by Margot Fox
“Please promise me you’ll never be seen in this kind of chenille. Phoebe! ” she screamed over her shoulder.
Phoebe appeared with a scowl, dropping an armful of posh leather handbags on the empty sofa. Then she spun on her heel and left again.
“Where is she… Fine. Whatever,” Francine sighed dismissively. “Don’t worry about the bags. Just pick up a Gucci or Fendi something on your way out. She’ll be back with new underthings shortly, but can you keep what you have on? For now?”
Tesa shifted from foot to foot, suddenly aware just how tight her bra really was. She nodded nervously.
“All right then!” Francine exclaimed with phony friendliness and a sort of snide encouragement. “You have work to do.”
“I do?”
Francine nodded, kicking the wheel brake with the toe of her Hermes pumps. She grabbed the rack at the end and pulled it toward the hallway.
Tesa looked at Gunner questioningly. He smiled and nodded. “Come out and show me,” he said.
She nodded and followed Francine down the hall to a medium sized room with a tufted settee, clever wall hooks and a wide, triple mirror. Francine replaced the brake on the rack again and gave what looked like a sour smile.
“Whatever you like, sweetie,” she said with some chilly affection. “Try them all if it makes you happy.”
Then she was out of the room in a cloud of perfume and angst. Tesa held her hand out to the rack overflowing with dresses, tops, frilly nightgowns, and crisp jeans. For whatever her faults, Francine sure knew how to assemble a wardrobe.
She yanked her pullover over her head, struggling slightly, and hung the shoulder over a hook. As she was wriggling out of her too-tight skirt, Phoebe poked her head around the door, her ponytail swinging.
“ Yoo hoo! ” she called and stepped in without permission.
Tesa gaped at her in the mirror. Apparently these ladies rather enjoyed their creepy, boundary-less jobs. Phoebe brandished a fistful of brassieres in a rainbow of colors and fabrics.
“Okay, I think it’s safe to upgrade you from 32A to 36C,” she declared as though Tesa had been breaking a rule on purpose. “Just take any of these… You’ll be able to see the fit of your clothes better. Oh! And try the Lang and Lanvin first, sugar. Those peplum tops will be super cute on you.”
Tesa nodded obediently, holding her hand out for the bras. Maybe Phoebe wasn’t so bad after all.
It couldn’t hurt to try, so she plucked a Lanvin peplum jacket off its hanger and combined that with a skinny Saint Laurent leather skirt. The smoky aubergine of the jacket and dramatic flare of the peplum hemline instantly transformed her figure from curvy to movie-star voluptuous.
Raising her eyebrows, she turned in the mirror, trying to see each curve… and to confirm that her ass was as delightfully supported by the leather as it felt.
Yep, she sighed, that is a nice outfit.
She flipped over the tags and counted on her fingers, wincing.
Well, for $6470, it really should feel like a butt-cheek chauffeur, now shouldn’t it?
The next dress was a deceptively simple Helmut Lang shift with a dramatic asymmetrical neckline and some waist-highlighting ruching. It fit her like it was made for her. She shook her head in wonder at her reflection in the triple mirror. No more alleycat, that’s for sure. Her hair was shiny and bouncy, her skin lustrous and clear… she looked like the superhero version of herself.
As she was sliding some Norma Kamali yoga pants over her blossoming flanks, she heard a step at the door.
“You look amazing,” came a voice.
“Oh, thanks,” she said breathlessly, trying to regain her balance. “I was just— oh.” She stood and looked at the intruder. Instantly all the hairs on her arms and neck stood up.
“Yvonne,” she coughed.
The blonde winked at her affirmatively, sauntering to the settee and draping her body along it.
“You are looking very well,” she purred.
“Th-thank you,” Tesa stammered. “Does Gunner know you’re here?”
“Eh,” Yvonne said dismissively, waving her fingers in the air. “He’s busy.”
Tesa backed away, sliding her bare feet into a pair of running shoes. Her heart hammered in her chest like it was trying to escape.
“Oh, come on, we’re old friends. Don’t be like that.”
