“Not at all.” Katsumi dipped her head. “We are always happy to welcome new customers. I understand you’re interested in purchasing a comarre.”
His mood seemed to grow worse by the moment. “Yes, where are they? Bring them out.”
Katsumi stiffened a little As though Octavian had insulted her. “We need to be sure our clients have the means necessary to purchase a comarre first.” She held a palm-sized tablet out to him. “Would you please access your credit statement so I may verify you?”
“I have the money in cash.” Octavian scowled and turned to Lola. “See what’s taking that server so long with my money, will you?”
She gave him an ugly look. If she didn’t need so much from him, she’d cut him down on the spot, but keeping him happy and helpful was her main goal until she got the information she needed. She forced a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Luke was on the other side of the door. “Everything okay?”
“No. That fool thinks I’m his errand girl. And he’s yet to give me any information about the ones holding Mariela.” With every night that passed, the chances of getting her granddaughter back seemed to fade.
Luke shrugged. “Then teach him a lesson. Leave him here.”
“Luke, I don’t think…” She paused. Maybe leaving him would be a good reminder of her power for Octavian. Maybe then he’d be willing to answer her questions. She needed him, that much was true, but she also needed to keep the upper hand. “Let’s get the car.”
Chapter Eighteen
Katsumi knew the vampire with the mayor was familiar, but until she’d said his name, Katsumi couldn’t place him. Then it all came back to her—the Dominus Ball. Octavian belonged to Tatiana. What was he doing here? Did the mayor know his past? His being in Paradise City was certainly information Dominic needed to know. And might even reward her for. She held her composure until the mayor left.
Unfortunately, the server returned with the champagne. Katsumi waited while the girl opened the bottle, poured Octavian another glass, then left them alone again.
Octavian sipped his bubbly. “The mayor will be right back with my money, so why don’t you bring the comarre out for me to see?”
“I would be happy to, but we actually have a viewing room.” They didn’t, but she wanted an uninterrupted moment with him. “If you would just follow me, I’d be happy to show you those currently available.”
With a sigh, he got up and went with her.
“Just through here.” She opened the door to her office for him, then shut it behind her. She leaned against it while he got his bearings.
“I don’t see any comarre in here. This looks like an office.” He turned, scowling.
“I know who you are,” Katsumi said. “And if you don’t tell me what you’re doing here, I’ll tell the mayor and every other noble vampire in this city exactly who you are and whom you work for.”
His expression changed, his eyes silvering. “You don’t know anything, especially about whom I work for.”
“No?” She blinked at him. “Does Tatiana know you’re here? Or did she send you? Are you working for her?”
Anger narrowed his eyes. “You talk too much.”
“And you don’t talk enough. You have ten seconds to answer me or”—her hand moved to the light panel—“I press this button and call security to have you removed. The head of our security is a shadeux fae. Nasty what one of them can do to a vampire, isn’t it?”
Octavian lunged and Katsumi realized too late he wasn’t nearly as drunk as he’d led her to believe. He grabbed her head in his hands and smashed it against the door, kneeing her in the belly at the same time. She doubled over in pain, lights swimming before her eyes. The soft shooshing sound of a blade being pulled from its sheath reached her ears. She went for the
She looked down, amazed to see the end of a slim wooden spike protruding from her chest. “You—”
But ashes had no voice.
Chrysabelle settled back as the plane began to descend. Darkness still cloaked the Ville Eternelle Nuit, the City of Eternal Night, as it was known to the nobility, called that because any vampire who set foot within the city limits of New Orleans would find they were impervious to the sun. The ability came from a witch who’d cursed the city in revenge of a broken heart. The fae, for whom New Orleans was a haven city, had been able to temper the curse so that upon leaving, all vampires immediately forgot most of what they’d experienced. The threads that remained had turned the city into a legend in vampire lore for being something remarkable. They knew it was special, just not exactly why or where it was.
The only thing special Chrysabelle wanted from the city was access to the Claustrum. By the time they landed and the sun rose, she’d hopefully have convinced someone to give it to her. Jerem, who’d accompanied them, sat near the front of the plane and rocked his head slightly to music on his MP3 player. She shook Fi gently. “Hey, we’re here.”
Fi’s lids fluttered open and she stretched. “Cool. Can we get some beignets? I’m starving and I hear those things are like crack.”
“You can do whatever you like after we check in, although I’ll probably try to get a little sleep.” Something she hadn’t been able to do on the plane with everything going through her head. And regardless of what Fi thought, she had no intention of taking her into the Claustrum. That job and that risk were Chrysabelle’s and Chrysabelle’s alone.
Fi frowned. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“I ate one of the sandwiches Velimai packed. I’m fine. I just want to do what I came here to do and go home.” With Tatiana in town, she’d sent a message to Mortalis asking him to stop by and check on things. She knew her brother and Velimai could take care of themselves, but a little extra protection was never a bad idea.
Fi patted Chrysabelle’s arm. “I know it’s not a vacation. I didn’t mean to imply anything different.” She smiled apologetically. “So what’s the first stop after the hotel? Khell’s?”
“Starting with the current guardian seems like the best plan.” She shrugged. “I did help him get that position, after all.”
“Then he owes you.” Fi nodded. “I can’t wait to meet him. I bet he’s an interesting guy.”
“He looks a little like a math professor, but you won’t get to meet him. I need you to stay at the hotel. Or go sightseeing or whatever else you’d like to do that doesn’t involve coming with me.”
“What?” Fi made a face. “Don’t even try that because it’s not going to happen. I’ve come this far; I’m not sitting in some hotel room waiting for you to come back, wondering if you’re okay, worrying that I’m never going to see you again. No. Way.”
“Fi, it’s just that—”
“I’ll stay ghost the whole time if that makes you feel better. Plus, who else is going to watch your back?” With a huff, she crossed her arms and put her feet on the seat in front of her. “I am so going,” she mumbled.
“It’s just not a good idea—”
“Neither is your going alone. Stop arguing. We’re doing this together.”
Chrysabelle let out a long, frustrated breath. “Fine, but you’re in ghost mode the entire time.” She shook her head. “You really don’t let up, do you?”
“To know me is to love me.” Fi grinned. “By the way, you look nice in your new clothes. A lot more normal. Except for all the gold bits on your hands and face, but I’m guessing no one will look twice at you in New Orleans. They’ll probably just think you’re a street performer on the way to your job.”
Within an hour of them deplaning, Jerem had them settled into the rental car he’d arranged, then drove them to the hotel, stopping only for the checkpoint, which they sailed through.
