| |
DANTE AND I HAD OUR fair share of arguments. Of course, this was our first one as a married couple. He’d surprised me with a counterfeit marriage certificate, and a pretend proposal last week as an early Imbolc gift. My House Lilith name change was official, and I had access to my savings again.
Just in time for operation zap-a-wolf.
“I should have known you were up to no good when I saw this on the bathroom counter,” Dante said, handing the diamond and sapphire band to me without making eye contact. He was in one of his nicer black suits. I had intentionally chosen tonight for the mission because of the extra meetings on his calendar.
The streetlights over I-270 flickered past the backseat window, outlining Dante’s profile every few seconds and accentuating the frown lines that pulled at the corners of his mouth. I’d made peace with the fact that he would not be happy with me for sneaking out of the manor to play vigilante, but his disappointment still stung.
After the responding Blood Vice agents had fed me a blood bag and wrapped my wrists, Dante had ushered me into the back of the car and ordered the driver to take us home.
Mandy stayed behind to finish answering questions and to fill out our report. She also wanted to be on the wagon that was set to deliver our catch—Gordon Wikes, according to the wallet we’d found in his back pocket—to his last known pack alpha in Chicago. I would have given just about anything to be with her right now instead of here.
I sighed and put the ring on, wincing as the cold metal slid over my swollen knuckle. “I didn’t want to lose it or get it dirty,” I said. When Dante still refused to look at me, I added, “You can’t seriously be mad at me for not wearing a fake wedding ring to take down a killer werewolf—”
“Fake?” His furious gaze latched on to mine. Well, that did the trick. “Fake! That ring is worth more than this car.”
“Good God.” I held my hand out to get a better look at the glitzy band. “Why would you spend that kind of money on a bogus bride?”
“I spent that kind of money on you,” he countered. “It is a gift worthy of a duchess—even if you refuse to act like one.”
“Hey, I didn’t sign up for this gig,” I reminded him. “I didn’t spend three months in Denver training to sit on my ass and wear overpriced jewelry.”
“What would you have me do, Jenna?” His voice took on a raw edge that made my stomach clench with guilt. “Shall I tell the queen and council that you have refused the sire appointed to you? What do you suppose will come of that?”
I gritted my teeth and turned to glare out my window. “I did a good thing tonight. You can’t convince me otherwise.”
“It was a good thing that someone less important could have done.”
“Someone less important.” I laughed. “Do you hear yourself?”
“Someone less important to me,” he amended. “Someone less important to our enemies.”
“Our enemies are all boxed up in coffins in the queen’s basement.”
Dante’s hand wrapped around my thigh. He didn’t have to call me out. We both knew it wasn’t the truth.
“I am not your sire,” he said softly, reminding me that the worst of my night was yet to come. “It is not for me to decide your punishment. And it is not within my rights to intervene.”
* * * * *
MANY OF THE VAMPIRES in House Lilith had been selected for some creative talent or another. The queen, Lili, was said to have been exceptional at beadwork and crafting headdresses among her tribe. Kassandra, the diabolical former duchess, had been a ballerina, and Alexander, the sire she shared with Dante, had been among the New World’s first professional stage actors—before the uptight colonists began outlawing them and chased most of Alexander’s company off to Jamaica.
Ursula had been chosen for her singing voice, though I was positive she’d missed her calling as a theater diva. The only thing she could pull off better than a poker face was a full-blown meltdown.
I found her waiting for me in the foyer, pacing back and forth in front of the double doors that led to Dante’s office. Her red mane was tangled on one side, and she clutched a bloody espresso cup that she immediately threw upon seeing me. I ducked just in time, though blood and bits of ceramic peppered my coat as the cup shattered against the wall behind me.
“Insolent child,” she hissed. “Ungrateful peasant.”
I could always tell how pissed she was by the number of broken items in a room and the archaic nature of her insults. The cup she’d aimed at my head wasn’t the only one littering the hardwood floor. The remnants of at least three others were scattered beneath Audrey’s piano bench and under the towering Christmas tree in the opposite corner.
Dante sighed and handed me a handkerchief from his breast pocket. Then he retreated and took a seat at the piano, presumably to protect it from Ursula’s tantrum.
“I won’t apologize for my good deeds,” I began, wiping at the dots of blood on my coat. It was pointless. The blood from earlier had already dried, and I wasn’t even sure if a quality dry-cleaner could save the garment now.
“Where is that filthy mutt of yours?” Ursula demanded. “I’ll have you begging for mercy before dawn.”
“Leave Mandy out of th—”
Ursula’s hand closed around my throat, cutting off the sentence before I could finish it. She was as fast as any werewolf, but I guessed that came with age. Her eyes filled with black, and she screamed in my face, revealing her extended, pearly fangs.
“I am your sire,” she said. “You will do as I say.”
I gurgled an incoherent reply and tried to swallow as my heels came up off the floor. My hands instinctively went to Ursula’s wrists. She hadn’t resorted to violence in some time, but then again, I hadn’t given her any reason to.
My gaze darted to Dante.
“He cannot help you, vampling.” Ursula squeezed my neck until her long nails bit into my flesh. “You are mine.”
“S-s-sorry,” I whimpered, straining to get the word out. I was too startled to be ashamed at how quickly I’d eaten my words.
“What was that? I cannot hear you, Your Grace.” Ursula lifted me higher until only my toes touched the floor.
“Sorry,” I said again, choking on the word.
“That’s better.” She dropped me. “Now. Your pet wolf?”
“I apologized,” I rasped, still trying to catch my breath.
“Do not make me ask again.”
“She is with Blood Vice,” Dante answered. “Delivering the fiend they apprehended to Chicago.”
“You sent her away on purpose!” Ursula accused.
Dante lifted his chin. We were in his house, but the princess still outranked him—for the most part. “She may be your scion’s personal donor, but Agent Starsgard is also employed by Blood Vice, and therefore, mine to order about as I see fit.”
“I would have done this with or without Mandy’s help,” I said, finding my voice again. When Ursula raised her hand to slap me, it took all my effort not to flinch. “Is this how Morgan gained your respect and obedience?”
Ursula’s open hand curled into a fist, and she screamed. The gut-wrenching sound set my teeth on edge, and my eyes bulged. I took a careful step back, my boot crunching on the ruins of her tea service as she ripped out a handful of her own hair.
Maybe I’d gone too far, bringing up her late sire.
And then, just like that, it was over. An eerie, placid, nothingness smoothed Ursula’s expression.
“I’m ordering a coffin. The next time you leave this house without my permission, you’ll be sleeping in it instead of with your precious duke. Do you understand?”
I swallowed. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Ursula left unhurried, as if in a trance, and headed for the north stairwell. I assumed that she was heading to Belinda’s office to place her order. Either that or to the library to research what to do with a defective scion. I waited for her to round the landing and disappear before exhaling a trembling breath.
Dante clapped his hands to his thighs as he stood. “That went surprisingly well.”
“Did it?” I rubbed my throat and glared at him.
“Shall I draw us a bath?” he asked, ignoring my irritation.
I supposed he thought turnabout was fair play. And how could I insist that he allow me to work with Blood Vice and then expect him to shelter me from the wrath of the princess?
“And perhaps order a pot of blood?” Dante added, taking in the mess on the foyer floor with a frown as he collected the handkerchief I’d dropped. I imagined that Belinda would be ordering new china along with the coffin. I shuddered, wondering how serious Ursula’s threat had been.
Dante blinked at me, awaiting a reply. Some blood and a bath were exactly what I needed.
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.