You’ll be fine,
he assured me.
Already I can smell your confidence coming back around. Do not worry, all will be well.
We walked into a great room with more than a dozen vampires sitting around. Or, I assumed they were vampires, since I hadn’t figured out how to tell yet. Maybe… I didn’t sense Mark outside before I got out of the car, and he was obviously around, so perhaps that was the trick? A lack of what I normally sense, maybe? I’d have to think about it later, though, as Abbott began introducing people and there was no way I’d remember everyone’s name.
As Abbott went around the room with introductions, I realized every single one of them was gorgeous. Some were a bit geeky looking, but were still attractive,
alluring
. Maybe it wasn’t the physical features that made them so striking, but the self-confidence they exuded?
Okay, time to point out I wouldn’t be able to remember everyone’s name.
Can anyone else hear our conversation when we talk this way?
I asked Abbott.
He touched my back and answered,
Not unless I divert things meant for me. Sometimes I redirect things to my second in command, kind of like call forwarding. I will not do so tonight, though, so I will hear you if you need me.
Can you point out the four or five people it’s most important for me to remember? I’ll never remember all twenty or so people here now.
We talked to a few more vampires before he had a quiet moment to answer,
Give me a little bit and I will. There is no seamless way for me to do it at this point. I’m sorry to overwhelm you with so many at once.
No need to apologize, from what you said earlier it sounds as if it’s more important that they meet me than for me to meet them, but I want to make sure I remember the names of those who are most important. Eventually I’ll get everyone, I just need more time.
Abbott was speaking out loud again, telling everyone I was to be considered his friend, and I was under his protection, when one of the vampires asked, “Is she your lover? She is standing at your side instead of kneeling to you, or at the very least remaining behind you. Only a lover should be allowed to stand at your side if they are given the grace of your protection.”
“Her status is not your concern, Piers. All you need to know is that she, her family, and everyone living under her roof are under my protection. Not only is there no harm to come to her, but if she should be in need then all who belong to me are obligated to come to her aid and to notify me as soon as possible, so I may also come to her aid. She is welcome in this house at any time, and in fact will be here several times a week to meet with Mordecai, so you’ll see her around even when I am not. She will be given instructions to make herself at home, and I will show her where the supplies for making tea are located.”
The same vampire asked, “But she is
human
. Why are you and Aaron Drake, and now Mordecai taking such an interest in her? Is she is fucking all three of you?”
Abbott looked unfazed, but spoke clearly, enunciating every word even more precisely than normal. I made a mental note it was likely he was aggravated if he did this in the future.
“Yes,” he told the questioning vampire. “Kirsten is human, in a room with twenty-one vampires. Do you smell fear on her?”
The vampire suddenly looked interested. “No, I do not.”
“What do you smell?”
“She is...curious? And a bit overwhelmed, and I believe unhappy with my questions, but not afraid. She is more comfortable than she should be. Is it possible she is more than human and is hiding it from us?”
“She is completely human, though she does have some...
skills
... most humans do not.”
Being talked about as if I wasn’t part of the conversation annoyed me, so I spoke up, looking at the vampire who obviously had a problem with me. “Right, as Abbott says, I’m human. I’m sorry, what was your name, again?”
He looked down his nose at me and used an exceedingly snobby tone. “Piers. My name is Piers.”
I moved one of my feet away from Abbott, leaving the other where it was. It wasn’t enough movement on my part to completely step away from him, but enough so he dropped his hand from the small of my back. I wanted to stand on my own as I said this. “Hello, Piers. I wish I could say it’s nice to meet you, but since you obviously have a problem with me, I’m not sure it’d be an accurate statement. Is there something in particular I’ve done to make you dislike me, or is it Abbott’s gift of his protection that makes you dislike me, or do you just have a thing against humans?”
If looks could kill, I’d be dead. He glared at me but didn’t answer.
“Silence? Well then, let’s see if I can work this out in my little
human
brain. I’m guessing it’s Abbott’s declaration of protection that’s twisted your panties, which means this isn’t a problem you have against me, but against Abbott. So, I shouldn’t take it personally, right?”
