The Vampires' Birthright (10 page)

Garvan’s cold fingers grazed the back of my neck while the clasp to the even colder diamond necklace was set in place.

I didn’t even need a mirror to tell me the necklace looked fabulous. No telling the worth of the piece, but the artisanship was so refined and the individual stones so brilliant that it would enhance any woman’s beauty.

“Thank you so much, Garvan, they are quite lovely,” I said. “I’ll return them to you in pristine condition when the party’s over.”

Even though he couldn’t be roused that afternoon to come to my rescue, I still considered him my chief male protector.

“Now, will you escort me to the place where this gala is to be held tonight?” I fluttered my eyes while fanning them as if I held a Chinese paper
shànzi
.

“It would be my ultimate pleasure to do so!” He beamed while casting a proud glance toward Armando. Tyreen had her left arm hooked inside Armando’s—a more than suitable distraction for her to temporarily forget about her loved ones left behind in America. “But the diamonds are my gift to you, Txema. Think of it as an early Christmas present.”

I gasped. I didn’t doubt for a moment that this necklace could buy the house I grew up in. My eyes met Garvan’s, and for a moment, he lowered his guard. A glimpse of his soul emerged from beneath the vampire mantel he wore. A stronger hint of amorous longing than I’d seen before shone in his eyes, and yet such loneliness therein, as well. Since I had become aware of the pheromones and subtle (and I believe completely subconscious) telepathic attraction that vampires exert upon humans, I knew better than to trust my own feelings of romantic attraction toward their kind―although I must admit that even in knowing this, I still keenly felt it. Seeing the anguish in his eyes, I knew I must do a much better job of protecting his heart than I did when I went gallivanting with Racco in France. Garvan was no mere predator, consumed by his hunger, and deserved better than that.

“Chanson… should we walk or fly to the ballroom?” said Armando.

“This place has a ballroom?” Tyreen and I asked in unison.

And here I was kidding about an actual gala to Garvan.

“Of course it does,” said Chanson with a smirk. She waited for all of us to join her and Raquel in the hallway. “Huangtian Dadi is many things, but he is first and foremost a vampire, and we do so love to gather amongst ourselves and brag about our power and wealth, if nothing else. Garvan, if you’ll secure Txema to where she doesn’t lose a shoe or anything else, flying will be fine.”

“Consider it done!”

Before I could respond, the frigid air grew even colder, but only for a moment. The world around me became a blur, and unlike the last time I did this, the rooms, corridors, and kitchens we soon passed through were warm. Perhaps the universe was rewarding me in some small way for the traumas it had heaped upon me of late?

That delusion was busted a few short seconds later when a blast of arctic air greeted me, even more frigid than that seeping through the window upstairs. We zoomed from the palace’s main building and past the rest of the complex, until we reached a two-story pagoda-like structure. Torches on long, thick poles surrounded the building, and the large glass windows enclosed the bottom section.

I realized that it was absurd, but the beveled glass reminded of window-shopping with my mother in the upscale antique shops (usually spelled ‘shoppe’ on the sign) in Richmond when I was a child. My stomach knotted with a sense of nostalgia brought on, no doubt, by the season. The ornate copper decorations upon the exterior had long since oxidized, splashing the scene with unexpected colors.

As I thought of my mother, I moved my hand to my belly. Would I someday have a chance to take my own daughter on such wonderful, yet mundane quests? The magic was spoiled for me, and I felt a moment of fear for our safety. My gaze darted about in a frantic search for the security features. Thankfully, a fifteen-foot wall surrounded the complex. I supposed I didn’t have to worry too much about Ralu’s Chinese defectors leaping over the wall and attacking us at the palace’s weakest point. Then again, we already had other vampires in our midst who were potentially a much worse menace. I shivered at the thought about who would win the fight between a raptor-like dragon and one of Ralu’s deformed warriors. With any luck, they would all kill each other.

“Here we are. Before you step inside, I want you to close your eyes for a moment,” said Chanson, oblivious to my internal thoughts. It was nice to have some vestiges of privacy once more.

