“I’m excited for you! I’ve been dying to see your place!” Hazel said.
“I’ll give you a tour, and don’t worry. I actually managed to set up somefunentertainment.”
I swung my gaze from Hazel to Killian and his First and Second Knights who entered behind him—a Latina beauty named Celestina, and a rather depressed looking vampire named Josh. “There’s a shooting range outside with bow and crossbow artifacts,” I said. “There are a few fae attending to it—they’ll get the weapons powered up for you so you can see what it’s like to shoot magic.”
About half a dozen additional Drake vampires crowded behind Celestina and Josh. They flicked their eyes from me to Killian Drake.
Killian nodded, and the vampires stampeded over one another in their rush to the shooting range.
“Which way to the back?” a sweet-looking vampire asked, her red eyes bright with excitement.
I gestured to Eventide. “Eventide will be happy to show you.”
Eventide quivered a little under the vampires’ intense gazes, but he bravely trotted out in front of them. “This way, esteemed guests.”
“Queen Leila, thank you for your invitation to tonight’s banquet.” Killian’s slight British accent was barely noticeable as he nodded his head to me.
“And for inviting our people,” Hazel chimed in. “That was really thoughtful.”
I tried to discreetly check to make sure my crown wasn’t tilting. “I know the Drake Family and the Medeis wizards so well, and I think of you as my friends. It would be pretty shabby if Ididn’tinvite you all!”
“Nah.” Hazel shook her head. “I don’t know about vampires, but we wizards don’t get invited to anything like this.”
“Nor do vampires,” Killian confirmed.
They probably don’t get invitations because Hazel is the protegee of the Midwest Elite—the highest-ranking wizard in the Midwest—and Killian as the Eminent is the top vampire in the Midwest. They outrankeveryonewho is coming tonight, except for the Paragon!
I awkwardly cleared my throat. “I’m glad you guys came. I figured the shooting range would most appeal to the Drake Family, but I did make arrangements for a karaoke session—since that seemed like something the House Medeis wizards would enjoy.”
“Did someone say karaoke?”
An old woman, holding the arm of a sour-faced, red-haired vampire, stepped through the door, with a dozen other House Medeis wizards surging around her.
“Great Aunt Marraine,” I greeted the older woman with a smile. “I’m happy you could make it tonight!”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, dearie! Especially since my bridge group didn’t believe me when I said the new Night Queen lived next door to young Killian! We have to take a picture before the night is over,” she said.
The red-haired vampire looked to the side, as if he was contemplating slinking off, but one of Hazel’s childhood friends—an angelic-looking guy who could have given the most beautiful fae a run for their money—gave the vampire a half hug. “Sounds great. We should make it a group picture!”
The vampire shivered and glared at the wizards holding on to him. “I insist you release me.”
“Not a chance,” the male wizard said.
“Indeed,” Great Aunt Marraine said. “You agreed to be the date of all the House Medeis wizards tonight.”
“I agreed to nothing!” the vampire said.
Great Aunt Marraine cackled and patted his cheek. “It’s adorable you think you can get out of this. Come on—let’s go find this karaoke. I’m sure you have a wonderful singing voice, Rupert!” The older woman—dressed in a gold dress with gold shoes, a gold handbag, and a gold hat, marched down the hallway, dragging “Rupert” behind her.
“Yeah, Rupert,” another House Medeis wizard laughed as she followed behind him. “It’ll be a blast!”
“Someone should record this—for posterity.”
“We have to take a picture—we can add it to our Rupert photo album!”
The House Medeis wizards fearlessly swept off into the innards of my house, not minding the gawking fae as they dragged the protesting Rupert behind them.
“I’ll go after them and take them to the karaoke bar,” Indigo said. “This looks like it could be entertaining, anyway.”
