Tatiana’s residence reminded Pia of classic old Hollywood grandeur. The white mansion had Corinthian-style columns in the front, large receiving rooms and a large pool in the backyard surrounded by an immaculately kept garden.
The furnishings inside were classic old-world Hollywood too. Pia’s suite had a massive four-poster bed in the bedroom with a peach coverlet and sheer drapes tied back, and antique Chippendale furniture. She had a sitting room all to herself, with a wood fireplace and two divans, and her bathroom had a walk-in, marble bathtub with gold furnishings.
After unpacking and admiring the view out her windows, she texted Eva. I’m ready to go downstairs.
Within the next breath, a rap sounded on her door. Eva didn’t wait for a reply but opened it and stuck her head in. “I’m ready too.”
Unless they encountered a situation that warranted a change in plans, for now, while Pia was in the Light Fae Queen’s residence, she would have one guard with her at all times, so that Quentin, Aryal, and Eva could rotate shifts around the clock.
Pia hoped that would help to generate a relaxed atmosphere among everyone, and besides, the other two were close by if anything happened.
She stepped out in the hall and took the stairs with Eva by her side. Just like earlier at the airstrip, Bailey had evidently been waiting for them, and she moved smoothly to the bottom of the stairs to meet them.
At least Bailey wasn’t flanked by ten more guards inside the house, Pia thought wryly. Because that would be awkward.
“Are you all settled in?” Bailey asked.
“Yes, thanks,” Pia replied cheerfully. “The place is magnificent. Is it all right if we look around?”
“Sure,” Bailey told her. “I’ll come with you.”
“Are you my babysitter?” Pia asked, smiling.
The Light Fae woman returned her smile, but like before, on the tarmac, it was brief and faded again quickly. “It’s my pleasure to spend time with you.”
So she is my babysitter, Pia said to Eva. I don’t mind. I suspected there would be somebody, but I did at least expect some kind of greeting from Tatiana when I arrived.
Guess a Queen’s gotta do what a Queen’s gotta do. Eva’s mental voice sounded dubious.
Pia, who had been on the receiving end of many events that needed immediate attention, didn’t feel nearly as dubious about Tatiana’s absence. Things happened, and when you were a demesne leader (or his mate), sometimes you had to react quickly.
Bailey turned to indicate the direction of the rear of the house, and as they fell into step beside her, she said, “My mother asked me to apologize for her. She had planned to be free to greet you personally, but in the last two days she’s been dealing with an unexpected situation. I’m sure you know how it goes.”
“I do, actually,” Pia replied. “We’re often disturbed in the middle of the night for one reason or another. Demesne business never seems to stop.”
“I get it,” said Bailey. They reached double French doors, which she opened. She led them onto a wide verandah. “You and Dragos are one of those places where the buck stops, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we are.”
“My mom is too. It’s one of the reasons why I mostly live somewhere else. I love my family, but I don’t want to eat, drink and sleep all things Light Fae. And I really didn’t want to go into the family business. I have about as much acting ability as a tin can.”
“What do you do, at your home?” Pia asked her curiously.
Her first impression of Bailey had been one of tough competence, but the other woman hadn’t seemed all that friendly during the motorcade ride to Bel Air.
Now, she received a different impression. Once they stepped inside the Queen’s home, Bailey seemed to have relaxed, and as a result, she had grown more talkative.
“I run a security company out of Jamaica,” Bailey said.
“What does a security company do?” Pia asked.
“It can involve anything from supplying bodyguards for specific events to either running expeditions or providing security for them. One of the most interesting expeditions we recently undertook was to retrieve a magical library from a deserted island.”
“You’re talking about Carling Severan’s library, aren’t you?” Pia said, her attention snagged by the scenario. “I heard about that. It must have been a fascinating trip.”
