Faustine (18 page)

“Just a moment, Manuel,” Mom said, raising her hand. “I want to get some jewelry that Faustine will be wearing; it’s important that the outfit she chooses complements them. Faustine, come. Help me carry them. Excuse us, Katerina, we’ll be back in just a tick.”

“Tell me what’s going on, quickly,” Mom said, as she opened the safe in her room. “There’s no jewelry, I’ll have to wing it with that, but I needed to get you in private. So?”

“She’s blackmailing me.”

“Why?’

“She wants my position.”

“What is she blackmailing you with?”

“She has Tessa, Luke, Kismet and Suman, Kismet’s mom. And Dad.”

“How dangerous is she?”

“Very, she’s a witch-demon hybrid.”

“Could she harm you?”

“I guess.”

“Okay, we’ve got to go back in. Take these. Hopefully, there’s something in those boxes you can wear.”

When we returned to the parlor, I carefully passed the jewelry cases to Manuel, who was fidgeting impatiently. “Miss Katerina tells me that there will be special coronation jewelry that the Princess will be required to wear,” he said nervously, patting the boxes.

“Oh,” Mom said, feigning surprise. “Is that right, Katerina? Faustine, we really should have had someone advising us.”

“You should have,” agreed Katerina. “Where is Dorian? Isn’t he supposed to take care of all this?”

“He’s busy looking after business in London. He left Luke to deal with this kind of detail,” I said accusingly.

“No matter,” Katerina said. “I’m here now, and I know everything you need to know about coronation protocol. I have attended several. The demon crown jewels are held in London and will be presented to you by the head of the London council, King Alfred, before the ceremony.”

“King Alfred? But he’s the vamp king. Why does he get to lord it over the rest of us?” I asked.

“The heads of the different groups take turns and change every six years. This is King Alfred’s fourth year. Anyway, he will present you with them.”

“Do you know what they look like, so we have some kind of idea what will go with them outfit-wise?” Mom asked.

“The jewelry is very old, all hand made and adorned with rubies and black diamonds. There is a heavy choker, a single ruby bangle and a crown.”

“Crown or tiara?” Mom asked for clarification.

“Crown,” Katerina confirmed. “It’s covered in the most spectacular rubies.”

“Okay. We seem to be heavy on the red. What color metal....”

“Platinum,” Katerina interjected.

Mom nodded. “Right, let’s see what you have, Manuel.”

He dimmed the lights and turned on the music. Opera music filled the room as the first model floated down the runway. She was wearing a drop-dead gorgeous, velvet, emerald gown with a high neckline. I heard Katerina gasp as the model turned in the regal dress to reveal a short train coated with sparkly crystals. Each model who walked down the runway wore a dress as stunning as the last. This was going to be a difficult decision.

This was different from choosing a prom dress. I had to appear older and authoritative. I needed to look like I was ready to be in charge. But I didn’t want to overdo it and appear as if I was trying too hard. I had to look completely natural, comfortable in my skin, dress and jewelry.

I knew the instant I saw it that it was
the
dress. Mom squeezed my hand. She knew, too. I didn’t react, though. I wanted to keep my selection from Katerina, for now. It was a silver-gray dress with a high three-quarter’s collar lined in a faint red sparkle. It had no train. Phew. The last thing I wanted to worry about was tripping. I ignored the rest of the show and relaxed into my chair listening to the music, fantasizing about when I would say
You eat that, old witch
.

R
evenge plotting was draining. Even though I had no right to be sleeping, seeing that my friends were in trouble, my struggle to remain conscious and come up with a grand rescue scheme culminated with my mom waking me up for school the next morning.

“Mom, I haven’t time to go to school! I have to figure out how to rescue everyone!”

“Do it while you are pretending to listen to your English teacher,” she said firmly, throwing my uniform on my bed for me. “Now, get up; your breakfast is ready and waiting.”

“But, Mom....”

