A gasp went through the crowd.
“Fools,” Chrysabelle muttered. Were mortals still so blind? Or had it just been the mayor’s confirmation of what they already knew? Either way, it did nothing to endear the masses to her.
The mayor waited for the crowd to hush, then continued. “The cameras will be granted access all night, until the vampire’s release before dawn. If you’re not law enforcement or carrying a press card, we ask that you go home and watch from your holovisions.” More noise from the crowd, this time less complimentary. She nodded. “I understand, but my first concern must be for the safety of my citizens.”
Chrysabelle snorted. “What does she think, that he’s going to break free and start killing people?”
The officer holding her glanced back at Mal. “Have you seen him? I’m surprised he hasn’t snapped someone’s head off yet.”
She stared into the officer’s eyes, unable to control the anger building up inside her. “Maybe he’ll start with you.”
The officer grimaced. “You threatening me?”
“I’m done with this.” She yanked her arms free and disappeared into the crowd as much as someone dressed in white could. People stared as she pushed toward the mayor, fear shining in their eyes at the sight of her.
“Othernatural,” one whispered.
“No,” she answered. “I’m human.” She moved quickly away, pulling her hair down around her face to hide her signum.
Her anger at her own stubbornness boiled up. Why did she hold so tightly to her comarré ways? She’d been disavowed. There was no reason to cling to them. Had she given them up and adopted more ordinary clothing, she could have blended in much better.
Her mother had understood. She’d kept her signum hidden with makeup and had made a normal life for herself.
This life was not normal.
A few more yards and she came as close to the sedan as the police would allow. She pushed to the front of the crowd and stared at Luke, desperate to get his attention.
At last he looked her way. She motioned for him to come over. He nodded slightly, then spoke into his collar. A few seconds later, another security officer took his place while the mayor continued to answer questions.
In a few strides, he was in front of her. “Chrysabelle, what can I do for you?”
“Can we talk?” She slanted her eyes to the left and right, indicating somewhere out of earshot of the crowd.
“Sure.” He put his hand on her shoulder and guided her through the line of cops. “She’s with me.”
Once they reached the back of the sedan, he stopped. “What’s up?”
“Those idiot cops won’t let me get to Mal. The mayor never said anything about me being kept from him.” She glanced at where he was chained. He seemed unfazed by everything going on around him. “Please, I need to talk to him. I don’t even know why he decided to do this. I mean, I have an idea but—”
Luke held his hands up. “I know you’re upset. Let me see what I can do.” He left her standing beside the taillights and went to the mayor’s side. After a few moments, Lola leaned toward him and they spoke. She stole a look at Chrysabelle, quickly averting her eyes when Chrysabelle didn’t back down. Guilt, maybe? Because the mayor had to know what a screwup this was. How none of this was going to help sway Chrysabelle into helping Lola get her grandchild back.
Chrysabelle crossed her arms and stared the woman down, but Lola never looked her way again. She and Luke exchanged a few more words; then Luke nodded and ambled back to the car.
“Okay, she says you can have all the access you want once the crowd is dispersed.”
She let go of the breath she’d been holding. “Thank you.”
“You know they’re keeping the cameras on him, right? You’re going to be broadcast into every household in the city.”
She slumped. She hadn’t thought of that. “Can you get a message to Mal?”
“Sure.”
“Tell him I’ll be back when the crowds are gone.”
“Consider it done.”
“Thanks.” She turned and headed down the block to where Jerem was waiting with the car, her entire body buzzing with resolve. She hadn’t been a real comarré in almost a month. Any reason she’d had to hang on to those old beliefs was gone. The time had come to make some changes.
As the tasting wound down, Tatiana stood and clicked the nails of her metal hand against her crystal goblet. “Friends,” enemies, fools, blighty old ratbags, “I’d like to thank you again for coming to celebrate this new joy with me.” She raised her glass and the others did the same, drinking with her.
