Dark Liaison (An Ema Marx Novel Book 2)

by J. D. Brown

  No. But the alternative was worse. I bit my lip and nodded.

  “Well, then,” she sighed, “are you ready?”

  I wouldn’t ever be ready for what I was about to do, so might as well jump in and get it over with. I nodded again for Maria and then started toward the door. At the last moment, I decided to phase into the office, hoping it would remind Nikolas that I was worth something, but mostly hoping the trick would give me some shred of confidence to hold on to. After all, phasing wasn’t something the Alpans could do, not even their giant king, who sat behind his extra tall desk.

  It didn’t work. Nikolas was still intimidating as hell, especially in his element, surrounded by animal heads that he’d probably severed with his bare hands. My gut twisted and my throat dried up like sandpaper. Brinnon sat in one of the over-sized chairs, talking to his dad, but both men stopped as I approached them.

  “Ladies, sit.” Nikolas gestured to the chairs next to his son.

  We took our seats. I cleared my throat a little louder than I’d meant to and then slid my palms under my bottom to keep from wringing my fingers off.

  “Is Prince Jesu joining us?” Nikolas asked.

  I shook my head.

  “Very well, if this is everyone, then let’s begin.”

  I tried to recall what Maria and I had rehearsed for this moment, and sucked in a shaky breath. Just as I was about to say my piece, Maria interjected.

  “If I may speak first, Your Grace?”

  Nikolas waved a hand. “Make it quick.”

  Maria straightened her already perfect poster. “Ema wishes to re-open your prior offered treaty for negotiation.”

  Nikolas studied me as he leaned back in his leather chair and drummed his fingers on the desk. “Is that so?”

  I met his gaze and then nodded.

  “You had plenty of time to negotiate before.”

  My eyes widened. “Not true—”

  Maria patted my knee to get my attention and then narrowed her gaze in warning. I shut my mouth and bit down on both lips.

  “My client felt inadequately informed in our customs to make such a large decision, especially under the pressure of the current circumstances, but she has asked me to help negotiate on her behalf.”

  Brinnon leaned forward in his seat, a question evident in his quirked brow. Apparently Nikolas hadn’t told his son about his little proposal.

  “Very well.” Nikolas smoothed a broad hand along his shirt front. “We will re-open negotiation after you speak with the incubus.”

  “I am afraid time is of the essence, Your Highness, and the very nature of my client’s task is the root of the proposal you yourself offered her, is it not? My client’s dealings with the incubus is a service she may or may not perform in allegiance with the Alpan crown. Suppose the incubus does agree to help her—”

  “All right,” Nikolas growled. He pinched the bridge of his nose and then massaged his brow with a sigh. “State your terms.”

  Even though I was glad Maria took charge of the conversation, my insides felt like jelly. I focused on taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly.

  “You will make your military’s training available to her and see to it that she excels as a warrior. You and the royal family will make your homes and resources available to her and protect her at all costs from her enemies until such a time as she has graduated from her training.” Maria paused to gauge Nikolas’ reaction thus far.

  “Yes.” He waved. “That’s a given. I assume you wish to ask for more.”

  She continued. “You and the royal family will also swear to extend those same services to any friends, allies, or future lineage my client deems worthy, for as long and as often as she requests it. Your end of the bargain, Your Highness, must be absolute. Your entire family must be aware and in complete agreement to do anything and everything in their power to preserve my client and her associates’ lives at any point in which help is asked of you. Should you, or a member of your family, break these terms, my client will be released of all responsibilities owed.”

  Nikolas narrowed his gaze. “That sort of arrangement is far-fetched, don’t you think? There could be no end to the number of people she may ask me to save. What if my resources are depleted?”

  Maria raised her brow and gave Nikolas a side-long glance. “It is no more than equal retribution for what you ask of my client in return; life-long obedience and service to the Alpan family. The royal family alone is over forty members strong, and every generation will follow its royal duty to produce an heir. Is that not also far-fetched for my client?”

