While Stephan and some vampire from Michigan chatted about vampire politics, I chatted with a newbie like myself. Apparently, the old dude from Michigan had recently turned him, and he loved his new life. He was maybe five-foot-six with dark hair cut close to his scalp and dark eyes. Like myself, he got turned at a young age. My guesstimate was he was around eighteen.
“I’m Spencer,” he said as he held out a hand.
I shook his small hand in mine. “Tandi.”
“That’s a different name.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean that in a rude way.”
I gave him a smile to show him that I took no offense. “It’s okay. It is a strange name. So, you’re new to this too?”
“Yes, last week actually. We arrived in Georgia last night, and my sire took me to hunt in the woods. It was exhilarating.”
I gave a little nod. “Thrilling.”
“Exactly!” He acted as if we were sharing some kind of secret as he leaned in close. “Everything seems to be better. My senses… from seeing, hearing, tasting, to touching. You know.”
I had no clue. “Totally. It’s pretty amazing.”
Stephan was done talking to the vamp from Michigan and signaled for me to follow him.
“It was nice to meet you,” I said, as I was half dragged away.
“You, too, Tandi.”
If anything, I felt more like an epic failure after talking to the other newbie. Being a vampire should come with a manual. I took a look around at the vampires that were strewn throughout the ballroom. They were all different shapes, sizes, and ages but they had one thing in common. They were elegant predators that reeked of confidence. Top of the food chain. I gave a little sigh. Not everybody could be a shark. Somebody had to be the seal.
I was trying not to pout over being a seal as Stephan continued to make the rounds of introducing me. Every female presented to me either gave me the stank eye or ignored me entirely, all while flirting with Stephan. It took everything I had not to scream. I had eyes. I could see what the appeal was. Stephan was the most gorgeous man I’d ever laid eyes on, but if they were cooped up with him on top of a mountain, they wouldn’t be batting their eyelashes or making so many sexual innuendos.
Stephan’s lip twitched as he leaned down close enough that I could feel his lips on my ear, causing me to stifle a shudder. “Your shields are down.” At my incredulous look, he laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m the only one that picked up on your insults. Only some of the very old and dangerous can read your thoughts, but to be on the safe side, don’t let it down again tonight.”
At my nod, he shuffled me along to another group.
“So, you think I’m the most gorgeous man ever?”
Oh, the insufferable jerk would never let me live this down. I snorted. “Yeah, but don’t get all carried away. My hometown has more alligators than humans, and I’ve never traveled anywhere, so I’m kind of limited in my judgment. Since I’ve been blessed with immortality, I’m sure you won’t hold the title long, buddy.”
Mission accomplished. His frown caused me to give myself a mental pat on the back. The man had to be conceited, and the truth was he had every right to be. I could probably live several centuries and never find a male as beautifully made as the one by my side, but that didn’t mean he should know that.
Rousing me out of my thoughts, a feminine voice said, “Well, hello, Stephan what do we have here?”
Turning to the voice, I was stunned into silence by the woman gliding towards us, wearing a crown. And me being speechless was a hard feat to accomplish. She was so tall, at least five feet ten, and every inch of her ivory skin was as smooth as glass. Her long, red hair flowed behind her as she came towards us, and her slightly tilted green eyes narrowed in speculation at me, then Stephan, before bright red lips sneered. A gaudy silver crown sat upon her head. It was too large for her slender face and it had several points jutting out at every angle. Blood red jewels were encrusted in the center and on the points of the crown. With her being queen one would’ve thought she could have afforded a better crown. My eyes dropped from God-awful crown to study her face. She was beautiful, but there was something about her that made me want to run and hide. It was her eyes. They were void of any kind of emotion just like a true shark.
I looked up at Stephan, waiting for him to make the same introductions he had all night, but they didn’t come. I felt my palms start to sweat as I felt emotions rolling off of Stephan. He looked pissed as he stood statue still, jaw clenched, and eyes narrowed. I tuned in on his hatred. He looked around at the ballroom, and for a brief moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer. Finally, he said, “Akeldama. It’s been a while.”
My saliva dried at the thought of being in front of Dracula herself, especially since whatever relationship Stephan had with her was obviously not a good one.
She tilted her head to the side like a cat studying a mouse. “Aww, Stephan, are you still sore with me? It’s been so long since I last saw you; surely, even you wouldn’t hold a grudge for that long— especially over something so silly.”
His facial features were relaxed, and he looked as cool as a cucumber, but for whatever reason, I knew he was anything but calm. He was livid.
“Only you would think something like slavery and blackmail is silly.”
She threw her head back and laughed, causing me to raise my eyebrows because I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction. If Stephan were treating me like he was her, I would roll into a little ball and pray for forgiveness, but apparently, she wasn’t scared over his bitterness of their history.
“Stephan, really, you must let that go, love.” My hackles rose at the affectionate term. Her eyes alighted on me with curiosity. “Are you going to introduce me to your little pet, or shall I have to find out about her from the gossip mongers?”
“I believe you will find yourself disappointed, Akeldama. Seeing as she is brand new, there is not much to talk about.”