Abbott sighed,
My darling, you do have a gift for stirring up a hornets’ nest. But, you are correct, and I must now deal with this since you’ve stated it in those words. Forgive me, you don’t understand how our society works and this will probably seem to be more than the situation warrants. Just remember he will be able to heal the damage. I need you to continue to not have fear, if you can manage. No harm will come to you, and no permanent harm will come to Piers.
“I believe Kirsten is correct,” Abbott said, and then his voice changed, power in it as Mordecai had managed only a few hours ago. If there were dishes, they would’ve vibrated. “You dare challenge me when I place someone under my protection? I am Master here, not you, Piers. This will hurt less if you start out on your knees, but it matters not to me whether you choose more or less pain.”
Piers eyes grew huge. “Master, please, no. I am sorry. Perhaps I asked questions I should not have asked. I beg your forgiveness for doing so. It was not my place.” He stood with his hands behind his back, and once he finished speaking his eyes went from Abbott’s face to Abbott’s shoes. The arrogance was gone, now it was all submission, and fear so thick it permeated the room.
“You are correct,” Abbott agreed, his voice still filled with power. “It was not your place to question why I give protection to a friend, nor to demand an answer of who my friend is fucking in order to gain protection. You will take this standing up?”
“No, Master, I will kneel before you.”
He went to his knees and almost immediately started screaming in pain. Not just screaming, but shrieking and wailing. I wanted to touch Abbott, apologize for saying anything, tell him to stop. However, instinct told me he wouldn’t stop, and my interference wouldn’t be seen in a good light. Also, he’d taken a moment to assure me Piers could heal from this.
However, I watched in horror as Piers seemed to be... melting? His features looked like a candle that had been in the sun for too long, and his screams, such pain and anguish, were gradually lowering in volume if not in octave. His eyes reflected his terror, like a wild animal. Panicked. Trapped. Tortured.
When he finally collapsed, Piers’ features were blurred and my mind went back to the candle analogy. It was as if a statue had been carved into wax, and then put in the sun long enough to get soft, but not long enough to begin actually melting.
Remembering I was in a room full of beings who could smell fear, surprise, shock, and disgust, I concentrated on keeping my breathing steady, and on not allowing my brain to register what had happened on anything but a superficial level. I could sense what Abbott had done, and tried to analyze the logistics of it instead of the reality of it. Somehow Abbott had, I don’t know... stirred him on a cellular level? The vampire equivalent of the microwave, maybe? The Master Vampire had somehow blended Piers’ energy into a single vibration instead of the multiple vibrations that normally created the symphony of Piers’ customary energy signature. It had to have been quite painful. Once Piers was down, had finally stopped screaming, and seemed to be unconscious, another vampire said, “Master, with your permission we will take him to his room.”
“Not his room. Lock him in one of the chambers below. When he awakens make sure he has as much bagged blood as he wants, but do not let him out, or any humans in. He and I need to have a long talk before his release.” He gave orders as the Master Vampire, and I understood why some referred to him as The Abbott. His voice both turned me on and terrified me, and I hoped the stench of Piers terror still permeated the room so no one could smell my emotions and physical reactions.
“Yes, Master. As you order, so shall it happen.” The vampire gave a low bow and held it, one hand swept out to the side and the other at the small of his back, frozen as if waiting for permission to stand.
Abbott put his hand around my waist and told the room, “If I could please have Josef, Kendra, Gavin, Alexander, and Fawne join Kirsten and me in the second floor office?” His voice had reverted to his everyday voice, though I could still hear a touch of steel in it, as if it would take some time for all of the power to fade.
I walked with him, focused on the door out of the room as we walked. Something told me a smile at this moment would anger those who were friends with Piers, so I didn’t look at anyone as I had no idea what my facial expression should be.
