by Dannika Dark
“Gosh, they make me sick sometimes,” Sunny chimed in. “They still act like a couple of newlyweds.”
“Jealous?” Adam arched his dark eyebrow. “Maybe it’s time you get back into the saddle again.”
Simon gripped the lapels of his vest. “He’s right. You can’t live the rest of your life hiding away in this house as if it were a nunnery. Have some fun and flirt with some of these sorry bastards. They all know you’re human, and half these blokes can hardly take their eyes off you.”
“Just what every guy wants: a human woman with two young children.” She touched the short waves of her soft blond hair. “I’ve got too much going on in my life to get wrapped up in dating again. Tonight I just want to mingle and have some fun.”
She couldn’t fool anyone. Simon noticed the sparkles around her eyes from makeup, the blush on the apples of her cheeks, and expensive perfume that turned heads. Her black heels had straps studded with what looked like diamonds, and if Novis was behind the purchase, they probably were.
“If you continue to make this a habit, I’m going to think you’re stalking me,” Boris said, easing up to their little group.
An old song from the twenties came on, and Adam looked at Sunny and held out his hand. “How about a twirl on the dance floor with an old dog like me?”
“Why thank you, kind sir.”
She took his hand, and they joined a few people behind Simon who had already seized the moment. How a man like Adam knew how to do the foxtrot was beyond understanding, and Simon chuckled as Sunny struggled to avoid getting trampled.
Boris crossed in front of Simon, his cheap aftershave wafting behind him. He stood with his back to the window and inserted a few peanuts into his mouth, barely chewing as he ground them between his little teeth. “I do enjoy a good party. You seem to have made a lot of connections. How long have you been in the States?”
“When’s the last time you were shagged? Probably the same.”
Boris looked like he’d plucked and dyed his eyebrows into a sinister arch. “I’ve spent the past decade in Paris, but the tourists were beginning to bore me. It seems like all the action has moved west, so here I am. Again. I came out a few years ago and bought a place, but I traveled back and forth, trying to decide if I wanted to settle here or New York. Times have changed since the early nineteen hundreds; New York isn’t what it once was.”
Simon swallowed a mouthful of beer. “Since when did you become the social butterfly?”
Boris traced a finger across his skinny mustache, smoothing out the hairs. “It’s not easy to find a good selection of Mage women. I’ve learned a thing or two in my time about coupling with old blood. Rumor is that some of the Creators over here are bringing in young women.” His gaze traveled around the room. “They’re so easy to spot. So much eagerness in their eyes.”
“Eager to get away from the likes of that critter on your lip.”
Boris looked toward the entranceway, distracted. “You always were a crass man.”
Novis practically floated into the room on a regal breath of air. Simon laughed at how someone who looked so young could be so bleeding old. Novis had never revealed his true age, but he was definitely over a thousand. You could always guess a Mage’s age by looking into their eyes. Sometimes the light nestled deep in the irises—flickering at odd times.
After running a hand through his spiked hair, Novis gave Simon a close-lipped grin. “Gentlemen,” he said in a warm greeting. “Thank you for accepting my invitation, Simon. You brought a friend?”
Simon shifted his stance. Novis’s parties were by invitation only, so if he didn’t know who Boris was…
Boris stepped forward and bowed. “Boris Dmitry. My apologies for not introducing myself.”
Novis clasped his hands in front of him and kept a pensive stare. “I greet all my guests at the door and have no recollection of seeing you come in.”
“I’m afraid I’m crashing your party, but with good intentions. I’m new in town, but I come from the Old World. I’ve just recently purchased a home in Cognito and would like to rekindle some old relationships, as well as establish new ones. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you, Novis. I’m impressed with your reputation working under the Mageri and all you have accomplished. You’re the kind of man who makes a lasting impression,” Boris said, wagging his finger with a jaunty smile. “You and I have much in common, including a shared acquaintance.”
“And who might that be?”
