Shin shrugged. “As if I have the money, Dan. Besides, Tristan wouldn’t notice them missing in the slightest, since that type is too dull for his taste. We’ll replace them in their rightful spot once we’re done with them.”
“Sure. Sure,” Daniella murmured as she followed her friend out the door.
Some twenty minutes later, dressed in a more comfortable, loose pair of trousers, Daniella, along with Shin, headed down a series of dimly lit corridors and stairs. Eventually, they came into a bright, enormous, elegant Chinese restaurant that Zhang Li owned and operated.
Instantly, multiple languages—English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese, and some minor ones Daniella could not decipher—greeted them loudly. She noted that tonight, clients were mostly regulars, the immigrants and laborers, along with a few newcomers. It was busy tonight and would stay so until the early morning hours.
At the base of the stairs, she eyed Li warily. He was behind the counter, busy as usual, politely greeting customers. His sharp eyes and ears, Daniella was sure, never missed anything that went on around him, down to the most minute details.
Zhang Li—strikingly handsome with long, pale-silver, loosely braided hair, beautiful face that belied his true age, and slender physique in the usual dark-blue changshan—smiled pleasantly at his customers as he welcomed them into the restaurant. Once the guests were comfortably seated, he didn’t waste time and headed toward the door. His feet were light as he smoothly appeared in front of the young duo in an interception.
“Dan,” he said cheerfully, his voice soft but firm. “Are you going somewhere?” His tone implied he was suspicious, and indeed, the look on his face indicated he was more than a little nervous at the thought of his beloved foster daughter leaving the safety of their small fortress of Zhang’s Restaurant.
Behind this establishment was the Romano House, which not only served as a sort of permanent home for Daniella, her two foster fathers Marco Romano and Zhang Li, the Saito brothers Ren and Shin, but also a small number of other colorful characters as well, such as Maiko, John, and Tristan and his actor gang.
Daniella gave Li a sunny smile. “Just an errand,” she said evasively. She didn’t want her overprotective foster father to find out about what she was up to. He’d make sure she stayed put, which would foil her plans. Keeping her out of mischief was his top priority after all.
“Is Shin going with you?” he asked, his silver eyes flicking back and forth between the two. At the pair nodding, he sighed a breath of relief. He said to Shin, “Keep Dan safe. Yes? And do return home at nine o’clock precisely. Children are not safe in the streets at night.”
He lowered his voice to a whisper so their guests would not overhear their foreboding conversation. “You’ve heard of the gruesome killings in the streets, yes?” He shook his head sadly. “Body sucked of blood and bitten like that. Eaten...” His body shook in distaste. “Demons. Low demons’ work. They’re crazy beasts.”
Daniella had to hide a smile at the last sentence. She wondered who was the crazy beast indeed, because really, Li himself was one when he was pushed to his limits, what with him being one of the Sacred Beasts of the East, the Majestic White Wolf. Certainly, she didn’t deny those limits were hard to reach, since Li was such a gentle, mild-mannered person and a doting father to boot. Once that threshold was passed, however, all hell would break loose, and the only person who could stop him from becoming a fully crazed demonic creature was his beloved partner Marco.
“Isn’t Ren investigating that on Papa’s request?” Daniella asked curiously. She had wanted to be part of the team for that particular serial murder investigation, but after what had happened that New Year’s night with Louisa, Marco had other plans for her. He had decided she wasn’t ready for any kind of dangerous, important assignments yet. Furthermore, his conclusion was that because those demons had seen her that night, she was very likely their next target and, therefore, it wasn’t safe for her to be out and about.
Daniella understood he worried about her, but she couldn’t very well stay put when she knew there was a possibility she could take her revenge on at least one of them.
“Don’t worry, Father,” she said cheerfully to Li. “We’ll be back before nine. Besides, John and Maiko are accompanying us.”
Shin nodded in agreement. “They are.”
