"I leave tomorrow evening, child," René turned back to Aubrey. "Think on this. I will be happy to have you accompany me when I go."
"Father, I want to stay," Aubrey said.
"Very well," René sighed. "I will go back to England alone. I have additional arrangements to make. Others may lead me to Xenides; therefore I must make appropriate contacts."
* * *
"The festival of the god will be celebrated by Solar Red in three weeks," the journalist said, using the temple as a backdrop for her newscast. "The High Priest claims that the god himself may come for the ritual. As yet, the ceremony has not been described. We are attempting to obtain information."
"Great," I muttered as I sucked on a unit of blood. "Nothing like holding a ritual and nobody knows what to wear."
I retraced my steps from the night before and started asking for directions—I intended to find Gabron and ask if he knew anything about the upcoming Solar Red shindig. There was no indication what the business might be that was listed on Gabron's card, and I admitted to myself that I wanted to see this. After all, I'd never seen a vampire with a business card before. What I got, however, was plenty of stares and a snicker or two as helpful Refizani citizens pointed in what I hoped was the proper direction. What had Gabron gotten me into? Was this a trick of some sort? The front of the building was tasteful; I couldn't see anything wrong with it and two men were walking inside ahead of me when I stepped through the door. I learned right away what the snickers and stares were for—naked women wandered through a marble entryway or lounged around in suggestive underwear on chaises. The vestibule was circular, with a narrow doorway opposite the entry that led down a hall. More women, naked and semi-clothed, lazed in doorways spaced evenly down that hall. Well, I'd walked straight into a whorehouse. It made me think of Winkler for a moment.
The male vampire sitting behind a desk lifted an eyebrow when I walked in, while the two men who'd preceded me struck up a conversation with two of the women. Maybe the men were regulars; how was I to know?
"I'm not sure we can help you here," the vampire was now walking toward me. He only stood a bit taller than I did, with red hair and a dusting of freckles across his nose. His blue eyes were his nicest feature. "The Over-UnderHouse is five blocks away," he informed me, "and you'd more than likely be happier with what they offer, so I'd suggest," and that's as far as he got—he'd come close enough to catch my scent, drawing in a sharp breath. I thought he was going to fall on the floor and gasp like a landed mackerel.
"Briden, what's wrong?" One of the naked females came over and rubbed suggestively against the vampire. I figured she might be a regular blood donor, with some of those gallon pins tucked away in her jewelry box.
"Leska, I need to take this one to Gabron."
"We don't need any new girls," Leska pouted.
"Honey, I won't ever be a new girl. Or an old girl," I said. "If I'd known what this place was before I walked into it, I'd have stayed out." I almost turned and walked out right then.
"No, please, Gabron will be quite upset if he learns you left without speaking with him," Briden reached out to take my arm. I avoided his hand easily.
"Please, follow me," he was begging, now.
"Lead the way," I sighed, reluctance and unhappiness evident in my voice. Leska frowned at me as Briden led me down the hallway. In addition to the women posing suggestively in doorways, we walked past several rooms with closed doors. With my vampire hearing, there was no doubt as to what was going on behind those doors. Normally I didn't have a problem with this sort of thing, as long as the female enjoyed her profession and I know many do. Gabron could have warned me, I think, before handing over a business card. This wasn't a place I felt comfortable walking into.
"Gabron, you have a visitor," Briden said softly after tapping on the last door at the end of the hall.
"Come," Gabron said, so Briden opened the door and ushered me inside. Well, now what? I was hoping to find other vampires, not a building full of hookers.
"Sir," I said, leveling my gaze on Gabron, "I'm actually sorry I came, so I won't take up your time." I turned to go. Briden appeared to be greatly disappointed.
"Don't you want to know about the Blood Council?" Gabron asked softly.
"If it's anything like the Council I'm familiar with, then the answer is no," I said, turning back to give Gabron an assessing stare.
"We are meeting in less than an hour," he said. "You may go as my guest and then we will discuss differences and similarities," he offered, touching fingertips together while he studied me with hooded eyes.
"And if I go to this meeting, do I have assurances that I will get out again?"
"You are distrustful."
"You know it," I said. "So far, I haven't met too many people who have done anything to earn or keep my trust. I'm sorry if that offends you."
"Little Queen, all I ask is that you attend a meeting with me. You may make your own decisions, always."
"You have no idea whether I'm a Queen or not," I said. The idiots back home certainly didn't know it and I wasn't going to disabuse them of that notion. All I needed was for them to declare me rogue again and send Gavin or one of the others after me. Actually, since Gavin shared my bed when he was home, all he'd have to do is flex those claws of his a little while I was asleep; he went to sleep later and woke earlier than I did.
"Lissa, then. It was not my intention to offend."
"Fine. I'll go to the meeting," I grumped. I was a little out of sorts, I think.
"That is all I ask. May we get you anything? Do you require blood? I can send someone in for you."
"No. I've had dinner," I held out a hand, politely refusing Gabron's offer.
"Briden, get someone else to handle the front desk," Gabron ordered. Briden nodded and walked out the door. "Please sit," Gabron offered a chair. I really didn't want to sit or do anything else except get the hell out of there, but I held my temper and my tongue and sat down.
"This is a good front for us," Gabron said, looking over a ledger on his desk and entering amounts on it from slips of paper at the side. "We own several such as this across the city. Brothels are legal here and we adhere to strict health and safety codes. All our females and males choose this profession and are not coerced."
"I'm not judging your business; I'm just questioning my motives for being inside it."