Abbott led me to a beautiful hardwood staircase with carved and flowing bannisters, and we went up. At the top we went a short ways down a hallway and he stopped at a closed door, unlocked it with a key, and motioned me into a well-appointed office decorated in hunter greens and lots of dark wood. “Please, have a seat,” he said as he nodded towards a sofa. “I have a bedroom here, but I presume it would be inappropriate to take you there.”
I sat and crossed one leg over the other, trying to look relaxed. “You presumed correctly.”
Five vampires had arrived by this time, and the last one closed the door. Abbott turned some music on and told me, “Under normal circumstances our hearing is good enough that anything said anywhere in the house can likely be heard by a vampire from much of the building. This room has acoustical material behind the walls, ceilings, and floors, and special sound absorbing paint on the walls and ceiling. With music playing, the rest of the house cannot hear if we speak in normal tones.”
He looked around the room and told the other vampires, “Please, find a seat or get comfortable. I wanted you to talk to Kirsten a bit and actually get to know her. Also, I need for everyone to understand why she’s under our protection.” He hesitated a beat and added, “It is as much to protect our people as it is to protect her. Mordecai sent two men to collect her earlier today. She saw two kidnappers trying to take her against her will, and she killed them.”
One of the men asked Abbott, “She killed two of Mordecai’s people and she’s still alive?” He looked speculatively at me, then back to Abbott. “You said she’s human, so how did she manage to kill them?”
“Yes, she is obviously still alive, though I, too, was concerned for her safety when I first heard the news. Fortunately, Mordecai realized he and his people were out of line, as she thought she was being kidnapped and reacted in self-defense. He’s apologized, and has offered to train her.” He paused, as if deciding how best to say whatever came next. “As to how she killed them, she is an extraordinary human. One should think twice before challenging her, even if she were not under the protection of myself and Aaron Drake.”
I was pretty sure I hadn’t told him all of that, so he must’ve spoken with someone else about it as well. Also, I didn’t like where he seemed to be going, so I looked around the room at the vampires as I said, “Abbott is making me sound like some kind of bad-ass or something, but I’m just a middle-aged human who’s been thrust into the middle of some crazy supernatural power games. I’m a vegetarian, in part because I don’t want an animal to have to die in order for me to live. I buy free range eggs because I don’t want chickens to have to live in cramped up cages their entire lives.” I looked back to Abbott and added, “I don’t kill for sport, I only kill in self-defense. I am NOT a bad-ass.”
Abbott looked at the other five vampires. “You see her charm? She doesn’t realize most of the vampires downstairs would not be capable of killing two of Mordecai’s men, and I am not positive everyone in this room, could, either. And yet she, a human, did so. She doesn’t consider herself a bad-ass, and yet most of the supernatural world will consider her just that.”
I uncrossed my legs and leaned forward with my hands on the sofa on either side of my knees, grasping the edge of the cushion. “But I don’t
want
to be seen that way. I want to be known for my honor and kindness.”
His smile almost patronizing as he said, “Let me make introductions again. This is Gavin, he lives here full time and has the master suite. He is next in line after me, and as my second in command he’s in charge when I’m not around. Next in line is Kendra; she and I have known each other a very long time. I will give you her cell phone number, and if you ever need anything and cannot reach me then you should call her. You may also want to email her your schedule with Mordecai, so she can keep an eye on things when you’re here until we are sure the rest of the house is going to make you feel welcome. I hope you and Kendra can become friends.”
Okay, Kendra is important and apparently I can trust her to help me. She was beautiful, probably five foot eight inches tall and I’d guess a size three. She was dressed in very classic and flowing clothes, pastel pink slacks with a matching blouse, and over all of it was a knee length pastel pink lightweight sweater jacket. I couldn’t have pulled it off, but she wore it beautifully. She had long dirty-blonde hair in a stylish cut, vibrant blue eyes, and her makeup was done perfectly. In contrast, Gavin was dressed in black leather pants, no shirt, and he was barefoot — and he had the body and super-ripped muscles to pull it off. He had hazel eyes and jet black hair, and had the bad-boy look that made so many women cream their panties.