‘Yes, I did. You are alsomyfamily, you know.Mylittle sister. Of course I’m going to take care of you.’
I move to hug her but she waves me away. ‘Aiya, I’ll cry if you hug me then my make-up will be ruined and your eyes will get all puffy and all my efforts will be wasted.’
She hands me a deep crimson red silk gown and I put it on without protest. Though the neckline cuts straight across my collarbone, it’s slinky and long and stunning. Thinking back to Mémère’s salon though, I wonder if there’s any point in dressing up. Will the vampires even be wearing clothes? Gigi seems so pleased with her outfit and we’ve finally stopped sniping at each other, so I don’t say anything.
We head downstairs to the receiving hall and find Ah Lang and Tony chatting with a painfully thin blond man. The man wears an electric violet dinner jacket made of lush velvet with matching trousers and waistcoat; Tony’s complexion is almost waxy compared to the lustre of the blond man. I wonder if Tony should stay home. He doesn’t look well.
‘Lady Jing,’ the blond man says in impeccable Mandarin, then bends into a low bow.
The voice is unmistakeable. ‘Lord Aengus!’ I say. ‘You’ve recovered so quickly!’
Running a bony hand down his jacket lapel, the newly restored Tuatha Dé envoy says, ‘Not quite back to my old self, but it’s a damn sight better than being in that thing.’ He points with his chin at the vase sitting by the door.
‘Is Lady Brigid not here?’ Gigi asks. ‘I thought she might like to come out with us tonight.’
‘That’s very kind, but she really doesn’t enjoy crowds,’ Lord Aengus says.
‘Is it alright that you’re coming?’ Tony Lee asks. ‘Wouldn’t it be safer to sit this one out?’
‘I am not one to sit out an experience!’ Lord Aengus says. ‘Besides, what could possibly go wrong?’
Bar 228 turns out to be inside a stately hotel with arched colonnades spanning the entire ground floor. The doors swing open at our approach. Inside, the scent of dried roses and camphor hangs thick and pungent. Tendrils of pine, fresh green walnut and slightly overripe persimmon add to the olfactory cacophany. The place reeks of vampires and mortals.
I lace my arm through Tony’s. ‘There are a lot of vampires in here.’
‘Mortals, too?’
I nod. In response, he slips me a handful of caramels. ‘Have some, just in case.’
Gigi and Ah Lang must have also noticed the smell as Gigi sidles up on Tony’s other side, while Ah Lang positions himself at our back, keeping Lord Aengus close.
‘I told you we shouldn’t trust them,’ Gigi hisses.
I keep my tone even. ‘Tony’s safe, they won’t touch him. Remember what they did to the vampire who hurt you?’
That shuts Gigi up.
One of the hotel staff bustles towards us. Tony greets him in French, and I catch the wordDurand.
The man smiles unctuously and escorts us through the hotel to a pair of discreet doors. ‘Welcome,’ he says.
The doors open to a large room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a manicured garden. It reminds me strongly of the Cathay Hotel’s Horse and Hound bar in mortal Shanghai, all deep burnished wood and mahogany leather chairs. The bar area is lit with a mellow red light, an entire wall of mirrored shelves filled with glowing bottles.
The bar is teeming with mortals and vampires in varying state of undress. I quickly scan the room and am relieved to note no one is fornicating, yet.
‘Tian, Jing, you really weren’t making it up,’ Gigi breathes.
Tony radiates disapproval; I don’t dare look at him. Lord Aengus’s eyes light up, greedily taking in the room.
We move through clusters of people; the scent of vampires and blood and a salty musky undertone is overwhelming.
We pass a pair of women kissing and petting each other, then a man who lazily strokes himself as he watches a vampire feeding from a pursuivant. My neck goes hot and Tony clamps his hand over my eyes. ‘Jing this is unseemly! How—’
‘Mémère is over there,’ Lord Aengus interrupts cheerfully.
Mémère, Marianne, and surly Maximilien, sit at a table next to the window. They alone, in the entire bar apart from us, are fully clothed.
Mémère and Marianne stand to greet us, delighted to see Lord Aengus no longer in a vase. Maximilien makes the barest effort to rise before he’s seated again.