She put the glass down. “Now that our tasting is concluded, there is brandy in the library and the baccarat table is set up. I’ve brought a dealer in from Monaco to further enhance your playing.”
The males looked rather delighted. The pleasure most of them took in gambling was no secret. “I myself prefer a stroll in the garden. Of course, any of you who wish to join me there are absolutely welcome. The gardens here are quite a sight to behold.”
“That sounds like a marvelous idea, my lady.” Daci smiled broadly, playing her part perfectly. “Svetla, why don’t you join us? We’ll make a ladies’ escape of it.”
Svetla curled her lip. “I don’t—”
Grigor set his hand upon her arm, stopping her. “Go. Spend some time with Tatiana and Daciana. It will be a perfect opportunity to get to know them better.”
In other words, try to read their minds. Svetla could try all she wanted, but Tatiana knew she and Daci would give nothing away.
Octavian led the men to the library, where hopefully he’d be able to keep some distance from Grigor. If Kosmina’s potion didn’t work, Tatiana would kill her.
“Shall we?” Tatiana made for the gardens with Daci at her side and Svetla trailing slightly behind them. She forced herself to slow so that Svetla fell into step.
The pale blonde looked everywhere but at Tatiana. “Ivan’s estate is beautiful.”
Dumb git. She knew well enough that the property belonged to Tatiana now. “Ivan’s estate? You must have forgotten the noble line of succession. It goes from Dominus to Dominus.” Tatiana smiled sweetly. “You do recall that Ivan’s dead?”
Frost clouded Svetla’s blue gaze. “Yes, of course. How could I have forgotten that?”
Kosmina, who’d gone ahead to prepare a few things, met them at the French doors leading out to the gardens. She bowed. “My lady, I’ve brought a bottle of champagne from your private reserves. Also, Lilith is sleeping peacefully.”
The bottle sat chilling in a stand, three elaborately gilded flutes nearby. “Very good,” Tatiana said.
“I’ll pass,” Svetla said.
Kosmina lifted the bottle high for Tatiana to examine it. “Perhaps I should have brought something less expensive…”
“No, we’re celebrating,” Tatiana assured her.
“What a wonderful splurge!” Daci exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to try a bottle of that.”
As if on cue, Svetla leaned in to get a better look. Her jaw unhinged slightly. “Is that Heidsieck?”
“Yes, do you know it?” Tatiana asked. The champagne had been in Ivan’s cellars and, according to the sommelier’s logbook, was the most expensive he’d ever purchased. A little research on Kosmina’s part had discovered why and made it easy for Tatiana to determine it might be the one glass Svetla couldn’t refuse.
Svetla closed her mouth, but only for a moment. “Yes, I know it. That’s the Heidsieck cuvée Diamant blue vintage 1907. Those bottles were commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II.”
“But they never made it to his table, did they?” Tatiana clucked her tongue as if she actually cared about some ridiculous bottle of bubbles. “Shipwreck and all. Such a shame.”
“Where did you get them?” Svetla looked on the verge of bursting.
“The wreck was salvaged and about two thousand of the bottles were discovered. Ivan managed to obtain a few when they went to auc
tion.” Actually, he bought all of them for an astonishing two hundred seventy-five thousand apiece, but she wasn’t about to tell Svetla that. The woman was jealous enough already.
Svetla just stared, somehow magically unable to speak.
Tatiana took the bottle from Kosmina and began easing the cork out. “Are you sure you won’t change your mind, Svetla? I would love for you to enjoy it with us.”
“You would?”
“I am hoping we can move beyond the difficulties we’ve had.”
Svetla nodded thoughtfully. “I am willing to try if you are.” She smiled. It looked almost genuine. “I would be glad to join you in a glass.”
“Wonderful.” With a loud pop, the cork released. Tatiana handed the bottle back to Kosmina to pour since only she knew which glass had been coated with a tincture of laudanum. Not too much, but just enough to help lower Svetla’s resistance to Tatiana’s powers of persuasion. If it added any strange taste, hopefully Svetla would just assume it was a side effect of the bottle’s time under water. The gilded filigree on the flutes also helped to hide any discoloration. All in all, a perfect plan. So far.