Her eyes skimmed over my body, and she let out a gasp. “So, it is true? You did seek out Alberto to have a cuff made.”
Stephan gave a casual shrug. “Why is it any of your business?”
Her hair started lifting like someone had set a fan in front of her. Power rolled off her in waves, and I prayed that my fear didn’t scent the air.
Her delicate nose scrunched up. “Interesting. I hope she’s not weak—that would be a travesty. I have no tolerance for weak things. That is the one thing both you and I can agree on.”
Stephan’s face remained a pillar of stone. “You touch her, and this place will get messy very quickly.”
“Aww, love, how quickly you forget.” She pointed at her enormous ugly crown sitting upon her head. “You can’t touch me.”
“No, but what about the twelve bodyguards that you have posted right now that don’t think I see them? They are no match for me. You know how hard it is to create new, loyal vampires.” His smile never reached his eyes. “Besides, Akeldama, you’re wearing white, and you of all people should know that white is a bitch to get blood stains out of.”
She drifted a step forward to get closer to Stephan, and I began to panic. There was no doubt in my mind that Stephan was lethal, but could he go against the original vampire and live to tell about it? And what did she mean by he couldn’t touch her because of her crown? I was too new to all of this to understand the politics, and I didn’t want my maker dying on me before I even learned how to hunt successfully. Not to mention the thought of Stephan dying did something funny to my insides.
What seemed like minutes dripped by slower than molasses as Stephan stood like a cobra eyeing his prey, looking for the right moment to strike. While Akeldama’s all too familiar gaze was scandalous as she stripped him bare with her eyes. Slut.
“Hi, I’m Tandi.” Not wanting to give up any more information than that, I smiled politely. “And we have to make the rounds before I turn into a pumpkin, so if you will excuse us?”
/> At her surprised look, I grabbed Stephan’s hand and dragged him through the throngs of people, hoping to put a distance between us and the original.
When we were far enough away from the crowd, he jerked me to a stop. Laughter filled his face. “Do you know what you just did?”
My head whipped around to stare at him. “The question is what are you doing?’
“It’s another one of my powers. I can directly speak to your mind, and try not to let the whole room know. I would like to keep this one a secret.” I tapped my high-heeled shoe on the marble, letting my impatience shine through. There was a whole lot I wanted to say, but apparently right now wasn’t the best time.
“You just insulted the queen of all vampires.”
“And how do you figure that?” I whispered.
“When she has a conversation with anyone from her line, you have to wait until she dismisses you, or it’s considered treason, and I have seen her rip vampires’ hearts out for less.”
If I weren’t already a bloodsucker, my face would have paled. “Congratulations. Way to be an outstanding teacher, Stephan. That is probably something you should have mentioned before we came here tonight. In fact, that probably should have been taught before squirrel hunting.”
His brown eyes twinkled. “First of all, I haven’t seen her in more than fifty years, and I didn’t know that the Queen would be here tonight, or I would have probably told that soothsayer that she can kiss my ass and find someone else to track down that missing key. Secondly, I’m glad you gave us an excuse to leave the conversation because she was looking to unsettle me, and she knew that I couldn’t touch her because of her crown. Her crown alone holds powers that are unfathomable. And last but not least, you are not part of her line, so she has no jurisdiction over you.”
My brow lifted at that one. “I’m assuming I’m under you?”
“No, lass. If you were under me, the last thing you would be doing is asking questions.”
Was it possible for vampires to blush? Dear Lord.
Deflecting and sidestepping was apparently the name of the game. “You know what I meant.”
“Yes, you are a part of my line.”
“How did you branch off? Was business just better going solo?”
He leaned in until his lips were touching my ear, and I was barely able to suppress a shiver. I had to strain to hear his quiet words. “Here is another vampire 101. Even though we cannot be seen by anyone from this little alcove, they all can still hear if they choose to. In fact several are not too far off, gossiping about you right now. You would know this if you would just focus.”
Whispering back, I said, “And why exactly are we here, Stephan?”
Again, he spoke to my mind. “You know why we’re here. To find who played a hand in Greta’s death and to find one of the keys that will save the world.”
I stood on my tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Couldn’t you have asked the soothsayer for some more direction? I mean, obviously, we can’t just stand here waiting for someone to come to us and say, ‘Hey I’m the bad guy, and I feel horrible about trying to destroy the world, so let me atone for my sins by showing you where I hid the… you know.’ She should have at least told you what to be on the lookout for.”
“You don’t know Arianna. She is a woman that is as old as time and has a very distinct way in how she meddles in others’ lives. She never tells you so much that it will alter you off the path that she has chosen for you to take.”
It was getting increasingly hot in this alcove with us taking turns whispering in each other’s ears. I took a step back, putting some much-needed space between us. “I have some questions about the…” I mouthed the words, “crown.”
“Not here. We will talk of it later.”
Changing the subject like he clearly wanted me to do, I said, “We should have a name like ‘League of Heroic Vamps’ and maybe a mascot.”
He grabbed my hand and walked us back to the dance floor. “Heroes are overrated.”
