Defying Eternity (An Obscure Magic Book 5) (8 page)

“You are right. This way.” He rose and tugged at her hand, pulling her to her feet.

She walked with him. He tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow with a gesture so natural that she knew he had done it hundreds of times.

They headed toward her new room, and he led her past it to the door at the end of the hall. He opened the door, and they were in a room that made her apartments look teeny.

“These are my quarters. Feel free to visit if you need to talk.”

Somehow, when he said the word
talk,
it sounded far more intriguing than it should. He walked past the fireplace and pressed his hand to the wall. Hard. A stone shifted and a doorway opened.

“Keep hold of my hand. There are objects down here that do not enjoy daylight, but red lamps are inside the display room.”

She took his hand and followed him down a set of steep stairs into the darkness.

At the bottom of the steps, he put an arm around her and pulled her into a small vestibule. While she was plastered against him, he reached behind her and opened another door. He steered her through it and closed the door behind them until they were in absolute darkness.

Leo could hear her breathing and nothing else.

“I am turning the red light on.”

She heard the soft click of a switch, and red light bathed a warehouse full of items on display.

“Oh my...” She looked at the books, scrolls, daggers, tablets and thousands of other items in the collection.

“Choose what you think the director would get the most use out of. The blood chalice of Irka-Set is particularly charming.” He walked over to a cup carved out of ruby.

“Why would you part with any of this?” She looked around and waved her hands at the displays.

“To have you at my side, of course. It is a price I was more than willing to pay, and I still am.”

She was glad the red light would hide the blush that he seemed to bring on so easily. “Well, show me what you had in mind when it came up. You must have had some items in mind. Oh, but they do need to be light safe.”

“Right. Well, this is the blood chalice used by an ancient god to turn his people from mortal into immortal. It would be a good choice and an excellent draw.”

“It seems priceless.”

He chuckled and drew her down the line. “Everything in this room is. They are parts of vampire history. Having them on public display would be good for our social profile.”

He showed her nineteen items that he was considering for display.

“Too many. Keep it to ten and add to the collection every year as a tax deduction. You get to have them pay for the security to store it and insure it, and there is more room to keep your collection growing. Do you have provenance for all of this?”

“In the podium under the item. Each one has a full binder of all origin documentation.” Matthias smiled. “Have I mentioned how I enjoy your changing modes from embarrassed to workplace Valkyrie looking for victims?”

She felt the embarrassment rush over her again. “Um, it isn’t something I really have control over.”

He pulled her toward him, and he leaned down to kiss her softly. “Pick your ten and I will have them sent over to the museum.”

She rattled off her list, and he smiled; the expression was eerie in the light.

He took her hand and led her back to the entrance, turning off the light before opening the door. She stumbled when they climbed the stairs, and he caught her, holding her to his side as they walked up into the daylight world.

He escorted her back to her room. “Go to sleep. Your purse, laptop and meal have all been delivered.”

“How do you do that?”

Matthias laughed and held up his phone. “I can text and talk at the same time. The modern age is truly a marvel. Reed loves his phone.”

“What about Dorn?”

“Well, he is slow to change.”

Leo snickered. “Well, if I don’t see you before I leave, have a nice weekend.”

“Oh, you will see me. As I am sending you into the lair of a vampire king, you will bring a gift from me. It might not be enjoyable to deliver it, but you are my assistant.”

With that cryptic mention, he walked away. She decided not to worry about what she had to bring.

As Leo stepped into her bedroom and closed the door behind her, she sent a text to her sister.
Tonight, I get to ride in a helicopter! Wheeee!

Matthias slid his hand under her hair and kissed her wildly. Leo froze in shock for a moment until her heart started pounding and her palms found themselves pressed against his chest. When he let her go, she looked at her guards, and they both had politely disinterested looks on their faces.

“I am supposed to give
that
to Olvadi?” She licked her lips, and his eyes lit as he watched the movement.

