I clenched my jaw. “I’ve talked to a lot of blowhards like you,” I said. “I’m still standing. They aren’t.”
Drakul’s eyes wrinkled at the corners. He inhaled through his nose, as though enjoying the scent of a meal that had not yet been served.
“You have never,” he said, in a dead voice, “talked to one like me.”
Molly gripped my forearm and squeezed, holding me in place.
“Ladies,” Drakul said, breaking into a wider smile. He took a step back and bowed elegantly. “A magnificent gathering, but I regret that I must take my leave. Thank you for the courtesy of an invitation.”
And, without even a whoosh, he simply wasn’t there anymore.
I stood there for a moment, reaching out with my magical senses. But there was no enchantment around me, no hint of a veil or a tear in the veil between the mortal world and the Nevernever. Nothing. Just music and the dancing and laughter of the intoxicated guests.
I exhaled slowly.
“My,” Lara said. She lifted her champagne flute to her mouth and took a quick drink. I almost couldn’t see her hand trembling.
“Right?” Molly agreed. She adjusted her dress absently.
“He seems like a wimp,” I said calmly.
“Careful,” Lara said suddenly.
I looked around and saw why she had. Carter LaChaise, wearing a chef’s hat and kitchen outfit, which was quite a choice given his muttonchops, was approaching us, a broad smile on his beefy face. He stopped to lean over and murmur something into the ear of a girl too young for me, much less him, and she turned happy, glassy eyes to him and gave him the kind of smile that was likely to get her killed. He laughed and held up a finger to her as he approached us.
“Well, well,” the ghoul said. “If the two of you ladies don’t make the most delicious sight.”
“Lord LaChaise,” Molly said, inclining her head slightly.
“LaChaise,” Lara said with a polite nod and no emotion at all in her tone or expression. “So glad you could come.”
“I’m not,” I said cheerfully, beaming. “Get fucked and die, ghoul.”
LaChaise let out a rumbling laugh, answering my smile with one of his own. “I heard what happened the other evening. Mighty big talk for someone dipped in stupid and rolled in lucky, Dresden,” he drawled. “Well. That’s all right. Every dog has his day.”
I narrowed my eyes and took a step toward him.
Molly moved creepy fast, stepping between us, her shoulders pressing sharply back against my ribs. She faced LaChaise, and the temperature of the room abruptly dropped five or ten degrees. “Excuse me, ghoul? Did you just threaten Winter’s Knight?”
“Why, Lady Molly,” LaChaise said, spreading his fingers on his chest as if clutching pearls. “I am shocked, shocked anddismayedthat you would think such a thing. Just because a proven racist, openly full of hatred for my people’s kind, delivers a public insult and wishes my death upon me at a friendly gathering to which I am an invited guest.” His eyes glittered as he shifted them to Lara. “Honestly. Your reputation as a host is excellent, Ms. Raith. I simply cannot believe you stand there silent in the face of such behavior.”
Lara’s lips pressed together in distaste.
“I am afraid,” she said calmly, “that Lord LaChaise has a point, Harry.”
“He what?” I asked.
She faced me, her expression remote. “This is indeed a celebration. You are both in factguests. I am in fact thehostof said gathering. You did indeed wish death upon LaChaise, a verbal statement that, from awizard, is quite reasonably considered more than mere hot air, after which you made an aggressive physical advance upon him. You will kindly control yourself, sir. Or I will insist you leave.”
“Give me a break,” I said. “You know what this asshole really is. You know he tried to get me killed the other night.”
“I do notknowany such thing,” Lara said. “What Idoknow is that you are myguest. And I will not be disrespected. Not by you or anyone else. If you cannot control yourself, you will force me to do it for you.”
“Well, well, well,” LaChaise drawled, wearing a delighted grin. “Looks like we can all see who is going to wear the pants in this relationship.”
“Be careful, LaChaise,” Lara shot back instantly. “Or I will have you both put off of my property together. At which point any further developments are no longer my concern.”
I saw Molly’s reflection in one of the mirrors. She had put on one of those smiles that, on anyone else, would have made me question their sanity.
