Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang(14)

 

The three men introduced themselves briefly to him before turning back to me. I was a bit puzzled by the cold reception we were getting-although I hadn’t parted on the very best of terms with the Dark Ones, we weren’t enemies, either. In fact, Christian had gone to great trouble to ensure that I was not blamed for the murder of an innocent woman, handing over to the police the person to blame. I knew how much that had cost him, and was duly appreciative, a fact about which Christian was aware. So why was I now getting the icy treatment?

 

“Hello, Andreas. How’s your brother?”

 

Andreas had blue eyes, as did Kristoff, but where the latter had eyes of the purest teal, Andreas’s were darker, a midnight blue that considered me now without the slightest bit of warmth. “You will find out soon enough,” was all he said before he turned around and started walking out.

 

The two remaining vampires fell into place behind us as we were escorted out of the airport to a waiting limousine.

 

“Your vampire friends sure know how to travel,” Ray said in a hushed voice as we filed in to occupy the backseat of the limo. Andreas and Rowan sat facing us, while Julian and Sebastian took up positions in the front of the car. “This is very nice. Are we going to the hotel first? I’d like to get my camera out of my bag so I can get some pictures for my travel album.”

 

“I assume so,” I said, puzzling over Andreas’s comment. I leaned forward a smidgen. “Is Kristoff here? In Vienna?”

 

Andreas ignored me, turning to look out of the tinted windows.

 

I switched my attention to Rowan. “I realize there’s no love lost between us, but I would appreciate it if you could overcome your natural aversion to me and answer my question.”

 

Rowan had reddish brown hair and grey-green eyes. His face was not as angular as his cousin’s, and had hints of laugh lines around the mouth and eyes. There was no evidence of any form of amusement on his face now, however. He simply looked at me as if I were a bug before answering, “He is here.”

 

I sat back, my heart beating wildly all of a sudden. Kristoff was here, in Vienna. I was going to see him.

 

Magda touched my hand and mouthed, I told you so.

 

I shook my head at that-if Kristoff had suddenly been possessed by a change of heart regarding me, he would have told me, not had the council summon me with grim faces and a pronounced air of suffering. Still, he was in Vienna. That meant something. Didn’t it?

 

To my surprise, we weren’t taken to a hotel. Instead, we stopped at a large pale pink stone house that sat at the end of a row of connected tall, narrow cream-and-yellow houses in the fringes of Josefstadt, a section of downtown Vienna.

 

“This house belongs to the Moravian Council,” Julian said, showing us into a room on the top floor. “The administrative offices are below us. The top three floors are set aside for residents and guests.”

 

“Nice,” I panted as I dropped my bag and tried very hard not to collapse on the floor. “Sixth . . . floor . . . Nice . . . view.”

 

“Sweet Mother Mary.” Magda gasped as she, too, staggered into the room. Ray propped her up on one side, his own breathing a bit frantic as he leaned against the wall. “Couldn’t you people put in an elevator? Or at least install a bench halfway up?”

 

“Your room is across the hall,” Julian said, a somewhat martyred look on his face as he opened the door in question.

 

Magda shot him a narrow-eyed look, but followed him out to the other room. I looked around while I caught my breath, admiring the clean blue-and-white decor of the room. It was rather sparsely furnished, but the bed, bureau, and small writing desk and chair were all antiques.

 

“Do you wish to change your clothes?” Julian asked as he returned to my room, eyeing me in a manner that had me tugging self-consciously at the collar of my blouse.

 

“That would be nice.” It hadn’t occurred to me that I would want to change as soon as I got here, but seeing the coolly elegant vampires made me feel sticky, sweaty, and decidedly unattractive. I might not be able to do much about the last item on that list, but at least I could greet the council looking a little less unkempt.

 

Julian gave a short nod. “I will tell the council you will be ready to meet with them in a quarter of an hour.”

 

“Can you make it half an hour?” Magda called from the room given over to her and Ray. “I’d really like to take a quick shower. I had no idea Vienna got this hot in the summer.”

 

Julian paused on his way downstairs, frowning slightly. “Your presence will not be required.”