The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires

me that she wasn't going to be supportive if I didn't offer up enough proof.

'What do you mean, in a manner of speaking?' Disin asked, her words lashing the air with whiplike accuracy. 'Did she kill Hope or not?'

'No.'

The buzz grew in volume.

I raised my voice to be heard over it. 'She did not kill Hope for the simple fact that she is Hope.'

Chapter 22

She is Hope. The last of my words echoed eerily from the back of the ballroom.

I licked my lips, nervous now that I had to lay the facts—such as they were—out before everyone.

You are doing fine, Portia.

Disin frowned at Carol, who stood as frozen as a statue. 'You claim this mortal is a virtue? Do you think us so ignorant that we can't tell the difference between a member of the Court and an innocent mortal?'

'I don't quite understand how she can appear to be someone else, nor do I know about the mortal business, although I thought someone told me that you had to be a member of the Court to be immortal, and it follows that if she isn't a virtue anymore, she would no longer be a member, and thus lose her immortal status.'

The three mare gaped at me.

'I could be wrong on that, though,' I said, squirming slightly under their combined looks of disbelief. 'I'm not very current with all the intricacies of Court life.'

'You are correct, as it happens,' a man's voice said behind me. We turned en masse to see Terrin at the door, a rumpled Milo beside him. He bowed to the mare, shoving Milo forward. 'Your graces, please forgive me for this disruption, but I found this man sneaking into the Court, and felt it might have some bearing on a recent conversation I had with Theo North.'

'You are welcome here, scholar,' Irina said, bowing her head graciously. 'Bring forward the one who was banned and readmitted into our grace.'

'Your grace,' Milo said, stammering slightly as he stopped in front of the mare. He shot his wife a look out of the corner of his eye as he bowed to them. 'There has been a gross injustice done to my wife. She is, as you can see, mortal, and not in the least bit like the late virtue Hope as Portia claims.'

I nibbled on my lower lip. Carol's appearance was my one weak point. I was too unfamiliar with the denizens of the Court of Divine Blood to know if it was possible for someone to change their appearance.

'But you are a vessel,' Theo said slowly. I took his hand, drawing strength from the contact.

'It is true,' Milo said, squaring his shoulders as he looked out at the people gathered. 'I have the honor of holding the position of vessel. Even a nephilim, however, must be aware that it is not within my powers to change a mortal's appearance.'

'This is so,' Disin said, turning to me. 'You say that the mortal Carol Lee is really the virtue Hope, but you offer no proof for such a supposition. How do you answer this discrepancy?'

A smug look replaced the one of hatred in Carol's eyes. I knew I was right about her, I knew without a shred of doubt that she was Hope, but how did she do it? How did she morph into someone else?

'I…uh…that is…' I bit my lip again.

There has to be some way he can change her appearance. Is there a magic spell or something that would fool everyone?

A glamour? It is possible to confuse another mortal with a glamour, but not members of the Court, and certainly not the mare.

'Can you explain it, Portia Harding?'

'Er…'

There has to be some way, something we've missed, someone who has the power to change her in a way that would fool even the mare.

Theo's eyes opened wide at my words.

'It is evident that you cannot.' Disin waved her hands toward Milo and Carol. 'You may leave, mortal. Portia Harding, I order you taken into custody, to await arraignment on the charge of gross abuse of power—'

What is it?

He smiled. Two Hashmallim suddenly appeared, wafting over to flank me. One person shrieked, while the others backed up a good ten feet. Sarah scooted over until she was near Terrin, who stood on the far side of Milo and Carol. Only Theo stood firm, apparently not at all concerned by the Hashmallim.

I really, really hope it's good.

Oh, it is. He turned to Milo and asked in a deceptively mild voice, 'Is it not true that one of your charges as a vessel is to serve as a conduit between the mortal and immortal worlds?'

'Yes,' Milo answered, his eyes confident. 'But the ability to go between mortals and the Court of Divine Blood is not sufficient to change the appearance of one of them. All I do is act as a courier, someone who passes along communication, and arranges for meetings.'

Theo's smile got even wider.

What is it? What do you know?

Shhh. All in good time, sweetling.

Theo! How would you like a head full of snow?

His laughter echoed in my head. 'And what of Abaddon?' he asked, and instantly, I knew what it was I had missed.

Oh, you're brilliant.

Thank you. You're not so bad, yourself, you know. I'd never have thought to look at a mortal for Hope.

'Abaddon?' Milo's confidence faded. 'I suppose that technically it is possible, but not very likely—'

'Is it not, then, within the scope of your powers to arrange for a meeting between a mortal and a demon lord? Someone who, I need not add, has the ability to change the appearance of a minion such as a demon, or imp…or mortal servant.'

The gasps of surprise from the crowd were loud, as was the resulting torrent of conversation.

'Silence!' Disin shouted, jumping to her feet. 'There will be silence here!'

Irina smiled slightly, leaning back in her chair. I had the feeling we had just won her over, and smiled back.

'Such a thing is against the laws of the Court,' Milo protested, his face pale. A light bead of sweat broke out on his forehead, and I knew we had him.

'Far be it from me to cast stones from the sanctity of my glass house, but you haven't been horribly concerned about following the laws of the Court in the past, have you?'

The look he gave me could have stripped cement.

'My past situation with the Court has nothing to do with this.' His lips tightened. 'To imply that just because it's theoretically possible for me to contact a demon lord for the purpose of changing the appearance of a mortal, I have done so, is not only ridiculous, it's damned near obscene. I am a member of the Court of Divine Blood! It would be impossible for me to conduct any act in such opposition to the tenets of the Court.'

Is there any way to tell if he's been in contact with a demon lord?

Theo rubbed his chin. Not here. A Guardian might be able to, but I doubt if it would be possible to tell if Milo has been near a demon lord lately.

'Your graces, I beg of you, please allow my lady wife to leave. She has suffered much trauma by the abduction and resulting indignities, and I fear for her well-being if she should be made to stand here while this person throws her smoke screens and misdirection.' Milo's head bent solicitously over that of his wife, the very picture of husbandly concern.

'Oh, for reason's sweet sake…smoke screens and misdirection. Like I'm the one trying to pull something on