“You assumed a lot,” I mumble.
“No, you owe me that much.”
“Touché. How much debt am I paying back with this gig?”
“A lot.”
“For a simple casting?” I say skeptically.
“Did I forget to mention we’ll be performing the spell skyclad in the middle of the woods where they hold their meetings?” She slips away before I can comment, her long legs eating up the distance between the car and the house.
I follow closely behind her. Nothing like a little spell work in the buff to re-cement the bonds of friendships.
Chapter Five
“Chin up, back straight. Don’t let all my hard work go to waste, mon ange.” Placing his slender fingers under my chin, Gillet tilts my head up as he peers at me with cornflower blue eyes from across the console of the sleek, black sports car. Chocolate brown hair falls over his forehead. Both features stand out against the porcelain-like skin.
With his heart-shaped face and slim figure, he’s every inch the French artist he was during his life in the 1500s. Under his careful watch, I’ve been scrubbed, buffed, plucked, and polished within an inch of my life. Born in the Renaissance era, Gil has a keen eye for beautiful things, including fashion and a refined etiquette.
“I’m trying.” I place a hand on my belly just below the square patches of skin revealed by the plunging V design of the scarlet red dress. Two thin strips of material connect the fabric that cups my breasts and forms an interesting pattern on the back. Floor length with a train, the bottom of the gown makes up for the hints of cleavage.
“There is no try. You are a queen in waiting now, about to ascend two thrones. You cannot let them see weakness. They will challenge you until you push back. You were a girl when we last knew you. Show them the woman you’ve become.”
“Why are you so nice, Gillet? I also betrayed you when I left,” I say quietly.
“Non. You were true to yourself. I’m glad you left. You were so young and full of the warmth and goodness we’ve all lost to time. It’s why we gravitated toward you. I know if you’d stayed we would have drained the life from you. Vampires steal life in more ways than one. Now I look into your eyes, and I sense you are ready to rule beside my Lord.”
His words give me hope. I latch onto the pinprick of light in the consuming darkness.
“Thank you, Gillet.” I hold onto his wrist, taking strength from the cool touch.
He hums. “You want my advice?”
“Always.”
“At the least, make them respect you. If you can manage it, fear is even better. We’re old, powerful, vain, and bored. It’s an awful combination. Like children, we think we know it all until someone shows us differently. Cristobal rules with a mixture of kindness and power. He’s learned how to play the game and manage us. We pair well. He chose carefully. Still, it’s no easy feat. He would not have been matched with you if you could not do the same.”
“How is it I never picked up on all of this?” It’s like I’m in a different world.
“With more power comes more politics.”
“Gillet, please.”
He sighs. “It always comes out in the wash. I told him this. We only showed you the bare minimum of what we are. Now the fangs will be out.”
They all knew. Like some sick joke I wasn’t in on. At every turn, I uncover more deceit and manipulation. I hold onto the anger that rises, using it as armor for what’s to come. I stand straight, using every one of my six foot-one zero inches. I ran like hell to get perspective, figure out who I was, and who I wanted to become without the influence of bonds, family history, and responsibilities. No on
e would take that hard-earned clarity away from me.
“Good thing I came ready for battle. Let’s get this show on the road, Gil.”
He pats my cheek. “Time for our grand entrance.” In the blink of an eye, he’s on my side of the car, helping me stand on three-inch heels and offering his arm in a gentlemanly manner that would seem fake on anyone else. There have been extensive additions and renovations to the plantation since I’ve been gone. I noticed the smaller homes on the property as well. How many people are living here now?
The front door opens, and I see Luz dressed in a black, form-fitting, sequined mermaid gown with pencil thin stiletto heels.
“You clean up well,” Luz says.
“Likewise.”