Li seemed to be satisfied with this and nodded, too. “Good. Good,” he said, waving the young pair off with a grin on his face. “Good children. See you home at nine o’clock precisely, then. And try not to get into any trouble.”
Shin chuckled as they headed out the door. He said low, under his breath, “So, we’re still children to him, eh?”
Daniella nodded. Apparently, anyone below the age of twenty was still considered a child, according to Li. That couldn’t be helped where Li’s point of view was concerned, since the Sacred Beasts of the East had long lifespans in general. Furthermore, no one dared challenge him. Apart from the fact that he ruled the restaurant and its kitchen with an iron fist—hence, one might very likely find oneself without food simply because of Li’s annoyance—but also the fact that Li was one powerful beast. Challenging him would mean life-threatening injuries. The lightest form of damage one would get was broken bones, which would require the victim to be bedridden for at least a week or so.
Outside the restaurant it was bustling and noisy as people went about their night adventures here in one of the busiest districts of London—Limehouse, Chinatown.
John O’Neill, a rough-looking, blond-haired man with one good brown eye, waited by the carriage for the young pair.
“Master Dan!” he burst out in delight the moment he saw the duo. “Shin.”
Daniella gave him a bright smile.
John O’Neill was a dear to her. A big, gentle bear of a darling, for the man was huge and his face was, well, rather bearish, which scared most who didn’t know him. One would have thought, for such a big man, he would have known his way about the back streets of London and surviving the cutthroat world. But John was a simple man. He was too gentle and considerate by nature, and cared deeply for his friends. Only, those so-called friends had betrayed him when they had found out he was a shapeshifter, a werewolf of Newfoundland origin.
Daniella didn’t know the full details of what had happened in John’s past, but she did know he had been tortured, and had never been shown any kindness. When she had found him in the street, beaten and starved to the brink of death, she—a twelve-year-old girl in boy’s clothing—couldn’t help herself and brought him home with her, nursing him back to health. She had told him her name was Dan, and ever since, she had simply been Master Dan to him.
Now, John was like a loyal bodyguard to her, especially after the surprise attack from the high demon, that New Year’s night. He was at her side every possible chance he could get, guarding her like a loyal pup.
“Evening, John. How was your afternoon?” she asked cheerfully.
“Ah... good,” he replied eagerly. “To Park Lane, aye?”
“Yes, sir, to Park Lane.”
He opened the carriage door, and Shin, after giving the older man a grin, quickly climbed in. Daniella was just stepping into the interior after him when a feminine voice expressed, in outrage, “Surely you three could have waited a bit longer for me?”
Daniella turned to see Miro Maiko glaring at them, delicate hands on slender hips. She was indeed an exotically beautiful creature, with gold-blonde hair, milky fair skin, delicate eyebrows and face, with slanted phoenix-shaped gold-brown eyes.
Daniella chuckled guiltily. “Sorry, Maiko-dono. Do come along now. We’ll be late if you delay us much longer.”
If was a fact that Maiko was very particular about people using Japanese honorific when speaking to her. Thus, a dono after her name must always be used, if one did not want to get on her blacklist and become the next target for her routine knife throwing practice, which anyone who valued their life should avoid at all cost. Indeed,
Maiko was an enchanting beauty of a mistress, with a seductive voice, along with a killer ability that guaranteed death within an instant, combined with a feisty manner. After all, she was, like Zhang Li, one of the Sacred Beasts of the East, the Benevolent Golden Fox.
Maiko glided to the small group, one delicate hand holding out a beautiful oriental silk skirt designed with peacocks and peonies.
Daniella raised a brow and said, “That kimono, Maiko-dono, is beautiful.”
Maiko climbed into the carriage and said, “It is, isn’t it?” She arranged her garment properly as she sat opposite Daniella and Shin. “I do hope your fathers aren’t going to find out about this,” she said, the moment she was comfortable.
“They won’t,” Daniella replied confidently.
Some half an hour later, they arrived at Park Lane, Mayfair, at exactly seven o’clock, just in time to see the important guests arriving.
