Fatal Circle

He worked his way amid the tables, expertly minding his whips and flicking out the candle flames on the red pillars the staff had just placed.

Rapt, several minutes had passed when I felt a sharp coldness in the pit of my stomach. I felt fine, just cold. Cold enough to be distracted from the show. I looked for Joh

Menessos put his hand on mine. “Eyes ahead,” he whispered. His voice was tight, though his expression was pleased. “And smile.”

I did as he said. “What’s going on?”

“I will explain later.”

The performer dropped the whips and drew daggers from his belt. Tossing them high into the air, he began to juggle.

Menessos’s grip on my hand tightened. The coldness in my stomach grew. Something was wrong.

He lifted my hand and drew me toward him. “Come,” he whispered. “Into my lap.”

In private, I would have argued, but this was not the place. In an instant, he had me draped across his throne and his lap as if I were a rag doll. He was trembling.

Something bad had happened.

I covered his hands with my own. He needed blood from his master to balance whatever was happening to him. I stroked my throat as if offering it to him, letting him know I understood and that it was all right.

His mouth lowered to my neck, lips gentle on my skin, moving the thin gold chains out of the way. His beard tickled a little, in a way that made me tingle with urgency. My eyes shut, waiting . . . waiting. “The stones,” he whispered.

Right! The jasper wouldn’t have stopped any vampire from feeding, let alone one caught in bloodlust, but they were protective of me. They were pulsing, drawing mystical energy off me and storing it inside them where they would hold it like a reservoir for me to tap. That, while protecting me, would keep him from getting what he needed. Concentrating, I shoved the protective shielding back within the stones. I held Beau’s charm in my palm and envisioned an orb shield momentarily containing its protection, too. It’s okay.

Menessos’s tongue drew across the bumps caressing my flesh. “I would not take from you again so soon . . .” His voice was barely a breath in my ear. “But they are killing her. It pains me to the core.” His embrace became a vise. His fangs stabbed into me. My eyes shot open, time slowed.

Killing her? Killing who? They?

Vampires had left their seats and gathered at the edge of the stage to watch their Master drink. Camera flashes twinkled in the distance. And a gleaming line of steel zoomed toward me.

A dagger.

All my protections were disabled.

Goliath’s body shot in front of us. I heard the clang of metal on the floor as he deflected the knife. The music stopped. There were gasps and a few screams. Goliath rolled down the three dais stairs and shot up, ru

Vampires surged toward the performer. He tried to flee, but in milliseconds they had him.

“Cameras,” I whispered. Menessos withdrew his fangs and repeated the word himself. I knew he was sending that one word as a warning to Goliath, who immediately shouted a new command. Vampires carrying the performer leaped onto the far end of the stage and dragged him into the back.

Stu

Was that dagger for me? Or Menessos?

I heard a thud of doors, distantly, but ignored it.

That is, until Joh

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Joh

Menessos came to his feet, and put me on mine. Instinctively covering the wound with my hand, I applied pressure and felt blood smear on my skin. I tried to stand. Dizzy, I stumbled. Menessos caught me and sat me on the divan. “No.” I didn’t want to sit. “Let me see!” I stood again, and Menessos gave me his arm.

What he carried was blue—Aquula! The fairy’s mermaid tail fin flared in spasm.

“Make way!” Menessos commanded the vampires. They had toppled chairs and overturned tables in an effort to get to the performer. Beholders had flooded from backstage and were carrying out furniture.

I was at Joh

“Waste not thy effort. Nothing can be done for me.” The fairy’s voice was little more than a tremulous whisper.

“No!”

“The fire fairy has seen to it.” Aquula meant Fax Torris, but saying her name was similar to calling her, and nobody wanted her to show up now. “The poison is slow, but it is certain.” Aquula coughed; blood was draining from her mouth and her gills. “I must warn thee.”

“Tell us,” Menessos said, caressing the top of her head.

“My death is meant to hurt thee, Master. Moreover, the fire fairy has vowed that if Persephone doth not honor WEC’s command and deliver you at dawn on Sunday, she will target the child again.”

My heart shuddered. Beverley!

Aquula convulsed, then continued. Her too large eyes had lost their sparkle. They seemed dim. Her pupils dilated, then contracted and found me. “She will use any means necessary to get around thy protections, and she will not stop there. Thy granddam and the new high priestess will follow.” To Menessos, she said, “She will not stop until her bonds are broken.” She stretched to touch his face but was too weak to reach him.

“I grieve,” Menessos said, taking her hand and bringing it to his cheek.

When she touched him, she whispered, “Remember me well.”

“Fondly. Forever.” Menessos stroked her glittery blue cheek.

“From an immortal, that is more than enough.”

As she spoke, I saw that her teeth were stained with blood. Her eyes searched around and found mine again. “Take my pearls. I want them to be thine.”

Tears burned my eyes.

“It is an honor to die in thy world,” she whispered to Menessos. “Ever . . . ever do I love thee.” Aquula’s hand dropped from his face.

He positioned her fragile arm across her small chest. He was shaking badly.

Joh

I shook my head.

He sca

“How did you find Aquula?” I asked.

“She was in the parking garage, trying to drag herself to the stairwell. They must have flown over and dropped her on the top level.

“I was just getting here and I can’t stay . . . but I wanted to tell you what was going on. Hector called.”

“Ig?”

Joh

Menessos turned his back to us, moved a half step away.

Aquula’s body, I saw, was covered in dark blisters. Perhaps they were from the poison, but they might have been from the proximity of large amounts of asphalt and iron in the city.

“Red, I have to go. Where can I put her?”

I didn’t know and Menessos didn’t seem to be about to answer. I reached to the vampire’s arm, but withdrew realizing Goliath had positioned himself so they could stare at each other. They were communicating. With an almost imperceptible nod, Goliath approached the edge of the stage. “Brethren of this haven, a new EV has been appointed to you, and that is cause to celebrate. Continue your festivities, but pardon our absence as we attend to this matter.” He gestured to the DJ and the music blared through the speakers once more.

I felt a ripple on my aura—as if it had been flicked by invisible fingers. Menessos’s voice resonated from the speakers, mentioning “minor events must be attended to . . . dance and enjoy.” Along with the words, he was giving them all a subliminal push away from any curiosity.