Zack leaned in and pressed a kiss against Roger’s cheek, near his ear. He whispered, “This place smells weird.”
Upon entering, Roger had become nose blind to the scents, but he took measure of them again. Old blood, entrenched fear, and the constant presence of vampires made for a dulling smell. It was musty, like a disused building, despite the activity.
“You’ll get used to it,” Roger replied. “Come on, we need to say hello to him.”
Zack gave a tight nod in response, something Roger felt more from the brush of their cheeks so near each other rather than saw.
The party was in full swing. Alongside vampires and their pets, faeries revealed their true nature and celebrated. Without their glamours, the Unseelie faeries tended to appear as elongated humanoids. Some had wings, some didn’t. Some had long, spindly fingers, while others were far shorter all over. A pack of pixies assaulted a gray-banded server and stole the empty glasses on their tray in order to smash them against the floor at the server’s feet. Nothing changed in the server’s expression, which exasperated the pixies and caused them to flit away to annoy someone else.
Roger led the way to the balcony floor. Seamus had a wide, open booth without a table at the center of it that was a step up from the floor. Subtle enchantments were worked into the ends, but the lack of glow meant they were likely disabled for the time being. If they were the same as his usual, then Seamus would be able to soundproof the booth upon a command.
Given the theme of deities, Roger wasn’t the least bit surprised that Seamus had gone with attire alluding to the Devil. His bloodred suit was flashy, and the little red horns on his head added mischief to his demeanor. Other vampires hanging around him had chosen other deities. Some of them had gone Greek like Roger and some from other beliefs across the world. Marcus was dressed similarly to Roger, apparently choosing Dionysus as his inspiration as well.
I wear it better.Roger made a small bow to Seamus. “Lovely party, master.”
“Stop that master nonsense,” Seamus said with a grin. Something he’d said without meaning before and likely didn’t mean it this time either. “Join me and send your pets below to the pit.”
Roger nodded, then glanced over his shoulder to Zack. The others had bowed when he had, but he managed to catch Zack’s eye. Zack gave him a small nod of confirmation, then whisked Kit and Carver back down toward the first floor.
Seamus leaned forward, his focus on Takashi. “You too,boy.”
Sending Takashi away would please Seamus, but there was a note in his tone that Roger had heard too many times. Seamus didn’t appreciate Takashi—hell, he never appreciated anyone. But there was a disrespect that had corroded Roger’s relationships before.
Seamus couldn’t stand for anyone to grow close to Roger, and the story was that he and Takashi had already been together for thirty years. Seamus didn’t know that was a lie, or at least Roger had no reason to believe the ruse had fallen through yet.
Insisting that Takashi remain with him would be a direct defiance, but letting Seamus get away with banishing him below to where the lesser vampires and pets were would mean that Roger saw Takashi the same way. As much as Takashi knew he cared, everyone else would only see Roger treating Takashi poorly. Seamus would be stomping all over him.
And a nagging little thought popped up in Roger’s mind. Takashi had said it first.How long can you pretend something before it becomes real?
Roger couldn’t continue to stand by.
A buzzing in his throat and stomach threatened to overcome every nerve. No one stood up to Seamus. Ever.
But he had. In little ways. He had pulled Seamus’s attention and distracted him from others. He’d persuaded and seduced him. This turn of the dance would be bolder, more obvious, but he could manage it.
Because otherwise, what was the point? Why was he making Zack and the others suffer through the bullshit if he couldn’t finally stand on his own two feet? Who would follow a spinelessbastard who did nothing but suck up to the sire he eventually staked?
He still had to disguise the move to throw Seamus off the scent. With a quick tug, he pulled Takashi to his side and kissed his cheek. Afterward, he said loud enough for the other vampires to hear, “I saw Lucille in a booth near the stairs. I’ll catch up to you soon, love.”
Takashi squeezed his arm in reply, then headed for Lucille’s booth.
Roger smoothed his features into a courtesan’s smile as he steeled himself for whatever reaction Seamus might have. In moments like this, Roger’s fear tended to grasp the better of him, and he always waited to see which version of Seamus greeted him.
But he’d spent months with Zack at his side and long nights reading through the notes that he had made. He had his own experience to rely upon as well. If he swallowed the fear, he could take in Seamus like Zack might and use all that information to form a conclusion and a course of action.
Seamus stretched and put his arms out along the back of the low seat. Though the benches were crowded, no one had dared to take up the few feet to either side of him.
Since he hadn’t been invited to sit, Roger slid his hands into his pockets. The gold ring on his finger was a heavy weight.
As Seamus was sitting in the middle of the booth’s bench in a position that was lording his presence over the entire party, he clearly was angling to be the center of attention. His grin didn’t meet his eyes, but his gaze had the spark of a lazy predator rather than a monster on the prowl. Midnight was close, and the club was filling with guests.
He’s in a good mood but wary. Roger gave a quick glance over the other vampires sitting in the booth. He didn’t know most of them, and they reeked like the freshly dead. Newervampires, less than a few decades old. Seamus had always surrounded himself with a few prized “students” that eventually disappointed him. This latest crop seemed to be the same sort of sycophants as Marcus was. Malice twisted their smiles, and several had spots of blood on them.
Would Roger’s efforts be lost on them? Was there one among them that wanted to break free from the violent path Seamus demanded of them?
And then he realized far more than the dozen vampires before him could see him. He was close enough to the balcony edge that others on the floor below could spot him as well as the other groups of vampires in other booths on the second floor.
He had to dance a waltz in tap shoes without making a sound.I can do this. For Zack. For Takashi.