  Brinnon’s brows pulled close together in thought. “Father, why require service of Ema? I understand the importance of defeating King Apollyon, but once that is achieved, what purpose does she serve? No offence,” he added quickly, while glancing at me.

  I shrugged my shoulders, apparently having lost my voice completely.

  Nikolas pressed his palm to his forehead and then ran his hand down his face in a haggard sigh. “I’ve not told you about Prince Jesu’s premonition, son. I’d hoped I would never have to.”

  “It has been foretold,” Maria interjected by way of explanation for Brinnon’s sake. “Apollyon will not fall by any hand other than Ema’s. She is fated to be the one to end him. Your father’s armies are simply required to bide time until she comes into herself. Your father knows this.”

  My breath hitched. For the first time, I wondered if things had gotten wildly blown out of proportion through the grapevine, if everyone’s hopes were riding on the impossible—me killing Apollyon for certain. Jesu had told me there was no certainty. His premonition didn’t foretell the end—only that I would be involved in a battle against Apollyon.

  Brinnon whistled a sound that imitated the fall of a nuclear missile. “Women do seem to be the lead of Apollyon’s demise.”

  I caught the jab. Jesu’s own mother gave rise to the ambush in Russia that finally killed Apollyon the first time. She didn’t kill him with her bare hands, though. She had warriors. I needed an army. That was why I was here, letting Maria speak for me.

  “All right,” said Nikolas as he leaned against his armchair. “Here are my conditions. The treaty ends the moment Ema meets her death. All responsibilities owed by the royal family would cease immediately. Punishment for any disobedience on her end will be weighed and judged by the royal family and a sentence of our choosing will be carried out.”

  “No,” Maria shook her head. “Any of your kin could conspire against her to end the deal prematurely.”

  “You didn’t let me finish…” Nikolas grinned venomously. “Instead of training as warrior, she’ll train as a member of the Elite.”

  My eyes went wide and my nerves frayed. The only elite I knew of were the Elite Vampire Assassins Jesu and Jalmari had mentioned before.

  “I don’t want to be an assassin!” I couldn’t blindly kill people for no reason, and yet, wasn’t that exactly what I was agreeing to do for Nikolas’ family—to kill their enemies without question? The knot in my stomach clenched tight as bile rose, burning the back of my throat.

  “Being Elite is an honor, the best of the best in vampyre military,” Brinnon said with a smile across his face, like it was supposed to be reassuring. It wasn’t.

  “Normally,” Nikolas explained, “the Elite get to pick and choose their missions, and are paid handsomely for it, but you will be under oath to take on the missions my family requires of you.”

  I tried to swallow, but it didn’t go down. My chest heaved in shallow breaths. I couldn’t begin to imagine the missions a royal vampyre family might ask of me. Something like manslaughter came to mind.

  Maria leaned toward me. “You should take this opportunity. The Elite are very hard to kill. You’ll master your abilities and be able to face Apollyon with certainty.”

  I wanted to stand on the chair and scream from the bottom of my lungs. I might not be the savior you all want to believe I am! Jesu never saw the ending! Instead, I san
k deeper into the seat. My gaze lowered to the floor and I squeaked a half-hearted, “Okay.”

  Maria squared her shoulders and grinned. “It is done.”

  Nikolas nodded, the hint of a smile apparent on his features. “Very good. Brinnon, why don’t you type up the contract for us to sign and make proper. Email a copy to your brothers and sisters, we will need their signatures too.”

  Brinnon rolled his eyes and rose from his seat. “Expect an ugly phone call from Auda. Let me know if you talk about incubi at all tonight.”

  Nikolas massaged his temples and addressed me. “I will send word when we’re ready for your signature.”

  Maria nodded. “Thank you, Your Grace.” Her smile was all pointed teeth and morbid cheer as she faced me. I bit my tongue to keep from groaning out loud.

  This is what you wanted, I reminded myself. This is what you wanted.

  Maria

  Ema and I excused ourselves from Nikolas’ study. She kept her head bowed as we walked the length of the hall to the ballroom. I suspected she was unhappy with the obligations she found herself in, but such was the life of royalty, and I was proud of how she handled it. I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She met my gaze and smiled weakly.

