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‘ Please, don’t put yourself out on my account.’ I gave an indifferent wave. ‘I’m not here to do the tourist thing.’
‘Oh, but you must—’ Her animated expression closed up as she looked over my shoulder.
I turned and saw the Earl. The flop of blond hair remained the same, but he’d ditched the ‘boating at Henley’ look and gone instead for a navy lounge suit with a pale blue shirt open at the throat, the double cuffs linked with heart-shaped sapphires the size of a thumbnail. His top pocket sported a silk handkerchief the same colour as his shirt. He exuded ‘relaxed man-about-town’ charisma, but as he strolled towards Rio and me the azure of his eyes shone colder and sharper than the sapphires at his wrists. Something told me he and Rio were not the best of blood-buddies, even though the Earl had been the one to Gift her.
‘Genevieve, what a great pleasure to see you again.’ He gave me a wide smile that somehow managed not to show his fangs, a practice a lot of the old vamps still followed. ‘I am delighted you chose to accept my invitation. I do hope you haven’t been waiting long.’
‘I haven’t been waiting at all.’
Rio gave a snide little chuckle.
‘How wonderful.’ He held out his arm to me. ‘My dear, I shall escort you. I would not want you to get lost’—he looked at Rio—‘or waylaidduring your time with us.’
Pouting again, Rio sidled up to him and wrapped both hands round his arm, then turned to face me. She topped him by almost a head. ‘What a shame. I was just about to show our little sidhe round. I’m sure she would enjoy that much more.’
‘Another time, maybe, Rio.’ The Earl gave me a gracious smile. ‘Ms Taylor is here at my invitation tonight.’
She plucked his handkerchief from his pocket, patted it between her breasts. ‘Perhaps we might entertain her together?’ she purred. ‘That would be fun.’
The Earl’s smile didn’t change. ‘I believe not.’
It was a like watching a big kid poking a snake with a stick, and I really wasn’t interested in being anywhere within striking distance. I started to step away, but between lifting my foot and putting it down, the air around me ... shifted. I had a moment’s disorientation; pressure popped at the back of my head, then I blinked hard and stared in front of me.
Fuck.
Rio was gone. The Earl was still standing there as though he hadn’t moved, but the handkerchief was back in his pocket and his smile held a glint of satisfaction.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Earl had done the same freaky time-pause thing as in the police station. It gave me a hollow feeling in my gut. ‘A
He inclined his head. ‘I prefer to spend my time in your company, my dear.’ He offered me his arm again. ‘Shall we?’
‘I’m not sure that’s such a great idea—I mean, I really don’t think bronzes are my thing, y’know? And that iswhy you invited me, isn’t it?’
‘Of course,’ he said without missing a beat, ‘but first I must compliment you.’ He reached out and took my hands. ‘You look absolutely charming, Genevieve. Such beauty as yours is a pleasure to behold and refreshes the heart.’ He smiled, his expression highly amused. ‘Although maybe in my case, I should say it could refresh ... well, other parts of me.’
Surprised, I laughed. The Earl hadn’t seemed the type for i
‘Trite as it may seem,’ he bowed over my hand, then turned it and pressed a kiss into the palm, ‘I have always found honesty to be the best policy.’
A light flashed to the side of us as he raised his head. ‘But forgive me, I get ahead of myself. I feel we should perhaps get to know each other before indulging in such intimacies.’
Sounded good. Of course, that statement was all about definitions, wasn’t it?
‘Uh-huh.’ I gave him a half-smile, my attention snagged by another flash: a Japanese tourist brandishing a miniature camera.
The Earl tucked my hand into his bent arm. ‘Sadly, not everyone today is of the same opinion. The whole world rushes past faster and faster, and people appear to be unable or unwilling to consider the long-term consequences of their actions, wishing only to gratify immediate desires.’
‘Those desires seem to be gratifying a lot of your vamps just now.’
‘It takes time and experience to truly understand what the future holds, and what is necessary to keep it secure.’ He sighed, patted my hand. ‘The young are unable to understand that our planet is suffering through their cavalier use of its glorious bounty.’
‘Uh-huh.’ Great, just what I needed: a green vampire, lecturing me on the evils of the world.
‘We hope to educate them, not just on the larger environmental—’
There was another flash and the Earl’s hand on mine tensed, a
‘My apologies, Genevieve,’ the Earl murmured. ‘The staff will ensure the photograph is destroyed. Sometimes our guests fail to fully grasp the Blue Heart’s rules.’
‘If you don’t like photos being taken’—I indicated the posters of all the calendar vamps that lined the club’s foyer—‘then what’s with all the publicity?’
‘You are quite right. It does look rather contradictory.’ He led me towards the back of the foyer. ‘But it is a lucrative option in this day and age, and of course, like any species, we must evolve as the world around us changes if we are to survive.’
As we walked, people moved aside as though orchestrated to let us pass. I guessed the Earl was using a vamp-trick to subtly clear our way.
‘Some among us have spent centuries forging new identities for ourselves as and when the situation required it,’ he continued. ‘The invention of the camera, and photographic records, made it increasingly difficult to avoid those humans who were intent on destroying us. So we learnt to evade, and like all habits, it is hard to change.’
Monopolising the conversation appeared to be another of his habits ... and I wasn’t interested in the chat.
I was more interested in why he’d invited me here.
We stopped at the swing-doors that led into the interior part of the old cinema. To one side, a Monitor goblin perched on a chrome barstool, his navy boiler-suit decorated with five identical brooches—blue glass hearts—some sort of employee recognition, maybe? He dipped his gelled spike of blue hair towards the Earl, greeted me, then held up his hand, making a low chittering sound.
‘You will need to show him your invitation, my dear.’ The Earl’s voice was quiet. ‘And allow him to touch you.’ He released me so he wasn’t touching me himself. ‘It is a condition of our operating licence that all guests enter of their own free will.’
I returned the goblin’s greeting, then held the silver invitation out towards him.
The goblin peered at the silver oblong, then clutched at my fingers briefly. He kicked his foot against the leg of his barstool, making his trainers flash blue. ‘Okey-dokey, you’re cleared to party, miss.’ He reached out and pressed the call button for the private lift behind him. There was a ping and the lift door opened and the Earl’s hand on my back ushered me forward.
It was a small lift—small enough that two bodies wouldn’t have much room between them. I hesitated: not that I’m claustrophobic or anything, but hey, we were adding a vampire into the equation and I didn’t like the odds.
The Earl’s hand at my back increased its pressure. ‘I would like to show you our private members’ bar, my dear.’ He smiled. ‘The lift allows our more select clientele to avoid the crowds. It is more discreet.’
Shit. I so hoped Katie was right about the reason for the invitations, that this was all about the murdered girl and nothing to do with me personally. I took a deep breath and stepped into the small metal box. The floor gave a slight dip, and my stomach went with it. I moved to one side, my back pressed against the wall.