Kosmina handed them each a glass. Tatiana met the servant’s eyes for reassurance. She smiled slightly. “I hope you find it to your liking, my lady.”
“I’m sure I will.” She raised her glass. “To the future.” She looked directly at Svetla. “And new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings,” the vampiress repeated.
“To new beginnings,” Daci agreed.
Hades help her, this might actually work. She lifted the glass and sipped, tasting nothing but the champagne’s soft, creamy bubbles.
Kosmina opened the door to the gardens. “Enjoy your evening, my lady.”
Tatiana strolled through with Daci and Svetla on her heels.
Half of Svetla’s champagne was already gone. Greedy pig. “Daci, bring the bottle, will you? Shouldn’t let something so delicious go to waste.”
Daci nodded and ducked back inside. Tatiana continued on. “Do you have gardens like this in St. Petersburg? I saw very little of Grigor’s estate when I was there last.” Mostly because they’d kept her waiting outside the council chambers for so bloody long.
“Not quite this grand.” Svetla held out her glass for Daci to top it off. “Although we do have a skating pond in ours.” She drank a little more.
Tatiana swallowed another small mouthful. “Skating? How lovely.” If you were too stupid to find other ways to amuse yourself. She glanced back. A little farther from the house and she’d begin.
Daciana chimed in, the bottle swinging in one hand, her glass in the other. “I loved to skate when I was a girl. Did you learn as a child, Svetla?”
She finished a sip before answering. “In Russia, all children learn to skate early.” She blinked hard, then lifted her glass. “This is the best champagne I’ve ever had. I feel wonderful.”
“I’m so glad,” Tatiana lied. “I’d be happy to send a bottle home with you.”
Svetla stopped. “You would?”
“We’re starting on new ground, aren’t we? I think a gift between friends would be… a nice way to cement that.” Especially since Svetla wouldn’t be going home.
Svetla’s mouth curved oddly. A second later, she threw her arms around Tatiana. “I’ve been so cruel to you. I am sorry.”
Tatiana stopped herself just in time from thrusting Svetla away. She held still while the intoxicated Russian hugged her. “There, there. It’s all behind us now.”
Daci took both their glasses between her fingers, rolling her eyes and almost causing Tatiana to laugh. “Let’s sit on this bench and enjoy the night, shall we?”
Tatiana pried Svetla off her. “Brilliant idea.” They were far enough from the house now to be well away from any eavesdropping guests.
The three of them settled onto the bench, Svetla in the middle. She was on the verge of becoming maudlin, mumbling something about how hard it was to please Grigor and how she longed for other female friends. How much laudanum had Kosmina coated her glass with?
Tatiana patted her on the back. “You know what you should do?”
Svetla looked at her. “What?”
Tatiana peered deeply into the other woman’s eyes and laced power into her voice. “You should steal Lilith. Take her for your own.”
Svetla nodded.
So Tatiana continued. “As everyone is preparing for daysleep, you will remain awake. You will sneak into the nursery and take her.”
“I will sneak into the nursery and take her,” Svetla repeated, her eyes round and glassy.
“If you are caught, you will claim Grigor charged you with committing the act. It was all his idea.”
“All his idea.”
Tatiana laid her hand over Svetla’s and smiled. “We are good friends, you and I. I would never do anything to hurt you. Which is why you won’t remember we’ve had this conversation.”
“I won’t remember.” Svetla had barely moved since Tatiana had begun.
Daci glanced over Svetla’s shoulder, brows lifted in question.
Tatiana nodded.
“Well,” Daci started. “You look a little tired, Svetla. Shall I help you back to your quarters so you can lie down?”
“What?” Svetla blinked a few times. “I… I am feeling a little odd. Perhaps I drank too much champagne.”
