“See that you do, Zoey,” Chad said. “I didn’t sacrifice myself to have my lover treated this way. I expect him to be happy and whole when I return.”
“I promise.” I was a little afraid of this Chad. He was colder, infinitely harder. I hugged my arms to my chest because the room seemed chilly. “I love him, too. I want him back.”
Chad shook his head, and suddenly he was himself again. He stood and pulled me into a hug. “I know you do, Zoey. I knew you would be the one looking for him. Tell him I love him when you succeed in finding him. Now let’s get you back down to Dev. Stay close to him. Marini would just love to get you alone. He’s been talking about how sweet you taste ever since the ball.”
I frowned but let Chad open the door. I exited, leaving the vampire behind, my mind filled with doubts and worries.
Chapter Twelve
Marcus and Dev were waiting for me when I returned. Dev looked at me curiously, as though sensing my mood. He helped me down the last two steps, but I knew we wouldn’t be talking about what had happened with Chad until we were alone again. I liked Marcus, but preferred to let the boys decide when and if to tell him anything. I’m not a spy. They tend to know when to talk and when to keep their mouths closed. Those are two lessons I never learned.
Marcus led us into a room that looked nothing like a parlor. It reminded me of the VIP section of a gentlemen’s club complete with half-dressed attendants. The lights were low, creating a decadent atmosphere.
I immediately spotted Louis Marini holding court in the center of the room. He lounged back on a chaise, and when he caught sight of me, he gestured us over with an imperious wave of his hand.
I caught my breath as Marcus led me to the head of the Council. Louis Marini was the oldest vampire who lived in society. There were rumors that older vampires still existed, but they no longer lived among the humans. In vampire society, Louis Marini was practically a king. Unfortunately, he lacked the DNA necessary to crown himself. He would have been a handsome man, but there was a hardness to him that left me cold. His hair was dark brown, his eyes nearly black, and there was something vaguely reptilian about them. He was dressed in slacks and a black T-shirt that hugged his well-formed chest. As we approached, I realized there was a girl huddled next to him.
“Mrs. Donovan, I see Marcus has already sought you out,” he said in a deep voice that sounded amused and annoyed at the same time. “I swear when you’re around he becomes a sad little lapdog begging for your affection. Did he wait by the door so he could catch you as you entered?”
“I can’t help but follow a beautiful woman around. When I no longer wish to I shall stake myself, for there will be no reason to walk the night,” Marcus replied gallantly, pulling me down with him onto the opposite chaise. It was large and plush, and Dev settled himself on the other side of me, his arm going negligently around my waist.
“Prince.” Louis acknowledged Dev with a satisfied nod. He took in every inch of Dev’s well-dressed form. “I was pleased to see you again. I feared after the events of the ball, you would return to your sithein. It’s good to see our Nex Apparatus hasn’t frightened you away from vampire society.”
“Oh, I think you’ll find I don’t scare so easily. It takes more than a couple of stab wounds to the gut to deter me from a lover I’m enjoying. I find Daniel to be a perfectly pleasant reason to stay in your society,” Dev replied smoothly.
“Obviously,” Marini said with an intimate smile, and I wondered which of the numerous sex acts he’d witnessed he was thinking of. It made me want to turn away, but I forced myself to remain calm. “Our Mr. Donovan seems to think he’s your master.”
Dev arched an eyebrow at the thought. “I’m content to play the minion as long as it suits me. I like variety, and this ménage of ours meets my needs. Daniel is very aggressive. He’s everything one could want from a male. Zoey is a heavenly bit of femininity. I enjoy both, and I’m unwilling to deny myself either. Zoey and Daniel are somewhat liberated in their sexual thinking. I don’t have to hide one from the other.”
“I agree with you. I’m of the same persuasion. I admire males and females equally.” Marini took in the low cut of my dress. “You’re right about Mrs. Donovan, though she pretends to be demure and retiring when I’m around. Do I frighten you? I rather think not. I think you’re behaving yourself, Mrs. Donovan, for your husband’s sake. You can keep your mouth shut all you like, but your eyes tell a different tale. Your eyes flash fire, chère. In different times, you would have been a great courtesan holding court with the kings and nobles of the age.”
