I think Tony and René heard the gasps from Merrill and Gavin; I now knew that Gavin was there with Merrill. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I wanted to beat on him with my fists, to be honest.
"Lissa, that one is very dangerous. Where is she now? You didn't try to fight her, did you?" Merrill sounded worried.
"There wasn't time for her to fight me," I said. "I turned her to mist before she could blink and now she's inside the airtight vault at René's chateau."
"You captured her?" Merrill sounded surprised. Honestly, his and Wlodek's opinion of my abilities underwhelmed me, most of the time.
"Yes, I captured her," I had to hold myself back from mimicking him. "That's why I need your help. You're the only one who might be able to take care of this situation, I think."
"Lissa, my compulsion won't work on her any better than anyone else's." Merrill warned.
"Mine will." Kifirin was there beside me, causing René and Tony to have fangs and claws out in a blink. I truly wasn't prepared to see Tony with fangs and claws. "There is nothing to fear," Kifirin informed both vampires. The claws and fangs disappeared immediately.
"Who is there with you?" Merrill demanded.
"René, Tony and Kifirin," I replied.
"Tell your sire and the others to come. We will deal with this. That one inside the vault is threatening my little Queen," Kifirin said. I guess he had good hearing, just like the rest of us.
* * *
"Now we can go," Griffin stood, smiling a little.
"Who is Kifirin?" Gavin demanded. He'd heard the my little Queen statement, just like everyone else.
"The one you have to lose your jealousy over," Griffin replied. "I warn you, do not threaten or anger him in any way. He knows you care for Lissa and that will keep you alive unless you attack him." Merrill was listening to the exchange in alarm. He also was wondering who—and what—Kifirin was. Griffin folded the three of them to René's basement in France.
"Quite the collection, René," Merrill remarked dryly, glancing around at the contents that had previously graced René's vault. "Mr. Hancock." Merrill nodded at Tony. Tony was seeing Gavin up close for the first time and now saw two rivals for Lissa's affection. Both would be something to contend with.
"Saa Thalarr," Kifirin nodded to Griffin.
"High Lord," Griffin nodded back.
"Will someone be so kind as to introduce all of us," René demanded.
"I am Griffin, now retired from the Saa Thalarr," Griffin held out his hand and René took it. "This is Kifirin, High Lord of the Dark Realm," Griffin introduced Kifirin. Kifirin smiled slightly and a bit of smoke escaped his nostrils.
Chapter 14
Well, now I was hearing Kifirin's title and it didn't reassure me at all. High Lord of the Dark Realm? That sounded like a god of some sort. Griffin smiled. Was he reading my thoughts again?
"Let us deal with the dark Queen first." Kifirin may have been reading my thoughts too. "Lissa, would you like to go in and bring her out or would you prefer that I do this for you? I will be pleased to do so."
"If you wouldn't mind." I felt like I needed a bath to get clean after carrying her around.
Kifirin reached inside the vault, his arm going right through the door, and pulled the Queen Vampire out by the throat. She stared up at him, scared witless, I think. "You will do as I say and will not escape or turn to mist or send mindspeech," Kifirin commanded. She could barely nod—Kifirin held her too tightly.
"I don't think she's used to obeying anyone," Griffin chuckled.
"We will transport her to your Blood King," Kifirin announced. "Do you all wish to go, or would some of you prefer to stay?"
"I wish to see this," René declared. Tony was also nodding, his eyes wide with surprise. He was seeing things that he never suspected he might see—even as Director of the Joint NSA and Homeland Security Department. There really were more things in Heaven and Earth, just as Shakespeare claimed.
"Very well." Kifirin must have been the one to take us; we all went, landing right inside Wlodek's study just as Charles was handing off papers. Wlodek was startled, I could tell, but he covered it very well. Charles, who is eternally curious, looked all of us over, gathering information, I'm sure.
"Who is this that has captured Jovana?" Wlodek's voice held amazement.
"Lissa captured her, I merely transported her here, after placing my own compulsion of course; she threatened my little Queen." Kifirin let Jovana go. Wlodek had known of her, obviously. I wondered how long he'd known about her.
"Charles, will you bring in chairs for our guests?" Wlodek said smoothly. Honestly, the man never turned a hair and his usual, non-expression slid right into place.
We were all seated after a bit; Griffin helped Charles bring in extra chairs. Jovana remained standing before Wlodek's desk while waves of hate and anger boiled off her. She was well and truly pissed. She got what she had coming, though, if she was in that hotel room waiting for me, Henri or Gervais.
"Where did you find her, Lissa?" Wlodek asked, first thing.
I barely held back a growl as I answered. "In a hotel room in Paris. Paul and Deryn told me the local authorities searched the room—Xenides and Rahim had been there before the bombing. I thought at the time that Tony was dead, and well, I was a little upset." Tony grinned at my words. I ignored him. "I was searching for information on Rahim and Xenides," I continued, "but I found bitch Queen there instead."
"Jovana was mist, Wlodek," Merrill interrupted. "Lissa can see other misters, if she is mist herself."
"A rare talent, but then my Lissa has many of them," Kifirin jumped into the conversation before Wlodek had time to deliver a lecture.
"And you are?" Wlodek went back to playing with his gold pen, his eyes hooded and a slight frown tugging at his mouth.
"I am Kifirin," he replied. "Often referred to as High Lord of the Dark Realm. I am also known by many other titles, but my true name none may speak."
He was sitting in the chair to my right; Gavin made sure to get the chair on my left. I had no idea what to do with either of them at the moment. We were all sitting in a semi-circle around Wlodek's desk; Griffin was sitting beside Kifirin, with Merrill next to him. René and Tony came after that. Kifirin leaned over and said something to Griffin, but he must have muted his words; I didn't hear them. Griffin nodded, said "Excuse me," and disappeared, returning a few minutes later with Paul and Deryn. Wlodek's proceedings were halted for a few minutes as Deryn and Tony held a tearful reunion, with Deryn learning that René had saved Tony's life by turning him. Deryn wasn't completely opposed to the act, I could tell. His brother was alive and intact, thanks to René.