Chapter Nine
They spent two more nights with the Lady of the Wilds. Other vampires came to see her while they were present. Most were from the war pack shadowing the warring humans, but some had come from farther away, crossing oceans as Seba and his assistants had.
A few of the Cubs recognized Larten and Wester, and greeted Larten by his nickname. It had been some years since he’d been called Quicksilver and he found it oddly unsettling. That part of his life was behind him and he wished to move on. Though he was polite to the Cubs who had once been his friends, he made no effort to renew any of those friendships.
Evanna hosted most of her visitors openly, but sometimes she sent Seba and his assistants away so that she could greet a newcomer in private. She seemed to know what each of her guests would prefer, and did what she could to satisfy their requirements — except agree to their pleas to accept them as her partner.
‘We came to this country just to meet Evanna, didn’t we?” Wester asked Seba on the third night as they were resting on a nearby hill after they had slipped into one of the soldiers’ camps to feed.
Seba nodded. “You are as sharp as ever, Master Flack. Evanna would rather the clan left her alone. She tires of our endless proposals. But she knows how highly we regard her, so she sets aside several nights every now and then for us to court her. A favored few are welcome at her home too, but most have to settle for meetings like this.”
‘Where does she live?” Wester asked.
Seba shook his head. “If she wants you to know, she will tell you.”
“So you brought us here for her to have a look at us, in case she liked ourfaces?” Larten asked.
“Aye.” Seba rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “We believe Evanna will choose a mate one night, either a vampire ora vampaneze, but-”
“A vampaneze?” Wester barked. “She consorts with them too?”
“She meets with all creatures of the night,” Seba said calmly. “Evanna makes no distinction between us. The vampaneze are as dear to her as we are. She tries to keep us apart — she will move to a new site soon, I think, where she will meet with our blood-cousins — but if a vampaneze came here we would have to treat him with respect.”
“I wouldn’t,” Wester snarled. “If I spot any of those scum, I’ll
“- do nothing but bid him a good night,” Seba said bluntly and there was an edge to his voice that his assistants rarely heard. “If you anger Evanna, she will crush you. Never let her charm blind you to the fact that she is Desmond Tiny’s daughter. Respect her wishes when in her presence, Wester, or no words of mine will be enough to save you.”
Wester glowered at his master. To ease the tension, Larten asked how Seba had known that Evanna would be here.
“She led me here,” Seba answered vaguely. “Those who seek Evanna simply follow their feet. I did not know this was where we would end up when we set out. All I knew was that we would find her wherever she wanted to be found.”
“And you really hoped that one of us would seduce her?” Larten pressed.
Seba chuckled. “I doubt if anyone will ever seduce Evanna. But you made a good attempt, Larten. I did not know you were so smooth with the ladies.”
“I am usually more successful,” Larten grunted sourly. All of his flattering words, sideways looks and tricks had fallen flat on the witch. She had been kind to him and laughed at his jokes, but never gave the least hint that she might consider him as a mate.
“Do not be too hard on yourself,” Seba said. “Many fine vampires have been rejected before you, and many will be in the future too, I am sure. As I was about to say before Wester interrupted, we believe she will choose a mate eventually, but we do not know which qualities she is looking for, or even if she is looking — maybe she is waiting for a certain time or event.
“Since we know so little of her heart, many of us come to see her from time to time, and bring our assistants when they are ready for such a meeting. We continue to hope that one night she will claim one of us as her own. But so far, no luck.”
‘What if she takes a vampaneze?” Wester growled.
‘We fear that more than anything,” Seba said. “Evanna has the power to destroy the clan. If she chooses to mate with a vampaneze, their children will certainly gain some of her magical powers. Maybe the dreaded Lord of the Vampaneze will be a child of Evanna’s.”
“Then why don’t we strike?” Wester hissed. “Kill her or abduct her and make her do as we wish?”
“If this foolishness continues, I will whip you until the flesh of your back peels from your spine like a snake’s shedded skin,” Seba rumbled.
Wester blinked with shock. The old vampire had never threatened either of them like this before. There had been many cuffs and kicks over the years, but never a savage, brutal vow.
Seba saw the hurt in his assistant’s eyes and softened. “Understand me,” he said gently. “She is much stronger than any of us — than all of us. If the entire clan stood against her, we would fall.”
“Surely no one is that powerful,” Larten said dubiously.
“I do not exaggerate,” Seba insisted. “Her power is not of this world. There are myths of gods raising countries, leveling mountains, making the seas churn. I do not know if those stories are true, but I believe Evanna could do all that and more. So let me never hear either of you plotting against her. She would be an enemy far greater than any other, with the exception of her meddling father.”
Seba looked into the eyes of his assistants, trying to make sure his words had sunk in. He saw that he had made an impact and hoped it would be enough to prevent future follies.
“Now,” he said, forcing a smile. “Let us return and say nothing more about this. Only, if she should at any time bat her eyelids at you, do not bother with a long courtship!”
Larten and Wester laughed weakly, then trailed Seba back to the tent, all three silent and immersed in thought.
The tent had been dismantled when they returned. Evanna’s apprentices were standing behind a cart, glumly preparing to push. There was no way everything from inside the tent could fit onto the cart-the canvas itself would have required a wagon — but Larten wasn’t surprised. The Lady of the Wilds could work many wonders.
“Time to be off,” Evanna said cheerfully. “I’ve had fewer visitors than normal. The clan must be losing interest in me.”
“Have you far to travel, Lady?” Seba asked, kissing her cheeks.
‘You know very well that I go to greet my other admirers nearby,” Evanna said.
Seba smiled. “Aye, but I would rather not admit it.”
“Foolish children,” Evanna snapped. “Why don’t you put your squabbles behind you and reunite? Life
would be much easier if you did.”
“It is not that simple,” Seba sighed. “We are bound by strings of destiny.”
‘We’re all bound by those,” Evanna said hollowly, a sad look crossing her face. Then she shook her head and picked up Vancha, who had stayed behind while the others hunted. “Farewell, my little baby.”
“Let me go!” he roared, clubbing her ears.
She laughed and kissed his nose. As he struggled and swore, she kissed his lips. His arms and legs relaxed and he was smiling shyly when she set him down again.
Evanna turned to Wester and Larten. The witch was no fairer than she had been when he first saw her, but Larten no longer noticed her ugliness.
“It was a pleasure to meet you,” she said.
“It was our honor, my Lady,” Wester replied, bowing.
“An honor,” Larten echoed, then knelt on one knee and took her dirty hand. “I would like to visit you again sometime, if you can find it in your heart to grant me permission.”
