The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series (174 page)

Lucien chuckled. “Let’s make sure we have an introduction. Do you think the party’s inside?”

“In this weather?” She looked around at the damp mist that was falling. “Yeah, they’re inside.”

“Does she still have that grand hall where she likes to sit like a queen?”

“Yup.”

“Lovely.”

They stopped inside the gates of the castle grounds and flagged down a servant. They asked for someone to give their names to Emil Conti while they waited under the watchful and plentiful eyes of Livia’s guards.

“When did she get so much security?” Lucien asked.

Beatrice looked around. Her back itched where her swords would usually hang, and she twisted her leg to the side, taking comfort in the solid press of metal against her ankle. “She really started piling them on after Lorenzo showed up and she arrested Gio.”

He frowned. “Where is she getting them? These do not look like young vampires.” He trailed off, muttering as she watched for a sign of Emil. Within a few minutes, she spotted a blur crossing the grounds and Emil stood before them. He nodded toward Lucien and bent to greet Beatrice with a kiss. He did not look pleased.

“My dear, this is unexpected. And probably quite foolish. Livia has taken advantage of this reception to announce what she is calling a ‘partnership’ with a few other vampires. I’m really not sure this is the proper place to—”

“Hey, don’t look at me.” She raised her hands, palms-out. “Lucien insisted.”

“Lucien, your call this afternoon was very unexpected. What do you have to do with all this mess?”

Lucien took a deep breath. “It’s the elixir, Emil. They found the truck, and there was a box of elixir missing. She has it. I know it—it…” He drifted off and Emil looked between Lucien and Beatrice in confusion.

“Lucien? What are you talking about?”

“He’s taken it, Emil.” Beatrice took Lucien’s hand and held it as he drifted.

Emil’s eyes grew wide. “The elixir? Lucien has taken the elixir?”

“He drank from a human who had taken it. Now, he is… ill. We’re not sure how or why, but that is where Gio and Carwyn have been. They’ve been trying to find more information from the vampires who helped develop it. And hopefully, they’ll find some kind of cure for Lucien, too.”

She was still reluctant to detail Giovanni and Carwyn’s attempts to find Arosh and Kato. For one thing, she had no idea whether they were having any success. They hadn’t heard any news from them in weeks. For another, the vampires they were looking for were supposed to be dead.

Emil was staring at Lucien in confusion. “So, Lucien drank from a human who had taken this drug and now he is… what?”

Lucien blinked and came back. “I’m still here. For now. But my mind is not right. I must tell the court what this elixir does. I must warn them.”

Emil shook his head. “My friend, I know how trustworthy you are, but I can only vouch for you as my friend. Many of the younger Romans do not know you. They don’t know your sire or your reputation. There is no guarantee they will listen to you when Livia and her three associates have been telling them they hold the keys to a miracle.”

Beatrice’s eyes darted away from Lucien’s disappointed face. “Associates?” she asked. “What associates?”

“She has just announced that she partnered with Matilda from Germany—”

“She’s wind.”

“Bomeni from Ethiopia.”

“Earth,” Lucien said.

“And Livia holds water.” Beatrice’s eyes darted back to Emil’s. “Who else?”

“Oleg, the Russian.”

Lucien said, “Fire.”

Beatrice nodded. “And she’s got her four now. We knew she’d have to find willing donors.”

Emil asked, “Do you think they know the effects?”

Beatrice nodded, even though they were far from sure. “She knows. Lucien has tried to contact them with no success. They’re obviously avoiding him.” Though Lucien raised an eyebrow, he did not correct her.

He said, “Whether she knows or suspects, I must have an audience to speak to the vampires of the court. I must at least try, Emil.”

The Roman nodded. “I understand. And I will introduce you tonight so you may speak. Beatrice…” He looked toward her with an apologetic expression. “I think it would be better if—”

“Not on your life,” she said. “Lucien’s not going anywhere near that bitch without me. I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

Emil sighed. “I will introduce you. Please understand though, the matter of your friend—”

“Is a minor human problem according to these guys,” she said. “I get it.”

