Kindling Flames: Smoke Rising (The Ancient Fire Series Book 3) (17 page)

“Darien.”

Vicky’s voice drew Darien out of the Monday morning reports he was reading. He looked up at his assistant walking through his office door.

“Rupert is here to talk about the arrangements for the ball on Wednesday night.”

The alpha werewolf followed her into the room without waiting for Darien to reply.

“Thank you, Victoria.” Folding up the paperwork he was reading through, he found the file that contained all the information on the party plans. Darien glanced at the clock on his computer. “Are you heading to lunch?” he asked Vicky.

“Yes,” she replied. “Did you want me to bring you anything?”

“Please.”

“Your usual?”

“And a turkey sandwich.”

Vicky raised her eyebrows at Darien’s odd request but didn’t say anything as she turned to Rupert. “Would you like anything to eat?” she asked the werewolf.

“Roast beef,” Rupert said.

Nodding, Vicky left to get lunch for the two men.

Rupert pulled off his jacket and tossed it onto one of the leather chairs while he sat in the other. “A turkey sandwich?” he settled in to finalize arrangements with Darien.

“What about it?” Darien asked, slightly defensive of his food choice.

A grin curled the edges of Rupert’s mouth. “You just don’t seem much like a turkey man to me.”

Darien chuckled and shook his head. “So, is everything ready for Wednesday?” He cracked open the file.

“Hardly.” Rupert sighed and started into the details of the preparations. “The first of the shipments arrived this morning, and we had just started unpacking when Lady Arachne showed up and ran half my wolves out of the building.”

Darien chuckled at the thought of the werewolves running from a few little spiders. “Couldn’t handle a few creepy crawlies?” he poked at the alpha, amused.

“I can handle a few,” Rupert shivered, “not ten thousand or better.”

Darien’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I swear, that place is blanketed in spiders right now, and not just the little bitty ones. There were some nearly a foot across. Cassie had a panic attack when those little buggers started pouring out of Arachne’s dress. I had to carry her out of the building.”

Darien was shocked. “Is she all right?” he asked, concerned.

“She will be,” Rupert nodded. “She went over to Elliot’s to rest for a while. His menagerie has taken quite a liking to her.”

“They’ll take good care of her,” Darien reassured him. “So, what else needs to be done?” He steered the conversation back on course.

“Lord Dakine will be stopping by this evening to set the barrier that will contain the lesser fay, and several of the masters have offered people from their menageries to help with any decorating not taken care of by Arachne.” Rupert ticked off each arrangement on his fingers. “I’ve already received word from Lady Aine that the lesser fay are excited about helping with the costumes, but I’m worried about that one.” He looked up from his hand at Darien. “Can we really let them run wild like that?” It was common knowledge that the fay loved to mess with mortals, and not all the tricks they played were safe.

“It will be fine,” Darien reassured the alpha again. “The circle Dakine is setting will limit what the power the little ones have. Their magic will not last outside of the warehouse, and they’ll be given specific instructions on what they can and cannot do to the party guests.”

“What can we expect from them?” Rupert’s voice was filled with concern for his pack.

“Glamor,” Darien explained. “Since it’s a masquerade ball, the little ones will be in charge of the costumes for the guests. We’ve asked them to consider their subject’s wishes when choosing the disguise, but otherwise, they will be given free rein. The only limitation we are imposing on them is physical transformations, so no turning anyone into animals.”

Rupert nodded his understanding. “My wolves are excited.” He scooted forwards in his seat. Now that he was sure his pack would be safe, excitement bubbled off the alpha. “It’ll be the first time most of them have had dealings with the lesser fay, and none of us have ever been to this type of party before.”

“It’s been a long time since one of these functions has been held outside of Fairy.” Darien shifted in his seat as they talked. “I think it will be a lot of fun for everyone.” The energy rolling off Rupert was hard to ignore. The two men continued on with the plans that still needed to be addressed. If all went well, this would be the first of many functions that the three groups shared.

