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Rhia shivered. “I thought she was going to swoop down and rip you apart right there…but then…when you went after the Shadow Hunter, something changed. You frightened her. And a vicious dog is bad enough, but one that’s cornered—far worse.”
“That’s my thinking. She knows I’m a real adversary and I’m a little afraid she’ll overestimate me and plan accordingly. She won’t rest till I’m gone.” I stared at the plans bleakly. “We’re going to have to wing our way through this. There’s no way to predict what’s going to happen but—” I stopped as one of the butlers entered the room.
He bowed to Lannan. “Sir, a contingent from the Consortium to see Miss Cicely.”
“Show them in, but keep a close eye on them.” Lannan turned to me. “If they pull anything stupid in my home, all bets are off.”
“Understood.” My neck was on the line.
As we waited, the butler led the group in. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would they all be in robes? Would they all be carrying staves or wands? Would they be crackling with magic?
One out of three wasn’t bad, considering the odds we were up against.
The group filed in, silently. I was shocked to see Ysandra leading them, wearing a catsuit, formfitting and pure white. But her belt was made of crystal—quartz spikes ringing her waist—and they were humming with energy. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek braid that hung down her back, and her glasses were gone. The prim librarian had turned into Lara Croft. She smiled at me, nodding.
Behind her, the range was as varied as one might expect in a costume party. Five more women, and six men, stood at attention.
Five were in robes—three of the men and two of the women—like I’d thought they might be—the material flowing and black as the night, and they carried wands ranging from silver to copper to wood.
The rest of them wore jeans and what looked like hoodies, which I soon realized were made of a very thin, slick material.
Ysandra noticed my gaze. “We’re all dressed according to our abilities and what we intend to do. The material of their jackets will keep them warm in the snow but not impede movement.” She turned to Lannan. “You are Regent?”
He nodded, as the door opened again and Regina came hurrying through, regal as always, but her heels marking a swift pace on the floor.
Regina Altos—Lannan’s sister and his lover—was Emissary to the Crimson Queen, and she was also one of the scariest vampires I’d met. She was ruthless compared to Lannan, but she was also willing to listen to reason. And she adored her brother. In many unnatural ways.
“There are Fae at the door.” She stopped, staring at Ysandra and her group. “Consortium…”
“Yes, we are from the Consortium and we’re here at the request of Cicely and the Moon Spinners. They are members of our group and they have a right to call on us for help.” Ysandra stared down Regina, an act I’d never found advisable, and to my surprise, Regina looked away first.
“I see.” Regina turned to Lannan. “You knew of this?”
“I did. Let it drop. If Cicely is correct, and I happen to believe she is, we will need all the help we can get. Let the Fae in.” He turned to Wrath. “Perhaps you should escort them?”
Wrath excused himself and headed out of the room. I turned to Regina. “I’m glad to see Geoffrey didn’t harm you.” And honestly, I was. Even though she scared the crap out of me, there was something about Regina that I respected. She was a hedonist like Lannan, but first and foremost, she was wedded to her job. She took her position as Emissary seriously and I admired her work ethic, even if I wasn’t all that fond of the vampires.
She gave me a surprised look, but then an aloof smile stole across her lips and she inclined her head. “Cicely, you are looking well. I hear that Geoffrey tried to have you and your cousin kidnapped. We cannot allow that to happen, so I told Lannan to bring you here.”
I blinked. “You told Lannan…” Then I stopped. Lannan had led us to believe it was all his idea but apparently not. Instead, I simply smiled back. “Thank you for your offer. I hope we aren’t an imposition.”
“The living are always an imposition of one sort or another but one we willingly accept into our home at this point.” And with that backhanded compliment, she turned to Lannan. “I have orders from the Crown. You are to proceed with your plans to evacuate the town. We cannot allow Myst to take control of New Forest, nor can we allow her to destroy the population. It would damage our position and treaties with the yummanii and the magic-born.”
Ysandra stepped forward. “That is precisely why we are here. The Consortium’s treaties forbid us from turning a blind eye when one of our members’ lives is threatened, whether personally or by a force intent on overthrowing local government. Since you are local government—”
“We do not rule,” Lannan started to protest, but Ysandra waved away his arguments.
“Do not attempt to deceive me. I’m fully aware that the Vampire Nation truly rules a good share of the towns where you have established Regencies. The Consortium does the same, although we tend to keep a lower profile. While there are puppet governments in place, most of this world is now divided between your rule and ours.” She glanced over at me. “Don’t gape, it’s not becoming. Surely the influence of the vampires and the magic-born has not escaped you?”
I pressed my lips together and shook my head. Then, finding my voice again, I said, “Influence, yes, but controlling government, not so much. But I spent most of my life in bigger cities, on the run with my mother. Remember—I had as little to do with authority as possible.”
Lannan, Regina, and Ysandra stared at me, then shook their heads and went back to discussing politics. I sidled away, moving next to Luna and Zoey.
Zoey had a strange look on her face. “This is why we keep our records,” she said softly. “This petty bickering over who controls what. They’d all be surprised if they would read some of the records in the great halls of the Akazzani fortress. There are older powers than both the Vampire Nation and the Consortium at work in this world. And no, I’m not talking about the Fae.”
I glanced at her, wanting to ask her more, but at that moment Wrath returned. At his side marched Lainule, and behind them, the contingent of Fae.
They were solemn, looking neither right nor left, as they spread out in two lines behind their King and Queen. As I gazed at them, my heart soared, a surge of pride racing through me. I realized I was beginning to identify with my Fae nature more and more.