Daniella got off the carriage and turned to help Maiko, since disembarking a carriage in a kimono wasn’t an easy task. Shin whistled as he watched three beauties pass him, along with their dragon of a chaperone. The elderly woman gave Shin a good glare after she witnessed Shin’s appreciative gaze and his rude whistle at her charges.
Shin didn’t seem to notice, though. “This is my place,” he said, nodding.
Daniella studied the scene of the handsomely dressed gentlemen, and the beautifully dressed ladies in their expensive gowns with gleaming jewelry, as they strolled toward Hasting House.
Across the road, she caught sight of a fancy carriage coming to a stop. She eyed the driver with interest. He was very pale under the gaslight street. He caught Daniella looking at him and glared back. For a mere coachman, he should know his place, Daniella thought, and not stare at her so openly. She noted there was a hint of something dangerous in his eyes.
And there was something else, too. Hunger?
The thought brought forward an uncomfortable feeling within her, and she shuddered in disgust.
She watched him climb down from his seat and open the carriage door. Coming out, was a woman dressed in a magenta gown, and behind her was a handsome man dressed all in black. They looked rather nervous as they made their way toward the house.
Once John joined Daniella and her small group, after he had safely hidden the carriage away, Daniella said, “Shall we, then?”
Shin and Maiko, who were also watching the scene in awe, nodded. The four strolled toward the house with throngs of other important guests.
The front garden was exotically beautiful, with small waterfalls and pavilions, and neat, colorful flowers. Along the path leading to the entrance, lanterns hung above, all in different shades of the rainbow.
Daniella nodded at an elderly gentleman beside her. He was escorting his wife, who nodded at her most politely. Daniella, of course, didn’t miss the wife wearing a rich green gown, with oh-so-shiny and large stones in emerald earrings and a necklace. She turned to glance behind and saw that Shin, too, did not miss those oversized stones.
She smiled and curtly nodded at the first footman at the door. There were two more behind that one, and they were all dressed in black-and-white liveries.
“Good evening, sir,” the first footman said, bowing. “May I have your invitation please?”
Daniella politely nodded and slipped out an invitation she had stolen from a lowly ranked Chinese nobleman, a Lord Yang, who had just arrived from the kingdom of China and had been invited by the earl, out of politeness, to this very birthday party. She had chosen Lord Yang simply because the man was new and not very well known to the English, and therefore, her masquerading as him, or rather his teenaged son, was not likely to stand out.
The footman glanced at the invitation. Daniella noted the fine eyebrows rising as the dark eyes took in her person. She smiled at them politely, hiding her nervousness inside.
“Lord Yang?” the footman asked, confused.
Daniella nodded. “Father is not very well, so I came in his place,” she said, with what she hoped was a strong Chinese accent. Lord, she didn’t know adopting an accent was so hard, and now marveled at the talent Tristen and his team of actors had.
“This is the custom of the English, too, yes?” She looked at them meaningfully, fetching innocence and ignorance.
The footman blinked, and with only a moment of hesitation, he nodded politely. “Of course, Lord Yang. Of course.” Then he glanced behind her to Shin, Maiko, and John.
“My companions,” she said, praying they didn’t think it was strange for a young Chinese lord to have two Japanese and one rather menacing-looking Western man as companions, instead of a hoard of Chinese bodyguards.
The footmen, however, did not seem to register any interest in her strange companions. One said, as he stepped aside, “Of course, do enter.” He even bowed at them politely.
Daniella secretly sighed in relief. Smiling and composing herself as befit a young foreign lord of the East should, she passed the footman into the grand foyer. Behind her, Shin, Maiko, and John did the same and followed her in.
* * *
There were many people there in the foyer, mingling. Most stood chatting away, catching up on the latest news and gossip. The men mostly conversed about politics, war, and business, while the women carried on about the latest fashion trends, which young lords were on the marriage-mart, the lucky ladies they were likely to marry, and of course, who was having an affair with whom.
