Fox Fate (13 page)

Anika and Joanna stepped forward from their places in back. They were both dressed as witches, with voodoo-zombie face paint but black clothes and a witch's hat. Joanna studied me carefully.

"Am I going to offend anyone?"

"No," she replied. "Our mistress will be quite pleased."

Even a year and a half after breaking the blood thrall, the simple thought of Carissa's approval sent a shudder of pleasure through me. I knew my eyes glazed over for a moment, and for several seconds I couldn't think about anything else.

But then I shook myself and smiled. "I would like to speak to both of you very briefly before we go." I didn't wait for a response but turned on my heel and exited the room again. Behind me, Joanna and Anika followed me. I led them to the ballroom, closing the door behind them.

"Is something wrong?" Joanna asked.

"No. I want to ask a question. If I am being rude, I hope you will forgive me."

"Of course," she said.

"Are you both Carissa's blood thralls?"

They both startled at my question, and their faces immediately turned blank. I was sure I had just asked a poor question, but then Anika made an "oh" face.

"You were her thrall?" she asked.

"Yes, for a brief time."

They both studied me for a moment, and then Joanna said, "Your question was unexpected. It wasn't rude. Yes, we are two of her thralls." She smiled when she said it, closing her eyes briefly. I recognized her expression.

"Why do you ask?" said Anika.

"I was only her thrall for a brief time, and it's been a year and a half," I said. "My brain still goes to mush around her."

"You get used to that," Joanna said. "Sort of, anyway. That's what it was like for me for the first few years." She smiled again. "Now I am able to serve her, but my knees still turn to jelly when she expresses her pleasure."

"You want to know if you ever outgrow it." Anika made it a statement. I nodded. "We can't tell you. She reinforces my thrall frequently." Then she closed her eyes and swayed, smiling. "Sometimes I ask her to do it. If I've particularly pleased her, she'll Call me a dozen times, and then just the thought of serving her fills me with unbelievable pleasure, much less a kind word."

Joanna nodded. "She had to cut us off when you told her you were coming or we wouldn't be any good to you. I can't wait for what she does to me after you leave."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't be," Anika replied. "It is our duty to serve our mistress. We're honored to have been chosen. We volunteered."

"She has the local werewolves as her thralls," Joanna said. "She doesn't hold them as closely she does us and some of the other humans. But I've never known her to release one of her thralls. What did you do that she sent you away?"

"I can't talk about that," I said.

"Well, she's forgiven you," Anika said.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, she sent you away to punish you," she explained. "But she's forgiven you. You're back now."

"Oh. You should ask her. She wasn't punishing me. The thrall was always meant to be temporary while I did a favor for her."

"A favor? What did she do in return?"

"She offered her friendship," I said.

"Friendship," echoed Joanna. "Mistress rarely offers friendship." She smiled. "Will you tell her you're pleased with us, even if we couldn't answer your questions?"

"Count on it," I said. "Thank you."

* * * *

It was a thirty-minute ride for us. Carissa sent one more driver, and so there were fourteen of us spread out between three SUVs. It was dark, so I was unable to see much. I let the conversation flow around me.

But as we drew close, Anika explained, "Carissa keeps several residences in and around New Orleans. The party tonight is at her plantation west of town. This was a working plantation prior to the War of Northern Aggression. Unlike Atlanta and other major cities across the south, New Orleans was not burned by Sherman and his marauding hordes. So the house is the original plantation building, although Carissa has renovated it several times, including an expansion during the 1920s."

I shook my head at the thought. Of course, I knew she was ancient, but it was a reminder of how old the vampire was.

A few minutes later, we turned into a long lane, lined with trees. In front of us stood a stately antebellum home, white with columns, consistent with the neoclassic architecture of the time. We drove slowly down the lane, coming to a stop at the head of the walkway to the house.

Of course, we weren't the first to arrive, but the previous arrivals had disappeared inside before we came to a stop; I wondered if that was intentional.