  “Thanks for your help, Maria.”

  “You did well,” I told her.

  She nodded and then ascended the stairs to the guest wing. I continued around the bend to the small arched opening that led to a byway to the kitchen. Rudo, the queen’s pet, stocked a fresh supply of bagged donor blood in the refrigerator. A second servant washed dishes. Bridget stood at the butcher table in the center, poking at a large slab of raw lamb leg.

  “Bloodworst sausage would go well with that lamb,” I offered.

  Bridget sighed, but didn’t lift her gaze. “I never was a good homemaker.”

  I pondered something. She’d been distant since Ema returned, and Jesu hadn’t exactly hid his feelings. Their kiss in the dining hall had been a pretty public declaration of their affections—not to mention Ema’s bedchamber smelled strongly of their mating. I wondered—and I should have thought of it more seriously before—how much it affected Bridget’s professionalism.

  “I’ve missed a great deal while I was gone,” I said, keeping my tone neutral, “yet it seems to me that Ema was rather ill-prepared for the trials she faced. I heard she had lost a finger. Do you know what happened to it?”

  Bridget’s gaze darted back and forth. “Can we speak in private?”

  I nodded and led the way through the hall to the foyer. We ducked into the parlor and I closed the door behind us.

  “Have a seat, dear.” I gestured to the leather benches surrounding the low coffee table.

  Bridget shook her head and remained standing. “I understand why your husband called me. I know who you think she is, I’ve seen Prince Jesu’s painting.” She paused and then scoffed. “Hell, I was zere when he painted it—but, with all due respect, you are both wrong. Ema is not zee girl from his premonition.”

  My gaze narrowed. The young French vampire wasn’t telling me anything I hadn’t already considered. There was one major flaw that made Ema the wrong person—she was a vampyre. Jesu had seen a human girl in his vision. He was very clear about that, until Ema showed up at our home, looking remarkably like the girl he’d seen and painted and dreamed about repeatedly. His certainty lessened by leaps and bounds in the days that followed, especially after he fell in love with her, but none of that mattered now.

  “A client’s identity and worth is no concern of yours. We paid you to train her in the ways of combat and self-defense and you neglected your duty. I’m sorry, Bridget, but you are now excused from my husband’s employment. You may keep the money, but you are not welcome here any longer.”

  “I don’t care about zee money! I—” She stopped herself, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She exhaled and then opened her eyes. “You know I’m right. How could you let Jesu go on believing he’s found her? It will kill him when she fails—”

  “That is why we enlisted your help. I thought you of all people would understand the delicacy of the situation. We won’t let her fail.”

  Bridget faltered, her orange gaze bright and wild as it darted around the room in desperation. Her fists clenched at her side, matching my own stance as the error of my ways mounted in frustration at this stupid vampire who’d caused Jesu nothing but trouble and unnecessary heartache. I’d be damned if I let her come between Jesu and Ema, or become the reason Ema fails.

  “Do not be blindsided by your own feelings, Bridget. Ema is special. She has powers and a lineage none of us quite understand yet. She is the very thing Apollyon has hunted the Earth for; a vampyre whose abilities transcends the clans. Whether she is the girl from Jesu’s vision or not, we cannot ignore the fact that Apollyon has risen for her.”

  “So, you will pretend she is zee prophesied one and use her as leverage?” Bridget’s tone was accusing, not asking a question.

  I stood my ground and raised my chin to look down at her. “You will not interfere.”

  She shook her head. “Do what you want with Ema, I don’t care, but I will not allow Jesu to be used like a puppet.”

  She marched swiftly toward the door, intending to push past me. I wouldn’t allow it. I grabbed her arm and phased her entire body before she could react. I threw her molecules against the sofa, knowing she would solidify the moment I let go. She hit the cushions and gasped at me, rage evident in her piercing rust gaze.

