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"Very well," Ringolar nodded in agreement with his brother. "That will leave you with six guards plus your assistant," Ringolar nodded toward Tamaritha. This was working out so well; the Vampire Queen would come to the Conclave, leaving Le-Ath Veronis vulnerable so his brothers could create havoc in her absence. Ringolar wanted to laugh at how simple it would be.
"We leave in three days' time; do not be late to board ship," Tamaritha whined.
Chapter 13
Erland sat on a corner of my bed as he directed two comesuli who were packing my clothing for Conclave. My Warlock had a list of events, parties and meetings, so it looked as if half my wardrobe was going with me. Giff's baby pouch was about to pop any day and she'd not been to work since her final two months had begun. I hoped Rolfe got in before the baby came, so he and Roff could both be there for Giff. Rolfe was off fighting spawn, as most other Spawn Hunters were.
Eight of us were going to Nemizan. In addition to Heathe and Grant, Thurlow, Rigo, Garde and Erland were going. Reemagar refused to be left behind, so he was going in disguise. He was identified as Larentii on the list I submitted to the Alliance Security Detail; he just wouldn't look like a Larentii to anyone else. We were obligated to give complete details on everyone we brought with us.
It was a first for Garde, too; this was the first time a High Demon had gone anywhere near the Alliance Conclave. Kifirin hadn't come to see me for several days and he wouldn't be interested in going to Conclave anyway. My twins wanted to go, as did Gavin and Tony, but Kiarra was sending them out regularly to take care of spawn. They grumbled about being left behind, but it just wouldn't work if they had to disappear in the middle of something. Rigo's Rith Naeri were staying behind to guard the palace. I wondered if there was going to be a problem with security at Conclave due to the price on my head, but I really didn't have time to worry about that.
Reemagar planned to fold us to Nemizan—we didn't have to take normal transportation. Grant had let the Alliance know that we were going straight to the hotel where we'd be staying, once we arrived. They didn't ask questions regarding our travel arrangements and we all breathed a little easier.
What also interested me was that the Founding Member, Ildevar Wyyld, and the Grand Alliance Council seldom made personal appearances at Conclave. They sometimes attended meetings through live vid-feeds, but they didn't feel the need to be there in person. I found myself wishing I could do that. Sadly, a personal appearance by the one in charge was mandatory. If the one in charge couldn't attend, a legal representative had to be approved weeks in advance by the Grand Alliance Council in order to vote on agenda items.
The whole thing was likely designed by the Conclave itself so that every five years, a different world received a windfall from the visiting members and the ensuing tourism surrounding the event. It was like the Olympics times one thousand, complete with political gymnastics.
* * *
"I have all of us shielded," Reemagar said quietly when we landed inside the hotel lobby on Nemizan. If the desk clerk thought to give Grant the cold shoulder, he should have thought twice about treating a vampire badly. Grant only had to give slight compulsion and we had keys to our suite right away. I learned immediately what being a new and unimportant member of the Alliance meant—we had the worst rooms in the place. I knew that because I misted through the other suites on our floor, just to check. Pointedly ignoring any personal or sexual activity, I focused on the amenities instead.
It was a good thing we didn't need the toilet, too, because ours didn't work. I laughed when Grant showed me that—he stood and flipped the switch over and over, trying to make it evacuate. Nothing happened. He and I high-fived over it, too—there wasn't any need to call maintenance and invite potential spies into our suite.
The royal family on Nemizan had been in charge of handing out the suite assignments, and it wouldn't do to snub any of their cronies. The other attendees all got better treatment and nicer suites. I, on the other hand, could be snubbed with impunity. Le-Ath Veronis had no allies, cronies, political bed-buddies or ass-kissers to look out for us.
Our suite was cramped, too, with three small bedrooms instead of the five larger ones requested. Well, we were lucky to have Reemagar with us—he fixed us right up, stretching out spaces and adding rooms with a blink of amazing power. What did it matter that our suite now extended thirty feet into what was previously empty space? Reemagar shielded the addition from prying eyes and the hotel looked as it always did to anyone who might cast their gaze toward the seventeenth floor.
The other rooms had everything from fresh flowers to food or fruit waiting, and some even had servants and escorts. Well, they didn't have a Larentii with them. I could have wallowed in expensive chocolate and bathed in champagne if I wanted; all I had to do was tell Reemagar and it would have been provided. As it was, I only requested shields and those had already been placed. Don would have smiled and called me a cheap date. I think Reemagar considered it, but Larentii seldom let their sense of humor show. In addition to Reemagar's shields around us, I put up some of my own and Thurlow did as well; I felt his powerful shields vibrating against mine when I set them.
"I think we should disguise our Queen when we leave," Reemagar said as we prepared to go out to dinner. We had a meet and greet scheduled in the morning at nine, but nothing before then. I figured the folks who already knew and liked each other would be getting together that first night, to eat, drink and carouse. I didn't know anybody and felt no need to schmooze. For my evening disguise, Reemagar gave me black hair and made me taller, causing me to blink at my new image in the mirror. It was more than strange—I'd never in my life colored my hair.
The hotel was huge—six hexagonal buildings set in a large complex. Each of the six rose in a tall, architectural statement constructed of steel, concrete and glass. The buildings were connected around a hexagonal courtyard and the complex resembled a honeycomb. I saw the lush courtyard and surrounding hotels as we rode a transparent elevator to the lobby.
Restaurants lined the lower floors inside each building, and we went through six before we found one willing to place us on a waiting list. While we waited for a table, I watched as numerous Conclave attendees waltzed in, with and without reservations, and were all led inside the restaurant quickly. Someday, maybe the restaurant staff would learn not to snub vampires. Rigo stepped up to the host and in ten seconds, we were led to a table.
Lobbying was illegal with the Alliance, but that didn't keep people from trying—they just couldn't be obvious about it. They were present in droves, going from table to table and offering to buy meals, drinks or generally attempting to strike up conversations. A lot of them were successful, too.