“Oh, no. I have a lily watered with my own blood.” He waved his hand, and Dorn walked up to them with the lily in his hands.

She frowned. “Then what was the kiss?”

“Practice. I will see you when you get back, Leonora.”

She took the lily and walked to the helicopter that was sitting in the centre of the huge lawn.

Leo sat between Lima and Coren. She was a dwarf and he was a pixie. They both looked like they ate horseshoes for breakfast.

She put on the protective headphones and sat back as the blades of the helicopter began to whirl. She dug her phone out of the purse that Coren was watching over, and as they lifted off, she took pictures of the manor, the city and the skyline.

When she had finished being a tourist, she put her phone away and sat there, rubbing her fingers over her lips for the rest of the one-hour trip.

The city of Arbor was lovely, and the skyscrapers were attention getting. Redbird seemed small in comparison.

“Where are we going to land?”

Coren grinned. “On the tower of the dragon of Arbor.”

The tower in question was a mirrored-glass building that spiked the sky. The helicopter lined up, and the pilot landed them efficiently.

Two figures were waiting for them on the helipad.

Lima got out and held out her hand. Leo took the hint and exited the aircraft. Coren carried her bag and her computer.

A woman with long black hair came forward with a smile. “Hello. You must be Ms. Wicks.”

“I am; you can call me Leo.”

“I am Zora; this is Regick. We will be your hosts for the next two days.”

Leo shook Zora’s hand and then turned to the man with golden skin next to her. “Pleased to meet you.”

He looked her over, and his lips quirked in a smile. “Matthias has surprised me again.”

He extended his hand, and she took it. The power that he exuded was palpable; it went along with the easy attitude of control.

She brushed off the comment and smiled. “These are my... companions. Lima and Coren.”

Zora nodded; a gust of wind whipped her hair around Regick. Surprisingly, he smiled.

Leo blanked her face. “Please, lead the way.”

She wasn’t going to involve herself in their lives, as curious as she was about their relationship. She had never met a dragon shifter before. The final briefing that she had gotten in the yard before she left had told her one thing—mind her own business. Some species didn’t enjoy questions.

She followed her hosts, and her guards followed her. They were basically with her to make sure that she ate regularly and was not molested in a permanent fashion. Apparently, temporary molestation was fine.

They headed down to a living level—a penthouse that was completely astonishing in the views that it afforded of the skyline.

A gargoyle was waiting next to a stack of documents at a wide table, and when she sat down with the dragon, his wife and the gargoyle, she found out what they were willing to pay for the freedom of Octavia.

When she had all of the information, she finished the cup of tea and checked the clock. It was only ten in the evening. She was probably going to faint when the connection to Matthias kicked in and that was going to hurt her position as his representative.

She had two hours to complete this entire process, or at least to introduce herself and start the negotiations.

She tapped the lily and smiled at the scent that shivered out of the flower.

Zora looked from Leo to the gargoyle. “Are you ready?”

Leo nodded. “I am ready. We can leave whenever Leah is ready.”

The gargoyle nodded and smiled. “I am ready. Let’s bring Octavia home.”

Leo got to her feet, picked up her plant and followed the gargoyle out of the building and into an SUV limo. Lima and Coren were with her all the way.

She hadn’t anticipated being kept waiting. The clock ticked by, and it was eleven by the time she was able to introduce herself to the vampire king.

“Greetings, your majesty, from Matthias of Redbird City. I have brought you a gift from Matthias.” She nodded her head and then met his crimson gaze.

Olvadi leaned forward and laughed. “He sends me a flower? I thought that you were the gift.”

She inclined her head. “I have in my hands a lily watered with Matthias’s own blood.”

The laughter died. “You are serious?”

“Delivered to me the moment before I left.”

Olvadi nodded to one of his attendants, and the skittish vampire nearly dropped the lily as she carried it over to her king.

The king took it with reverence, inhaling the fragrance. “It is a princely gift. I will have to offer him something of equal value.”

