The Vampire Queen's Servant (40 page)

A shadow crossed her gaze.
Before she could open her mouth, he slid his arms around her back, ignored the
pain to bring her close to him again, tuck her head back down against his
chest. "You don't need to say anything. I just wanted you to know. I was
wrong, what I did tonight. I'll do better at trying to .understand what it
means to serve you, but there are things I won't give up on. You're one of
them, even if you order me to do so."

There was a long silence, where
he sensed things he didn't understand affecting her above and beyond his words.
"You are a pain in my ass," she said.

"It doesn't seem to have
affected it adversely, my lady. I'm quite fond of looking at it." He
brushed his hand over it. Not a sexual demand, just enjoying the feel of the
soft curve and wanting her to know she had his desire. As well as everything
else.

"Impertinent knight."

He nodded against her skull. He
knew it was time to let her sleep, but he wanted to say one more thing, let her
take it into her dreams.

"If it had been me, and I
knew I was losing my mind, I would have taken my life before ever causing you
pain, my lady. Should I have hurt you even once before I realized I was capable
of doing so, I wouldn't have allowed myself to live to see the next
sunset."

"Yes, you would have,"
she said. "For I would never allow you to leave me like that. God help
you."

Before he could respond to that
startling statement, her even breath told him she'd succumbed to the dawn.
While he had much to think about, the drain of the night had taken its toll. He
surrendered to it, following her into dreams, hoping he could defend her there
better than he'd done this night.

The chandelier lights lowered to
a dim setting supplemented the candlelight throughout the dining room. Flatware
and crystal shone softly, providing a sense of intimate warmth. Instead of a
candelabra or candleholders as a center piece, he'd used an old breadboard, the
wood cracked and the color of deep chestnut. He'd formed a pyramid of pillar
candles upon it in deep burgundy, rose and pink hues. As they burned, their wax
ran down the sides of the pyramid, forming twining designs of the colors and
blending in pools within the cupped sides of the board.

The catering staff was quiet and
efficient. Her guests had been pleased with the artful display of the salad in
the plates chosen, the tiny bouquets he'd put at each place setting. Lyssa
noticed she had a slightly larger bouquet, a more delicate arrangement of
flowers. He'd also cut several of her garden roses and inserted them. The whole
thing was tied with a trailing ribbon arranged in a swirl across her plate
until the first course was brought. Since the catering company was operated by
one of the vampires in her Region, there was nothing they would see or hear
tonight that would alarm them. They did not blink as they came to collect the
salads from which only a mouthful or two had been consumed, to return with
soups that would be barely touched.

But watching the way her guests
inhaled the fragrances and took the one or two tastes they could, absorbing the
beauty and smell of the food, Lyssa thought vampires actually enjoyed the food
more than a human would if it had been placed before him. After all, while she
preferred her blood in certain ways, it had a functional quality that couldn't be
overlooked.

However, as her gaze flicked to
Jacob, she admitted she did sometimes appreciate the way her blood was
presented. She'd always chosen her food carefully. Perhaps that was part of
what had rankled her at first, Thomas choosing for her. But he'd left the final
decision to her, and of course Jacob was turning out in just a short time to be
many intriguing things. Functional as well as something to savor.

When he moved to take up his
position behind her chair, his attentiveness warmed her back, the nape of her
neck. The flow of his thoughts was like mulled wine slipping down her throat.
She kept her awareness of it to a quiet murmur while she focused her attention
on her guests. It was like the comforting but blurred sound of someone else's
voice in the house when one didn't want to feel entirely alone.

Tara Beauchamps and Richard
Carlyle, the overlords of the Alabama territory, were both made vampires, but
fortunately with more sturdy constitutions than many of the made vampires she'd
met. Though she'd changed her name, Tara had been born and made in the Middle
East. Part of a Bedouin tribe, she'd gotten separated from them during a
sandstorm and found a cavern inhabited by a solitary vampire. Mason had turned
her out of loneliness, groomed her, and then brought her into the world for a
few years. When he tired of vampire politics and again returned to his caves,
he gave Tara freedom from his side. Having been part of a world where she'd had
no rights, no value at all except as it was denned by others, treated little
better than a pack mule, she was highly cognizant of accumulating power and
influence and was accomplished at both with her exotic looks. Dark almond eyes,
straight dark hair, eyebrows like slips of silk, and features refined by her
vampirism to mesmerizing.

