“Rest is for the dead. Present company excepted.” Isis finally gets her necklaces untangled. “The murderous vampire killed again tonight. We have to stop them before they hurt anyone else, so we’re here to strategise.”
Reginald appears in the doorway, a tray containing a hot chocolate and a glass of blood in his hands. His face pales in shock as he sees all the people. “My lord, I didn’t know we had guests. And somanyguests. And someone lit the fire. That’smyjob.”
Gideon vaults out of the urn and grabs the blood from the tray. “Thanks, Jeeves. If we could get a round of hot chocolate for the ladies of the Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Coven. And while you’re at it, bring us a couple of bottles of Allie’s finest vintage Dutch Prince.”
“And maybe something hot to eat?” Isis pipes up.
“Winnie tells us you make amazing mince pies.” Celeste rubs her stomach.
“I’m a raw vegan, but I’d make an exception for a mince pie,” Beth adds. “That’s how much Winnie raves about them.”
Reginald disappears, looking a little shell-shocked. Alaric passes me the hot chocolate while Gideon settles himself into his chair. Mirabelle appears in the doorway and leaps onto the back of the sofa, hissing at Oscar as if warning him not to leave his dog smell on her favourite rug.
“This plan of yours for the ball,” Alaric says. “I presume it’s foolhardy and dangerous.”
“How did you know that?” Mina looks aghast.
“It’s almost as if our reputation precedes us,” says Komal with a smile.
“We’ve been speaking to Gideon, who knows everyone who’s anyone in the localvamp community?—”
“He has even better contacts than Arabella, and he’s infinitely less bitchy,” adds Isis.
“—and we’ve come up with two top suspects,” explains Maisie. “Arabella’s client – Alyra Maythorn of the Blood Kincaid. Danny made advances at her while he worked as a handyman at Sanctus, and she was at the pub on the night of the murder. She was also at the Midsummer Festival, and I saw her having a heated conversation with Patrick shortly before the bonfire. But the second is someone Winnie brought to our attention.”
“Baylor Godsven of the Blood Ptolemy.” Gideon settles back into the chair, stretching his long legs across the rug. Beside me, Alaric’s fingers curl into my arm. “He doesn’t live on the estate, but in a large property near the village of Grimdale. He’s been in trouble with the Mora before for sneaking into the bedrooms of young humans at night and doing things that are best not repeated in the company of ladies.”
“I resent that,” Komal makes a face. “I’m hardly a lady.”
“We rescued a girl who was running from his castle,” I say. “She said he wanted to ‘drain her dry’.”
“Yes, and my sources inform me that there are dark rumours about what Baylor gets up to on his estate with humans … who may not always consent. He’s been outspoken in court politics about going back to the ‘good old days’ when vampires held dominion in Europe, and ridding ourselves of the laws we have to keep us secret and ‘subservient’ – his words, not mine. It’s believable that Baylor’s grown bold enough to try husking, although why he would risk the Mora by doing it out in the open is still beyond me … but perhaps that’s half the thrill for him— Allie, how do you drink this swill?” Gideon makes a face and tosses the rest of the blood into the fire, where it sizzles and sparks. “I don’t suppose any of you fine ladies feel like letting me have a little suck? I promise I’ll make it fun for you too.”
I self-consciously tug on my silk scarf. Alaric walks over to Gideon and shoves him roughly back in the chair. He snatches the empty goblet from Gideon’s hands and setsit down on the table.
“I apologise for the rudeness of my friend. I hope it will not reflect poorly on my hosting or on my fiancée, Winifred. She enjoys your company and does not wish to be ostracised on account of my aloofness.”
“We’re cool, Vlad.” Isis props her tie-dye Dr Martens on Alaric’s antique coffee table. His jaw ticks, but he doesn’t say a thing.
“Was this Baylor at the pub the night of Danny’s death? Did you see him this evening at the festival?” Alaric growls at Gideon.
Gideon shakes his head. “No sightings at either location, although if he were there, he’d be skulking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch a human …”
I shudder, thinking of poor Patrick, grabbed in the dark and drained dry.
“Both Alyra and Baylor have RSVPed for the ball,” Gideon says softly.
“All you have are two vampires with possible motives and no evidence,” Alaric says. “There could be others with some motive we cannot guess. My mother will not invoke the Mora on flimsy evidence.”
“We know that. That’s why we’re going to gather evidence at the ball. I’ll make a powerful truth potion,” says Isis. “We will mix this into the blood cocktails that we’ll distribute to the guests.”
“You’ll distribute? Human servants delivering blood cocktails to my guests?” Callista appears in the doorway, her dress sweeping behind her as she enters the room and stands in front of the fire.
Isis gasps, and Maisie does a funny little curtsey. I understand – Callista’s cold, deadly beauty is disconcerting, especially when you know of all her dark and callous deeds.
“Y-y-yes, ma’am.”
“I prefer ‘my lady’, if you please.” Callista licks her lips. “I think my guests will be tickled by the prospect, and your scents will draw out the husker. You are all un-Thralled, without the mark of another vampire in your blood. In a room already brimming with hedonism, they will find it impossible to resist.But there are risks.”
