Nicole Peeler - [Jane True 01] (28 page)

She finally let go of my hand, and her eyes traveled slowly back to Ryu.
“You have caught yourself a prize, youngling,” she told him, her voice
languorous. “She is so very human, and yet so open to the elements. You must be
feeding well.”

My eyes bulged as I frowned at Ryu, who looked suddenly uncomfortable.
His jaw worked as he tried to come up with some sort of response, until he
finally gave up and nodded. “Yes, my Queen.”

I’ll give you a good feeding tonight, you turd
, I
thought, furious at the Queen’s casual reference to my caloric value.
Am I
just the supernatural version of an IHOP?
I wondered.
Cheap, cheerful,
and complete with a side of pancakes?

“We have given you your usual quarters,” the queen told Ryu. “Enjoy your
time with us, Jane,” she said, her eyes again meeting mine. “We welcome you as
family.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” I managed to respond, while I thought something rude
about the Addams Family.

Ryu and I bowed again, and he took my arm to lead me away from the dais.
It was only then that I noticed the figure standing well behind the king and
queen, partially hidden as he was by the curtained alcove in which he stood. He
had the same silvery eyes as the Alfar monarchs, and the same silvery hair. But
whereas theirs was long, his was cut short and combed forward like Caesar’s.
The way he stared at me gave me a bad case of the screaming meemies. Unlike the
emotionless, almost unseeing, gaze of Orin, this creature looked at me with
eyes full of an emotion I knew well from long experience: contempt. A shiver
trailed up my spine and I moved my hand to Ryu’s, forgetting for a second that
I was miffed with him. His hand squeezed mine, encouragingly, and I managed a
modicum of dignity as we walked back towards the main entrance.

All in all, and except for Mister Crazy Eyes behind the throne, I think
that went rather well
, I thought, proud of myself for bearing up
under the pressure of being introduced into this utterly foreign Court.

You’re gonna get through this
, I thought,
suddenly feeling a wash of calm settle over me.
It’s going to be okay
.

And so, of course, my feet chose that moment to get tangled on a little
bump in the carpet. I tripped, hard, nearly wiping out. It was only the fact
that Ryu threw himself in front of me to catch me that I stayed upright. He was
on one knee, steadying me, and I was almost aloft in his powerful arms.

If we’d gotten only a smattering of attention on our walk in, all eyes
were upon us, now.

For a split second, I had the wild idea to tell Ryu to go ahead and hold
me over his head, like Johnny does Baby in the climax of
Dirty Dancing
,
but I managed to keep a lid on that suggestion.

With as much grace as I could muster, I withdrew from Ryu’s grasp. He
was trying with all his might not to voice his mirth, but laughter was
sparkling in his eyes. I shot him a dirty look, which very obviously did
nothing to quell his amusement, although he did manage to appear the slightest
bit sheepish as he stood.

I held my head up high as we traversed the short distance between
ourselves and the inner doors. Ryu managed to keep it together until they
clanged shut, but then his sharp laugh boomed out into the empty entry hall.

“You are so in trouble, buddy,” I started, as he looked up at me.

He was laughing so hard he was nearly crying, and I couldn’t help it. I
started giggling, and the next thing I knew I was doubled over, laughing as
hard as he was.

“Oh, Jane,” he laughed, picking me up and carrying me toward one of the
myriad stairways cutting through the hall. “You really are precious.” He was
still laughing, but there was the slightest hint of fang showing.

I nestled against his chest, suddenly tired. I yawned and he looked down
at me.

“Wake up, Jane,” he gently admonished. “The night’s hardly even begun.”

I’d had a funny feeling he was going to say that. I sighed, and tried to
gather up my strength for the rest of the evening.

You can handle anything they throw at you, Jane True,
I told
myself
.

As long as you take off those stupid fucking shoes
.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A
dryad
did my makeup, and all I can say is Bobbi Brown, watch out. I looked
hot
.
I’d asked if she could do smoky eyes, and if I’d managed “slightly hazy” she
achieved “smoke, wind, and fire.”

That I was asking a creature I’d heretofore only studied in Mythology
101 to give me smoky eyes didn’t really faze me. I had discovered that instead
of being shocked or afraid of Ryu’s world, I reveled in the weird. I was
suddenly an utterly average wall flower in an imaginarium of the bizarre. It
was a wholly satisfying treat for me to feel suddenly… banal.

“You look lovely, Jane,” Elspeth breathed, as she adjusted my bangs
slightly. Elspeth had been introduced to me as my “personal attendant,” which
was
something I couldn’t get over. I was more fazed to have a maid than I was that
she was a dryad. I wasn’t really sure if I was in fairy land or
turn-of-the-century New York. I felt like Lily Bart, and I wondered if I would
have to tip Elspeth with my winnings from that evening’s bridge. But
considering this lady’s maid lived in a tree, I doubted her personal expenses
were very large.

I was dressed, again, in the red wrap dress. Luckily, I’d managed not to
drool on it at dinner last night. I wanted to save my kimono dress for
tomorrow, and from there I’d figure out what to wear on our last evening in the
Compound. I hoped that the supernatural folk did things like humans and that
Thursday would be slightly less dressy than Friday, although that left formal
attire for Saturday. But for all I knew they would have a Hawaiian-style luau
on Saturday, complete with leis and roasted pig. Picturing the king in a
Hawaiian shirt over some swim trunks made me giggle. And then I pictured him as
a Speedos man and all laughter ceased.