“Yeah, it was. That was the trip my business partner Sebastian found the love of his life, mated and retired.” Bailey gave her a sidelong grin. “But usually things aren’t quite so eventful. On a daily basis, my job mostly involves a lot of drinking and suntanning. When we take on jobs to pay the bills, it can often involve a lot of fighting too, so by and large that makes me happy. Only thing I don’t like is the paperwork. Sebastian, my former partner, used to take care of most of that, but now that he’s retired, I’ve been drowning in it.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Pia saw Eva smile. Pia told Bailey, “My husband hates paperwork too, which is why he has several assistants.”
“Yeah, assistants.” Bailey heaved a sigh. “If you don’t do it yourself, you have to be a manager for somebody else who does. Or even a couple of somebody elses. I’m just not sure running a business by myself is going to work out. It takes away from the drinking and the suntanning.”
Pia laughed. “Bummer.”
As they talked, they stepped outside to walk the grounds. In the growing heat of the sunny morning, Bailey unbuttoned the jacket of her uniform, shrugged out of it and slung it over one shoulder. Underneath she wore a shoulder harness and gun over a plain white, short-sleeved shirt. The shirt hugged her lean torso and supple, muscled biceps.
Pia had gotten used to the sight of armed people as a daily occurrence a long time ago, but she couldn’t help but wonder—if Bailey was comfortable enough in her role to shed the uniform, why did she still feel the need to go armed?
After all, Bailey was essentially in her own home, and there were other guards around. When sentinels or other military personnel visited Pia and Dragos’s house for any length of time, they disarmed, left their weapons in a safe place—usually Dragos’s office—and relaxed. It was only when they were making a brief stop that they didn’t bother.
Did Bailey stay armed because Pia and her three guards were here? Or was it some other kind of Light Fae protocol? If Bailey was supposed to be on duty, perhaps she was required to be armed at all times.
And if she ran a security company in Jamaica, what was she doing here in southern California?
Pia filed those questions away to pursue another time. Hopefully, everybody would relax during her visit, and she might find a time to ask some of them at a later date.
The grounds were beautifully landscaped. They weren’t as glorious as the former Elven High Lord’s consort Beluvial’s grounds were, but Beluvial had a special gift for growing things.
Still, the Light Fae Queen’s gardens were beautifully kept and worthy of being featured in Home & Garden. When Pia thought of the sturdy, no-nonsense landscaping of grass, mulch and trees that they had decided to do around their home in upstate New York, a pang of homesickness washed over her.
Thrusting that aside, she focused on the present. “The weather is gorgeous,” she said, taking a deep breath and turning in a circle to admire the cloudless blue sky. “When I left home last night, we were getting a combination of rain and snow, with a forecast of more snow through today.”
“Did you bring your swimsuit?” Bailey asked. “L.A.’s forecast for the next week is more weather like today’s.”
“I didn’t think to pack it,” she confessed.
“No problem. Mom keeps a variety of swimsuits for guests, or if you want, we can always send out for one.” Bailey had taken them on a big circle around the property, and as they turned to stroll back in the direction they had come, she added, “Sorry, I’m not as good at hostessing as my sister Melly or my mom. I should have asked you if you’ve eaten breakfast already.”
“How is your sister doing?” she asked. Earlier that year, Melly had been kidnapped and held hostage by a ruthless Vampyre elder. In the process of being rescued, Melly and the Nightkind King, Julian, had rekindled an old love affair.
For some reason, Pia’s question made Bailey’s expression darken. “We don’t talk like we used to, but she seems well, and she sounds happy.”
Bailey didn’t appear to appreciate her sister’s rekindled relationship. It was time to move the conversation on to something else.
Pia told her, “I’m glad to hear it. It was a terrible thing that happened to her. And thank you for bringing up breakfast. We had a light breakfast on the plane, but I wouldn’t turn away a second chance to eat.”
The shadow passed from Bailey’s expression, and she gave Pia a quick grin. “We’ll be like Hobbits then, and eat second breakfast. And elevenses too, if you’d like.”