***

“Hey, Vicky.” Sue smiled as Darien’s PA stepped up to her counter. “The usual?”

“Hey, Sue,” Vicky answered the spunky werewolf behind the café counter. “If you don’t mind, and I also need another cup of black coffee, two turkey sandwiches, and one roast beef.” Vicky added the lunch order to her normal request for coffee.

Sue started pulling out things to make the coffees. “Hungry today?”

“It’s not all for me.” Vicky picked up a couple of the clementines on the counter and dropped them into her bag. The mini citrus fruits were Darien’s favorite food. “Rupert stopped by to finalize the plans for Wednesday.”

Sue shot her a confused look before starting in on the sandwiches. “That explains the roast beef, but two turkeys?” Sue looked at Vicky. “You seem a little different today. Are you eating for two?”

“I’d better not be,” Vicky scoffed. “Someone told me they couldn’t have kids.” She smiled to take the edge off her words. “The other sandwich is for Darien.”

“He’s been eating a lot more food lately.” Sue packed the meal up for Vicky. “He almost never had anything more than coffee until recently.”

“I’ve noticed that, too,” Vicky said, slightly concerned. “He’s been acting a little weird as of late. Lord Dakine was over on Saturday to check him out but couldn’t find anything wrong with him.” Vicky and Darien had a long talk after Elliot had left. He filled her in on what Dakine had said about his condition.

“Well, I’m sure everything will turn out okay.” Sue set a bag up on the countertop. “But you still seem different.”

“Probably just the fact that I am tired. Between the accident and the marks from Zak and Darien, I have had a busy week.” Vicky sounded thoughtful as she slipped the sandwiches into her messenger bag so she could balance the coffees in her hands.

Sue stared at her, openmouthed. “Darien and Zak marked you?” She squealed in excitement.

Vicky paused, surprised by the strange reactions. “Umm… yes.” Vicky didn’t know why Sue would be so worked up over the actions.

Sue bounced behind the counter. “That’s fantastic.”

Vicky stared at her, lost for words.

Seeing that Vicky didn’t understand, Sue explained, “Marks aren’t just a way for supernatural creatures to claim someone. They’re a connection between two people. They bind you together on a much deeper level than anything else. If you concentrate on the connection, you can actually feel what the other person is feeling over any distance. You will always be close to them.”

Vicky suddenly understood what Darien had been talking about at the party. He wasn’t exaggerating when he told her he wanted to feel her. He wanted the ability to touch her no matter where she was. “I… I had no idea,” Vicky said, stunned.

Sue patted her on the hand. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Vicky answered, unsure how she felt about this development. She looked from the smiling wolf to the cups on the counter. “I had better get these back to the guys.” Vicky gathered up the cups.

“I’ll see you later.” Sue bounced, happy for her.

Vicky balanced the cups as she walked back to the elevators that would take her back to her office. Her mind churned on these new facts as she rode up to the men waiting for their food. That must have been what had upset Darien so much when Zak had marked her. She chuckled as she stepped out on her floor. It would have pissed her off, too, if someone suddenly had that level of intimacy with Darien. Vicky also understood why the little hellhound hadn’t tried to hurt Darien after the party like he had after the accident. If Zak could know her feelings, he would have seen how much Vicky had needed the vampire on Saturday. She set the cups down on her desk before separating out her food and taking the rest in to the men.

“They can come in wolf form if they want, but they will miss out on all the fun involved with the masquerade,” Darien pointed out as Vicky brought lunch over to his desk.

“All right,” Rupert gave in, “I will let them all know. So, they don’t need to bring anything?”

“Just themselves.” Darien nodded as Vicky divided the food out. “We’ll take care of everything else.” He caught her hand after she set his sandwich on the table for him. “Thank you.” Looking up at her, he squeezed her hand lightly.

She smiled and squeezed back before leaving the two men to their lunch.

“I saw that,” Rupert grinned as he popped open the container around his food.

Darien just sighed contently as he broke into his meal.