“I am truly sorry. It would not happen if I—”

“Not your fault, Emil. Let’s let Lucien have his say so I can get him home. The last thing we need is to be stuck here for the day.”

The three started toward the castle, and Beatrice couldn’t help but notice how many more guards were dotted around the grounds. “Are Ziri and Tenzin inside?”

“I believe so. Tenzin is with the remnants of the Chinese delegation, though I believe most of them are leaving or have left already. Ziri is… around.”

“Somewhere?”

“Yes, but I’ve only seen him once tonight.”

They sped over the grounds and, in no time, they were climbing the stairs toward another of Livia’s glittering parties. And once again, Beatrice was distinctly underdressed. She caught the stares of the vampires inspecting her jeans and tank top covered by her husband’s shirt, which draped her body almost to the knees. The stares didn’t bother her. However, the idea that a good number of these vampires could be going out of their mind if Livia had her way did bother her.

She glanced sideways and caught Emil’s frown. “What?” she whispered.

He spoke in a whisper. “Why does she want this?”

“Money? Power over her enemies? Who knows?” Beatrice kept walking through the whispering crowd. “Currently, she’s the one that has the knowledge, and knowledge is power. People have fought for this. Died for it, even.” She tilted her head toward Lucien. “What would you sacrifice to hold a power that could turn your keenest enemy into a shadow of himself?”

Lucien whispered, “I’d be offended if I didn’t agree with you so much. Emil, imagine a bottle of this in the hands of your enemy. They wouldn’t even need to attack you. They could influence any human you drank from and send that poison back to you with a healthy flush on their face. You would have no idea.”

She didn’t miss the hairs that lifted on Emil’s neck as they made their way through the crowd. Still, his face was impassive and his stride was purposeful. Many of the vampires they passed seemed to want his attention, but didn’t feel confident enough to approach him. He acknowledged the crowd with a polite nod, though he did not stop his steady pace. Beatrice smiled. She had chosen a good leader for Rome.

As long as putting him in power didn’t get them all killed.

They arrived in the main hall, which was teeming with vampires. Glittering lights dripped from the ceiling and the rich colors of fall decorated the room. Red and orange dresses were everywhere along with purple, green, and gold decorations. The human servers carried flutes of champagne and tiny hors d’oeuvres as they moved through the crowd. Other humans held up wrists that Beatrice saw more than one vampire take advantage of as they mingled. A thought suddenly struck her.

“You know, all she’d have to do is dose up her donors, and she’d have everyone here under her thumb. Think about it, Emil. None of the younger immortals drink from anyone live unless it’s here.”

She could tell he’d never considered the possibility. “My god, you’re right.”

Beatrice heard Lucien say, “This is ridiculous. All this ridiculous protocol. Have we become humans after all?”

Lucien pushed them both back and strode toward the front of the room.

“Lucien!”

He didn’t stop. The crowd parted and she could see Livia seated in another richly draped chaise at the front of the room. Lorenzo was beside her, along with Matilda, Bomeni, and a scowling vampire Beatrice did not recognize.

Livia rose as Lucien approached.

“Lucien,” she said, clearly shocked, but trying to cover it. “What a wonderful surprise to—”

“Shut up, Livia.”

Livia didn’t just shut up; the whole room did. If there had been a record playing somewhere, Beatrice imagined it would have made a screeching noise. Lucien raised a hand and pointed toward Lorenzo as he sat at her side.

“Did your errand boy tell you he’s given out samples of your great discovery?”

Livia’s face was blank, and Beatrice suspected she hadn’t known, after all. No matter, Lucien was still speaking, but he had turned to address the crowd.

