“As long as there are bananas. I eat several a day for my complexion,” I added.
She exchanged a glance with her shadow wielder, then her Deaf companion, gesturing toward me. Shrugs were passed around.
“Got any particular Sanguine vampire you want murdered while I’m away?”I asked Queen Sabine while we were on the topic.
My latest queen was somewhat used to me by thispoint. Unlike Sidney, she didn’t hesitate. She started naming names. I tried to remember them all, but it wasn’t like I had a chance to write them down.
She’d get what she’d get. I was supposed to be retired.
Plus, we’d have another queen by the time I was done with one of my beauty naps. Queens had a bad habit of dying. Don’t know why anyone would want to be next.
Sidney put her bracelet back on and transformed into a different person, a full vampire. I couldn’t help but eye her in disappointment. Her dhampir body was much more lickable.
“Call me Ilyana,” she said.
“I thought it was Sidney.”
“That’s my real name, but you cannot use it when we’re in the House of the Sanguine. Understand?”
That was too much to remember. “I’ll just call you flower.”
Her eyes flashed with a hint of ire. “It’s Ilyana, not flower.”
“I’m Nifty Noir.” If I weren’t tied down, I would’ve put a hand to my chest. “You’re a fascinating flower, but no Ilyana. That name doesn’t fit.”
Her eyebrow twitched. “Just…call me Ilyana. Please.”
I said “flower” in return, exaggerating every syllable.
“You keep pestering her, and I’ll make sure you don’t make it to the Trial of the Nemesis without losing something vital,” the shadow wielder muttered.
“Oh! Take my spleen,” I said enthusiastically. He looked at me like I was a piece of dung that’d gotten stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Wow, no sense of humor. “Hey, you brought it up. You can’t blame me for following up on a thoughtyoustarted.”
“Are you five years old?” he sighed.
Iturned back to Sidney. “Who is this darling inkblot anyway?” The shadows around me constricted in warning as he took offense to my cooing tone.
“Zane,” he said through his teeth.
I tsked. “Zane. Terrible name for alliteration. I’ll just call you Irritable Inkblot.”
Oh, alliteration. Do you think I should be fabulous or fantastic?the Deaf vampire signed.
I smiled his way. “You seem like afantasticto me.”
He read my lips and startled; then his fingers moved in a blur.You know sign language?
“I do. Admittedly rusty, though. I would sign back but…you know.” I tried to shrug. “All right, everyone. Roll call before we skip off to the nest of our shared enemies. I’ll start. I’m Nifty Noir, retired professional menace, now a full-time delight.”
It was the redhead who picked up on what I wanted first. “Fantastic Finn,” he said aloud. So he could speak. I’d ask him about the whole Deaf thing later. Didn’t meet a Deaf vampire every day—maybe just one or two a century.
Sidney sighed. “Interesting Ilyana,” she said in the blandest tone. With a hand still pressed to her midsection, she nudged Zane with her elbow and whispered to him, “I appreciate your protective streak, but I’m really okay.”
His scowl softened when he glanced down at her. “Do you feel up to scaling a wall, sunshine?” he murmured.
“Well, not yet. You’re the only one here who hasn’t introduced yourself properly,” I put in, probably ruining their moment. I was waiting, staring at him expectantly.
Zane took a hissing breath. “We’re not here to play games, assassin.”