“Boris,” Hannah said tersely, joining them.
Simon raised his brows when he got a look at her dress. Hannah was wearing gloves straight up to her shoulders—all white—and a silly hat that almost looked like a loose beanie drowning in sparkly stones.
She kept her eyes on Boris while speaking. “Novis, I wasn’t aware he was on your list.”
Simon set his bottle on a nearby table and tucked his hands in his pockets, watching how old immortals showed displeasure. They were so caught up in formalities that it became a dance of words.
“He wasn’t,” Novis replied.
“Nor was he on mine.” Hannah sharpened her gaze at Boris. “Still trying to weasel your way into high society?”
“Now, now. Is that any way to talk to your—”
Hannah grabbed hold of his wrist and dragged him out of sight.
Novis and Simon simultaneously turned to watch them.
“I’m going to find out who let him in, and that guard will be lucky if I don’t press charges,” Novis said quietly. “Sometimes you can’t trust these guards as far as they can throw themselves.”
Simon didn’t bother correcting him. Novis botched idioms like lumberjacks cut down trees.
Novis briefly watched Adam and Sunny dancing before he turned away. “Hannah told me you’ve accepted her offer. Again, I can’t thank you enough. Is everything going smoothly?”
“Have you ever met her Learner?”
Novis pinched his lower lip. “Twice. She’s a reclusive, quiet young woman—a curious choice for Hannah. But then again, Hannah’s a Mage who prefers absolute obedience, so the Learner’s demeanor is a compatible trait. She’s more restrictive than I am with mine, but we walk different paths. I do hope she’s compensating you well.”
Simon couldn’t complain there. “A fair sum, all things considered.”
“How do you know this Dmitry fellow?”
Simon didn’t feel like going into the deets about a failed business venture with Boris and his occasional run-ins with him every other decade. He wanted to distance himself from that man as much as possible. As big as this world was, sometimes it seemed infinitely small when you continued to bump into the same immortals century after century.
He patted Novis on the shoulder. “Loosen up. Let your hair down and get laid. It’s a party!”
Before Novis could respond, Simon hurried away.
He snatched a couple of grapes from a plate and tossed them into the air, attempting to catch them in his mouth. The second one bounced off his bottom teeth, and he lowered his eyes to the ground in search of it.
“I believe you lost something,” an older woman said. She looked to be in her fifties and, based on her energy, wasn’t a Mage. She smiled up at him with the purple grape tucked neatly between her breasts. “Have you ever heard of the game bobbing for apples?”
Cheeky lass. He indulged her with a subtle bow, plunging his tongue between the cleft of her breasts and hearing her giggle hysterically as he freed the grape and munched on it. Simon didn’t need to tap into his gifts to read her emotions; they were written all over her face.
“Where were you thirty years ago, young man?” she asked with a purr.
He leaned in, his mouth close to her ear. “A real lady would ask where I’m going to be thirty minutes from now.”
A blush rose on her cheeks, and he swaggered away with a laugh settling in the back of his throat. He enjoyed seeing a woman her age unafraid to show her naughty side.
Simon
stopped beside a statue and peered around the arm. He’d spent most of the evening with Silver’s entourage and hadn’t even noticed that Hannah had also invited Ella to the party—probably as a test to see if Simon’s training was making any progress.
Ella stood amid the crowd in an open room, her long gown made of crushed red satin, the train resting atop the white marble floor. Her lace sleeves were see-through, revealing creamy white skin below the intricate flowery designs. Ella looked like a rose flanked by two thorns—Hannah on one side and Boris on the other. She pretended to be engaged in their conversation, but Simon recognized the listless look in her eyes.
After a curt nod, Hannah turned away and left Ella alone with Boris. He raised his left hand, but Ella’s eyes were transfixed on his mouth as he spoke to her. She looked like a mouse caught in a trap when she put her hand in his and then… danced.
