
Chandra considered this for a moment, her long face drawn in with thought. “I suppose. But still, a price must be paid. If you don’t make an example of her, then someone else will.”
Gregor scowled at her back, but that didn’t accomplish much. Was it too much to ask for a little time? Vampires were eternal, so why were they in such a hurry to make a decision about ending a life? Perhaps he’d been too hard on Viktor, or perhaps Viktor had become so hard simply because it was the only way to keep his subjects in line. No, more likely, his subjects had become bloodthirsty because he was. Or they all had it in common, and he was the most bloodthirsty of the bunch.
But all of this speculation was useless. What Gregor knew was that he couldn’t protect Liss. Who knew what Mieville and his cronies would do when his back was turned? They’d apologize later and claim that they’d been dispensing justice, but he would know that it was all an excuse. They just weren’t afraid of his wrath the way they’d been with Viktor.
That brought up an interesting line of thought. He could make an example of someone, someone who posed a threat. Chandra? Mieville? The idea was tempting, but he wasn’t sure he could go through with it. Or more accurately, he could, but it wasn’t the kind of king he wanted to be. Liss would expect better of him, and he did too.
So that idea was out. He would not be a Viktor, using his title to justify his actions. Although…wait a minute. He had an idea, one that would buy him the time he needed to build his power base. One that would keep Liss safe in the meantime.
He climbed the steps of the dais and turned to face his subjects. It felt strange to stand there; out of all the potential endings for this evening, he certainly hadn’t imagined this. And now, he was about to turn Liss’s life upside down too. He wished he had the time to tell her before he made this announcement, but it wasn’t to be helped. She would understand once he explained it to her later. Maybe she’d even be happy about it. He wanted her to be happy. More importantly, he wanted her to be happy with him.
There. He’d admitted it to himself. He was interested in being with her, in exploring whatever electric thing lay between them. Maybe it would turn out to be nothing, but he didn’t think so. In all his long years of unlife, he’d been infatuated with women before, but nothing had ever felt like this.
He took a deep breath and addressed the crowd. “It has been an eventful evening, and I appreciate your patience. Before we close out court for the evening, I wanted to tell you something. It is a secret that I have been holding for a while, but given my new position, I feel obligated to share this news, as it affects all of you. You see, this evening, I was pleased to receive my new thrall, Anneliese Lorensson. The Lorensson family has long been in service to me, and for many years, I have wished for an opportunity to reward them for their hard work. With that in mind, I provided a book of blood magic to Anneliese, and under my tutelage, she developed her powers.”
He began to pace, his steps measured, hands clasped behind his back. Although he wanted to look at Liss, to see how she was taking this pack of lies, he couldn’t afford to. Something in his gaze might give him away. So instead, he looked down at his feet, hoping to appear pensive. Thoughtful. The kind of man who thinks before he leads. The kind you would want to be king.
“I have long counseled Viktor on the hazards of his treatment of thralls, and I firmly believe that if he had been allowed to carry out his assassination of the Archambault infant, that the mortal police may have become involved. So, with a heavy heart, I instructed Liss to intervene if he attempted to kill any mortal at court. It was to my great regret that she had to do so. Partially because I have lost my sire, and also because it is a difficult thing to ask of one’s fiancée.”
A gasp ran through the crowd. Now he did spare a glance at Liss, but her face was wooden. She must have learned that trick from her mother. There was nothing to do but forge on, and so he did.
“Allow me to be blunt. I take full responsibility for the death of Viktor, but the decision was taken to insure the safety of us all. We must remember that, as proprietors of a public human business, we cannot kill with impunity. To enforce these rules, I would like to publicly announce my intent to marry Anneliese Lorensson. She will be your queen, and together we will usher in an era of peace and prosperity for all vampire kind. I look forward to our next court, when I may tell you more about those plans. Until then, I bid you all a good morning.”
With that, he slowly descended the stairs, offering his arm to Liss. She took it woodenly, and the two of them exited the ballroom in state. The assembled crowd stared with mouths agape. Gregor didn’t exactly blame them. He was pretty astonished at the whole thing himself.
CHAPTER 9
Liss couldn’t have been more shocked at how the evening had turned out. As she’d listened to Gregor speak, she’d been flabbergasted. He’d told her to use the glyph? But he hadn’t! He was lying, but why? That was hard enough to swallow, but when he called her his fiancée, she nearly fell over. She couldn’t show that kind of weakness, not in that crowd, so she’d locked away all of her feelings. All she had to do was hold it together until she was alone, and then she could let them out.
Still, they threatened to escape as she made her way out of the ballroom arm in arm with Gregor. She couldn’t keep from wondering if she’d missed something. Had he truly proposed marriage to her earlier that evening? On the balcony, maybe? But she remembered that experience in embarrassing detail, except for the part at the end where she’d drowsed off. It seemed out of character for Gregor to propose to her when she was asleep, but maybe he’d done it when she was drowsing off, and she just didn’t remember it? If he had, it seemed strange that he hadn’t brought it up to her again before he announced it to the crowd.