Rupert looked back to the closed door thoughtfully for a moment. “You know, there is something different about her today, but I just can’t place it.”

“What do you mean?” Darien sat up straighter and looked at the door.

“She has a different feel to her.” Rupert shrugged and turned back to the desk. Picking up his sandwich, he took a big bite. “Not bad, just unusual,” he muttered around the mouthful.

Darien smiled. So his essence was having some effect on her. “Okay.” He picked up his repast and followed Rupert’s example.

The werewolf stopped his chewing and watched his friend tearing a chunk from his bread as if he were starved. “Are you sure you’re a vampire?” Rupert asked as Darien swallowed his first bite of the sandwich and went for a second. “I have wolves that eat more daintily than you do.”

“Yes, I am, now shut up and let me eat my sandwich,” Darien growled before he chomped into his food again.

Rupert chuckled and dug back into his meal.

Darien’s eyes found the door blocking his view of Vicky as they ate. He thought about everything that had happened this week and how it could have changed her. What he didn’t realize was that she was thinking about the same thing. The wall prevented him from watching Vicky run her fingers over the band drawn around her ankle, studying the way the ivy leaves curled on her skin and the fluted orange flowers that littered the vine.

Vicky slid her foot back to the floor and pondered over the markings as she started in on her lunch. She was sure those flowers were purple the last time she looked at the band.

The loose gravel crunched under the tires of the XKR-5 as Darien pulled into the parking area in front of his warehouse shortly after noon on Halloween.

Vicky was surprised to find that there were already several cars left haphazardly across the small area.

Zak leaped happily from her lap as she opened the door. He scampered over to the closest car in his Shih Tzu form to sniff at the tire before peeing on it.

“Zak!” Vicky chided the hellhound as she closed the door. “That’s not nice.”

Darien snickered as he watched the little dog kicking loose dirt up over the mess he had made. “That’ll drive him nuts.” Smiling, Darien led the way to the warehouse. Rupert would surely notice the hellhound had scent-marked his car. Darien held the door open so Zak could scamper into the building.

Vicky glanced back at the black van Zak had claimed before following her boss into the building. She gasped as a strange feeling washed over her when she stepped across the threshold. Looking back at the door, she expected to see torn cobwebs hanging from the frame. “What was that?” Vicky asked when Darien stopped to make sure she was okay.

“The barrier Lord Dakine set up to keep the lesser fay contained,” Darien explained as he took Vicky’s hand.

“It felt… familiar.” Vicky pondered where she had run into something like it before.

“Kind of like when we went to see the Gray Court?” Darien’s eye sparkled as he spoke.

Recognition lit Vicky’s face as she remembered stepping into the mysterious tunnel in the woods. “Almost exactly like that!” Vicky gasped as she looked back at the doorway. “But… how?” She turned her attention to the grinning vampire next to her.

“Lord Dakine extended part of Fairy around the building so the little ones could join us.” Darien pulled his assistant farther into the building as he explained. “It was easier than trying to set up an area here and transporting them over.”

Vicky nodded as they walked towards what looked to be a curtain.

Darien ran his hand across a section of the delicate material until he found the split and pulled it back so they could enter the main room.

Vicky drew in a long, appreciative breath at the gorgeous scene set out before them.

The entire room had been draped in a fine, silvery material that hung in long folds down the walls. Her eyes ran up the material to find it flowed from just above the lights. The cloth draped between the fixtures, effectively lowering the ceiling. It was still high enough to give the flying creatures enough room, but it gave the massive space a cozier feel. All the lines of fabric pulled up to a point high above a huge, crystal chandelier hung over the center of the silver circle on the floor. The warmth of the wood covering the floor added to the intimacy of the room. Groups of chairs and small tables were scattered around the perimeter, intermixed with piles of pillows made of the same stuff as the walls and ceiling. Vicky recovered and followed Darien deeper into the room, where several people were still moving things around. Her eyes scanned over the space and caught flashes of light from mirrors scattered around the walls.