Daci scooped her arm under Svetla’s and helped her to her feet. “I believe I read that the alcohol gets stronger when it sits for so long like that. I feel a bit dizzy myself.” She laughed and made a show of leaning against Svetla, who almost fell over.
“Here, let me help you both,” Tatiana offered. She might as well. It was the last nice thing she’d ever have to pretend to do with Svetla again.
Chapter Twenty
Doc never thought he’d be so happy to see the penthouse.
Isaiah met him at the door, his face shifting from fearful to relieved a second after he opened it. “Good to have you home, sir. We were so worried.”
We were worried? He knew Isaiah couldn’t be including Heaven in that. “I told you not to call me that.”
“Yes, you did. My apologies.” He bowed a little. “Is there anything I can get you?”
“Dinner.” Not that he had much of an appetite with Fi missing and Mal taking his place in that damned square, but it would occupy Isaiah.
As soon as the man left, Doc popped another K to stifle the heat that had been growing in him since the cops had laid hands on him. Then he settled onto the couch and exhaled a long breath. Damn, it was nice to be somewhere that didn’t involve chains. “TV on.”
The holovision flared to life and there was Mal, hung out for all to see. Doc cursed. He was thankful to Mal, but if given the option, he wouldn’t have let Mal take the punishment. Still, he understood. Mal had whispered his reasons as they’d passed in the square. Doc had to give him props for strategy.
“That should be you.”
“Keep it to yourself, Heaven. Now is not the time.” He didn’t give her the satisfaction of eye contact, although he could see her well enough with his peripheral vision. Hard to miss a woman in a red dress so tight it looked on the verge of exploding.
With a pout, she tottered to the bar in her spike heels and poured a drink, then leaned against the bar and took a sip. “If you hadn’t gone out after that vac—”
He whipped his head toward her. “You want to spend the night somewhere else? Because I will put you out.”
“You cannot put me out. I am your wife.”
He pinned her with his gaze. “I’m the pride leader. I can do whatever the hell I want.” He lifted his finger to point at her. “Say one more word. One. More. Go ahead, I just need a reason.”
She snorted a breath through her nostrils, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and, drink in hand, sashayed out.
Shaking his head, he settled back against the leather. A soft buzzing interrupted his thoughts. He sat up and looked around but saw noth
ing that seemed like it might make that sound. A few seconds after he’d gone back to staring at the TV screen, Isaiah came in.
“Pardon the interruption, but the council members would like an audience.”
He rubbed a hand over his scalp. “Now? Here?”
“As soon as you can meet them in your office, si—Maddoc.”
He needed to talk to them anyway; he’d just figured he’d do it in the morning, once he knew the outcome of tonight’s events. He glanced at the holovision. From what he could see, the crowds were still being turned away. The cameras focused on Mal, and the reporter was now only visible in a small box in the lower corner of the screen. Mal was doing that still-as-a-statue thing old vampires had a real knack for. Must be driving the TV stations nuts that he wasn’t thrashing around, trying to break free.
“Tell them ten minutes. I’ll head down now.”
Isaiah nodded. “Very good.”
Doc got up as Isaiah left. What he really wanted was a hot shower, but that would have to wait. He jumped into the elevator and went down to his office. He nodded in greeting to the night-shift guards. One opened the door for him and the lights came on slowly to their preset brightness.
He stopped before going in. “Council’s coming in a few minutes.”
“You want them sent in as they arrive?” the guard asked.
“That’s fine.”
“Will do.”
Doc went in and shut the door. Like everything else in his life lately, the place reeked of Sinjin. If this pride leader business turned out to be a permanent thing, something he still had his doubts about, he was definitely going to make some changes.
The light on the e-reader on his desk blinked at him. He turned it on and a message greeted him, telling him the last fourteen editions of the Paradise City Press were unread. Headlines from the latest one scrolled across the bottom of the message box. No surprise that the mayor’s curfew was mentioned.
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