Pia laughed. She liked Bailey. “That sounds good.”
As they neared the house, a tall, elegant Light Fae woman stepped outside and strode toward them.
Tatiana, the Light Fae Queen, had finally freed herself of other obligations and was coming to greet Pia.
Pia took in the other woman’s appearance. When she had seen Tatiana at political functions, the Light Fae Queen had worn haute couture. She had the height, the beauty and the poise to carry off outstanding creations.
Now, the other woman wore black clothes and boots. The shirt was tailored, and the cut of the pants elegant, and if those boots cost under $5,000, Pia would eat her own sandals, but still, the outfit was much more plain than any she had previously seen Tatiana wear.
Instead of sporting a mop of curling dark blond hair like her daughters, which was typical for the Light Fae, Tatiana must have had her hair straightened, for it fell like a sleek waterfall to below her shoulder blades.
Her expression was poised and serious, and in the full, bright light of the sun, faint shadows darkened the skin underneath her eyes. The last time Pia had talked with her, Tatiana had been smilingly inquisitive, poking at Pia delicately like a cat batting her with a paw. Tatiana’s claws had been sheathed at the time, but you knew she had them.
Something’s wrong, Pia thought. She let the observation sit in the back of her mind, while internally, she braced herself.
“Good morning,” Tatiana said as they came up to each other. “Bailey tells me that you had a good flight.”
“Yes, we did,” Pia said. Then, because she sometimes had claws of her own, she batted gently at the Light Fae Queen. “Thank you for sending such a robust greeting party.”
Was that a flicker of response in those famous, beautiful green eyes?
“You’re welcome,” Tatiana replied. “We take the issue of your safety while you visit here very seriously. Please, come sit with me on the verandah. Bailey, would you see that refreshments are served?”
“Certainly. Pia and I were discussing doing just that.”
Pia told Eva, “Why don’t you go with Bailey?”
“Sure,” Eva said. Telepathically, she asked, You’ve got your phone?
Yes, in my pocket. I can text if I need you.
Bailey inclined her head to Pia, and she and Eva strode into the house.
Pia followed Tatiana to a white painted, wrought iron table and chairs that were tucked well into the shade of the porch roof. As they seated themselves, she told the older woman, “Your home is lovely.”
“Thank you,” Tatiana replied. “I’ve lived here since the early twentieth century, when moving pictures were just becoming all the rage. Perhaps sometime you might be interested in touring the Northern Lights Studios. We’ve kept a great deal of memorabilia, and it can be amusing to take the tour.”
At last, something that Pia could answer with complete honesty. “I would love that,” she said, even while she noted Tatiana’s use of words.
“Sometime,” the Queen had said, not “this week.” Was she beginning to let Quentin and Aryal’s paranoia infect her?
“In the meantime,” Tatiana said with a smile, “Bailey and I have been talking about possibilities for your visit. We wondered if you would enjoy staying at Melly’s beach house in Malibu. The beach is quite lovely, and the swimming and surfing is very nice at this time of year. The house is located in a gated community, and after what happened to Melly earlier this year, the security has been increased until the area is all but airtight. It’s a wonderful vacation spot. I’ve stayed there myself from time to time.”
But I’m not on vacation, Pia thought.
She watched Tatiana closely, but the other woman had many years of experience with being in the limelight, and her poise remained flawless.
Still, the suggestion said everything. Something was wrong.
It was oh, so tempting to accept the invitation. She could soak up some sun, get in some pleasure reading, and swim to her heart’s content, and probably even sneak in a few conjugal visits with Dragos.
But if word got out that this was how she spent much of her week with the Light Fae, what would the other demesne leaders think? How would the human government react?
She chose her response with care. “What a wonderful suggestion. Thank you for thinking of it, but I thought the point of this week was that you and I interact and get to know each other a little better? If I stayed at the Malibu beach house, I’m concerned that the other demesnes and the White House administration will not look on that choice with favor. And I have too many commitments over the next several months to consider committing to another week’s visit.”