“No
but moms
! Hurry. I have a busy day ahead of me as well. I need you somewhere safe, and school is it. You’re not the only one with friends missing. I need to find out where Katerina is holding Tessa. Is there anything you haven’t told me that might help?”

“Tessa is being held with the others at Tessa’s mom’s place in the Poconos.”

“How are they being held?”

“Katerina said that she spelled a shield around them to stop them from escaping.”

“Do you know if she has any allies?”

I shook my head, and then got ready for school. Once I had chomped down on my breakfast steak, I went to get Neave. Ryker appeared by my side when I got into the elevator.

“Hey!”

“Hey, babe. How did it go with Katerina and your mom?”

I updated him with what had happened after he had left, when Katerina and I had come back to my apartment. He listened intently.

“I wish I knew how to help,” he said quietly. “Demons and witches are so out of my league,” he shrugged.

“Ryker, just having you around makes me feel safer. Knowing that you can whisk me away from danger is really awesome.”

“You’ll probably never really need me to do that, though. Your powers are omnipotent. You can take care of yourself.”

“True, but I ruin my clothes every time I transform and have to kick butt. I’d just rather not. Most of the time, it would be handy to be able to just disappear. That’s where you come in.”

“I’m at your service whenever you need me, Princess,” he smiled.

“Cut the
Princess
crap, but other than that, thanks. Hey, can I ask you for a favor?”

“Anything.”

“I’m going to need a consort to escort me to my coronation. Luke was probably going to do it, but obviously can’t now. Could you?”

“Take Luke’s place? No.”

“Oh. Okay,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment. I hadn’t for a moment imagined that he would reject me!

Ryker laughed.

“Glad you find it funny,” I said, and pushed him.

“Hold on! I didn’t say I wouldn’t take you.”

“Yeah, you did,” I said testily, walking out the elevator doors first, as soon as they opened. He took me by my elbow to slow me down as I marched down the hallway, and turned me around to face him.

“Faustine, I apologize. I was just a bit pissed that the only reason you asked me was to take Luke’s place. Were you really going to go with him over me?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know! I don’t know what I’m doing, what’s expected of me! Maybe I have to go with someone in particular; I just don’t know. I’m totally winging it here,” I said, my eyes welling up. Yes, demons get stressed out, too.

“Okay, calm down,” he said, pulling me to him. I cried on his chest for a while, ridding my body of my emotions and feeding off of Ryker’s strength.

“I’m all good. Let’s get Neave; we need to get to school.”

Robert, Neave’s new stepfather, answered the door when I knocked. He told us that she was having a sick day. She was still asleep.

“A sick day? Isn’t that a bit weird?” Ryker observed, as we were walking into school.

“Say what?” I had been totally engaged in an imaginary bloody battle with Katerina–my main concern being how on earth I was going to keep that gorgeous, silver coronation gown from being shred to pieces.

“Neave. Witch, right? Witches don’t get sick, not like humans, anyway. Why would Neave need a sick day?”

“Maybe she’s cutting for another reason, and that’s just an excuse. I was trying to convince Mom to let me cut school, too.”

“What reason? Why would she cut school and not even come to the door to explain?”

“Sleeping in?”

“Faustine, her mom’s missing! Would you sleep in if
your
mother was missing?”

“She probably stayed up all night worrying, and then fell asleep. I should have gone to see her once Katerina left, but I fell asleep....”

“Something doesn’t feel right, Faustine.”

I stopped. “Spit it out, Ryker. Do you think she’s in trouble?” He was creeping me out.

“Faustine, Ryker, get to your classes,” the hall monitor yelled, as he shut the door behind us.

“It’s just a feeling,” Ryker whispered. “Later, at lunch,” he said and took off toward his class.

Like Mom had suggested–possibly in jest–I spent the morning classes strategizing.  I received a text message from Dorian during math.
Urgent
it said, so I called him back as soon as math class ended.

