“I never had the pleasure, master,” Katie said.
“It’s mistress, if you insist on being formal, which I insist that you don’t! You’re Anton’s offspring and a promising young mage, I hear,” Candide replied. “I may be a captain, but you, my girl, are royalty. You both are. I hope to see you here all the time. Beautiful young people deserve plenty of time out of the house.”
Candide launched into a spiel about how the Chateau ran and what it offered. Seamus had already set up accounts for Zack and Katie so they could feed at the coven’s donor houses. At least, he had, in theory. His funds weren’t infinite, and something would have to give.
Bitterly, Takashi hoped that Roger had managed to bankrupt Seamus so ruthlessly that the bastard would lose his grand mansion.
The bulk of the party was on the second floor. Many of the rooms had a handful of vampires and their retinues. Faustino had a mortal with a white collar under each arm while he boastfully chatted to the others that, yes, he could be spotted in Manet’s “Masked Ball at the Opera.” That was a line that had worked on Takashi back in their early relationship. Now, it was a braggart’s painful attempt to be influential.
Takashi nearly laughed when a young pale vampire with white-blond hair proclaimed there was nothing amazing about a painting when he had a million views on his most recent film. An argument erupted about whether or not a vampire should engage in creating pornography, but the pale vampire didn’t seem to care what the others thought of his profession.
Candide continued wheeling Katie and Zack through the party and pointing out tiny details that were specific for the evening—like the chits with both crests on them.
“Both?” Katie exclaimed delightedly. “Wait, do I have one?”
“I was going to make a show of telling you tonight.” Anton nodded to Katie’s necklace. “A raven and a rose. Death, magic, and beauty.”
“Do you know yours?” Katie picked up a black chit from a nearby table. “Dagger and snake. What does that mean?”
“Killer and survivor,” Seamus replied. He plucked the chit from her hand. “You needn’t worry about carrying one of these tonight.”
“He’s right,” Candide said. “I would have supplied my own gifts for you to drink from, but many of our guests have brought offerings. I should be introducing you two to some of them, unless you would like to take over that duty, master?”
“I enjoy watching you play hostess, Candide.” Seamus kissed her cheek. “You have always impressed me.”
“Thank you, master.” Candide dipped her head in acknowledgment, then steered Zack and Katie to a room farther in.
For Takashi, keeping in step behind them was an exercise in walking on broken glass and smiling through it. Seamus hadn’t glanced his way. With Zack’s focus on what was happening to him, would anyone notice if he slipped away?
He held off from a step, then another. When no one, not even one of the pets trailing after Seamus, turned toward him, he slipped into one of the nearby rooms.
Light conversation was happening in this room, but Takashi wasn’t immediately sucked into the verbal wordplay. Instead, he stayed up against one of the walls beside the entry. No call of his name nor one of Seamus’s people came to fetch him. He was free.
“Ah, Takashi!” Ezra said.
Takashi cursed his luck, then fate, and for good measure, destiny. If any of those entities existed, certainly they believed only the wicked deserved any peace. He plastered on a smile he knew was too weak and faced Ezra.
Ezra was handsome in his gray suit and collar. He had another man on his arm. Something about the dark blond, white vampire was oddly familiar, but Takashi couldn’t place his finger on the reason why.
“I didn’t expect you to be a wallflower,” Ezra said. “I don’t know if you’ve met my good friend Harry. He’s from England.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” the man said, his English accent thick.
And one Takashi had heard before. That was Roger’s voice. He rarely fell back on his older accents, but he’d used it shamelessly in bed back in 1921. Takashi scanned the details of the man’s face and settled on his brown eyes.
The disguise was fantastic, but those eyes were Roger’s eyes.
Roger was alive. He had come into the heart of the beast that wanted him dead.
Takashi could cry, but he couldn’t allow himself to do so.
“Yes, a pleasure,” Takashi said breathlessly.
“I am hoping that you can keep my good friend entertained while I see to a few things,” Ezra said. “Candide is the hostess, but she did beg of me to help her this evening.”
“Perhaps we’ll be able to meet you upstairs?” Roger asked.
“Mm, yes. In about half an hour?” Ezra replied.