Mason had shown little interest
in Tara since he'd let her go, or she in him. Perhaps he sensed it would take
centuries to exorcise Tara's fear of being inconsequential again, enough to let
her discover the potential depth of character she had. Lyssa was inclined to
agree, but she'd seen other, lesser miracles occur. She also liked Tara's wit
and sharp mind, even if her ambition required a close eye.

Lyssa still hadn't decided if
her pairing with Richard was a fortunate turn of events or not. He seemed
compatible with her, unexpectedly. Richard had an austere formality about him,
tempered with a dry humor and keen intellect. With a good command of diplomacy
while always looking for opportunity, he was a master politician and likely
would rise to Council in time. All vampires were blessed with good looks, but
his were particularly appealing in their uniqueness, because he was made in his
forties. Therefore he had handsome silver threading in his chestnut hair to
compliment his gray eyes, as well as the interesting character that lines of
age created around them.

Tara and Richard had been
together a handful of decades. Most vampires did not marry. If it was difficult
enough to make a human marriage work over forty or so years, it was nigh impossible
for vampires. Younger, made vampires sometimes married under human law out of
nostalgic sentiment despite having to deal with the difficulties of eradicating
the paper trail. After all, one couldn't get divorced at a hundred and twenty
years old and not raise some eyebrows. Older vampires who married did so under
vampire law, which was more like a civil ceremony with no spirituality to it.
She and Rex had been a political match. The bond of any vampire marriage could
be dissolved by appeal to the Vampire Council. Another attempt to appear
civilized. She supposed she and Rex had adhered to more of the human ideal, in
a macabre fashion.
Until death do us part
…

No illusions of great love
there, but there was a fondness between Tara and Richard, and they ran their
territory very well. As long as Lyssa made her expectations clear, they
followed her mandates. Occasionally they did indulge in some excesses, but that
was simply the nature of the vampire. A driving, primal lust to exercise their
power, to enjoy its many fruits, sensual or painful.

They were typical of the middle
echelon vampire hierarchy. Usually smart enough to know when to choose wisdom
over blood lust, and that making fair decisions was in their best interest as
long as they were in Lyssa's Region. Another decade and it might even come
naturally to them. They might enjoy being wise instead of brutal leaders and
recognize the respect and devotion it could earn them. Another advantage of
immortality. To the intelligent, open-minded vampire, there was usually time to
change.

However, for now they would no
doubt exercise every possible way to know all of Brian Morris's weaknesses and
strengths and exploit them. She shifted her gaze to him. Young, just over
eighty years old, but with a brilliant scientific mind, Brian had already
acquired multiple degrees in different fields. One of the attractions of her
area was a research facility in the Tuscaloosa area that focused on issues
related to vampires behind its facade of an engineering research company.

The other thing that afforded
him a measure of regard and rank he wouldn't have otherwise to protect him was
that he was a born vampire. A half-breed, with a vampire father and human
mother. As she'd told Jacob, his father was an important Master of a Region in
Britain. The human mother was the vampire father's servant. Most couplings
between humans and vampires did not result in offspring. The rarely occurring
child was always a vampire, however.

Brian had an earnest intensity
reminding her of a young Thomas. His thirst for learning and ability to think
beyond the lines of known scientific thought meant he had a good chance of
achieving and even surpassing Lyssa's age.

While his neatly cut blond hair
and pleasant hazel eyes suggested an easy mark, the solidly cut chin and the
shrewdness of his gaze as he assessed and measured Tara and Richard told Lyssa
the vampire who tried to intimidate him would be making a mistake. He might not
be as worldly and experienced as the two overlords of the Alabama territory,
but he could think on his feet. His father had apparently taught the boy well.

Boy
. She almost winced. She thought of the eighty-year-old Brian as a
"boy," but Jacob, fifty years his junior, elicited no such maternal
compulsions.

"I understand Carnal was in
your Region recently." Richard was addressing her. "Do you suspect
he's of a matrimonial bent?"

"He'll be disappointed if
so," Lyssa replied neutrally. "I won't marry again."

Richard and Tara exchanged
glances. "But it was assumed—"

"Yes. But I won't. There's
no one of royal blood left, not a direct descendant. Rex was only distantly
connected at best, and no one would expect me to condescend to marry beneath my
station."

"There are some Council
members—"

"They've accumulated their
wealth and standing through power, not blood. So what is the research project
you will be doing in our area, Brian?" Lyssa pointedly made the subject
change.