Elspeth stood me up to adjust the wrap’s sash and led me to the mirror.
My jaw dropped, my mouth curling into a silent “o” at the sight of the woman
reflected back at me. I was gorgeous. And it wasn’t just the makeup or the
dress—it was like that new Jane I’d always dreamed about was suddenly staring
back at me. This Jane stood tall and proud, no longer hiding. Elspeth had put
my hair up in a twist, and I’d let her trim my bangs a bit. So nothing
concealed my eyes, something I would normally have been horribly self-conscious
about. But this Jane’s dark gaze looked sexy and exotic, not weird or crazy.

For a second, I nearly panicked.
This isn’t me,
I thought,
staring at the confident young woman in the mirror.

Exactly,
I realized.
This isn’t you. And it’s fucking
awesome… So suck it up and
enjoy
yourself.

I had just turned around to check out my own ass when Ryu walked in. He
was also wearing the same suit he’d worn the other night, and he looked just as
handsome.

“Great minds, and all that.” He grinned, watching as Elspeth finished
fussing. She smiled at me and whispered, “Go forth, with pride,” which I
assumed was a tree’s way of saying, “Knock ’em dead.” I appreciated her kind
words, as well as her efforts, and gave her a little hug.

She left, leaving Ryu and me to stare at each other. He was looking
pretty
foxy so I wasn’t really able to be too angry with him, but the queen’s words
had still stung.

“Jane,” he said finally. “About what Morrigan said—”

“About me being the equivalent of a power bar?” I finished, dryly.

“Yes,” he said, coming over to put his hands on my hips. He looked down
into my eyes, pulling his sincerest face. “I have to admit you are quite a
mouthful,” he said, and it was such a sexy thing to say that part of me was
actively promoting I give him a mouthful right then and there, while the other
part of me was totally pissed off for being so easily manipulated. “But,” he
continued, “that’s just it. You
are
everything your blood promises.
Throughout our time together you have been strong, adaptive, and heady; your
presence fills a room, invades my thoughts.” I saw some fang as he leaned down
to kiss me, punctuating his sentence. “You’re already amazing and my mind reels
at your potential. I see you as an example of our kind’s future and to me that
is as exciting as your blood, your body,” he finished, running his hands up my
arms to cup my face, his kiss deepening.

I sank into his arms, cooing happily, until we were interrupted by the
sound of my stomach booming its protest through the room like a clap of
thunder. The vampire started and I sighed, drooping in Ryu’s embrace. I have an
exceptional talent for the ruining of moments.

My lover straightened up, looking both amused and slightly miffed.
“Hungry?” he inquired.

“Of course.” I grinned at him, ruefully. “Do you have to ask?”

“Well, let’s go down and get you something to eat. I need to keep my
little power bar packed with nutrients.”

I considered threatening him with a good spanking for that comment. But
I was fairly certain that he’d say yes, meaning I’d never get dinner. And I,
too, have my priorities.

Luckily, we went in a side door this time—I could not have borne another
walk of shame down that long aisle. A few beings smiled when they saw me, but
overall everyone was being very circumspect about my near face-plant, for which
I was grateful.

We had come in through a door that emerged about midway through the
throne room, and Ryu took a moment to look around, as if planning his next
move. I took advantage of my chance to rubberneck, and man, did I get an
eyeful. The room itself was relatively plain. There was the dreaded central
aisle, carpeted by its rich red runner, but the rest of the floor and the walls
were all the same gray stone. Many huge pillars supported the cathedral-like
ceiling, which was made of glass. There were no other windows in the great
hall.

If the room was unadorned, however, its inhabitants more than made up
for that. To our right, and nearest to the throne, there seemed to be quite a
few beings similar to the king and queen. They all exhibited the same uncanny
tranquility and were equally colorless, vibrating with power at the same time
that they displayed a curious lack of vitality. I assumed they were all Alfar.

Intermixed with the Alfar were some creatures I recognized, or at least
thought I recognized, and others that were a complete mystery to me. The
succubae and their male counterparts, the incubi, were easy. They were the ones
that made me reach to undo my wrap the minute they looked at me. But other than
their extreme powers of seduction, they came in all shapes and sizes. Iris was
admittedly gorgeous, but not all the rest of her kin were so stunning. In fact,
some were downright average in appearance. And yet they were all captivating.
They bore themselves with such confidence, exuding an air of sexual frankness,
that it almost transcended charisma. And I had the feeling that their powers of
attraction could only partially be attributed to magic.

I was, however, mystified by the apparent predilection for vaguely
piratical mustachios among the incubi, but I guess there is no accounting for
taste. I do enjoy a good “mustache ride” joke, however, and the naughty half of
my brain was merrily riffing away.

Meanwhile, towering over everyone else, their mucus-weeping eyes coldly
assessing those around them, were goblins galore. “Why all the goblins?” I
asked Ryu, on the down low.

“They’re sort of our community’s version of white-collar workers:
doctors, lawyers, accountants, and stockbrokers. They’re tremendously
intelligent and curious beings, and they’re especially good at understanding
the intricacies of human society. I think it’s that they appreciate a good
bureaucracy. Give a goblin a thick sheaf of paperwork, to be completed in
triplicate, and you’ve made yourself a friend for life.”

“And is that a giant?” I hissed, nodding behind us toward an absolutely
enormous and incredibly ugly pair of creatures that were guarding the doors we
were standing in front of, and, I now noticed, seemed to be on guard duty
throughout the room.