“Oh yes, my friends, I have tried this elixir she calls a miracle! Lorenzo gave it to cure a human under my aegis. Then he told me of its other benefits.” His eyes swept the room and Beatrice could tell the ancient vampire had the attention of all in the room. “I drank from her. I drank from her over a year ago. Do you know what it has done to me? Shall I tell you, or perhaps I should just wait here with Livia until I fall into a coma and do not wake?”

The muttering began to circulate around the room. Livia stood, doing her best to keep the peace.

“Lucien, my old friend. Whatever are you talking about?” Her laugh was brittle. “If you have received something purported to be my elixir, I apologize, and I will make sure the finest healers see to you, but this cure has been tested, my friends!” Her gaze swung away from Lucien to the crowd that surrounded her, trying to reassure them. “This is not some magic potion; this is science. A breakthrough of historic significance…”

Beatrice’s eyes drifted as Livia started her sales pitch again. She searched through the crowd to examine those who surrounded the water vampire. There was security, definitely. A lot of that. And her three partners stood next to her. None of them looked shocked in the least. All their faces were very carefully blank.

She continued to scan the room. In addition to the tiered fountains that dotted it, a discreet channel of water had been built since the last time she had visited. To most, it would have looked like a very beautiful water feature, but Beatrice knew what it really was: a weapon. Luckily, it was a weapon for more than just Livia. She stepped closer to Lucien and the wary vampires of Livia’s court kept their distance.

“Livia!” Lucien was shouting over her. “Stop your speeches and listen! I’m willing to believe that you may not have realized how harmful this all was, but for the good of your people, you must stop this madness now. Admit that this elixir is harmful. Stop the production until more research can be done. What kind of leader are you if you cannot look past your own self-interest to the good of Rome? To the common good of our kind?”

Beatrice noticed a flicker on the edge of the crowd.
Tenzin
. Her ancient friend nodded toward her and Beatrice slowly relaxed. She glanced at Emil and noticed that he was subtly making eye contact with a number of other vampires in the room who she guessed were his allies. There were more than she had expected.

Livia’s eyes narrowed. “Lucien, perhaps you are ill. Or at least ill-informed. Apparently, your association with…” Livia looked toward Beatrice with a blatant sneer. “Less than trustworthy immortals has influenced your usually clear head.”

“It’s not Beatrice or Giovanni who have clouded my mind, Livia. That was done by this poison you are trying to convince—”

“Stop your lies!” she exploded. “Your reputation for questionable connections has long haunted you. You are no longer welcome in my home.”

“I am not leaving until I am heard!”

“Guards, escort the vampire, Lucien Thrax, out of my home, along with his detestable companion. Emil, I cannot believe you even offered them an introduction here.”

Silent vampires stepped forward and laid their hands on Lucien’s shoulders, pushing him toward the doors. Beatrice saw him blink and stumble once.

“Lucien!” She rushed forward, only to be grabbed by several guards before she could reach him. She quickly grabbed the daggers from her boots and slashed out, cutting two of them at the throat. She could feel the blades meet their spines, but the bone did not snap. Blood sprayed out as guards rushed them and Livia shrieked.

“Murderer! She brings weapons to my home to assassinate me. Seize her! Arrest Beatrice De Novo. Take her away!”

Beatrice heard Emil shout out over the gathering furor. “Hold, immortals of Rome! Listen to me and hold!”

Rough hands grabbed for her. She whirled, slashing at any that came close. Two went down at her feet, their blood spilling over the marble mosaics on the floor as she severed their spines. Another. Two more. Beatrice cut and kicked at anyone who approached her as she fought her way toward Lucien. He was crumpled on the floor, and she feared he could be trampled as the crowd began to panic and churn.

She felt water dash her face and glanced over her shoulder to see Livia raise her arms to command it. Beatrice raised an arm, swiping the wave that Livia aimed at her back toward its source. As she did, she felt multiple hands grab her legs. She growled and kicked them away. She needed to get to Lucien, but kept tripping over vampires in her path. She looked around in confusion. The hall had turned into a near riot as humans fled toward the doors, but where was Tenzin?