“I don’t think we’re friends, Yvonne. I don’t really understand what you and Stark…”
“Oh now that’s the truth,” Yvonne cackled, rolling her eyes. “You really don’t understand very much at all. But that’s not all your fault.”
Just be agreeable, she thought. “I’m sure you’re right… I’m really just learning…” Her eyes darted to the doorway. Where was everybody?
Yvonne spread out her hands in front of her like she was gesturing to a wide tableau.
“I mean, you’re just letting them fatten you up like some character in a fairy tale, aren’t you?”
Tesa stared at her coldly.
“And you’ve heard the stories, right? Maybe just a little? Did they happen to tell you the one about the Ur? Back in the old country?”
Tesa nodded uncertainly.
“Funny thing about fairy tales… there’s always two sides to a story, wouldn’t you think? Those Grimm boys got a lot wrong. A lot…”
“Yvonne, listen… Gunner will be here any second…”
“Oh, right… Because he hears your thoughts? Because you’re in love? ”
“We’re not in love,” Tesa replied automatically.
“Oh no?” Yvonne cooed, frowning dramatically. “Well, that’s a surprise. That doesn’t sound like our Gunner. Not at all.”
Tesa bit her lip so hard she almost split the skin. Yvonne’s self-satisfied smirk was enough to make her blood boil. But she had to wonder, where the hell was Gunner, really?
Yvonne sighed gravely as though she was speaking to a slightly slow-witted child. “Listen, sweetie, I have a deal to offer you, but we are going to have to be quick. Gunner and Stark would like to feed you to dear old Rose, and if you think you’re making it out of that one alive… well you might be just too stupid to save.”
She stood up from the settee, walking directly toward Tesa with her chin lowered. Her blue silk pantsuit flowed around every curve like the waves of a sea as she walked with catlike grace. Her amber eyes glowed menacingly, and she enunciated every word.
“Now if you would prefer to become an extended lunch for the Brothers Gruesome and Mommy Dearest, I totally understand. A girl like you… Well, you probably think this is the best you could ever do. But trust me. There is so much more .”
Tesa stumbled back over her discarded Miu Miu’s, catching herself against the pebbled, curved wall. Yvonne prowled up to her slowly, sniffing the air.
“Ohhhh,” she purred, moving so close to Tesa that her breath bathed her in an oily film. “You have your baby fangs, don’t you? Can I see?”
Tesa shook her head fretfully. She tried not to breathe in Yvonne’s scent but it crept in through her nose like a fog, clouding her mind.
Yvonne bared her neck, stroking the smooth flesh there languidly. Her pulse beckoned invitingly from deep inside, a siren call.
“Would you like to have a taste?”
Tesa shook her head again stubbornly.
“Mmmm, it’s all right, dear. I won’t tell…”
“Yvonne, leave me alone,” she managed to say. Squinting, she clamped down on her mind. She didn’t want Yvonne invading her thoughts and since she was prone to broadcasting, she knew it would be so easy.
The older woman sighed. “I know you want to. I can hear it in your breath. Just let yourself go, a little bit, hm?”
Tesa squinted her eyes closed stubbornly.
“Ah, I can see you are learning a thing or two, at least,” Yvonne sighed, frustrated. “Self control is a good thing, but… You can have a taste. You can. I’ll bet Gunner told you those little pearly whites were all for him, d
idn’t he? You know that’s just… I mean, come ON . Men. Am I right?”
She rolled her eyes and stared at Tesa meaningfully, waiting for her answer. Tesa remained silent. Yvonne cocked her head thoughtfully like a dog, then seemed to lose patience.
“You must know how ridiculous this is.”
Tesa said nothing.
“Are you seriously trying to tell me you don’t remember any of this?”
“Any of what?” Tesa asked, earnestly confused.
Yvonne took a step back and put her hands on her hips, squinting suspiciously with one eyebrow arched so dramatically it almost met her hairline. “None of this seems... familiar ?”
No. Nothing , Tesa thought.
“How about Chicago… any of that ringing a bell?”
No , she thought. Vegas. I want to go back to Vegas. I’ve never even been to Chicago.
“Are you kidding me?” Yvonne muttered to herself. “Listen, Tesa… Chantesa… CHANTESA… Huh? Nothing?”
