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As they left, I turned to Grieve and Rhiannon. “Want to make a bet this has something to do with our meeting with Regina?”
“You need to take guards with you, since I am specifically not invited.” Grieve glowered. He hated it when I went into Lannan’s territory without him, but there wasn’t much we could do. Having them in the same room together was pretty much like holding a lit rag to a can of gasoline.
I bit my lip. “Twenty minutes ago, I would have said no. Now? Not so much. But they can’t ride in the car. The iron would hurt them.” I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Regina’s private number.
Within seconds, the Emissary for the Crimson Court answered, her voice slick like honey and oil.
“Regina, Geoffrey and Leo just delivered a bloody message to us. I need to bring guards with us tonight. You will allow them through the gate, right?”
Silence for a count of one…two…three. Then she answered, in a voice that wavered only in the slightest. But that faint quiver told me there was cause for concern. “Of course. I’ll tell my guards to be ready for them. How many are you bringing?”
“Five should do it. And Regina, thank you.” Without waiting for an answer, I punched the End Talk button. I knew Regina well enough to know that she wasn’t going to say anything more over the phone. I notified the guards of the sudden change in plans, and they took off, heading for Lannan and Regina’s mansion.
As Rhiannon and I prepared to leave, I held out my arms. Grieve, my Fae Prince, slid willingly into my embrace. “I wish you could go with me, but so not a good idea.” Softly, I kissed his lips, and he growled a little, causing the wolf tattoo on my stomach to respond. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”
“See that you are.” His dark eyes were as black as those of the vampires, but their onyx cores were filled with gleaming stars. Platinum hair cascaded down his shoulders, and he reached up, solemnly, to stroke my face, smelling of cinnamon and apples. “You are my everything. You are my Queen. Do not let the darkness swallow you, my love.”
Nodding, I turned to Rhiannon, who followed me out the door. The guards were already off and running toward Regina and Lannan’s mansion. They would meet us there.
As we hurried to my beloved Pontiac GTO, several armed guards waited beside it, making sure we were safely tucked inside. I turned the ignition, dreading what the rest of the night held. Because I knew in my heart the news was only going to get worse.
“They’re never going to give up until they get even, are they?” Rhia leaned her head against the window, watching as the evening dusk grew deeper.
I shook my head. “No. I don’t think so. I wish I could say yes and mean it, but Leo and Geoffrey are dangerous. Not as dangerous as Myst, but we can’t underestimate them. Regina sounded almost…afraid.”
Rhia jerked around. “Afraid? Regina?”
“Yeah, I know—an oxymoron. But she sounded…cautious.”
My stomach fluttered, a knot rising, but I pushed it away, focusing on the icy street as I navigated through the silent neighborhoods. So many people had fled New Forest, and though some were trickling back, the town seemed unnaturally quiet and subdued.
“We’ll know what she knows soon enough.” I turned onto the street that led toward Lannan’s mansion. The estate had belonged to Geoffrey until he’d defied the Crimson Court and been ousted from his position of Regent. Now, Lannan Altos, the golden boy of the vampire nation, and my personal nemesis, had taken over the job.
The brilliant mansion lit up the night as we approached. Gleaming white with gold trim, the behemoth rose three stories high, with who knew how many stories below-ground. Columns lined the wraparound porch, and urns sported rosebushes now nestled beneath the snow. The tableau suggested a Grecian temple more than a mansion belonging to New Forest.
The entire estate sprawled across two acres, fully gated and surrounded by snow-covered gardens and security guards in dark suits. Vampires they might be, but they also carried guns and stakes and whatever else they might need to defend against enemies. With their obsidian eyes cloaked behind dark glasses, and dressed in black suits, the vamps had an old-time gangster look going on. But there was no mistake—they were vampires, far deadlier than the yummanii mobsters.
As we eased into the driveway, one of the guards hurried up to open my door. They knew my car by now and gave us only a cursory pat-down. I politely turned over my silver dagger—which they were cautious to avoid touching. I slipped it into the weapons case one of them carried. I’d pick it up on the way back.
Beside them stood our guards. I saluted to them and they bowed, which felt weird as hell, but considering I was in line to become the Queen of Winter, and Rhiannon the Queen of Summer, we’d have to get used to it.
I handed my keys to the valet. As we started up the steps, he carefully eased Favonis out of the way.
Rhia and I glanced at each other.
“After what happened to Luna, I hate going in without backup,” she said.
“I know, but Regina will keep us safe. Even though she’s the Emissary to the Crimson Court, I trust her. She has to be diplomatic, and she knows that the Cambyra nation would come stake her royal ass if either of us were hurt.”
As soon as I rang the bell, the door swung open. The maid who answered was a bloodwhore, but with perfect makeup, her hair in a chignon, and a stiffly pressed uniform and heels, she had to belong to the Emissary’s stable.
“We’re here to see Regina.”
The woman curtseyed, then led us through the spacious foyer, past the office that had once been Geoffrey’s. But we didn’t stop there. Instead, she led us to the next door down the hallway, where she tapped discreetly. After a moment, she opened the door, peeked inside, and whispered something. Then, standing back, she ushered us in.
As we entered the room, I was surprised to see that it was yet another office, but this was oh-so-official, with what I assumed was a print of the royal seal hanging over the cherrywood desk. The polished desk was a monster, filling a good one-third of the room. The top was clear except for an appointment book, a pen on a blotter, and a bronze statue that at first looked to be a woman kissing a man. As I drew closer, I saw that it was actually a vampire holding her victim.
Regina, behind the desk, stood as we entered. Blond, like her brother, she wore her hair in an intricate updo that must have taken an hour to fix. A black linen pencil skirt hugged her hips, and a red corset boosted her cleavage in an impressive display.
