“Great, so that’s why I need you to calm down and just try your best to let it go for right now. Okay? Let’s just get through this deal tonight, and we’ll both have plenty of time to explain everything in detail to her later.”
“I thought you said you’d already told her what happened…?”
Raina cringed. “She got impatient with me, so I had to give her the short version…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sakes…”
“Is everything okay?” Senator Daniels asked them with a raised eyebrow as he continued to hold open the door.
“Oh, everything’s just peachy! Wonderful!” Brenna assured him with a sour, very fake smile.
“Brenna … please,” Raina pleaded softly, gesturing toward the open door. “Play along? For now, at least…?”
Brenna glanced briefly to the Senator and then back to Raina. With a heavy sigh and a groan, she rolled her eyes and reluctantly allowed Raina to lead her outside by her hand. The media had dispersed for the most part. Those that still lingered were caught off guard by the unexpected appearance of the Senator with Duchess Raina and Lady Brenna. A large black limousine had been pulled up in the entryway and the door was already opened as they approached. Before any of the press members had time to ready their cameras or lights, they had already each safely ducked into the big black Lincoln with the door closing behind. William remained outside of the limousine, standing beside it with his back to the window like a royal sentry. A bodyguard, presumably one of the Senator’s, stood on the opposite side of the limousine to guard its other door.
The interior of the limo seemed almost unnervingly black, even with Raina’s enhanced sense of low-light vision as a vampire. Her slight anxiety had set her skin only slightly aglow, but her very flesh seemed almost like a neon light in the vault-like interior of the limo. Raina had to slip the sheathed sword from the loop of the black leather belt she wore in order to sit down in the limo, laying the comforting weapon across her lap. They were not alone with the Senator, as he seated himself next to someone across from Raina and Brenna. The figure was dressed almost as completely in black as the interior of the car, itself, aside from the extremely pale exposed flesh of her hands and face. The long, straight burgundy hair was unfamiliar, but the face was recognizable after she stared at it for a second or two. As soon as their eyes met directly and she recognized her, Raina’s stomach flip-flopped and she almost reflexively reached for the sword, beginning to draw it. Her elbow thumped painfully against the closed door, preventing her from drawing the blade fully. The muzzle of the gun that she suddenly found pointed at her was enough to stop her movements completely.
“Relax, Duchess. I’m not here to kill you,” Countess Wilhelmina von Reichenbach told her, keeping the compact, silver-colored pistol aimed steadily at her. “Please do not give me a reason to change my plans for the evening.”
The Senator appeared just as unsettled as Brenna and Raina felt as he anxiously gestured for Raina to lower her half-drawn weapon. “Yes, let’s … let’s not do anything we might regret here.”
“I don’t believe it,” Raina gaped at Senator Daniels. “Seriously? You just handed us over to her?”
“Should’ve known better than to trust a fucking politician,” Brenna grumbled.
Daniels waved a finger at her. “Now, that’s not true. I only brought you here because she promised me that she only wished to talk this whole thing out with you. She assured me that she wished to settle this whole feud of yours with words, rather than with violence.”
“That’s not what I said, you stupid man,” the Countess said tersely. “I said that I wanted an opportunity to speak with her before I put an end to this war.”
He looked genuinely and foolishly surprised. “Oh. But…”
“As I have said before, I do not wish to kill you,” she said to Raina. “Please sheathe your sword. It is useless to you in this situation.”
Raina was aware of the futility of bringing a sword to a gunfight, but she was reluctant to surrender that one and only means of self-defense in the face of what was surely her impending demise. Just the same, she was too scared by this unexpected second encounter and too intrigued by the Countess’s assurance of peace to be stupid enough to try to make use of her sword. Slowly, she sheathed the finely polished steel blade, hiding its gleaming finish from the light of her own flesh and the parking lot’s ambient light that filtered in through the darkly tinted windows. Raina laid the sword back down upon her lap and drew in a deep breath, doing her best to slowly exhale and release her tension.
