Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 14. Danse Macabre(26)
He hesitated and looked at his mother. She was watching me, not him. Watching me with those black eyes. There was a considering look on her face, as if she wasn't sure what she thought of the show.
«Do as Anita says, Thomas,» she said, at last.
He went back to the love seat, to sit beside his brother. It left Thea and me staring at each other.
«He hesitated only for a moment,» she said, «yet, it was enough.»
«It's not his power,» I said, «not yet. It's yours. You loaned him enough power to roll me.»
She made a gesture that was almost a shrug, but her hands went out in a wide gesture. I think it meant, Perhaps, or, You caught me. I wasn't sure which, and wasn't sure I cared.
«You have greeted Thomas, but we have two other sons,» she said.
Micah came up beside me. He took my hand. «In fairness to our other guests, I think we need to greet more of Auggie's people.»
«They are only his henchmen, and his mistress. We have brought you our flesh and blood, the fruit of our lives.»
Micah nodded, still smiling. «We appreciate that, but» — I cut him off, and said, «Enough, Micah, thanks for trying to be all polite and hosty, but I've had enough of games for the night.»
He squeezed my hand, as if saying, Be nice.
I squeezed back, but I was done being nice. I wouldn't be rude, but… «I'm going to greet Auggie and his people now, because they didn't try to roll me. Until Jean-Claude joins us, you and your sons are just going to have to wait to be greeted.»
«So Augustine's whore is higher in rank than my sons?» Thea sounded genuinely angry.
There was a sound of outrage from the other side of the room — a woman's voice protesting and Auggie trying to calm her. I glanced to find him talking to a statuesque brunette in a very tiny dress. She was mad, and I didn't blame her.
I turned back to Samuel. «You talk to her, Samuel. You explain that your wife damn near abused our hospitality tonight.»
«If we have truly abused your hospitality, then Jean-Claude could revoke our safe conduct,» he said, voice deep, but strangely soft.
«I understand that.»
«Did we frighten you that badly?» he asked.
«I agreed to Thea tasting my power, not Thomas. It wasn't what we negotiated for. I was told you were an honorable man; bait and switch isn't very honorable.»
«Could you hear anything we said while Thomas touched you?» Micah asked.
I glanced at him, and shook my head. «I could hear his voice and the sound of the sea, that was it.»
«I pointed out to Samuel that you hadn't bargained for Thomas.»
«What did he say?»
«He said that for a siren to truly taste your power it needed to have a sexual flavor to it, and since you were not a lover of women, one of the boys would be helpful.»
I shook my head. «I'm going to greet Auggie and his people now. Whether I let any of your other children touch me, or not, is up for a very serious debate.» I put my gaze on Thea. «I don't like to be forced, or played, Thea. If you really want your sons to have a chance at my bed, or body, or power, you need to remember that.»
«I saw into your mind when I embraced you,» she said. «I saw what you think of my sons. You are disinclined toward them. Without magic to persuade you, I do not think they have any chance at your bed, your body, or your power.»
My pulse was suddenly in my throat. I fought to keep a blank face, but wasn't sure I succeeded. How much had she read while she was playing inside my head? Did she know about the pregnancy scare?
Thea was watching me very narrowly. She saw the fear on me, but didn't understand why. Which meant either she'd only read things about her sons in my head, or she didn't understand why being pregnant would scare me. If the former, yea; if the latter, she was too odd for me to talk to.
I turned to Auggie and his angry girlfriend. She was the only woman on his side of the room. Standing in the spike heels she was over six feet tall. But whereas with Claudia it was all muscle, and menace, this woman was thin. There was no play of muscle to her arms and legs. She was making angry gestures with large hands, darkly painted nails, a diamond flashing on her right hand. Her dress was red with silver sequins. It fit her like a tiny, glittery second skin. The dress was so short that when she flounced around the couch, taking too long a step, she flashed enough flesh that I knew she wasn't wearing anything under the dress. Oh, my.
Auggie coaxed her back to me. Her face was perfect in a high-cheekboned, almost stark way. She wore enough makeup, artfully applied, that stark should not have been a word you used for her face. Her hair was long, and teased too high on the top, as if she'd never quite left the eighties, but it was brunette. It might even have been her natural color. The spaghetti straps of her dress and the thin material should not have been able to support her breasts. Breasts that large do not stay perky without more help than the dress could give. Her breasts sat under the dress in a way that real breasts just don't. She flounced toward me, holding Auggie's hand. The walk was good, bouncy, but her breasts didn't bounce with her. They were big, and even shapely, but they rode under her dress like they were way more solid than breasts are meant to be.