“I believe you are aware of the reason that I am here.”

He sighed and made a gesture.

A pale, thin vampire called out, “Court is closed.”

Olvadi heaved himself to his feet, and he towered over her. He reached out and touched Leo’s cheek. “Matthias has surprised me.”

“Apparently, he does that a lot.”

He turned and left the room. She followed him with her entourage trailing after. Leah, Coren and Lima stayed close. They walked up some long, low stairs, down some hallways and into a boardroom.

The woman with the shaking hands was at his side, flinching whenever he moved. He sprawled lazily in his chair—the literal king of all he surveyed.

Leah faced him across the table, seated with her wings folded behind her, and Leonora stood next to the table, between them as arbitrator.

“We are here to obtain the possession of the vampire Octavia.”

Olvadi reached out and pulled Octavia against his side. “I do not think so. She has been mine for centuries, and I will not release her any time soon.”

Leonora watched as Octavia’s emotional stability cracked, just for an instant.

This was why she was here. “Your majesty, as you are aware, if a fair offer is made for one of your retainers, you must at least listen to it.”

He looked at her and gave her a slow leer from head to toe. In a moment, he was out of his chair and had grabbed her to pin her against the wall. He slid his hand up her inner thigh. “What will Matthias give me to consider it?”

When his rough fingers caressed the marks that Matthias had left on her, she felt a surge of heat that filled her from her core outward. She grabbed Olvadi’s throat and squeezed. The sensation must have startled him, because he dropped his hand and stepped back.

“I am here to ensure that you listen to the offer, Olvadi. I gave you all the respect due you as king of this city, but you will not lay hands on the apprentice of Matthias again.”

Olvadi’s eyes widened as she backed him up to his chair.

“Resume negotiations and resign yourself that Octavia will be leaving your service.”

He scowled. “I do not wish to part with her.”

“You assaulted a representative of Matthias. Be happy that this is all he demands.” Leo stood silently and watched as the threat she had issued was obeyed.
Cool.

Her body was humming with energy, and her mind was calm. A green wash had come over her senses, and she could see the seething red of Olvadi, the cool pearl colour of Leah and the rioting hot pink of Octavia.

Lima and Coren were a shade of pale green, one swirling with grey and one with blue.

She glanced down at herself, and she was bright emerald green, swirling with a soft violet.
Huh. Neat.

The connection between her and Matthias hadn’t been too bad after all. It had come a little early. She was going to have to look into that.

She remained on her feet for hours. Checking the two negotiators when they slipped up and got personal was a little strange, but it wasn’t the first time she had seen a negotiation. It was, however, the first time that she had seen a negotiation for a living being.

The territories and buildings that were being offered were impressive, but Olvadi pressed for more. Octavia was being offered for far more than market value.

She was hungry, tired, and she had had enough. Leo slammed her hand down on the table. “Enough.”

It amused her that even Olvadi jumped.

Leo turned. “Olvadi, you are a king, the ruler of a city that has laws guarding the rights of nightsiders and daysiders?”

“Correct.”

“And yet, you reserve the right to torture one of your own people for no crime or offense committed. How is it that you are above your own laws?”

“I am the king.”

She cocked her head. “So, by that logic, I could take your head off and rule over your people simply because I can?”

“It would mean war.” He jutted his chin out, but she could see indecision flickering in his eyes.

Leo tsked. “Not really. A city under my rule would be a fair and just place with the offenders punished.”

“You could not.”

Leo pointed at Olvadi, and he lifted from his chair to be pinned on the ceiling. She felt him scrabbling at her mind, and she smiled as he ran up against the wall of her calm.

“You will agree to the sale price of the two nightclubs, the ninety acres of land outside the city and the tailor shops.”

He thrashed, but she held him to the ceiling. “Agreed.”

“None of those here will speak of the means by which the negotiations concluded.” She lowered him back into his seat.

He cocked his head. “What do you mean I was torturing her?”