The interior of this lavish mansion itself was tastefully decorated and brightly lit with gaslight and Chinese lanterns that hung along the side walls, plus that magnificent chandelier in the center, leading up to the grand stairs.
“Well, lady and gentlemen,” Daniella began, her eyes scanning her surroundings with interest, “enjoy yourselves. And don’t forget why we’re here.” She locked eyes meaningfully with Shin.
Shin rubbed his hands in anticipation and walked toward the parlor, where he saw a group of pretty girls near the pianoforte. Maiko clasped her hands together and sailed toward the drawing room, where groups of handsome young men were playing cards. John headed toward the dining room, where there was an array of food on offer.
Daniella was petite—an unfortunate trait God had given her before she was deposited into this world—and therefore, she had to excuse her way into the ballroom.
The atmosphere was tight with so many people around. Not to mention the air smelled strongly of mixed perfumes and colognes, and she felt somewhat constricted. This was definitely not her type of place. She needed air. She needed freedom.
As she watched young couples waltzing with the music, laughing and enjoying themselves, she took note of the many footmen, maids, and guards about the house.
She turned to her right. Toward the end of the ballroom, she saw Prince Edward. He looked just like the caricature in the paper. He was dressed in his scarlet clothing, which was heavily adorned with jewels. He sat on a grand chair, his small eyes watching people before him. The woman standing beside him, she was sure was his wife, Princess Alexandra of Denmark. And beside him on the other side was a dark-haired couple. They must be the conte and contessa of something or other that Daniella couldn’t quite remember the name of, from the kingdom of Darnia.
Fascinating people. How fortunate they were to be able to attend this kind of affair every day and not have to worry about where their next meal would come from, like most she knew in the back streets of London—the orphans and misplaced immigrants suffering due to poverty and wars that rampaged across the European kingdoms in the last few decades. For her to be present, here in this jovial atmosphere where people were dressed in such richness, with the luxury of food in abundance and wine flowing endlessly, Daniella felt just a little resentful. She knew it was petty of her to feel this way, but she couldn’t help herself. She was the daughter of the Grand Thief, after all—the mysterious man who stole from the rich to support the poor—and it wasn’t surprising that her way of thinking was very much like his.
Damn, she thought suddenly, what was she here for? She shouldn’t be spending time losing herself in her thoughts. She should be finding that night creature. NOW!
Intending to go in search of Shin, Maiko, and John, Daniella turned and puffed.
She could not go any farther and was blinded by the very neat, black double-breasted coat and starched white cravat that presented itself in her face. Not to mention the lovely smell of cologne, a mixture of pure male and spice, caressing her nose.
Stepping back was not an option because there simply wasn’t any room to do so. If she were to step back, she would surely bump into the people standing in front and would push them into the dance floor. The only logical thing to do was to look up the wall and politely ask this lovely man to step aside.
Her head tilted right back and her eyes gazed into the wall’s handsome face. He stared back, lips quirked upward just a little, and, dear God, eyes bright as polished emeralds, fascinating Daniella to no end. He looked as if he were in his early twenties, but his aura told her he had much more experience in life than his years.
“Beg your pardon, sir. If you could please move just a little,” she said, her eyes gazing up at him in awe.
“I pride myself on knowing everyone, but I don’t remember ever meeting you, boy,” he said.
Daniella blinked. Huh? Boy?
“I am not a boy, sir.” That, of course, was truly absurd and insulting to Daniella’s sensitive ears. Yes, she might masquerade herself as a young male, and indeed, she liked to dress like one the majority of the time. But surely, she did look quite manly. Surely, she did not look like a young boy of thirteen, which she didn’t want.
Wanting to give back as good as she had gotten, she said, “Now, if you would kindly move yourself, like a nice gentleman of society, sir, I will be very much obliged—”
“Not a boy?” The wall seemed incredulous as he grabbed her arm.
Daniella jumped at the contact. “Hey, what’s the big idea—”
The Blood Alchemist Chronicles Page 2