Summoning Shadows: A Rosso Lussuria Vampire Novel (17 page)

I curtseyed slightly and probably a bit awkwardly since it wasn’t something I was accustomed to doing, as it was not obligatory among the Rosso Lussuria. “It is appreciated, my lord.”

“I have shown the others to their chambers,” Istania said. “I will lead you to them and to your own private quarters, my queens.”

Queens?

I glanced uncertainly at Renata, who smiled sweetly and knowingly. Surely, I had not heard Istania right.

We were escorted to our chamber, which was an odd, circular shaped room. The ceiling and floor had been cleaned of any debris or natural formations. The stone walls were smooth, as if they’d been polished, and a wooden doorway had been established along the western wall, separating our room from the others. A large, elaborately carved canopy bed graced the center of the room, draped in blue and black silks. A menacing creature was carved into the headboard, its sharply triangular face and horns pushing out toward the room, framed by intricate carvings of small flowers.

Iliaria was sitting on the bed when we entered.

“They have posted guards outside our doors,” she noted with mild indignation. “Anatharic will be staying in the room with the others. I will stay here with you.”

“I would do the same were they guests in my Sotto, Dracule.”

“I know,” Iliaria said. “As would I, but I do not trust their guards to keep you safe.”

When it came down to it, neither did I.

A gentle knock sounded at the door, and I waited for Renata’s nod of approval before answering it.

Istania held a bundle of clothes in her arms. “The king requested I give you these.” There was no distaste or displeasure in her that I could sense, only a subtle calmness. “That door there,” she gestured with a dip of her head toward the only other doorway in the room, a doorway I had suspected led to a closet of some sort, “leads to your own personal bath. If you require anything else, do not hesitate to ask one of the guards posted outside your door. We do hope you do not take their presence amiss, as they are for your protection as well as ours.”

“No insult has been taken,” Renata said smoothly, tipping her head in thanks.

Istania mirrored the gesture and held the clothes out. Truthfully, I wasn’t certain they would fit and if they did, I didn’t know how Augusten managed to find clothes for us on such short notice. None of us had thought to bring a change for ourselves. Istania left and I set about making myself useful and putting the garments away in a wardrobe just beyond the door leading to the bath.

When I had completed the task, I took in the bathing room. It was spacious, and though the clan of Bull Shoals had probably altered it, the spring-fed pool appeared to be a natural occurrence. Beautifully crafted brass lanterns were placed on stands throughout the room, flickering and reflecting off the surface of the water.

“It has its own quiet charm, doesn’t it?” Renata asked.

“It does. Have you spoken with Vito or Vittoria?” I asked.

“Yes. All is well. There have been no further attacks.”

“The others aren’t questioning their authority for the time being?”

Renata’s mouth curled slyly. “Not with Severiano at their backs, no.”

“That’s good,” I said. “Will we return on the morrow’s evening?”

“I suspect,” she said, “it all depends on what word Augusten receives from the neighboring clans.”

“What if they’ve been attacked, my lady? If the Dracule are targeting all of us, what then?”

“What do you mean, Epifania?”

“Should we not band together as Damokles and his henchmen have and fight back? It would be easier to eliminate the threat if we stood together as vampires.”

“Mmm,” she murmured, toying with a curl of my hair that had broken free, “that is why I believe Damokles is targeting one clan at a time. It is far easier to bully one than it is three.”

“I do not want to put any of the other clans in danger, my lady, but I don’t think this is a battle we can fight alone. The Dracule have heard rumor that Damokles seeks to convert even more Dracule to his cause as we speak.”

Renata sighed, releasing the lock of my hair. “I know, cara mia.”

I changed the subject, feeling we would gain no more ground on it. “Well,” I said, “if we are staying here for the rest of the night and throughout the day, what exactly are we supposed to do?”

She smiled mischievously. “Dolce mia,” she said in a purring voice. Her arms slipped around my waist as she pulled me in against her. “Have you not learned by now that we have little problem finding something to do?”

I placed my hands on her shoulders, rising on the tips of my toes when she bent to kiss me.

“What will you, my lady?”

She tugged the ribbon in my hair loose, sending the weight of it spilling and swaying freely down my back. “We will get to that.”

She kissed me and her lips were tender and sweet.

As it was Renata’s night, Iliaria left the room and went to sit with the others. Renata took my hand and guided me to the bed. I went willingly into the circle of her arms, feeling at home and at ease despite the unfamiliar surroundings. For a long while, we simply lay there, idly exploring one another. Renata toyed with my hair and I traced circles on the small of her back.

She pushed my thighs apart with her knee and I moved against her, sliding up and down on her thigh and circling my hips. I buried my face in the bend of her neck and her hand sank lower down my body. She squeezed and I moaned when her nails dug into my skin.

Renata tugged at the back of my shirt and I rose to let her draw it up over my head. She pulled the garment off and cupped my breasts, guiding me to her mouth. She nibbled and teased my breasts in a way that made me shudder with pleasure.

“Mmm, I have always liked that about you, Piph.”

She bit the side of my breast, her fangs piercing me. I gasped as she sealed her mouth over the wounds, sucking lightly.

When she drew away, I asked, “Liked what, my lady?”

Renata sat up and pushed me onto my back. Her hand marked a path up my chest before she dragged her nails over me from my neck to my waist. My eyelashes fluttered closed while she touched me.

Her hands played over my hips. “You do not hide yourself in the bedroom.”

I smiled slightly. “You never asked me to.”

She began peeling my leggings off. “No,” she said, a flicker of something impish passing through her gaze. “No, I want to see all of you.”