The Queen was not pleased. Pia watched the subtle tightening of Tatiana’s mouth. “Yes, I know.” Tatiana snapped off the ends of the words with a delicate bite. “You made that clear when I emailed you and suggested that you visit at a later date.”
Despite the diversity among the Elder Races, there was one thing demesne leaders had in common that Pia had noticed over the course of the last eighteen months—absolutely none of them liked being crossed or denied in any way.
Well, Tatiana was just going to have to suck it. Pia didn’t like the situation any more than the other woman did, and her time and needs were just as important as anybody else’s.
Still, if something was indeed wrong, she didn’t want to make a bad situation worse. Again, she chose her words with care.
In a quiet, nonconfrontational voice, she said, “I know the terms of the diplomatic pact are difficult, and not just for all the demesne leaders but for their families as well. The last thing I want to do is disrupt your life as much as mine has been disrupted by this. If there’s anything I can do to help ease the situation for you, please let me know. I’m happy to help you in any way I can.”
The Queen stared at her with hard, glittering eyes just long enough to make Pia nervous. After all, she didn’t know Tatiana well, but from everything she had heard, the other woman was formidable in every way. This exchange wasn’t going to lead to some sort of royal tantrum, was it?
Then Tatiana let out an explosive sigh and rubbed her eyes. “Just tell me this much,” she said. Her words were still clipped and short, but there seemed to be slightly less bite to them than before. “Did Dragos follow you here?”
Pia froze. In retrospect, she should have expected something like this, but she hadn’t and the bald question caught her completely flat-footed. Like a frightened rabbit, for a moment she didn’t even breathe.
Trying to stall for time, so she could think of a good way to lie, she asked cautiously, “Why would you ask such a thing?”
Tatiana barked out an unamused laugh. “Pia, everybody in the entire world has heard in great detail what happened when you went to visit the Elves in South Carolina.”
“Yes, but the Wyr and the Light Fae aren’t enemies, like we were with the Elves when that happened,” Pia said cagily, while telepathically, she said to Dragos, Uh-oh, I think we’ve been made.
I’m busy dealing with an unexpected issue, he said tersely. I’ll be in touch soon.
What on earth was he busy with?
She had just time to turn grouchy at his response when Tatiana snapped, “Stop prevaricating. I’ve asked you a straight question, and I expect an honest answer. Is Dragos here in Los Angeles or not?”
Great, numbskull. Just bloody great. You’ve already managed to piss off the Queen. What’s next on your agenda, setting fire to Disneyland?
“He might be,” Pia muttered. Nerves had taken her over. She scratched at her itchy thigh then smoothed the fabric of her dress over her thighs with tense fingers. “Nobody said he couldn’t take a vacation in southern California during my visit.”
Inexplicably, Tatiana relaxed. Sitting back in her chair, she said, “This visit of yours might turn out to be useful after all. Why don’t you get in touch with him and ask him to come here, will you?”
She felt her eyebrows shoot up. “You—want him to come here?”
The other woman snorted. “You probably don’t hear that all too often.”
“No, frankly, I don’t. I love my husband very much, but I’m under no illusion about how stressful his presence can sometimes be to others.” She hesitated.
The strength and range of Dragos’s telepathy was a closely guarded secret. Not only that, but he had sounded pretty terse when she had telepathized to him earlier, so under Tatiana’s watchful gaze, she pulled out her phone to text him.
Tatiana knows you’re in L.A., and she’s asked you to come here to her residence. After a moment’s thought, she added, I think there’s something wrong.
Just then Bailey stepped outside again, along with Eva. Behind them, a Light Fae servant wheeled out a cart filled with a variety of food and drink.
Tatiana said to Bailey, “Stay and join us.”
With a quick questioning glance at Pia, Bailey replied readily enough, “Sure.”