Once her emotions calmed down and logic took over, she realized that if he’d lied about the glyph, then it made sense that the engagement was a sham too, and their whole so-called relationship was just some kind of political maneuvering that she didn’t yet understand. She didn’t have a problem with the idea in general. If Gregor had a good reason for the posturing, she would have happily gone along with it. The problem was that she hadn’t been given the opportunity. He hadn’t warned her at all, and they’d just spoken privately. He’d sat there and looked her in the eyes, knowing all the while that he was about to announce their engagement to the entire court, and never said a word. Either he didn’t trust her, or he didn’t think she was important enough to warrant an explanation. Regardless of the reason, it stung.
She kept these thoughts off her face as the guards held the ballroom doors open for them. Gregor led her into the antechamber, followed by her parents and Tait. As soon as the doors clicked closed, she withdrew her hand and stepped away from her fiancé. Maybe it was her imagination, but she thought she saw a look of disappointment cross his face. Perhaps she’d gotten him all wrong, and he was the kind of guy who expected girls to fall all over him. He was rich and handsome, and at first glance he was considerate. To think that she’d fallen for it. If she was going to survive in this world of undead politics, she had to stop being so naïve, and fast.
Gregor watched her with a concerned expression. “I’m sorry that I don’t yet have a ring for you. I hadn’t quite planned this—”
She cut him off. “I understand. It’s no worry.”
He hesitated. “If you say
so.” He seemed to realize that something was wrong, but had no idea what to do about it. Liss figured he’d never been with a girl who had anything approaching willpower. But she did. She’d be prepared and cautious from now on, so he didn’t fool her again. Funny how quickly things had changed over the course of the night. Then again, she’d always learned quickly.
She turned her back on him and hugged her parents.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” said Konstantine. “I was worried for you.”
Dagmar just patted her on the shoulder. Tait held his arms open for a hug and squeezed her so hard that she thought her spine would break. When he released her, she saw Gregor watching them with a funny expression on his face. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought it was envy. But he seemed to snap out of whatever it was quickly, turning his attention to Tait.
“What news of the Archambaults and Lady Isabeau?” he asked.
Tait straightened to attention like a new military recruit. “I confirmed with security that they left the building during the…” He seemed to search for a word for a moment. He couldn’t exactly call it a “murder,” considering that his sister was the one who did it. Finally, he continued smoothly, as if he’d never stuttered to begin with. “…The altercation. I can send someone to collect them, if you’d like to speak with them.”
“Let me go,” begged Liss.
She turned pleading eyes to Gregor. She needed a chance to sit down and talk with someone who was entirely on her side, someone she could trust not to run off and blab if the price was right. She couldn’t put her family in that position, stuck between loyalty to Gregor and loyalty to her. But by their actions, Oliver and Isabeau had already shown that they weren’t swayed by the crown. They’d held true to their principles, even when they knew it might mean death. Oliver would give her his honest opinion about what was going on. And more to the point, he offered true friendship without strings. She really needed that right now, when the whole world had gone sideways.
But Gregor shook his head. “No, we need to keep you safe. That becomes more difficult if you’re galloping all over Las Vegas.”
“Actually,” Dagmar interjected, “Some time outside of the casino might be a good idea. We could return after the sun rises. I should be able to handle any human threats without trouble.” She paused. “I will, of course, be accompanying my daughter.”
On one hand, Liss felt reassured by this. Of course she wanted her mother’s backup. Partially because of what Dagmar was capable of, but also because she was frightened and wanted her mom. But once again, people were making decisions for her without bothering to ask. Maybe she did want to study blood magic after all, if it would make people treat her like she was an adult rather than like a child who needed babysitting.
Still, she kept her mouth shut. Perhaps she’d bring this up, but not here and not now, while she was angry. It wouldn’t help her “I’m not a toddler” argument if she threw a temper tantrum.
Besides, Dagmar’s offer had made Gregor strongly consider the suggestion. He crossed his arms, thoughtfully drumming his fingers on his sleeve.
“It is a good idea. If anyone can make the family listen, it would be you, Liss.” He nodded. “Very well. Please extend my apologies for what happened with Viktor, and reassure them that they may stay in Las Vegas without any worry for the safety of the child or their family.”
“Of course, Majesty,” she murmured.
She’d pass the message along, but she’d also give her opinion that they were empty words. What good were assurances of safety without any action to accompany them? Gregor’s hold on the throne was weak, and they all knew it. How blind was he?
He pushed the button for the elevator, and the doors opened immediately. When the doors closed behind them, he stepped closer to her, as if spies might be listening from atop the cab.
