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LORD DALLINAR WATCHED Onvier surreptitiously staring at Nilanthy during their weekly meeting with the Guild Masters. The elf’s expression was as haughty as always, but a fanatical gleam in his orange eyes hinted he wasn’t quite as stable as he pretended to be.
The fae lord hid his smirk behind his hand when Nilanthy flicked a look of intense loathing at Onvier. The Magic Guild Master flushed bright red with rage, but he had enough sense to control himself in public.
Guild Master Latour was droning on about the lack of magic to power the Vampire District. Guild Master Reed was backing him up with nods of support. It was obvious the pair had become firm allies. They weren’t powerful enough to shift the balance of how Nox was run, so they weren’t much of a concern to the fairy.
When their meeting finally wrapped up, the Immortal Triumvirate headed upstairs to their private sitting room. “We’re making progress with draining the rogues and masterless fledglings,” Lord Kreaton said as they took their seats.
“It’s going too slowly,” Lord Graham argued, watching the purple-haired fairy cross to the whiskey to pour them both a drink. They’d decided to give their ally the night off from draining their victims. He was obviously going to take full advantage of it by drinking himself into a stupor.
“What’s the rush?” Lord Dallinar asked as he handed one of the tumblers to the werewolf. “Our plan is working, so you should be thankful.”
“More and more of my kind are succumbing to their beast forms every month,” the alpha growled. “Soon, there’ll be nothing left but rogues.”
“Maybe the vampires should hunt in the shifter woods,” Lord Dallinar suggested with a smirk. “They can kill each other off and I won’t have to drain them every night.”
“Havoc will break out if we allow our species to decimate each other,” Lord Kreaton said with a dark frown. “Nox will become a nightmare to live in if chaos rules.”
“I hate to break it to you, but it’s already a nightmare for most of the civilians,” Lord Graham pointed out with a scowl.
“Halloween is drawing closer,” the fairy said. Contrary to what his allies expected, he was only sipping his drink rather than guzzling it down. “The costume party will be the talk of Nox for months afterwards. It’ll make everyone forget their miseries for a while.”
“Putting on a stupid costume isn’t going to fill their bellies,” the master vampire pointed out.
“Did I forget to mention I’ll be using our personal stores of magic to provide a feast for everyone?” Lord Dallinar asked.
“Yes,” Lord Graham said, pinning him with his amber glare. “You did. When did you decide on this?”
“A few nights ago,” his small ally said, waving his delicate hand vaguely. “We have plenty of magic to spare. I thought it would be a nice gesture for us to feed everyone in the city for one night.”
Lord Kreaton nodded thoughtfully. “Your idea has some merit,” he agreed. “Perhaps this can become a new tradition. We can supply all the food the citizens need on Halloween, which will distract them from having their energy and magic drained.”
The werewolf rolled his eyes. “No one is going to be stupid enough to think that’s a good trade,” he predicted.
“You’d be surprised how grateful people can be when their stomachs are full to bursting,” Lord Dallinar retorted. He’d already made his mind up and he wasn’t going to be dissuaded from his plan. The party had been his idea and he was in charge of it. “If we don’t have anything else to discuss, I have plans tonight.”
Lord Kreaton inclined his head in agreement. “As do I. We’ll meet tomorrow night at Lord Graham’s house at the usual time.” They didn’t trust their fae ally to hunt down the rogues and fledglings on his own. They always insisted on being with him to make sure nothing went wrong.
“I’ll see you both then,” the werewolf agreed.
They went their separate ways and Lord Dallinar teleported home. He’d been drinking far less these past few nights and his head was clearer than usual. “I want to send a letter to Nilanthy,” he said. A sheet of paper appeared and he summoned her to visit him in his private tower immediately. It zoomed off and he ambled over to his wardrobe to change out of his somber black clothing.
It would take the fairy maiden at least an hour to dress herself appropriately and to catch a carriage to his home, so he had plenty of time to prepare. He was pulling on a scarlet and gold pair of trousers when a letter arrived. It squirmed beneath the door and fluttered over to him. He opened it and was suffused with rage when he read it. Nilanthy had refused his summons and she wasn’t coming. “How dare she!” he hissed and crushed the letter in his fist. He tossed it at the fireplace, but it vanished before he could make it burst into flames.
No one had ever refused him before and his temper got the better of him. He went on a rampage, smashing the furniture and his collection of alcohol like a child throwing a tantrum. The lord was breathing hard by the time he was done. He looked around at his trashed bedroom and felt no satisfaction at the damage he’d caused. Only one thing was going to make him feel better; for Nilanthy to submit to him like she was supposed to.
“I won’t stand for this,” he muttered sulkily. “Who does she think she is? I’m a lord and she’s just a lowly member of the Magic Guild.”
He shoved his feet into a pair of red and gold shoes, then slipped his wand into his pocket and summoned his CIA and FBI agents. One of them knocked on his door a couple of minutes later. He opened it just wide enough so he could speak to them, so they didn’t see the damage he’d wrought.
“How can we assist you, my lord?” the FBI agent asked.
“I want you to collect a fairy called Nilanthy from her home and bring her to me,” Lord Dallinar ordered. “If she refuses to go with you, you may bring her here by force.” His lips curled upwards in a cruel smile of anticipation when his private bodyguards bowed obediently and left. “No one defies me,” he said when their footsteps receded. “The little bitch will learn her place. She will become my wife whether she wants to or not.”
He turned to survey the wreckage of his room, hoping the magic of Nox would repair the damage before the agents returned with his prize. He didn’t want his future bride to realize that he couldn’t always control his emotions.