“How are we doing?” Darien asked as he approached the group of people.

“Great,” Rupert answered as he patted a lean man on the shoulder and sent him off with a tall candelabrum. He gave a few more instructions to some other people before turning to greet Darien properly.

“I should just leave this in your hands.” Darien grinned at the alpha ordering people around. “You look like you have everything under control.”

Rupert chuckled at him. “I’m good at keeping people moving.” He took in Darien and Vicky’s casual clothing. “I see you’re ready to help.”

“Of course.” Darien held his arms open wide. “What do you need?”

Rupert laughed at him before turning and leading the new arrivals deeper into the room. “I have Trevor and Lucy setting out the candelabrums and making sure they have new candles in them. Anni, Cassie, and Billy are dressing the buffet tables. Phelan and Mitzy have gone to get a replacement fountain. The one that arrived had been dropped during shipping, and the base leaks.” Rupert sighed. “Dakine sent a few of the fay to help. Turlough enchanted the floor, and Roisin said something about fog, but I haven’t seen them for a while.”

Vicky looked down at the wooden floor as they walked. She could just make out the thin band of silver cutting across its surface.

“What I really need is someone to make sure the mirrors are set up properly,” Rupert said, finally coming to something not crossed off his list.

“We can do that,” Darien offered.

“Great!” Rupert turned his attention to the banquet table. “Those don’t go there!” he yelled at Billy, who was trying to put a large bouquet of flowers in the place where the fountain was supposed to go. “Excuse me,” Rupert said and rushed off to make sure the table was set properly.

“Let’s get started.” Darien turned to Vicky.

Nodding, she followed him over to the center of the room.

He called a strange greeting up to something moving in the chandelier.

“Kian Dubhlainn,” soft, little voices giggled from the rafters.

Vicky recognized some of the lesser fay as they fluttered down to see what the vampire wanted.

“Have you brought cailín to play with us again?” they sang happily to Darien.

“You will have your fun this evening.” He smiled at the happy, little fay flying around him. “Right now, I need to test the mirrors. Would you be so kind as to set us both with light enchantments?”

The fay giggled and swarmed around them.

Vicky scrunched her eyes closed as the magic settled over them.

“Thank you,” a voice she didn’t recognize spoke from where Darien had been.

Opening her eyes, she found a tall man, who she didn’t know, next to her. He wore the same soft T-shirt and jeans Darien had, but his face was very different. His features were chiseled, and his hair was long and blond. Overall, he was quite handsome in a rugged way.

The man turned his blue eyes to Vicky. “You look very nice,” he said as he held out his hand to her. “Come on so we can check the mirrors.”

“Darien?” Vicky questioned before raising a hand to her throat. Her voice didn’t sound right.

The man smiled at her. “That’s right,” he said as it dawned on him that he had forgotten to tell her about the party. “You don’t know.” The man took Vicky’s hand and wrapped it around his arm so he could walk her across the room. “It
is
me,” Darien reassured her. “Tonight’s party is a masquerade ball. It’s customary to dress up so no one knows who you are.”

Vicky nodded as she listened to the strange voice coming from Darien.

“To add a little more fun to the evening, we are taking it a bit further. The lesser fay are going to enchant everyone to make it harder for people to identify who is who. That’s what the mirrors are for.” He pulled her over in front of one of the full-length mirrors set into the wall.

Vicky stared at the handsome man in the reflective surface. Her eyes shifted to the woman next to him, and Vicky looked behind her for the red-haired girl.

Darien laughed. “That’s you.”

“No way!” Vicky gasped as she stepped closer to the mirror to get a better look. She grabbed a handful of the fire-red hair and pulled it around for a better inspection. “This is amazing!”

Darien chuckled again. “This is where the mirrors come in.” He drew Vicky back from the glass and wrapped his arms around her so he framed her. “To find out if you have discovered who your partner is, all you have to do is look in a mirror and say their name.” Darien looked at their reflections and breathed Vicky’s name softly.