Tesa pressed her lips together in a line and tried to clear her mind. Something was nagging at her. Something… the lake? A boat? Ice and churning waves, the sound of boulders of frozen water smashing together in a thunderous, creaking clap.
Chantesa… Yes… That did sort of ring a bell. A vague flicker of a memory like the teal flame in the sapphire… Her mother in the emerald hat. Saying goodbye? Sending her away?
She wanted to chase the memory, but more than that, she wanted to get out of the dressing room. The last time she had tried to flee a vampire it worked out poorly. Her mind raced, trying to think of options. Scream? Run? Play along and look for an opportunity?
Yvonne sneered, her eyes full of disdain. “Listen, you can come with me and Gio right now… And I’ll tell you the whole tale while I save your stupid life. Again. But we have to go. I mean it.”
“Yvonne, I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said as assertively as she could.
The blonde stepped closer. Her hands balled into fists at her sides and her breath came out in gusts through her flared nostrils.
“Chantesa, for once in your life, be smart. Think ,” she hissed through her clenched teeth. “You really cannot believe you’re just some scrawny runaway who got magically rescued by the billionaire love of your life, can you? That shit doesn’t happen. He could have anyone, so why you ? Think about it!” An edge of near-begging began to creep into her voice.
Tesa sputtered and tried to think of the reasons. “Because Anya… Rose… because of the Clean Blood—”
“Oh, come on!” Yvonne yelled, opening her mouth in frustrated despair. “You’re just… Wow. I don’t even know what to say. You’re… Well, I guess you’ve always been a romantic. What was I expecting?”
“Yvonne, I really would like you to go. We are not going to be here that long. Let’s… why don’t you talk to Stark about this when we get back?”
Yvonne chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully, staring at the ceiling, apparently for guidance. Finally she dropped her head, suddenly resolute as though something had been decided.
“Fine,” she declared, stepping forward. “You’ll thank me later, Tesa, I promise.”
Tesa flinched, drawing her hands back as Yvonne came toward her, eyes flashing. She tried to turn away but Yvonne pinned her to the wall with her hands on either side of Tesa’s head.
“No, I don’t—”
But it was too late. An icy blue haze seeped through her body, immobilizing her where she stood. She breathed deeply into it, finding a confusing relief trickling through every pore. What had she been so fretful about? It felt a million miles away.
“Oh,” Tesa said agreeably, dropping her forehead onto Yvonne’s bare shoulder.
“Great,” Yvonne sighed. “You’re coming with me. Gio needs you.”
“I’m coming with you,” Tesa repeated in a sing-song voice. “For Gio.”
“Right, right. You’re a monkey’s uncle,” Yvonne mumbled sarcastically.
“I’m a monkey’s uncle,” Tesa whispered.
“Yeah,” Yvonne chuckled, hoisting Tesa back to standing. “That never gets old, now does it?”
Yvonne darted about the room, gathering armfuls of Tesa’s new clothes while Tesa swayed drunkenly in place. She surveyed the dressing room again with a perceptive squint, then took Tesa by the elbow and hurried her out the door.
Tesa automatically veered right, toward the waiting room. She saw just the outline of Gunner’s profile on the sofa beyond the corridor.
“Nope!” Yvonne said, yanking her arm sharply. “This way!”
“This way…”
Yvonne held Tesa firmly around her ribcage and guided her out the back exit of the dressing rooms, then along the far wall to the stairs. She held her supportively as they lurched down the stairway.
Tesa smiled vaguely at all the people while Yvonne pulled her forward through the crowd. As before, the shoppers seemed not even to notice their presence. They parted in front of them like water over a rock in a stream.
The doorman tipped his hat smartly to them and opened the huge door. Yvonne glanced furtively down the street in each direction, pausing for a moment to sniff the air, then started off smartly toward Rush Street.
After a few storefronts where she had to tug insistently at Tesa to pull her away from the shiny shopping displays, she punched open a nondescript door and they descended a short flight of stairs in a vestibule. Their footsteps echoed dramatically against the glossy beige concrete blocks.