  “What if I’m not playing Jesu?” I said. “What if you tell him Ema’s not the one and he still loves her anyway? Even if they break up, then what? Do you honestly think he’ll take you back and not go looking for the right girl again? For goodness’ sake, Bridget, have a heart. Let him have hope.”

  Her lips pressed into a thin line as she regarded me. She stood, marched past me, and exited the room without a word. I sighed in defeat. I had no doubt that Bridget would do what she pleased, but I hoped that she would consider my words.

  Chapter 26

  I expected Jesu to still be lying across my bed—nude and waiting for me—but a simple glance around the room proved the space was empty. I listened carefully and traced a slow breath coming from his room, though my instincts warned that the person was not Jesu.

  Bridget? No, that wasn’t correct. I crossed the distance to the bathroom and then scented the air. Sara.

  Opening the conjoined door, I found her seated on the divan near the foot of the bed. She stared rather hard at a piece of white fabric stretched across a wooden loop. Her small porcelain hands guided a threaded needle in and out of the fabric in cross-stiches. I bit back a laugh.

  “Are you actually doing needlepoint?”

  She sighed and dropped her hands to her lap, fabric and all. “Embroidery. It’s supposed to be a cardinal, but I was never good at these things.”

  I leaned forward to peek at the mess of thread that somewhat resembled a bird. “Most girls these days take up shoe shopping.”

  She giggled and cocked her head to the side. “Prince Jesu asked me to relay a message.”

  “Oh good,” I said. “I was beginning to think you’d never tell me why you’re sitting in his empty room.”

  “He wants you to meet him in the barn loft I showed you. Remember it?”

  I cringed. “Sure, the one covered in spider webs. How could I forget?”

  She laughed and shook her head while gathering her needlework.

  “Why does he want me to meet him there?”

  “It’s a surprise.” She grinned. “Well, the message has been delivered. I must go to dinner, and you must go to the barn.” She stood and left the room, shaking her head the whole time.

  I sighed to myself. Dinner with spiders, how darkly romantic. Not. Jesu and I needed to have a very serious conversation. If he wanted this relationship to work, the arachnids had to go.

  I took a shortcut, phasing though the castle walls, and then flew the rest of the way. My snea
kers crushed a few overgrown dandelions as I landed outside the double doors of the barn. The wood creaked open with ease and I stepped inside, weaving around the intricate spider webs. The idea of phasing through them made me shudder. No molecule of mine would ever touch them, not if I could help it.

  “Ema?” Jesu called. I huffed before meeting his gaze. He sat on the loft floor overhead, hands flat near the edge as he leaned forward. His hair swept past his shoulders, draping like a black curtain over most of his face. “Are you all right?”

  “Never again will I meet you, or anyone else, in a place this infested with spiders.”

  He scoffed, his signature grin dimpling his left cheek. “You are afraid of spiders?”

  “Why does everyone say that like it’s shocking? Yes, I hate spiders.”

  He swung around and then descended the ladder. Raising his bare hands, he swiped at web after web while slowly crossing the distance between us.

  My nose scrunched. “Oh my God, that’s disgusting. Please stop.”

  He kept going, waving away spiders as he neared. Creepy crawly things with a million legs scattered across the floor and along the banisters.

  “Stop!” I shivered. “You’re pissing them off.”

  His brow cocked and a smile played on his lips as he cleared the last web, closing the gap between us in one final stride.

  I leaned away, fearing for my life. “Don’t you dare touch me with those hands. Especially the hair, don’t touch the hair. Seriously, if you get spider webbing in my hair, I’ll automatically combust and that will be the end of everything.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Kiss me and I will promise not to touch you.”

  Well that was the easiest bargain I’d made all day. Pushing onto my toes, I wrapped my arms around his lean neck and pressed my lips to his. I lingered a moment, enjoying the fleshy taste of his mouth on mine, and then pulled back. “Deal.”

  A hungry sheen glossed his green eyes. Instead of stealing another kiss, which I would have freely given, he smiled impishly and then gestured to the space around us. “I should probably tell you that most of the spiders here are Alpan soldiers in disguise.”