Her eyes flicked cautiously toward Brenna every second or two, but Countess Wilhelmina slowly lowered the aim of her gun and allowed it to rest upon her own lap, as well.
“I apologize for threatening you with a pistol,” the Countess said sincerely, “but I knew that your first instinct would be to fight.”
“Good call,” Raina conceded with a nod.
Countess Wilhelmina straightened her posture and jutted out her chin slightly. “So then, Duchess Raina … now that you have had time to meet Duvessa, what is your opinion of her?”
Raina blinked at her. “You showed up here just to ask me that?”
“It has been impossible for me to contact you by any other means,” she replied. The Countess smirked slightly. “Would you have preferred that I use messenger pigeons?”
“I don’t think this is the smartest time and place for you to show up, what with the entire freakin’ House of Fallamhain being here in one place,” Raina said. “I mean, c’mon! Duvessa’s favorite bodyguard is standing right outside this car. All I need to do is scream…”
Countess Wilhelmina lifted the gun in her right hand slightly to remind her of what she still held. Her faint smirk remained. “And all I need to do is squeeze the trigger. Don’t be stupid.”
Raina stared at her. “Didn’t you just say that you didn’t come here to kill me?”
“Yes. I did say that have no intention of killing you, Duchess.” And then her eyes moved to look at Brenna for a moment, silently expressing the other half of her intentions. “I promise you, it will be worth your time to hear what I have to say.”
She considered it for a moment, searching her own feelings and reconsidering the wisdom of making a desperate attempt to overcome her, before Raina finally took her hands off of the sword in her lap and clasped them together peacefully at her knees. She drew in a deep breath as she looked to Brenna, who appeared relatively calm outside but was genuinely scared within. She certainly was being faced with a lot of so-called choices that had but one option that could even be remotely considered reasonable.
“Okay, then,” Raina sighed, “let’s hear it.”
“Of course. But … you still have not answered my question,” she replied, her smirk vanishing.
Raina stared at her for a moment, having almost forgotten what she’d asked. “How do I feel about the Grand Duchess?”
“If that is what you wish to call her, yes,” Countess Wilhelmina acknowledged.
“She’s okay, I guess,” she said with a shrug. “A little bit bossy, of course, and she’s honestly got kind of a stuck-up attitude, what with the whole royalty thing and all. But she doesn’t come off as some kind of evil monster like you’ve made her out to be.”
The High Court vampire in a wig gave her a curious look. “Don’t you find her to be secretive? Does she always answer your questions directly? Or do you sense that she is holding back more than what she is willing to tell you?”
“She likes to shut me down right away if I start to question her about anything,” Raina admitted. “She seems more interested in hearing herself talk and giving little speeches than she cares about listening to what anyone else has to say.”
“Have you noticed the way that she treats others? Has she given you her passionate little speech on racism yet?” she asked, again daring to smile in a way that alluded to some manner of unspoken knowledge.
Raina stared at her for a moment, hesit
ant to speak of it in front of her friend. Carefully, she confessed, “She did almost get violent with me this morning over something really stupid. Basically, she expects me to look down upon Brenna like she’s some kind of lesser being, just because she’s a Commoner. She’s really hung up on titles. It’s like … she acts like the world will come to an end if I treat Brenna as an equal instead of a friggin’ slave or something.”
“A servant, you mean?”
“Yeah, exactly.”
“Well, y’know … technically, that’s my job title,” Brenna admitted with a shrug.
Countess Wilhelmina smiled broadly at that. “Your job title? Really? You consider yourself to be working a job?”
Brenna frowned slightly, bobbing her head with a bit of attitude as she snapped back, “Yeah, a job! That’s pretty much all this is for me, at this point. Like, a job with a lot of fringe benefits. Y’know, free room and board, all expenses paid, free booze and blood…” She glanced at Raina rather bitterly. “…plenty of sex…”
From the look she gave them both, Countess Wilhelmina clearly picked up on the friction between the two of them, perhaps already knowing in full what had happened. Fortunately, however, she chose not to speak of it for the time being. Her eyes drifted to Raina’s and locked her gaze securely.
