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Alicia nodded. “You’ve been there?”
“No, but I…uh, I saw the movie a couple of times.” Actually, it was twenty-six times. I’d literally worn out the DVD, and I still knew all of the songs by heart. “Let me guess, you were one of the can-can dancers?”
“I was. And an extremely sought-after courtesan, if I may say so myself.”
This woman was full of surprises. I seriously couldn’t keep up. “A courtesan.”
She shrugged. “It was a chapter of my life, one I don’t regret at all. It taught me so many useful things.”
“I just bet it did.” I grimaced, not really wanting to know the answer to my next question. “Is that how you met Thierry?”
Alicia studied me for a moment before she laughed lightly. “Thierry de Bennicoeur was not one of my clients if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Worried, me? No, not at all,” I lied. “What happens at the Moulin Rouge stays at the Moulin Rouge.”
Still, I couldn’t exactly picture Thierry partying at the infamous cabaret, drinking champagne, surrounded by beautiful ladies of the night, and rubbing elbows with artists like Toulouse-Lautrec. It seemed like the opposite of what my sexy-but-stoic husband would enjoy.
But, hey, you never know.
The waiter returned with our order—two delicious-smelling espressos in tiny golden cups. I sipped mine with growing enthusiasm, the full-bodied taste helping to ground me in my utterly unexpected surroundings.
Now that definitely beat the corner coffee shop any day of the week. And I didn’t think there was anything magical about it.
Hopefully, anyway.
“It was a client who bit me,” Alicia explained when the waiter moved to another table, her expression turning serious. “And it was entirely without my consent and utterly unwelcome. His thirst for my blood nearly killed me. He only stopped when my silver dagger found his heart.”
“Oh, my God.” I shuddered at the picture she painted, and not a fraction of my horror was for her predatory client. “I’m so sorry you went through that. While it’s not nearly as violent as what you experienced, I was sired without my consent too. But I didn’t kill him, even though I wanted to. Some hunters took care of that for me.”
“Men,” Alicia muttered, shaking her head. “They take whatever they want if they’re given a chance. Seems we have that in common, as well as who came to our rescue.”
“Thierry,” I said.
“Yes. While I did manage to end my attacker’s life before he stole my own, the damage had been done. Thierry escorted me to a secret location where I could obtain enough blood to survive the transition to vampire. He did the same for you?”
Well…not exactly. Thierry gave me his own blood, super-strong master vampire blood that—while I was still technically only a fledgling vampire—had ramped up my strength in record time, made my own blood master-vampire powerful…and the surprise gifts-with-purchase: occasional prophetic visions, and the ability to communicate with spirits.
“Pretty much,” I said with a nod.
“I didn’t see Thierry again for several years when he returned to the city with Veronique for a visit. After they had a disagreement about something, Thierry stopped in at the cabaret to check on me.”
“It’s okay,” I said with a cringe, holding up my hand. “I don’t really need any more details than that.”
Alicia took my hand and squeezed it. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to give you more details. You have a wonderful man, Sarah. And, if you’re worried at all, please know that I wasn’t in love with him then, nor am I in love with him now. I’m madly in love with Damon and can’t wait to spend the rest of eternity with him.”
She seemed so sincere when she talked about this mysterious cobbler, the one responsible for the magic transportation locket.
“Thierry is a wonderful man,” I agreed. “But I have to say—I’m not sure he’d be thrilled to know you poofed us across the Atlantic Ocean without his knowledge.”
Alicia grimaced. “You’re probably right.”
“I really should send him a message, so he doesn’t worry…” I fished my phone out of my bag and tapped the dark screen, but nothing happened. “I swear I charged it this morning.”
“It’s not the batteries,” Alicia said. “Magical transportation can mess with electronic gadgets. But don’t worry, Thierry won’t even know we’ve been gone. He’s occupied with the Baba Yaga for a couple more hours, and we’ll be back by the time he finishes.”
Swallowing down my uncertainty, I slipped the phone back into my bag. “There are worse things than spending an afternoon in Paris. And, I mean, we did avoid being trapped on an airplane for hours. I hate flying.”
“Me too,” she said, and touched the heart-shaped locket again. “This is really a dream come true, Sarah. And I know we just met, but I’m so happy to have someone to share this with.”