Her expression was quite mischievous, as if she had an incredible prank to play upon me. Or did she find amusement in the fact the mink stole was a small deterrent for the not-so-balmy temperatures at present. I shivered to make the point. I seriously doubted the North or South poles could be any colder right then. I definitely didn’t want to linger outside the building that supposedly housed a ballroom—especially when I noticed a roaring fire in one corner of the main floor. It was hard to tell by the distorted images through the windows, but it looked like the fireplace was huge. Shimmering shapes moved about inside, making it look like a good crowd.

I closed my eyes, and at Chanson’s request, so did Tyreen. A few seconds later, Tyreen let out a joyous yelp followed by “Oh my God!”

I peeked, thinking Tyreen must not have closed hers, but before I could call her on it, my mouth fell open and all I could do was stare through the now open doorway. Tears welled up, blurring the image nearly as effectively as the ancient glass had done seconds before.

A myriad of colored lights had come to life inside the pagoda. There were evergreen wreaths and garland, along with a tall cedar tree also covered with lights in the middle of the floor.

“Won’t you come in?” said a familiar voice I had been missing.

“Franz? I can’t believe you’re finally here—where have you
been?”

The last of my vampire protectors stood in the doorway, dressed in a full black tuxedo complete with tails. Franz Blutliebhaber looked the most uncomfortable of any guy I’d ever seen. Not that he alone was dressed like this; I had seen at least forty other male vampires moving about the room. Franz’s piercing blue eyes and high cheekbones made him look like the classic rugged blonde movie star. His dazzling smile would make most girls―and quite a few guys―swoon, but I knew he’d rather be wearing combat fatigues or something else far more casual with a long trench coat.

“Oh, it’s so
good
to see you!” I said, as I threw my arms around him. His sage-like musk scent enveloped me. “Where have you been?”

“I returned to France with Racco and his crew after we dropped you here. Gustav sent me and some others to try to infiltrate the smaller nations of Europe.
Our
nations, you understand? To gain information, and if possible, allies.”

I nodded.

He continued, “Ralu’s advance is ruthless. Scandinavia, Eastern Europe… they have all either knelt or fallen. I will not lie to you, Txema, it is very grim. I flew in this evening with some of Racco’s people, to be with you for the next few days, but we must rejoin Racco in his villa in Milan.”

I’m sure my smile faded, despite every effort on my part to hold it steady. To be sure, the situation sounded dire, but it was more than that. For some reason, hearing about Racco’s latest whereabouts was like a cold stiletto blade through my heart. Why didn’t he come, too? Garvan, of course, looked relieved the situation with the, well, there is no easy way to put it,
ancient,
alchemist is complicated, and with my hormones being all over the place at the moment, my relationship status on all social media is just “holding pattern.”

“The party is waiting for you, Txema!” Armando wagged a finger that said no-no-no! “If you’d like to share my body’s temperature, then keep on talking outside, and you should achieve that experience in the next few minutes. As for the rest of us… follow me to the blood cocktails and some overdue fun!”

He disappeared, taking Tyreen with him. I was buffeted by the wind as they sped by, along with the slight echo from Tyreen’s surprised yelp. Meanwhile, Chanson, Raquel, and Garvan joined Franz and me outside the doorway.

“It’s good to see you, brother!” said Garvan to Franz. “Come, let’s all share a drink!”

Standing between Franz and me with his arms around us both, Garvan herded the rest of us into the building. To my surprise, the appearance of having a second floor was a façade, as the building held one big room with a high ceiling. The gilded walls and window frames bore intricate oriental designs similar to the building’s exterior. Torches and candles were everywhere, and the colored lights turned out to be small candles attached to colored glass—much like the original colored lights used more than a century ago in America.

The ballroom was much bigger than it appeared from outside, and it contained another fireplace in addition to the one I saw. The air was comfortable, despite the entrance being open and from my count at least eighty vampires present. In addition to the holiday pine boughs and lights, the decorated cedar tree in the middle of the room was spectacular. Silver, gold, and red glass ornaments covered it from top to bottom, along with gold and silver garland.

Tyreen nodded approvingly as she took all of this in. “Ain’t this the shit?” she said. “And for you, sister, they’ve even got some French guy over there in the corner slicing a roast.”

“No way.”