And she did, tossing the leggings aside and spreading my thighs. Renata lay back against the pillows and pulled my lower body onto her lap. Her fingers splayed me and she watched her hand while she traced me. She played over a particularly sensitive spot and I clawed at the blankets.

Renata laughed softly. She pushed her fingers inside me and my muscles responded, cinching as I moaned at the feel of her. She worked me with a slow and steady hand, and while she did so, she continued to watch me, to watch her fingers as they moved in and out of me. She eased out slowly. When she pushed into me again, it was harder and less controlled. I cried out softly and shoved my hips toward her hand.

She shifted, curling her body against mine. She eased out of me again as she spread the honey of my desire over my most sensitive spot.

She brought our faces close, still flicking and playing between my legs. Renata pressed her lips against mine in a kiss that was deep and sensual. Somewhere during our kiss, I spent myself, crying out my pleasure against her lips.

When I tried to raise Renata’s gown, she pulled me into the circle of her arms. I didn’t resist her and lay with my head on her shoulder.

“Not yet,” she murmured against my hair.

I nodded without asking why. When she wanted me to please her, she would let me know. She always did.

Some minutes before dawn, I heard the door between the two rooms open quietly.

Iliaria stood at the foot of the bed watching us with her strange eyes. Her features were pleasantly blank. “Anatharic thought you might want this,” she said making her way to Renata’s side. “Were it not so close to dawn, I would not have interrupted.”

She held her hand out, palm up. Renata sat up quietly and when she saw what Iliaria held out, she looked at her in surprise.

“Is he certain?”

“Yes, put it on.”

Renata took the slender ring with its small cloudy gem from her. She slid the Stone of Shadows onto the middle finger of her right hand, the same finger on which I wore mine.

“Are you certain?” she asked.

“I would not give it to you if I was not,” Iliaria said. “It is by far easier than having Epiphany wake you with blood and blade.”

“It is,” Renata said, giving her a sidelong glance. “But it means I will be awake throughout the day, Dracule. You will have to share Epiphany.”

“You tell me what I already know.”

“The Great Sire has my thanks,” she said.

“We must speak of strategy,” Iliaria said. She sat on the bed to face us both. “Anatharic and I have those that are loyal to us, those that we may call upon and trust if we need to.”

“At the moment, things are dependent on what word we receive from the clans Augusten has sent word to. This is not yet a full-fledged war, Dracule.”

“Not yet, but we must prepare. Damokles will make this a war, Renata. He is picking at your clan solely to find weak spots.”

“And if he has attacked no others?”

“We must convince them to stand with us. It is only a matter of time until he attacks the others. The vampires must show a united front in this.”

“We need to form an alliance,” I said. “But how? If they haven’t been attacked, they have no physical proof we speak the truth. How do we convince them to fight what they will essentially believe is our clan’s battle and not theirs?”

“It would be easier if Damokles has attacked another clan,” Iliaria said, seeming frustrated. She shook her head. “I do not know. We must consider the possibility that he has not and what to do under those circumstances.”

“What would you do, Dracule?” Renata asked.

“The only thing you can do, that I can discern. I would form an alliance with those clans willing and that believe this is not solely your battle to fight.”

“Those may be few and far between.”

“I know. Would that there was some way to convince them otherwise. I believed Anatharic’s and my presence would be sufficient evidence that you are telling the truth, but King Augusten seems hesitant to believe.”

“Mayhap,” I said, thinking furiously, “Mayhap it’s not about convincing them that we’re telling the truth.”

“What do you mean, cara mia?”

“We’ve been going about this arseways since the start. Instead of convincing them that we’re telling the truth, we need to convince them they should form an alliance with us, regardless.”

“How?” Renata asked as she searched my face. “They are not going to join and fight with us if they do not gain something in return by forming an alliance with the Rosso Lussuria.”

“Precisely,” I said.

“Most every clan has their own wealth.” Renata lay back against her pillows. “I cannot sway them with riches. What then do we have to give them in exchange for an alliance?”

I fingered the Stone of Shadows on my hand. “Power,” I said. “We offer their rulers power.” I looked at Iliaria and asked, “Can it be done?”

She cast her gaze to the ring on my hand and I knew she understood my thoughts. “It will be.”

Whether the clans believed us or not, we would find out how far their rulers would go for a taste of the power that our allegiance with some of the Dracule rewarded us. If it was enough to persuade King Augusten, it just might be enough to persuade the others.

*

We passed the day talking politics instead of making love. Iliaria sent Anatharic away to contact the Dracule that were loyal and true to them. It was through them we would gain another Stone of Shadows and use it to sweeten the pot of an alliance, starting with King Augusten. Iliaria and Anatharic could make more, but each ring the Dracule made came at the price of blood and power.

It was decided that each Dracule that lent a Stone of Shadows to a ruler would become an overseer of sorts, in that they would remain in contact with those vampires who took the deal. Why wouldn’t the Dracule keep watch on those with whom they shared their gifts? It was not purely a selfish move on the Rosso Lussuria’s behalf, but a cautious one on behalf of the Dracule.

Shortly after moonrise, Istania and two cloaked guardsmen knocked on our door and escorted us before King Augusten. Renata and I had bathed and changed into the garments given to us by the king himself. The dress I wore was a gray several shades darker than the gray of my eyes. The bodice of the dress cinched like a corset and was lined in whirling black velvet designs. The sleeves fell low on my shoulders, leaving my neck, collar, and a good portion of my back bare. Once, I would not have worn such a gown for fear of revealing the scars the Elder Lucrezia had left on me. But Renata had healed them and I could wear the dress proudly.

When Renata was done tying the stays, she stood back to admire the dress.