Adele laughed and slipped her arm through Hariri's. “I love you just the way you are.”
“But I will still receive a raise in salary? Yes?”
“Of course.”
“Then the matter is settled!” Hariri beamed, and the small group strolled toward the palace buildings as Anhalt related the news from Alexandria in a strained voice.
“Prince Simon has made his triumphal return to the capital, much to the delighted surprise of the populace. He is in fine form and has taken to wearing copious amounts of leopard skin and sporting all manner of wicked African blades.”
“Are the people disturbed by the ruse?”
“No. As usual, they are quite taken by the bold strategies of Your Majesty. There seems to be no sense of anger that they were hoodwinked by the prince's death. And you may be at ease that there are men around His Highness who are assisting him to manage the situation there, while you supervise in the north. Prime Minister Kemal has been amazingly upright, and Foreign Minister Doreh is growing into a force to be reckoned with. Fortunately, she is a great loyalist of yours.”
Adele asked, “You came by way of London, yes?”
“Yes,” he told her. “A fleet of six airships is now anchored over London. We have at least two divisions dispersing into the city and its environs.”
“Can we spare the troops from the front?”
“For now. The vampire counteroffensive stalled, and we are gaining ground thanks to their confusion and the warm weather. Field Marshal Rotherford took Lyon in May. The clans are still dangerous, of course. The Danube Front remains static. But the creatures are not nearly so well organized, with Cesare dead.”
Gareth grunted with satisfaction.
Adele asked her commander, “Any sign of vampires in Britain?”
Anhalt shook his head. “No, Majesty. Britain seems cleansed, although they continue to thrive in their former habitats. As we flew in, Edinburgh passed a wall of vampires off the cliffs of Dover. Quite extraordinary. The creatures flitted along some invisible barrier that denied them access to the island. Any that dared approach, burned and fell into the sea. Whatever you've done it seems to be permanent.”
“I think you may be right. But still, I've learned to distrust the word permanent.”
“You have worked a miracle,” Hariri crowed. “I tell you, there are no vampires in all Britain, present company excepted.”
Adele glanced sidelong at Gareth's impassive face. He remained immune to the geomancy effect. She didn't understand it. There were times she was terrified that it could end at any moment and he'd die in front of her eyes again. Her nightmares were filled with such grisly fears, but they were fading as time passed and he remained safe with his arms around her.
The quartet entered the castle accompanied by some wheezing from both Adele and Anhalt. The silence that greeted them in the dim interior made Adele's heart ache. Gareth reached for her hand and gripped it tight as they traversed the now-empty castle.
He intoned, “There are rooms for you, gentlemen. Morgana will see you settled. There should be a meal in the great hall. Will you join us?”
Hariri rubbed his hands eagerly. “Excellent! That woman can cook my meals anytime.”
Pet suddenly bounded down the hall toward them and Adele knelt to scoop him up. He smelled musty, and she knew the cat had been exploring the recesses of the castle, still searching for his absent companions even after these long months.
As the group entered the great hall, Morgana was just placing a large platter with a glistening roasted chicken on the table. She looked up expectantly at Adele and Gareth, then with surprise at their guests.
“My dream come true!” Hariri exclaimed with an exaggerated sniff. “I've flown through day and night, through storm and sun, through vicious hordes to reach this table. And you.” He gave a brazen kiss on Morgana's cheek and hugged her. She blushed but didn't pull away.
“Aye, it is only my skill in the kitchen that you love, you pirate.”
“Nay, miss. You have so many fine attributes I can scarcely name them all. But at this hour, it is indeed my empty belly that dictates my affections. But who knows where the day may take us.” He winked at her.
Such simple flirting brought warmth to the room, and everyone settled down to eat. The conversation and ale flowed freely, but Adele noticed Gareth said little. His attention had drifted to the high windows.
General Anhalt leaned in his chair, making it creak. “Gareth, are you ready to go to London and become king of Britain?”
The vampire turned slowly to regard him. “King of Britain? What would be the point of that? I would be no more effective there than I am here.”