Uniformed valets stepped forward to open the car doors. I knew to sit where I was until one of the enforcers retrieved me, and soon I found myself with Lara and Angel for company. But we only waited a few moments before Karen stepped to our door and invited us to exit. I climbed out and looked up at Carissa's home.

Stately was the only word that came to mind. I got a better look and saw a beautiful veranda around the second floor of the house. Here and there were people watching the new arrivals.

Everyone I saw -- even the valets, and I would see later, the servants and staff -- wore a costume.

I turned to Lara. "I think we should add a balcony on our house."

"Do you?"

"Yes. I would stand upon the balcony looking down upon you while you recited sonnets you had written, professing your love and exalting my beauty. If you pleased me, I would throw flowers to you, or perhaps a kerchief."

Lara chuckled. "Michaela, you know I love you, and I'd move the heavens for you, but I'm not sure I'm up to composing sonnets."

"They would be better than the limericks Angel writes for Scarlett."

She chuckled again. "Don't be too sure."

She offered her arm. I clasped it, and together we strode towards the front door, the enforcers surrounding us, Violet, James and Hanna following in our wake.

At the door, Carissa was waiting. I had expected her to be inside somewhere, holding court, so to speak, but instead, she was greeting her guests. As we drew closer, I tried to guess what her costume represented. She had dyed her hair blond and wore it in a ponytail. She was dressed in jeans and a long, shimmery red shirt around which was a belt.

She looked very casual but a little sexy, and as soon as I had that thought, my brain shut down again. I kept moving forward, a combination of inertia and my hand still on Lara's arm. But otherwise I couldn't think.

The enforcers made way for us, and Lara led us to our host.

"Michaela," she said warmly, her voice chasing away whatever lingering thoughts were still rattling through it. "Lara." She stepped forward and took my hands from Lara.

I gaped at her.

"Mistress," I said slowly.

"Oh dear," Carissa said. "This should have worn off."

Lara growled, and after a moment, that broke through the mush. Without releasing Carissa's hands, I turned my head towards Lara slowly.

"Lara," I said quietly. "No growling."

She didn't grow silent, but she didn't get worse. Carissa remained quiet. I closed my eyes then shook my head. When I opened my eyes again, I could begin to think. "Lara, we're guests. Calm down. I'm fine."

She moved a little closer and stared into my eyes, reaching out a hand to clasp my chin. I didn't shy away, but I smiled softly. Her growl silenced.

"I'm fine," I repeated. "It only lasts a few seconds. Be polite for us." I wasn't ready to speak to Carissa yet.

Lara didn't take her eyes off me immediately, but she said, "Carissa. Thank you for having us."

"I couldn't be more pleased you accepted," Carissa said.  I tingled at her words, but my ability to think didn't backslide any further than it had. "Perhaps you could introduce me to everyone else, and by then, your mate will have finished recovering."

"Of course," said Lara. Lara first reintroduced the enforcers Carissa already knew: Elisabeth, Serena, and Karen. Then she finished with the other enforcers: Eric, Portia, and Angel.

When she introduced Angel, Carissa said, "Ah, Angel Greene. How is your mate? I understand she is quite the architect."

I hadn't told her, and so Carissa was telling us, and not very subtly, that she was paying attention to us.

When introduced to Portia, she asked, "Do you find the Madison pack to your liking? Is your mother going to leave Texas to join you in Wisconsin?"

"You are well-informed," Portia replied.

"I like to know who my friends are," Carissa replied. "And so? Do you enjoy Wisconsin?"

"I do," Portia replied. "I've been very happy."

Then Lara introduced Violet.

"Ah, Violet Gray," Carissa said warmly. "I am very pleased you could come. I have a number of people you must meet later."

She was just as warm -- and well informed -- about James and Hanna.

Finally she turned back to me. My brain was working again. "Are you with us now?" she asked me.

I nodded. "But I am not sure I am thinking as clearly as I would like. I have not determined the nature of your costume."

"Ah," she replied. "It's a cultural reference from a time you were perhaps not attuned to the relevant culture."

"She's Buffy," Angel said from past Serena.

"She's what?"

