"My Queen, I beg you to have mercy. I did take another's identity, because I wanted to come here very badly."
"I will see him questioned, Raona." Gavin was at my side quickly, closely followed by Tony. They hauled Xandus from the Council Chamber.
The meeting was over shortly after that and I was glad—I was drained and the media was still waiting in the hall outside the Council Chamber. Drake and Drew flanked me as I strode toward the waiting reporters. All cameras turned to me immediately.
"Raona, was that for real in there? That wasn't a plant?" The reporter had his tiny microphone held across the barrier as far as it would go.
"Let's see, you're about thirty-seven and you had fish for lunch," I said.
"My credentials say thirty, but well, you're right," he muttered.
I could tell them you had sex within the last three hours, too, but that might be too embarrassing, don't you think? I sent to him. He jerked visibly when he received my mindspeech.
"What did I have for lunch?" The female reporter beside him asked.
"You smell like lasagna, with chocolate cake for dessert," I said. And you had sex with the man next to you afterward, I added mentally. She turned a light shade of pink.
"I'm convinced," the woman said. "Do you have anything against designer clothing or jewelry?"
"Obviously not," I tugged at the hem of my tunic. "I prefer Revili, since he designs this sort of thing." I dropped the hem.
"Who designed your earrings?" Another reporter asked.
"These are Tiralian crystal, designed by Grey House," I replied. They were a gift from Shadow—he'd given them to me that morning.
"Those alone could run her palace for five years," another reporter joked.
"They're protection jewels, so it would be ten years," Shadow came forward.
"Where have you been for the past six months?"
"Many places. I am not prepared to discuss my journeys at this time."
"Were you in an asylum or undergoing psychiatric treatment?"
"No. I am sorry to disappoint you, but no treatment facilities were on my list of places to visit or things to do."
"Tell us at least one thing you did while you were gone."
"I went to the funeral of a friend. That's all I have for now." I turned away, even as more questions were shouted at my back.
* * *
"Father, where are we going?" Flavio guided Roff down a hallway.
"We're going to visit a friend," Flavio replied. Flavio walked quickly, following Lissa and the guards that surrounded her. She was heading toward her suite while the media cleared out behind them. There would be no reception tonight. Roff's wings were tucked tightly against his body—Flavio had hired tailors to make shirts that fit around his wings. Roff was also dressed in tailored slacks, although he insisted on wearing sandals. Flavio made sure they were tasteful and went well with the rest of Roff's clothing.
"I woke in this room." Roff gazed about him. Lissa's suite was getting crowded—Drake and Drew had come inside, Merrill and Wlodek had folded in, Shadow had arrived and Reemagar and Connegar had come. Lissa was inside her spacious bath, the door closed.
"Yes, child, this is where you woke as vampire. Do you remember anything else?"
"No, Father. Only the waking."
"Would you like to sit, Roff?"
"No, Father. I want to stretch—those seats inside the Council were not very comfortable."
"I agree," Flavio smiled. "I also wish to stand."
* * *
"Giff, let's just get the coronet off for now," I sighed. I was exhausted. I was beginning to hate the media. More so than usual, anyway. Giff gently lifted the band off my forehead, careful not to mess up my hair.
"I believe you have visitors," Giff said, setting the coronet on its velvet stand.
"I know." I rubbed my forehead where the pale line showed from wearing the ornate gold band. "People waiting on me and I have hat lines."
Giff and I walked out of the bath together and she shrank against me when she saw Roff standing next to Flavio.
"It's okay," I said, hugging her against me.
"Lissa, whose funeral did you attend?" Wlodek asked. "Or was that a lie?"
"Wlodek, do not make me call you an old goat," I grumped. "I went to Winkler's funeral, if you must know."
"I should have known," he said and settled on the edge of my bed.
"You're co-mates with Weldon—he knew," I went on. Giff was hugged up against me as tightly as she could get. "He's not going to bite," I said soothingly.
"Why is she frightened of me?" Roff asked, puzzled. His voice was deeper, now. It was a nice voice.
"Roff, I don't think fear is the real motivator, here," I said. "I think sadness is. How do you like being vampire, now? Your wings are amazing."
"I like flying," he replied. I watched his handsome face carefully. There wasn't a bit of my old Roff hiding behind those beautiful, honey-brown eyes.
Chapter 13
"They're recalling all the Saa Thalarr and Demon hunters," Merrill explained over dinner. Wlodek had let the initial bomb drop inside my suite, when he announced that Drake and Drew had to go back—Kiarra was coordinating hunting parties to search out and destroy Ra'Ak-enhanced humanoids. They'd been planted everywhere and the Saa Thalarr would be stretched to their limits to find them. That sucked.
"How about hiring High Demons?" I asked, when Merrill said they'd be short-handed, with all the worlds that had to be searched. "They could probably take those guys out with no trouble."
"That's an idea," Merrill said. "We'll look into that."
"We really need to find where they're from," Wlodek added. "They had to originate somewhere. Nobody is able to find any particular location. They're being shielded, somehow."
My eyes strayed to Roff more often than I wanted as I listened to the conversation. He sat quietly next to Flavio, drinking a bottle of blood substitute and listening attentively to everything we were discussing.
"We have to go back now?" Drake asked. I knew what he wanted—to spend the night in my bed before they had to go.
"Kiarra wants you there in the morning, ready to go," Merrill replied.
"We'll be there in the morning," Drew promised.
"We'll bring in more vampire guards," Gavin said. I nodded. I had to replace my Falchani at the palace. That sucked, too.