I couldn’t see what she was talking about at first, but then I saw Racco’s personal assistant, Mercel, waving to me from near one of the fireplaces. No doubt, the spot was chosen since it was likely the warmest place in the room. Tyreen was right, in addition to a small bar and carving table, it looked as if he had also cooked up some steamed vegetables and brought along several deserts, as well.

If anyone could tell me where Racco was, it was Mercel!

The question must have been written all over my face as Raquel and Chanson joined me.

“Now you know that we’ll do anything to keep you from getting too homesick.” Raquel looked up at me and smiled and I was once against grateful for the obfuscation of my thoughts.

The fact that this tiny yet ferocious vampire had come to really like me since our first meeting in Tennessee nearly two months earlier wasn’t lost on me. I felt guilty for the unintentional deception, but also happy that she didn’t know my true thoughts for I knew in my heart that if that bond had not developed, then this afternoon’s attack might’ve turned out far worse for me.

“Go on over there and verify this isn’t some cruel illusion on our part.”

I waited for a small smile to assure me that she was joking, but none came. I sent up a silent prayer as I walked in that direction. Surely, they would not be so cruel. A meal including neither rice nor some version of lo mein was not asking too much. I believe I would’ve cried if what I saw before me wasn’t the real deal.

However, moving through the crowd of vampires almost dampened my raging hunger. It was the way that some of them looked at me… eyeing me with distrust and anger. I was the only thing keeping them from becoming some kind of overgrown rat dog; I really didn’t understand why they hated me. I made a mental not to ask Chanson about that later. Certainly not all of the vampires were in such a foul mood, and most probably had no use for human holidays like Christmas. Whether by some quirk of fate or nature, I have yet to meet a vampire that didn’t love a good party… it depended on how these creatures define such an event. Thankfully, this particular Christmas Eve found the majority of patrons more than content to dance, sing, and enjoy the ample flying space above us. I stopped and watched a pair dance an aerial waltz breathtaking in its beauty and grace. They seemed to lift and swell on the rising music.

It was a sight I would never forget.

For those who chose to stay more grounded, the free-flowing golden vats of human blood I had first seen in France surely kept some spirits aloft. Vampire after vampire filled their wine goblets, and most sought to mix and match types as if they were some kinds of bartenders seeking out the perfect Manhattan or Martini, some even went so far as to garnish with paper umbrella or lime wedge on the glass. I prayed that what was offered contained no contributions from some poor Chinese kid. Or an unwilling and dismembered parent, for that matter.

“It’s nice to see you again, Mademoiselle Ybarra!” Mercel smiled as I approached his station. His accent seemed less pronounced than the last time I spoke with him. “Is your preference still merlot, and if so would you care for a glass of… almost wine, since you are with child?”

“Honey, you can just hand me the whole damned bottle of the real stuff!” I said and then motioned to let him know it was a joke when he started to hand me one of Racco’s prized merlots that he had stashed beneath the serving table. It must’ve been intended only for him and possibly the helicopter pilot or other staff members, since they were the only humans besides me. “A glass of the sparkling grape soda will be fine, I guess, although it ain’t nothing like the real thing. I definitely would like a little of everything else you’ve got there!”

He laughed, revealing his generous smile. A handsome blue-eyed blonde, and perhaps Racco’s most devoted servant, he eyed me curiously for a moment, as if he had a secret that he was eager to reveal.

“So, how is Racco?” I hoped if he did have a secret to tell, it involved his boss. “Is he well?”

I felt a nudge from behind and glanced back at Chanson. She had two crimson-filled goblets in her hands.

She leaned in close and whispered, “Be careful what you talk about. Protect your heart cousin. Remember,
we
are the ones who love you.” Before I could respond, she scurried away to Raquel, handing her one of the goblets.

“He talks about you all the time,” said Mercel, quietly.

I watched him glance toward the spot where Chanson and Raquel stood, and where Franz, Armando, and Garvan had also gathered. They all glanced at me at the same time. It gave me the queerest sense of déjà vu… me talking about Racco and someone in my vampire entourage watching me with disdain. Only this time, he wasn’t here, and my companions’ reactions were tepid smiles instead of the outright scorn I endured at Racco’s castle in the Pyrenees.