Her eyes widened in surprise as her reflection shifted into her normal visage.

“You try it.” He leaned his head over into Vicky’s hair.

“Darien.” Vicky spoke softly and waited for the reflection to melt away to reveal his normal image.

Darien made a noise when nothing happened. “That’s odd.” He stared in the mirror. “Try the name the fay used.”

“Kian Dubhlainn,” Vicky said, but still, nothing happened.

Darien pulled away from her to inspect the mirror closer. “Try—” He tried to give her another name to say, but he couldn’t get the word out. Realizing his error, he laughed. “I forgot about that part.” Darien sighed as he gained control over his mirth. “You can’t say your real name under the enchantment.”

“Darien Ritter isn’t your real name?” Vicky sounded a little put out.

Darien smiled at her to ease the sharp edge of the truth. “Over the last nine hundred years, I’ve had lots of names. Darien is what I go by now.” He turned his attention back to the mirror as he spoke. “Kian Dubhlainn is a title given to me by the fay a long time ago and should have almost as much power over me as my true name.” Running his fingers around the edge of the unframed glass, he felt the magic. “I think I can change this spell to work with the names people are known by.” He fussed with the mirror for another moment before stepping away from it. “Try it now.” Darien took up his place behind Vicky again.

“What name should I use?” Vicky asked, no longer sure who the man she loved was.

“Use—” Darien tried to say his name again and smiled. “I think it will work with my normal name now.”

“Darien,” Vicky said and watched as the image melted into Darien’s face. Looking up at the man behind her, she found that his features hadn’t returned to normal. “You’re not you,” she said, surprised.

“Of course not.” Darien kissed the side of her head. “That would ruin the fun for everyone else.” He led her away to the next mirror to make sure it was working, too. “The only people that see the change in the mirror are the person guessing and the person being guessed.”

“Ah.” Vicky nodded her understanding. “So what’s your real name?”

Darien smiled at her. “That’s not something I usually go around sharing with people.” He wrapped his arms around Vicky in front of the next mirror. “Names have power to them.” Breathing Vicky’s name again, he watched her reflection change.

Vicky said his name more tartly then before, getting the desired result.

“At the moment, it’s impossible for me to speak it.” He kissed the side of her head again before leading her on to the next mirror. “My real name is rather old fashioned, but if you ask me again when this is over, I’ll be happy to tell you.”

Vicky relaxed again, content that Darien was willing to share that with her. “Thank you,” she said as he led her on to the next mirror. “I would like that.”

“Anything to make you happy.” Darien pulled her into him for a hug before they reached the next stop. “I’ve already shared my soul with you, what’s a name?”

Vicky giggled as they went on to check the rest of the mirrors scattered along the walls.

***

“So, how do we get out of these disguises?” Vicky asked as she stood in front of the last mirror, holding Darien’s hand.

“We could step outside the building and let the veil pull the enchantment from us.” He looked over to the far end of the building where the door was. “But, that means we would have to go clear over there and then back here.”

Vicky looked at the distance between them and the door. “Or?” she was sure he had another answer. She squeaked when Darien snagged her and kissed her firmly. Melting into the surprise embrace, she returned the kiss to him.

The cheers and giggles from the lesser fay flitting around in the air echoed around the room.

Vicky drew in a ragged breath when Darien released her and opened her eyes to find the ruggedly handsome blond was replaced by her own sweet Darien with his wavy, brown hair and green eyes.

“The little ones always love a good kiss.” Darien smiled and kissed her softly again.

“I saw that.” Rupert’s voice broke the two apart.

Vicky blushed her embarrassment.

“If you two have time to snog, then you have time to put these out,” he grumped at them as he held out a box of glass globes and votive candles for the tables.

Darien chuckled and took the container from the wolf. “Yes, sir!” he answered and led Vicky away to decorate the tables.

She pulled one of the globes out of the box and set it in the center of the flower ring on the first small table. “So what’s your real name?” Vicky asked casually as she set the candle inside the globe.