“Stay here,” Yvonne barked, propping Tesa against the wall and yanking open the firedoor. She swiveled her head around, peering into the gloom of the underground garage.
“All right, come on,” she commanded and reached for Tesa’s hand, shifting an armful of parcels to her right side.
Tesa took her hand automatically and let Yvonne lead her into the dark parking garage. Rows of shiny SUVs and tiny sports cars lined the dark concrete walls. As they hurried down the row, Tesa saw a figure ahead step from between two parked cars.
Yvonne felt her hand twitch and pulled harder. “It’s just Gio. You remember him,” she said reassuringly.
The man waited expectantly at the end of the row with his head cocked.
“I remember Gio,” Tesa repeated blandly.
Their quick footsteps echoed and repeated back from the walls in a rising percussion. Yvonne held out her arm full of parcels to Gio as they approached, and the trunk of a small convertible popped open next to him.
“We stole those, haha,” Tesa chuckled as Yvonne dumped the clothes in the trunk.
“What. There wasn’t time,” Yvonne said fussily to answer Gio’s raised eyebrows. She pushed Tesa toward an open car door. “Get in,” she commanded.
“Hello, Tess,” Gio said softly, and she turned to look at him. His eyes glowed subtly red beneath his shiny bald head, but his expression was kind.
“Hiiiii,” she drawled, staring impertinently at the dragon tattoo that curled from the back of his head, over his ear.
“Nice tattoo—” she slurred.
“In. Now. Go!” Yvonne insisted, pushing her roughly into the back seat.
Tesa curled into a ball, rubbing her cheek against the smooth, cool leather like a kitten. The blue fog in her veins felt deliciously thick and creamy, like a mint candy.
She giggled lustily as the engine started: a low, seductive rumble that she could feel all through her thighs and nether parts.
“Oh great,” she heard Yvonne sneer from far away. “Go to sleep, Tesa.”
Hunched down in the back seat, she looked up at the bars of fluorescent lights going by as they drove around corners and up a ramp. Then the blue fog swallowed her up, and she didn’t see anything.
CHAPTER 20
As the fog receded, there were voices. Tesa couldn't make out who they were and it first it didn't sound like words at all. It sounded like music, maybe, with different instruments playing over each other. The wave and rhythm of the sounds hypnotized her
for a long time.
But slowly, she realized she couldn't open her eyes. She felt extremely heavy as though weighted down, as though trapped in amber. The air was heavy and thick. When she inhaled she could feel it oozing like liquid in her lungs. For a moment she thought she was drowning and she wanted to fight, to cry out. But there was nothing to do. No part of her would obey those commands.
She was alone in her mind. The fog crept in everywhere and she felt like a single small person on a wide, fog-covered hill. It was as though her mind was a place. She couldn't see anything but herself. It wasn't that everything was dark, it was that there was nothing to see. Vision didn't mean anything in there.
But it did seem weird that she was alone. Where was Gunner? She hadn't even realized that he had taken up residence inside her mind until just then, when he was absent.
Is he all right? she thought frantically, and then commanded herself to stop. If he wasn't there, it probably wasn't safe to think very loud in case someone else could hear her.
The voices continued, rising and falling, swelling and receding like the waves of the ocean. It was hypnotizing. She drifted like a cork on the swells of sound.
After a time the fog dissolved just a little bit more and Tesa could understand that those were actually words, not just music. They were voices. It was Yvonne, certainly. That catlike, slurring voice was unmistakable. And then another voice, a man.
Gio.
She wanted to open her eyes. She had to see what was going on.
Struggling with herself, she tried to remember how the action worked. Her eyelids seemed like a completely foreign concept. She just focused on what she did know. Fingers. She could feel her fingers. Toes… Sort of. Her feet felt like lead. She surmised that was because they were so far away from her heart, which was pumping weakly.
She could move her fingers, just a little bit. It gave her hope. If she could command that tiny motion, she could build it into something else.
She flexed her hands one at a time. She could almost imagine them changing color from charcoal gray to pale blue, then to something more vivid.
Once her hands were moderately obedient, she flexed her elbows. Then her shoulders, then somehow she managed to push herself halfway up.