Maybe he was right, but I wouldn’t mind a cape. I looked around in disbelief. All these vampires in a ballroom, and yet not a one was dancing. There wasn’t even any music. I ran a hand over my hip, feeling the way the dress molded to my body. Seriously, it was such a shame that there wasn’t any dancing, considering this was the first time my body wasn’t sucked into a pair of Spanx.
Laughter rumbled back to me as Stephan cast a look over his shoulder. “Shields, Tandi. Put up your shields.”
“Hey, bud, the one good thing about being a vampire is the weight loss. You can’t blame a girl who wants to dance after going from double digits to single digits. Besides, this girl can dance.” The random thought of the day entered my brain. “Question. Does becoming a vampire make everyone lose weight?”
He gave me a strange look. “No, usually you stay the same weight.”
“Then how do you explain my huge weight loss?” I whispered.
“I’m not sure I can explain it. Becoming one of the undead doesn’t drastically change your appearance: it only enhances it.”
At my “ain’t believing that crap” look, he sighed. “Tandi, you were already beautiful; you just didn’t see it. If you don’t believe what I’m saying, take a look around. You will find just as many average looking vampires as you would humans. There are few rare beauties here tonight, and you are one of those.”
I didn’t get a chance to respond as he came to a stop in the middle of the floor, where he reached out and grabbed a waiter by the arm, who trembled, slightly terrified of the attention that Stephan was giving him. He leaned in close, whispering something I couldn’t decipher even with my new hearing. Maybe my vampire hearing sucked just as bad as my hunting skills. I watched as the waiter nodded so fast he looked like a bobblehead before hurrying off, trying not to spill a drop of the champagne he was carrying. Major skills.
Stephan turned me into his arms. He lightly grabbed my waist just as the music started pouring out of the speakers, which were sporadically positioned everywhere in the massive ballroom.
“Stephan, if you wanted to dance with me, you should have just asked.”
He laughed and pulled me tighter, as I cast a quick glance around the room, studying all the vampires currently scrutinizing us. I guessed we were making a spectacle out of ourselves. But if the soothsayer was correct, then we needed to be here, so maybe us getting everyone’s attention would jump start this mission of finding Greta’s killer and Stephan’s key. Letting the music flow through me, I swayed to the rhythm as Stephan pulled me so close our bodies melded together. Sliding my hands down to his chest, I made sure my damn shields were up and locked into place before admiring the hard contours of his body. The first song ended and faded into a second. There was something so dangerous about Stephan, but dancing in his arms, I had never felt safer. For the first time in my life, I just enjoyed the moment because if Greta’s death had showed me anything, it was that none of us were promised a tomorrow.
Chapter Nine
On the third song, a man approached us. He was an inch taller than Stephan but less muscular. Where Stephan had a soccer player’s build, this man looked more like a runner. His light blond hair was styled in such a carefree manner it made him look like a surfer. Electric blue eyes met Stephan’s as he clapped Stephan on the back. “Hey, old friend. Mind if I cut in?”
I think the man knew Stephan was about to object because he said loud enough for everyone to hear, “Thanks ol’ chap. I’ll return her to you in a few.”
Stephan gave me a questioning look and I nodded. He reluctantly released me to the man who flashed me a brilliant smile. I watched Stephan’s retreating back, knowing he wasn’t going too far, and if I needed him, he would be within shouting distance.
Giving my full attention to the man in front of me, I said, “And you are?”
There were more and more couples on the dance floor now, and as he took my hand in his, he laughed. “Blunt. I like it. I am Dakin. General of the Firs
t League.”
I was pretty sure I didn’t need to say anything because my facial expression probably spoke volumes. “I’m sure you probably don’t know this, but I’m newly turned, and that means nothing to me.”
He smiled, and I was disappointed to notice that this attractive man didn’t have dimples like Stephan. “Oh, I know you’re new. I would have remembered someone so beautiful.”
I knew I should have at least smiled at the charming creature in front of me, but my feet were killing me, and he was laying it on a bit thick.
After a brief silence, he said, “General of the First League just means I am the original’s first hand.”
Knowing he was part of Akeldama’s group was not charming at all. “Interesting. Well, I’m Tandi, Honorary President of the Southern Belles.” Rolling my eyes, I added, “Or at least I was until this whole undead thing put a crimp in my style. I’m sure the society girls have probably already appointed someone new to lead them by now.”
“I have a hard time believing that anyone could replace you.”
He seemed genuine when he said it, which made me even more nervous. He had to have an angle. I just needed to be patient and figure it out. Unfortunately, patience had never been my strong suit.
“So, Dakin, we could go through the next couple of dances with you giving me compliments and me smiling, or we could just cut to the chase. You tell me what’s the objective. Don’t get me wrong, I love flattery, but these heels are high, and my feet are starting to hurt, so can we just be real for a sec?”
He tilted his head back, and a musical sound rumbled from his chest causing several vampires to look our way. “You are a true gem. Most vampires, especially newly turned ones, tend to lose their humanity and most of their personality, but you… There is just something so different and rare about you.” I made a pointed look at my tired feet. “Okay, okay. If you must know, Akeldama insisted that I come over to find out about Stephan’s new pet, but I must admit that she didn’t have to force me too hard.”
The Vampire Queen Page 6