“She has promised that you will be taking her place when she dies,” she said rather than asked. “Judging by how quickly she seems to be progressing with her usual schedule, I have succeeded in scaring her. Duvessa is truly afraid that I will kill her soon. She is becoming desperate to ensure that her legacy survives.”
“Well … yeah! I mean, considering you’ve pretty much slaughtered all of her consorts and their servants,” Raina said with a raised eyebrow, “I don’t really blame her for being a little bit freaked out by the whole situation.”
Countess Wilhelmina was grinning now, baring her fangs carelessly. “But she is the Grand Duchess! The almighty queen of the High Court, the head of the International Vampiric Council, and the idol that all vampires and humans should worship and obey! She has fought so many battles, she has conquered so many in duels! Countless foes have fallen under her sword and been drained by her fangs! Why should she be afraid of me? Why should she be trying so hard to see me killed? What threat am I to her?”
“You killed off almost her entire bloodline! Our bloodline!” Raina protested, feeling a bit odd about taking such a daring position of bias in that moment. “Out of nowhere you just showed up and started hacking people apart right and left. You even killed Duke Sebastian … who also happened to be my Maker, in case you didn’t already know.”
The Countess shook her head at that. “I’m sure you’re absolutely heartbroken over that. I can sense it quite clearly.”
Pretending not to hear that, Raina continued, “You killed both of his servants for no good reason.”
“Oh, I can assure you, Duchess,” she said confidently, “I was within my rights to slay them. I do not kill without reason.”
“Y’know, it’s a good thing you’ve got that gun, or else I’d…”
Raina caught herself as Brenna put a hand upon her thigh and squeezed firmly with urgency, seeing Raina’s hands beginning to reach for her sword once more. She forced herself to instead place her hands upon her knees and grip them firmly. Raina was skilled and surely quick enough that she could stop the Countess from shooting her to death, but she wasn’t confident enough that she was willing to risk it unless she was forced to try.
“Or else you would do what, child? You would fight me? You would cut me down and avenge your other Maker?” she asked doubtfully. If Raina’s reaction was not visible upon her face, surely she could at least sense it. “Yes, I am aware that Lady Brenna is also your Maker … which is why I have not already killed her. I do not care for her attitude, but she is relatively innocent in this war between Duvessa and myself … just as you were innocent, as well, before she ordered Sebastian to force his blood upon you.” She paused for a moment. “Before she later forced herself upon you, as well.”
“I wasn’t forced into anything,” Raina said in a low voice, narrowing her eyes and deliberately ignoring the latter part of her statement.
“Oh? So, you willfully accepted the Change?” she asked. She waited for an answer and, hearing none, she smiled as she said, “Of course, you didn’t. I know what he did to you. I know exactly what he did to you.”
“Oh, really? Well … don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.”
“I did not learn this from hearing rumors about you. I know this from personal experience. Sebastian Made me in exactly the same way,” she explained, leaning back in her seat to observe the reaction of shock that washed over both Raina and Brenna. “He was my Maker, too.”
* * * *
Chapter Twenty-Five
Duvessa was uncharacteristically nervous. Raina had been gone far too long. Her dear, sweet Raina … and that miserable, lowly harlot that Raina considered a friend, they were both overdue to return. William was gone as well. She still had the comforting security of her other loyal subjects – Robert, Svetlana, Noriko, Mary, and the rest – but she had been a fool to turn loose of so much at a time like this. In fact, in hindsight, it had been downright foolish of her to have let Senator Daniels take Raina away. This was exactly the kind of strategic mistake that wretched witch, Wilhelmina, wanted her to make. She had been choosing to wage her vendetta one duel at a time. She knew better than to ever try to confront them all as one. The girl was not stupid, only bitter.