She moved with eloquence and grace—a woman schooled in so many aspects of high society that it contradicted the fact she’d grown up in the modern world. The Ice Queen must have held an etiquette class just after knife throwing.
Silver blocked his view. “What’s wrong?”
“What makes you think anything’s wrong?” he mumbled, trying to look over her shoulder.
“Um, because you’re feeling up Aphrodite?”
He flicked a glance at the statue and noticed he’d been clutching her breast with his right hand. Simon dropped his arm to his side. “And how was your rendezvous with the pussycat?”
“Do I have leaves in my hair?” she asked, half joking, half not. “Who’s the girl dancing? I feel like I’ve seen her before.”
Silver turned around in a deliberate manner, so Simon gripped the top of her head and forced her to look away.
“Stop acting like a ninny. That’s Hannah’s progeny.”
She tapped her chin. “Ohhh, I think I remember her. Wasn’t she the one who took out those men at Novis’s party?” Silver’s expression grew heavy with memories.
“Come on, love. Walk with me.”
He draped his arm across her shoulders and strolled into the next room.
Silver placed her head against his chest and looked up at him. “Who’s that creepy-looking guy she’s dancing with?”
“A worthless twat you should stay away from.”
Justus stepped in front of Silver, his arms folded. “Learner, if I see another drink in your hand, I’m taking you home.”
“I’m mated,” she replied with a hiccup.
“We still live under the same roof, and I’m your Ghuardian. Logan would agree with me on this one.”
“Oh, live a little. You never throw any parties, and immortality can get a little monotonous if you don’t have some fun.” They engaged in a staring match. “Fine. I’ll hit the dessert bar, and then you’ll really be in trouble.”
“Training is still at six in the morning,” he said tersely. “Perhaps it won’t be me who’s regretful.”
She stuck out her tongue and then sauntered across the room.
Justus moved ahead of Simon, leading him outside. Novis hadn’t extended his party outdoors, so they stood by themselves on a dark patio near a tall window, watching the guests inside.
Justus ran a hand over his shaved head. “Levi said that you no longer require his services.”
“Yes, and thanks for that,” Simon retorted. “You could’ve at least sent a Mage for the job.”
“You and I both know that a Chitah is better suited for tracking. What’s Boris doing here?”
Simon plucked a leaf off the shrub beside him. “Pitching a tent and setting up camp. He’s bought property and is in search of a bride.”
“Again?”
Simon scuffed his shoe on the hard concrete below. “That’ll be number five at my last count.”
Which was unusual for a Mage. Most relationships were casual and uncommitted, as the idea of spending an eternity with one person was enough to give any sane man cold feet. Boris was the exception. He’d taken five brides. The first two had left him, and Simon had no idea what had happened with the last three, only that Boris stated their separation was amicable.
“He’s in there dancing with Hannah’s progeny,” Justus added.
“Yes, I saw.”
“I wonder…”
Simon stepped closer. “Something on your mind?”
Justus peered through the glass door at Silver, who was stuffing cookies into her mouth. “Ella’s affliction explains why Hannah’s kept her a secret. She’ll never grant her Learner independence in that condition. That would be a burden on a woman like Hannah. She might be looking to trade her off.”
“As dubious as Boris is, I don’t think he’s the type who would take in a mail-order bride, especially one with an impediment.”
“Perhaps he’s tired of vocal women with a strong opinion. Remember Gretchen? He shriveled at parties when she would talk about his incompetence as a lover.”
“Deservedly so. That’s what happens when you bond with a woman two centuries older than you and treat her like a frumpy maid.”
“Yes, his behavior was disagreeable.”
“We’re living in the modern world, Justus. I don’t think the Council can get away with selling off their progeny.”
Justus tucked his hands in his pants pockets. “On the contrary, there are no laws against it. If she is not deemed suitable for independence, then her only options are to live with her Creator or bond with another Mage.”
“Ella would never agree.”
Justus shrugged. “No need to if she doesn’t understand what’s going on.”