“Liss, please convince them not to leave,” he said. “I will need supporters, true, but more important to me is that you have supporters within the court. Humans for sure, but vampires if we can get them. Isabeau is one of the most progressive vampires I’ve ever met. She honestly won’t hold your thrall status against you, and she’ll be inclined to listen to you after what you did to save Claire. I trust your family to look after you, but you’ll need a wider support base if you’re going to be accepted, and I’d rather entrust you to people who honestly care about you than a bunch of hangers on who will turn on you as soon as your back is turned. We need the Archambaults. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Of course I understand. I’m not stupid,” she snapped. She didn’t even regret it. Too much had happened, and she was too exhausted to care anymore.
He looked sheepish. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you.” He ran his hand through his hair, mussing it. The rumpled look made her think of bedhead and evenings out on the balcony, and… She stopped herself cold. She wasn’t going to allow herself to go all gaga over him again just because he said something kind.
“Well, then, do something about it,” she said.
The elevator door opened, and she stepped out into the elevator lobby before he could respond.
It felt good to get off the casino grounds, and Liss found herself relaxing as the limo sped down the highway—as much as the Vegas traffic allowed anyone to speed anywhere. Isabeau owned an estate in Henderson, just far enough from the strip to maintain her independence. She followed the same migratory patterns as many of the other vampires—stay in a home for a few years, then move onto another one or two, and finally return to the first, claiming to be a descendent of the original owner. Eventually, Gregor would have to disappear from the Renaissance for a while, before people noticed he didn’t age. But he still had a few years before that would become a problem.
As the car pulled up outside of the gates, Dagmar shot a look at Liss and said, “Don’t move.” She insisted on checking the entire perimeter of the building and returned to the limo with Oliver in tow. He’d taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Based on his rumpled and dusty appearance, he’d been moving things, or maybe rolling around on the ground for fun, but Liss was willing to place a bet on the former.
She didn’t wait for an invitation. She jumped out of the car and gave him a big hug.
“Thank you,” he said into her hair. “Thank you for helping to save Isabeau. And Claire. And…just thank you.”
“I didn’t really know what I was doing, but if I had to do it over again, I still would,” she said, and although she hadn’t thought about it that way before, it was still true.
He pulled back, held her at arm’s length, and looked her over. “I swear you’re taller than you were when I left university,” he said. “It’s really obscene.”
She kicked at his shin playfully. It was the kind of teasing she and Tait used to do, before he became all Mr. Proper Businessman. It set her instantly at ease.
“Hey!” He backed away, laughing.
“I hate to break this up,” said Dagmar. “But we should really go inside.”
Just like that, Oliver stopped laughing. He nodded and gestured toward the door. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
He led them into the house. Dagmar stuck by the doorway, trying to give them at least a bit of privacy. The house was beautiful, or had been. But many of the pieces of furniture visible from the atrium entryway were covered in white dust cloths. A small stack of boxes stood at the foot of the stairs, topped with a pile of packing tape.
Liss took this all in carefully, wandering through the room, trailing her fingers over the backs of the furniture. She wouldn’t have blamed them for coming home from court, throwing some things into a bag, and getting out of town for a few days. But this wasn’t just a few hours’ worth of work.
“You’ve been packing up to leave,” she said. “Before court even happened?”
Oliver nodded. “Isabeau’s not very interested in all the backstabbing and politicking, even before it nearly killed my sister.
Viktor was such a snake, and it was exhausting trying to anticipate his next strike. So we’d planned to leave as soon as Claire was presented. We’re going to Isabeau’s house in North Dakota.”
Liss looked around. “Where is Isabeau, anyway?”
“She’s taking a bath and heading to bed.” Oliver shifted from foot to foot in uncertainty. “I could get her, if you need her…?”
Liss shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I just wanted to… meet her, I guess. I’ve heard so much about her, and it would be nice to talk to a vampire who I can respect.”
Oliver looked confused. “What about Gregor?” he asked.
Liss snorted. “He’s been manipulating me since moment one.”
“What do you mean?”
She told him all about Gregor’s not-quite-proposal and his general lack of communication. Oliver took it all in thoughtfully.
“I don’t know, Liss,” he said. “If he just wanted to use you, he could have kept you a thrall, forbid anyone from touching you, and that would be it. If he marries you, I imagine you’d become queen, wouldn’t you? That’s not a position you offer to a pawn on a chessboard.”
“Yes, but…” But Liss couldn’t come up with an argument to that. Oliver had a point. Gregor hadn’t needed to propose marriage. If he’d simply wanted to make a political move, he could have come up with a million of options. Instead, he’d chosen her publicly, and it was a decision that would make him as many enemies as it would friends. Probably more.
She sighed. “I wish things weren’t so complicated.”
Oliver put an arm over her shoulder and squeezed. “Hey, you could always come with us. Get away from court for a while. See some sights.”
“Are there sights in North Dakota?”