“Is that a prostitute?” I was pretty damn sure it was. Dev’s hand tightened slightly, a small warning about my temper.
“I suppose you would think so, cara,” Marcus said with a smile as he reminisced. “But in my day, a great courtesan was practically a queen. When she reached a certain level, she was a maker of fashions, ruling her own salon with an iron fist. She was highly intelligent, beautiful and clever. Her conversation was as important and delightful as her skills in the bedroom. Unlike a wife in those days, one needed her permission to be welcomed to her bed. She chose her lovers with great care.”
“Ahh,” Marini said with great satisfaction, as though he had finally ferreted something out. “She reminds you of Elizabeth. I wondered if that was the fascination. She does have her stubborn will and her lovely body. Females in this age are far too thin. If I want a boy, I’ll take a boy. When I want a woman, I want breasts and hips and curves.”
Marcus’s lips curled up in a chagrined expression. “I suppose she does remind me of her. Certainly she is similar in her demeanor. Elizabeth was a courtesan in Venice during my much younger years. She was also a companion.”
“Your companion?” I knew so little about the Italian’s long history.
“Oh, yes. I’ve had three over the years,” Marcus confided. “Unlike Louis, I don’t keep one at all times.”
“Bah,” Marini said dismissively. “I don’t like the withdrawals. Why should I get sick because I’m immortal and a companion dies? I prefer to stay strong. Marcus simply becomes too attached and must mourn his loves. He’s had several chances over the last hundred years or so to purchase a companion, but they’re never perfect enough for him. He’s far too picky.”
“And you’re not picky enough.” Marcus pointed at the girl cowering on the chaise next to Marini. So young. I knew she was over eighteen or they wouldn’t have taken her out of the Paris stronghold, but she looked younger. She reminded me of a little mouse with her large, frightened eyes. “How is she a companion to you? She can barely speak when you’re around.”
Marini rolled his eyes. “Her blood is good. That’s what matters. It pales in comparison to Mrs. Donovan, but then she’s rare. Of course, Rose also cries when I fuck her, so perhaps you’re right, Marcus, and I should choose them with more care. Mrs. Donovan doesn’t seem to mind a little rough sex.”
Dev reached over and pulled me down to recline on his chest. I was grateful for his strong arms around me. He dropped a kiss on my ear. “I’m right here, sweetheart.”
Without thinking, I brought my lips to his because I needed something sweet. When I looked back, Marini was staring at us.
“Donovan allows the two of you to play when he’s not around?” There was a hard edge to the question. It reminded me that Vampire kind is jealous of what they consider theirs. Technically, Marini could kill Dev for even touching me like this, not to mention what he’d witnessed the two of us doing earlier. Only Daniel’s permission saved us from a righteous kill.
Pulling me now firmly in his lap, Dev chuckled, and I could tell he’d decided to push through brazenly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let his hand slide onto my knee. “As you said before, Mr. Marini, I’m a royal and a priest. I’m a powerful man in my own right. Daniel and I have an arrangement. I’ve placed my wealth and influence at his disposal, and in return, I have full rights to our lover. I tend to play by the rules at formal occasions. I assumed this was more informal. If I’m offending you by showing my affection, then I can certainly act in a more proper fashion.”
“I believe after what we’ve seen tonight, Prince, that I’m aware of your affection for the girl. I think it would be difficult for you to behave in a proper fashion. Her master doesn’t mind, so why should I? Please feel free to enjoy her. You make a lovely couple,” Marini offered. “I very much enjoyed watching the two of you make love. I’m merely surprised that our Nex Apparatus is practical. He seems obsessed with his wife.”
“I like Dev.” I kept my voice calm, trying to follow Dev’s lead. It was difficult because what I wanted to do was smack that nasty vampire across the face and then shove a stake in his heart. My life had been infinitely easier before Daniel had decided to change the whole freaking supernatural world. “And Danny likes him, too. They get along well. They’re friends.”