“Sure,” I said, and settled down in a chair. “I’ll sit here quietly and not touch anything.”
Bear looked like she was going to say something, and then shook her head and strode out. Freydis went after her, gave me a quick nod, and shut the door behind them.
The moment I was alone, my thoughts turned dark. Memory started rolling. I rolled the game tape from the night of the battle, when Rudolph had shot Murphy. I’d long ago figured out where I’d made bad choices, but I went over it again. And again. And again.
I was in a deep, dark, brooding funk when the door opened briefly, and the music from the ballroom poured in for a moment.
I looked up, and Lord Raith was standing just inside the door.
I felt my whole body grow tense.
Lord Raith had, at one time, been quite dangerous. My mother had dropped her death curse on him way back in the day, when I was born. She’d rendered him unable to feed on mortal life energy, and he’d carried on ruling the White Court on pure chutzpah. Maybe ten years back, Lara had figured out that he was actually powerless, and she’d…taken steps to neutralize him. These days he ran the White Court in name only. It was more or less an open secret that Lara was the real power in her Court.
He was still dangerous. Every instinct in my body screamed at me that he was.
Raith stepped into the room, pale grey eyes focused on me. He looked a lot like Thomas, but taller and even more marble-statue beautiful. His dark hair was cut short on the sides, longer on top, a style from a decade far removed from the present. He wore an all-white tuxedo, complete with white gloves, and regarded me through half-lidded eyes.
“So,” he said quietly after a moment. “You’re going to marry my little girl.”
“Lara hasn’t been yours, or little, for a very long time,” I replied.
He spread open the fingers of one hand and rolled his wrist. “Ah. I suppose I have a unique perspective on the matter.”
“Uh-huh,” I said. “Sure you do.”
His eyes narrowed. “Still disrespectful, aren’t you?”
“I give respect where it’s due,” I said without emphasis.
He gave me a slow smile that bared his teeth a little too much. “I’m told you did the Accorded nations great good during the battle.”
“Did my part,” I said.
“Must have cost you something,” he said. “How is that little blonde you were with?”
Something hot and ugly flared in my chest. It must have shown on my face. His smile sharpened.
“Oh, Dresden,” Raith murmured in a patently false tone. “Please excuse me. I had no idea.”
I took a slow breath. I let myself feel the anger. I let it go through me. I did not set anyone on fire. No matter how good it sounded at the moment.
“Beginning to show signs of maturity,” he noted. He cast a glance over his shoulder toward the door. “Did Lara promise to be a nice vampire? Not do a thing to you? It’s one of her usual plays. She likes to pretend she’s other than what she is.”
“And what’s that?” I asked.
“A predator,” he said calmly.
“Ah,” I said. “Like you can’t be anymore, huh?”
His pale eyes flickered for a second. A muscle along his fine jawline tensed. “Lara thinks she has her Hunger tamed,” he murmured. “It isn’t. It can’t be. When it needs to be fed, she feeds it. Sooner or later, you’ll be food. And I suspect when that happens, she might even be startled by it.” He lazily lifted his arms overhead and stretched, a feline movement. “Not that it will matter to you. You’ll be just one more buck she’s taken.”
“Did you have a point you wanted to get to?” I asked. “Or did you just want to blather along until I throw up?”
“Dresden,” he purred. “You’re here under guest-right. Protected. Much like LaChaise and Drakul were at the Halloween party.”
“Didn’t see you there,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” he agreed. “There are all kinds of things you don’t seem to notice. Like all children.”