Wilhelmina wisely realized that she could not command a war by herself, and she no longer had the support of the House of von Reichenbach. That fool, Klaus, had been too kind and generous for his own good when he had taken Wilhelmina under his wing. He had pitied her, and in trying to save her, it had cost him his wealth, his bloodline, and ultimately, Duvessa figured, even his life. Well, a fat lot of good his kindness and generosity had done anyone. He had helped to create a situation of instability and division within the High Court, a rift amongst the elders of the Council that would never have begun if Duvessa had not made the mistake, herself, of failing to successfully kill that miserable wench when she had been given more than ample opportunity.
Yes, Sebastian had started it all, but Sebastian had been Duvessa’s responsibility – a liability, perhaps, but the most beloved of her bloodspawn, nevertheless. It had not been a matter of mercy. No, Duvessa had wanted that young girl’s throat in her mouth just as hungrily as Sebastian had wanted to bury the length of his manhood within that same girl. The difference was that Duvessa had shown restraint because he had not. She had hoped it would be an opportunity for him to learn the consequences of his actions, his careless and wanton overindulgence in humanity. He was to have raised that girl to become a true lady, to have educated her … to have been responsible for her, just as Duvessa was responsible for Sebastian. She had grown tired of picking up after him, through with covering for his indiscretions. It would have been a good lesson, and in the grander scheme of things, it would have been well and good for everyone … that is, had it involved anyone else but someone like Wilhelmina. Oh, how she looked forward to seeing that miserable little wench being cut apart…
“Your grace,” Mister Giovanni said, kneeling before her and taking her hand to kiss it, “it breaks my heart to see you so unhappy. You have my deepest condolences for your loss.”
Duvessa snapped out of her momentary trance. “Thank you, Dante. I appreciate your kindness and generosity for hosting this event.”
“It was the least I could do for the kindness you have always shown me, your grace,” he said with a smile, bowing his head again before standing. “Without you, I would not be where I am today.”
Duvessa smiled and nodded and began to pull her hand away, though he continued to hold onto it. She didn’t want to appear ungrateful or impolite. She just wanted him to go away. She needed some time to herself. If she was to be forced to worry and fret over Raina’s w
ell-being, she did not want to also be confronted by this parasite of the American underworld at the same time. She had only helped Dante in the ways that she had because of what he could do for the House of Fallamhain in return. He had many girls and many friends, many associates that were willing to do things for little or nothing – deeds done as favors, just for the honor of her company and blessings. While he could provide them with worldly comforts and the use of his extended influence in Arizona, his assistance always seemed to come with a higher and higher price every time.
Saving Dante from what would have been certain death after his incident with Brenna was, in hindsight, far more trouble than it had been worth. She had seen to it that certain records had been lost, that witnesses had seen or remembered nothing, and that Dante had an airtight alibi for the night upon which he had tried to sample more of his own wares than he should. If Duvessa had known what a crude and strong-willed whore that Brenna would prove to be, and that this Commoner would only later become more of a problem than an asset, she would have arranged to have Brenna killed in a way that would have labeled Dante a rogue vampire, leaving him to the mercy of local law enforcement officials.
Instead, now she faced a potential crisis yet again because of these two lowly Commoners. If she’d had her druthers, she would have buried her fangs within both their throats on this night and bled them dry before dawn. But, alas, she realized that Raina would never stand for that … the poor, foolish girl. Duvessa needed Raina’s loyalty. Damn her, she needed the silly girl, and it seemed that Duvessa would simply have to accept all of the baggage that came with her – a “packaged deal” as the Americans might have called it.
“Your grace,” Dante continued gently, “I must confess that I have already met with Lady Brenna in the past. When we last saw each other, it was … I’m not sure how to say this … it was…”
“A criminal act that could easily have earned you a label as a rogue?” she suggested. “Yes, I have already been made aware of this fact. I must admit that I do find this bit of information to be very displeasing in a number of ways.”
The Darkest Colors Page 46