“No, no, not I. But others perhaps,” he assured me.
“Well, she certainly adored you,” I said with a little sneer.
“But I adore you. ” He raised his glass to me. “Come now. Do not pout. Let us toast our night together. ”
Feeling a bit peeved, but wishing to please him, I raised my glass.
“To our love,” Ignatius said simply, tapping my glass with the lip of his.
“To a lovely night,” I answered, smiling.
The wine mingled with blood was exquisite to my pallet and I drank it down a bit too quickly. I instantly felt giddy and giggled.
“Only the finest is served here,” Ignatius said. He was sipping his wine, watching me, drinking in my appearance in a way that made me all the more girlish.
“Astir is not one of us, is…uh…he…she?”
Ignatius nodded. “No. Not at all. Astir is one of the Fallen. ”
I gasped and raised my hand to my throat. “No! Truly?”
“That is why Astir calls this Purgatory. Neither heaven nor hell. ”
“Then Astir is a demon?”
“No, darling. One of the Fallen. Demons are quite a different sort. ”
I gaped at Ignatius, then narrowed my eyes. “Is he. . . she. . . in league with Satan?”
Ignatius looked quite solemn at my query, but smiled a little ironic smile. “No, darling. Astir fell to earth and sides with no one. But Astir’s story is not mine to tell. ”
I pouted at this, tapping my foot irritably. I was terribly intrigued by our host and all that surrounded me. Violins were playing somewhere nearby, and I could hear laughter.
“There are many rooms with many delights, but I felt you should be introduced slowly,” Ignatius said as he noticed my curiosity.
The curtains to our private little area were thrown back. A woman stood in the doorway, arms flung out, grinning almost madly. She was quite striking with a very handsome face and fine gold blond hair drawn up into an ornate style on her head. Her eyes though, were as dark as the deepest waters of the ocean and appeared almost black. With a wild laugh, she descended on us, her silver dress, with its fine beading and lace, rustling as she moved.
“Father Ignatius, it is true! You do have a woman with you! What scandal is this?”
Ignatius sighed, slowly turning his gaze to her. “Dominique, how lovely to see you here. ”
“You are such a liar,” she responded, smacking him with her ostrich fan.
Ignatius looked at me with a rather pained expression.
I stood up, extended my hand, and said, “I am Lady Glynis Wright. ”
With a grin, she took my hand, and, to my surprise, kissed it. “I am Dominique. A dear, dear friend of Father Ignatius. ”
I saw him cover his face out of the corner of my eye as he sighed.
“It is a pleasure,” I said, trying to seem not one bit unnerved by her, even though I was.
“Oscar!” she shouted into the hallway.
A young man, quite mortal and very drunk, appeared.
“Really, Oscar! What are you doing?”