“Possible.”
“And wouldn’t it be a crying shame if they lost their sacrifice to me?”
A wide grin grew on my face as he turned over the idea. “You plan to steal another pet?” he asked, reminding me of how I neatly purloined Tristan while Sadira watched. If I stole Nicolai, it could turn into a full-time job keeping the werewolf alive, but that was more of a long-term worry. Right now my main concern was just getting off the island alive. Nicolai was the key to whatever bargain the Coven had set up. It explained why Jabari had sent him after me in the first place. I had the opportunity to disrupt the plan.
“Let’s go get my prize,” I announced, stepping out from behind the tree and starting up the path.
“They know we’re here,” Danaus stated, but I had a feeling that it was meant to sound more like a question.
“Without a doubt.”
“We’re never going to get through the door.”
“Getting in won’t be the problem.” I forced myself to put my foot on the first step leading up to the double doors. Getting out alive was going to be the real trick.
SEVENTEEN
There was no one waiting to rip our heads off when we shoved open the double doors to the Great Hall. I tried to take that as a good sign. Leaving the heavy wood and iron doors open, we turned our attention to the other set of doors that barred the way into the throne room. The candles in the iron candelabras sputtered and danced in the light breeze, with a few snapping out with a wisp of gray smoke. Absently waving my hand in their general direction, I caused the teardrop flames to steady and grow brighter as I scanned the deep, shadowy corners for potential attackers. We might have sensed only five vampires and a scattering of humans, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
We were about to proceed to the main audience chamber when one of the doors opened and Elizabeth slipped through the slim crack. She quickly shut the door behind her again before either of us could sneak a peek into the room. Her pale yellow dress with a high empire waist made her look like a spring tulip. She reminded me vaguely of Napoleon’s Josephine, composed and regal, with her long dark hair artfully piled on her head and diamonds sparkling around her neck.
I halted, resisting the urge to reach for the dagger I had put back in its sheath at my waist. This was the first time I’d seen Elizabeth since I slaughtered Gwen and left her heart on the Elder’s chair. Acts like that didn’t particularly endear you to the Ancients, and I hadn’t exactly counted on a direct confrontation with the nightwalker.
“You have no business here,” she crisply said in English with a faint accent I couldn’t quite place. French possibly, but older. She was a tiny figure, touching five feet only when her hair was piled high on her head in a series of twists and curls. Her hands were closed at her sides but not yet clenched into fists. It was on the tip of my tongue to make some comment that she had been sent like a messenger to stop me from entering the room, but I had enough trouble planned. Why go looking for a small, petty fight like that when I could thumb my nose at the whole Coven at once?
I gave her a slight bow of my head. Not quite the usual subservience I’m sure she’d grown accustomed to, but at least I didn’t try to ignore her. “I have business with Jabari,” I announced.
“And I still have business with you,” she said, lifting her chin so she could look me in the eye. “You destroyed my property.”
“Your property was warned to stay away from my property,” I bit out, taking a step closer so I loomed over her. “Your property was warned of the consequences. If you didn’t want your property damaged, you should have reined it in.” With my heels, I had close to ten inches on this woman, and regardless of the power I knew she wielded, my physical presence and maybe even my reputation were enough to make her take one step backward. Around us, I let the candlelight flicker a bit, with some of the candles going out, breathing new life into the shadows. I hated talking about Gwen like a piece of chattel. I may have despised the creature, but she had been a “living,” sentient creature.
“You owe me, Fire Starter,” Elizabeth continued. Each word escaped her lips sharp and tight, as if she ground them between her teeth before releasing them.
“Then I suggest you start a tab, because it’s going to get worse before I leave here tonight,” I replied, enjoying the smirk that lifted the left corner of my mouth.
As I tried to step around her, I saw her swing her left hand toward my back from the corner of my eye. Spinning on my right heel, I slipped the dagger from its sheath on my hip and sliced at her throat. I hadn’t expected her to directly attack me. It wasn’t the typical style of the Elders. They had flunkies around to do their dirty work. Of course, I knew absolutely nothing about Elizabeth, which made her as dangerous as Macaire and Jabari.
However, Danaus had already stepped in, grabbing the nightwalker’s wrist and holding it immobile above her head before I could even touch my blade to the Ancient’s smooth skin.
“Should I kill her now?” he asked simply, his face blank. I looked down at Elizabeth, whose wide eyes were darting between me and Danaus. If she flinched, Danaus would snap her wrist without a thought. And if I said the word, he’d boil what blood filled her veins until it blackened her skin and turned her organs into a pool of stinking goo.
I slipped the knife back into its sheath. “Later,” I said with a faint frown. If she thought we’d spared her life now, we might be able to buy her assistance later. Besides, I wasn’t convinced that Danaus could destroy her that easily.
He nodded once and released her, giving the nightwalker a slight shove to precede us toward the doors that led to the Great Hall. The Elder said nothing, but stiffly walked toward the doors, which were pulled invisibly open when she approached. It was one of the abilities I envied the most. Nightwalkers didn’t generally attain the ability of telekinesis until close to the thousand-year mark. I hoped to get it a little earlier. At the moment the best I could do was rattle a teacup and saucer—not exactly useful or intimidating.
The enormous three-story room was ablaze with candlelight, as if someone was afraid of the monsters that lurked in the dark corners. Along the east and west walls, close to twenty floor candelabras flickered, with more than a dozen large yellow candles in each. The chandeliers overhead also glowed with life, illuminating the various flags and banners that hung from the ceiling. Even the black marble floor reflected the light.
Only the dais, with the seats for the Coven and Our Liege, remained blanketed with shadows. Elizabeth returned to her seat on the dais next to Macaire. Jabari sat in the third Coven seat, and the fourth was still vacant, along with the seat of Our Liege. The three nightwalkers appeared to be alone, but Danaus sensed the presence of the naturi so they had to be lurking around somewhere. Had they left the hall when we appeared?
“I do not recall summoning your presence,” Macaire declared when Danaus and I reached the center of the room. We stopped walking, preferring to maintain a little distance between us and the Coven, not that it would keep us any safer. I was just hoping to buy an extra second or two to react.
“I came to claim something that belongs to me,” I replied, shoving my fingers into the back pockets of my pants, affecting a casual stance. I didn’t know if it worked, because I was sure everyone in the room could smell my fear.
“A vampire is here we didn’t agree on,” said a hypnotic voice from somewhere near the ceiling. The melodious sound was like a dream in the way it bounced off the walls before finally drifting down to me. “A stranger who carries no value here. Should we return with the threat of dawn when we will find no unwelcome ears?”