 “Princess, we have a situation. I need you in London right away. Luke, as well. Leave for the airport right now; I have a private jet waiting.”

“I’m at school. It’s only lunchtime here. They won’t let me leave.”

Silence.

“Princess, I’m not understanding,” Dorian muttered confused.

“I’m at school, Dorian! I can’t just leave. There are rules and a
protocol
. Surely you understand that? Whatever it is, can’t you take care of it?”

“Faustine, are you telling me that school rules are keeping you from leaving a school? A human school?” he asked incredulously.

Yeah, I guess that sounded lame, but it was the truth. Our principal–human no doubt–was more terrifying than most demons.

“Faustine?” he repeated.

“Yeah, still here.”

“I wouldn’t be calling you if I didn’t absolutely have to. Get over here. Now.”

I used the restroom window again, landing headfirst in the bushes. I called Mom as I hailed a taxi and filled her in. I had fully expected her to yell and scream at me, but she didn’t. She just told me to be careful.

I was dropped off right by the jet and ushered onboard by the pilot, who was waiting for me.

“It’s an honor to have you fly with us, Princess,” he greeted me, as we hurried up the stairs. “Lady Annabel is already on board. Is Luke on his way?”

“Mom’s here?”

“Yes, we received a call from airport control that she was on her way. She was dropped off by helicopter about ten minutes ago.”

Wow. Trust Mom!

“Luke won’t be joining us; let’s go,” I said, and walked up to my beaming mother. “Mom!” I said, shaking my head at her.

“Don’t you shake your head at
me
, young lady. I still have the power to ground you.”

“Without Tessa?” I asked cheekily.

“Is that a challenge?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

I threw my hand up in the air. Sheesh, no! “Of course not, Mom. You may have been safer staying in New York, though. I have no idea what we are walking into. Dorian didn’t say.”

“You think I would be safer in New York, than with you? Not that that’s the issue here, but you are so wrong. Goodness knows what that sister of yours is planning!”

True. Mom was probably going to be safer with me. Probably.

Dorian was waiting for us at Heathrow airport in London, where he ushered us onto a helicopter and took us to a country manor in Surrey. It was impossible to talk to Dorian over the noise of the chopper, but he kept asking about Luke. I pretended not to be able to hear.

“Tell me now,” he said, once the helicopter had dropped us off on the landing deck on the beautifully manicured grounds of the mansion. “Lady Annabel, I’m delighted that you could join us. I wasn’t expecting you, but I am pleased that you came. Could you follow Finna into the house?” he asked, pointing to a girl in a maid’s outfit. “She’ll get you settled into a room where you can freshen up for dinner.”

Once Mom was gone, he turned back to me. “Where is Luke, Faustine?”

“Otherwise engaged,” I said lamely.

“Is that humor?” Dorian inquired dryly.

“No... he’s indisposed, and wasn’t able to travel with me.”

“Faustine,” Dorian muttered impatiently. “I have the most prominent members of the London faction in that house over there, waiting to talk to you. I don’t have time for games. Just tell me where my son is.”

“Katerina put a spell on him, and he’s confined in Pauline’s–Neave’s grandmother’s–house in the Poconos. He’s fine; he just can’t leave, that’s all.”

Dorian shook his head. “You have a lot of explaining to do. But first, we have to take this meeting.  We have a rogue demon creating havoc, and the paranormal community is in uproar about it....”

Rogue demon? What was that? A demon who decided to join a monastery? I snorted.

“Princess?”

“So what’s this rogue demon been up to?” I asked, trying not to chuckle as visions of an angry, red demon running around in a monk’s garb flashed through my mind. “Explain, Dorian.”

“The demon in question has taken it upon him–or her–self to invade other paranormal beings; he seems to favor vampires.”

“And?”

“Well, that presents a problem. The city charter is founded on the basic principle that paranormal beings of different types leave each other alone. Of course, that doesn’t always happen, and the main reason for the existence of the ruling factions is to keep any such activity under control.”