"Not what," Violet provided. "Who. Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

I cocked my head. "Should I have heard of her?"

Carissa chuckled. "Apparently not. She is from a television show. She was a very fierce slayer of my kind. Very scary."

Some of the wolves chuckled, but it was forced.

"But let me look at all of you," Carissa said. "Then we must move inside." She took my hands again and held my arms wide. "Quite striking," she said, "and very fitting for our location."

"I thought so," I said.

Then she looked at everyone else, studying each of them carefully. Violet was dressed as a traditional witch. James and Hanna were done up as rather kitsch werewolves, which was kind of funny. Then Carissa smiled. "Michaela, I believe you orchestrated most of these costumes, but not all of them."

Violet chuckled. "She didn't even try to get the three of us to match her theme. I'm not sure if I would have been amused or annoyed."

"Not all my guests are this creative," Carissa said with a gesture. "Thank you for observing my tradition. Come in; come in. Be welcome -- and safe -- in my home. All are safe here, but I must relay the rules."

"Of course," Lara said.

"There are to be no altercations. My vampires will see to it. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, back away and allow my vampires to attend to any issues. No shifting to fur." She eyed me. "And I would prefer your knives remained safely sheathed."

"You know I never start anything, Carissa," I said. "But I am very good at finishing them."

"We both know the first half of your statement is not entirely true," Carissa countered.

"I won't start anything tonight," I promised. "But nor will I be passive when a response is required."

She sighed dramatically, but it was Lara who rescued the situation.

"She'll behave," Lara promised. "We aren't looking for trouble. You know that."

"Of course," Carissa said. "I wished only to be clear. Please enter."

She stepped aside with a dramatic gesture. "Make yourselves at home. Michaela, I will find you later. We have so much to discuss."

* * * *

It was a grand party, if a little intimidating. I could readily identify the other werewolves, although Lara and the enforcers kept me isolated from them. The races of Carissa's other guests were very difficult to guess. I was sure some were vampires and others were humans. But especially in their costumes, I couldn't have said, "This one is a vampire, that one is a human."

And I'm sure some of them were other races, perhaps other weres, perhaps witches or fae. Deirdre was the only fae I had ever met, so I wasn't sure what to look for.

There was a map in the foyer explaining where everything was. There were rooms identified as appropriate for conversation: a library and several sitting rooms. Carissa had a large ballroom for dancing and a dining hall with no end of choices of food and drink. Bartenders served drinks, and from time to time, I saw people holding glasses of what I was sure was blood.

I tried not to stare.

Some of the costumes were elaborate. Other than the high quality, there were few surprises. Represented were death, witches, vampires, ghosts, and every other sort of creature that goes bump in the night. I saw one woman dressed as Medusa, and I could have sworn the snakes were real.

"Maybe they are," Lara said when I commented.

"How does she keep them there?"

"Michaela, does it not occur to you that they could be enthralled in some fashion?" Lara asked. "If there can be werewolves and werefoxes and fae and witches and vampires, can there not be other races with mastery over snakes?"

I stared at the woman for a while; she didn't seem to notice.

We'd been there perhaps an hour. Lara hadn't let me meet anyone, and we hadn't danced either. But I'd been able to ogle a lot of people, guessing what their costumes were and wondering about their race.

But then a contingent of wolves was clearly making their way towards us. There were two males with females on their arms, and around them, four more males, clearly enforcers.

When it was clear they intended to introduce themselves, Lara said simply, "Serena."

I immediately found my arm clasped, and a moment later, Eric was on my other side. The two of them pulled me backwards, away from the approaching wolves, and all the other enforcers formed a shell around me. Lara and Elisabeth stood together, shoulder-to-shoulder, facing the approaching wolves.

"Hey!" I muttered, but I kept my voice down. I looked over at Serena, who hadn't released my arm. I glared at her.

Without looking at me, she leaned in my direction. "You promised to behave."

I couldn't see past the wall of wolves, and there was so much competing noise, I couldn't follow the progress of the approaching wolves with my ears. I didn't like it; I didn't like it at all.