“You’re a prat, you know that? Since when did you become a gossipy hen?”
Justus snagged him by the lapel of his vest. “I’m cautioning you, Simon. You must not interfere with the Council’s personal affairs, and I can see you’ve developed an attachment.”
Simon knocked his friend’s arm away. “I only get attached to women below the hip.”
A smile played on Justus’s lips. “If you insist, but Hannah will tear you down. She has power, connections, and money.” He briefly glanced inside when a group of people erupted in laughter. “If you find out why Boris is here, let me know. His name is listed in the HALO book more than once, so I want to make sure he keeps his nose clean now that he’s in our territory.”
That caught Simon’s attention. “You mean the red book? On what grounds?”
Justus averted his eyes. “Not up for discussion.”
Simon rapped his knuckles on the glass, and two women giggled. “Get back inside and find Page before the women in the foyer crash through the doors and try to mount you. Charmers have all the luck.”
“I used to think so,” he said, opening the door. “Some gifts are a curse.”
“It landed you the sexiest brainiac in all Cognito.”
Justus pivoted to face him. “My charm had nothing to do with winning the heart of my woman.”
Page stepped beside him and clutched his arm. “I disagree wholeheartedly, Mr. De Gradi.”
Justus cupped his hand behind her neck and kissed her cheek. “Are you ready to go home, mon ange?”
Simon drifted toward the front room where he’d last seen Ella dancing, but she was nowhere in sight. Through the crowd, he spied Boris and Hannah in the midst of a serious conversation, one that left him unsettled.
What if Justus was right?
Chapter 13
After a month of training under Simon, Ella had not only learned a myriad of techniques to overcome her deafness in a fight, but she’d also become quite adept at lip-reading.
More than she let on with Simon. She guessed it probably took most people years to accomplish what she had in weeks, but Ella had always been exceptionally gifted at learning what anyone taught her. She decided it was in her best interest not to reveal the full extent of her talents. It kept his guard down, and he had a tendency of talking out loud about all kinds of things, assuming she didn’t understand. He knew she could read up
close, but he didn’t have a clue that she could put several feet between them and follow along. Even when he briefly turned away, she learned to fill in the blanks and keep up with the gist of the conversation.
Simon repeatedly scolded her for flashing during an attack. True, it depleted her energy and made her vulnerable, but Ella had always relied on her powers to compensate for her size. He taught her maneuvers that didn’t require strength, like how to flex her opponent’s limbs to inflict intense pain so she could slip out of their grasp.
The only regrettable change in their training was that Simon didn’t touch her as often to communicate. She missed the sound of his voice, his thoughts, and… the feel of his hand. Those moments of physical contact had become not just a mental link but a form of affection, even if it was only one-sided.
Hannah tugged at Ella’s dress. “He’s nothing but a fool,” she said to herself, not realizing Ella could understand. Hannah often talked to herself in Ella’s presence.
Ella stood still while Hannah examined her dress to relay to the tailor what adjustments were needed. She pulled at the sleeve, dissatisfied with the length.
“I can’t have you living here forever; people are starting to gossip. But I need you to become independent and live on your own. That’s what Mr. Hunt is here for, and hopefully he doesn’t…”
Hannah turned away, and Ella gritted her teeth in frustration.
“…too valuable to me,” she continued. Her eyes steadied on Ella’s, enough to make Ella quickly look down at her sleeve. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were reading my lips. But he told me your progress in that area was painfully slow. I hope he can bring that up to speed; you won’t survive in this world if you can’t communicate with—”
When she turned her head away, Ella lost interest. Days like this made her wish she was outside in the exciting world.
“…a bride indeed.”
Ella’s eyes rounded when she caught those words.
Hannah’s thick brows drew together as she took one last look at Ella’s waistline. “You have more muscle than you did a month ago, so none of your dresses are going to fit right.” With a flick of her wrist, she motioned for Ella to take off the dress.