As she pulled out a chair and sat, Pia glanced at Eva uncertainly. As Tatiana’s daughter, Bailey had many liberties that others wouldn’t necessarily be expected to share.
If they were at home, Pia would invite Eva to sit down with them too, but while the Wyr had many complexities that other cultures did not—such as the intricacies and dangers in mating, and the tensions that lay between herbivores and predators—in many ways they had a less formal society than other demesnes. To the Light Fae Queen, Eva was a servant and a guard, but to Pia, Eva was also a friend.
Oh, screw it.
She looked at Tatiana. “Eva is a friend of mine. If I were at home, I would invite her to join us too. Would that be acceptable to you?”
The other woman’s eyebrows rose, but despite the tensions just a few moments ago, she replied easily enough, “I have relationships like that as well. As you might remember from your aborted dinner party, my Captain Shane is one of them. As long as you count her in your inner circle and you give her access to privileged information, she can join us.”
That was better. Feeling more comfortable, she smiled and nodded to Eva, who pulled out a chair opposite Bailey and sat.
“Thank you,” Pia said to Tatiana, while she glanced down with a frown at her phone. It was unlike Dragos to take this long to text her back. What was his unexpected issue? It didn’t have anything to do with Liam, did it?
The server set place settings and food on the table. Bailey said, “Eva and I double-checked all the recipes to make sure everything was vegan.”
That brought Pia’s attention up from her phone. She glanced again at all the dishes. There were scones, fresh strawberries, a pot of something that looked like cream but Pia’s nose told her was coconut cream, not dairy, little round containers that looked like avocado mousse with pretty flecks of orange zest, some kind of berry crumble, and a complex savory salad with tossed greens, olives, and other vegetables.
Usually Pia could eat one or two dishes out of an entire meal’s spread, but the Light Fae had ensured that she could eat everything on this table. It was a kindness she hadn’t expected.
“This was really thoughtful of you,” she told them. “Thank you.”
“It was no trouble,” Tatiana replied. “I often choose to eat vegan meals.” As they helped themselves from each dish family-style, the Queen added, “I’m afraid I don’t have much time I can spare for you. That was one of the reasons why I suggested the Malibu beach house. Over the last few days, a situation has developed that is consuming a great deal of my attention and resources.”
Pia and Eva exchanged a glance. Pia asked, “You said that was one of the reasons behind the invitation to enjoy the beach house. What were the other reasons?”
This time, it was Tatiana and Bailey’s turn to exchange glances. She had time to note that Bailey’s expression had turned closed and unrevealing. Then Tatiana gave her a direct look. The Queen’s gaze had turned grim.
Tatiana said, “Your safety. If you insist on being here this week, the Malibu house is the best place for your protection.”
Carefully, Eva put down her fork. Her demeanor changed from relaxed to sharp and poised. She asked, “Are you saying that you don’t feel safe in your own home?”
“That is a possibility, yes,” Tatiana replied. The Queen looked perfectly calm and composed as she scooped a tiny spoonful of avocado mousse out of a cup. “Naturally we’re doing everything we can to counteract that.”
Oh Lord, Pia muttered in Eva’s head. It looks like my travel curse is alive and working fine. I can’t wait to hear what Dragos has to say about it.
Just then, her phone coughed out a polite-sounding ping. Murmuring an apology, she checked the screen.
It was a text from Dragos. Damn right something’s wrong. I’ll be there as fast as I can.
Whatever his situation had been, it seemed to be over with. Telepathically, she accused, How do you know something’s wrong? You haven’t been relaxing or fishing at all, have you?
He didn’t respond.
She was getting practiced at refraining from rolling her eyes in public. Setting her phone aside, she said, “Again, my apologies for letting the phone interrupt us. Dragos is on his way. He says he’ll be here as soon as he can.”
“In that case, there is no point in going over everything twice,” Tatiana said. “We should finish our meals while we can.”
With that ominous-sounding statement, the Queen calmly speared an olive on her fork and ate it.