"Bubba, you look good as a Member of the Council," I patted Charles on the back when he let me go.
"Do I?" He grinned at me.
"Yeah, that outfit says it all," I told him. The 1930s weren't in only for women. He looked good in his double-breasted, pinstripe suit.
"We're going over to Flavio's for a drink," Charles said. "Why don't you come? Merrill and Wlodek have been invited and both want to go."
"Now, you know I can't hold my liquor," I said. I wasn't sure about sitting down for a glass of wine with Flavio, Merrill and Wlodek. Charles would be fine—in fact, I wouldn't mind going to a bar in London with him, for old time's sake.
"Nah, come to Flavio's. I promise to keep you from getting blitzed."
"We'll come," Wlodek was there beside me, placing an arm around my shoulders.
"Good," Charles grinned. "Give us half an hour to drive." I followed Merrill and Wlodek up the stairs and out of the church where hovercars were waiting to take everyone home. We folded away, landing on the doorstep of what was once Wlodek's mansion. Flavio had it now. Rolfe answered the door just as he always did and I couldn't help myself, I was hugging him and crying happy tears.
"I was so afraid you'd be gone," I brushed away tears when I looked up at Rolfe. He would have been a welcome addition to any basketball team with his height and agility. I'd seen him fight.
"Little Queen," Rolfe smiled down at me. I blinked at him. How did he know? Perhaps Flavio had informed him, or he'd overheard it. Rolfe heard everything, after all.
"Rolfe knew I was a Queen before anyone else did," I hugged his waist again before Wlodek moved me away from the door.
"We should listen to Rolfe more often, then," Merrill observed.
"I think you should, too," I told him, causing an eyebrow to rise.
Flavio, Charles, Rhett and Dalroy came in later. Wlodek led me to the library in the house instead of the study where I'd always been taken before. I'd never been in the library, I realized.
Merrill Pulled in several bottles of wine—white and red—and uncorked them. Charles handed out glasses as Merrill poured. "Thank you for your help, Lissa," Flavio said, raising his wineglass to me. "You made this so much simpler for us since the Council now knows you can scent the blood. Charles and I already guessed at the truth, but we couldn't tip our hand. We have carefully hidden the fact that we aren't completely vampire, now."
"So you already knew Samuel was innocent," I said.
"I did. But how do you explain this to the Council without them learning you aren't one hundred percent vampire any longer? Merrill hid his from us, even from father. We never knew until after he became Saa Thalarr."
"I can't believe you didn't smell the barbecue," I muttered, sipping my wine.
"Lissa, you must have smelled it through my pores—I always took care to change and clean up," Merrill chuckled. Well, somebody was in a good mood.
"Her nose is better than any I've ever seen," Dalroy hauled out mixed nuts and pretzels. Rhett and Dalroy were having a beer. Well, my nieces' blood had worked wonders for those two. Flavio, too; he was dipping into the pretzels.
"Lissa, will you come with me to the kitchen? I need help getting ice and cookies." Charles grinned at me.
"You have cookies? What kind?" I was interested.
"I don't know, Kyler brought them earlier," Charles said. "Come on." He motioned for me to follow. I followed. We made it to the bottom of the grand staircase when Radomir folded in, and Gavin was with him. I squared my shoulders and looked away. Gavin didn't want me. Didn't recognize me. Somebody had done that to me. I almost misted away. I never got the chance.
Gavin can move very, very fast. I'd seen him do it in the past, after all. He'd been Wlodek's elite Assassin for a reason—very few could stand against him. Now, I was crushed in his arms, and he was crying amber tears and calling me every endearment he knew, in every language he knew.
Chapter 14
"I don't believe we were ever on Wlodek's roof before," Gavin said later. I was still held as tightly against him as he could manage without crushing me. "We were on Merrill's roof many times, as well as a few hotel roofs and at least one in Oklahoma City and another in Corpus Christi. I remember the one in Corpus Christi fondly." He leaned down and nuzzled my cheek.
"How do you remember?" I asked. I was still recovering from the shock of it.
"Cara, we all did—Anthony, I, the Council. All at once, the memories arrived. I cannot believe how we were made to forget."
"Winkler's gone," I mumbled, hanging my head.
"I know," Gavin said softly. "Do not weep again, I beg you." I'd been crying, right along with Gavin, when he'd swept me up.
"I'm doing my best," I told him, sniffling a little.
"Lissa, will you come home with me?" Gavin asked.
"Honey, I don't even know where you live," I replied.
"Anthony and I live at René's old home," Gavin informed me softly.
I'm going home with Gavin, I sent to Charles.
I will inform the others, came the reply. I hoped the others included my twins. Yeah, I thought of them as mine. I hoped they still thought of me as theirs when I didn't come home tonight.
"I know there are others," it was as if Gavin were reading my mind. "I do not care, love. Take as many as you like as long as I am included in that number. Something can be worked out among us, surely."
"I hope so, too," I said. "Wait until you meet Connegar," I said, more brightly. "You should get along with him, for sure." I folded us to René's old home.
"Anthony is on assignment," Gavin said as soon as we settled in the dining room. The floor to ceiling windows were still there, I noticed, although the table and chairs were different. "We donated much of the furniture to a museum," Gavin explained, hugging me. "There is an entire exhibit of period furniture now, and it is referred to as the de la Roque exhibit."
"René would have liked that," I nodded. I wondered if Connegar had been to see it.
"Lissa, is it too much to ask for you to come to bed with me?"
"I want to," I said. "But there's something I have to do first."
"And that would be?" Gavin thought he was going to have to wait and there was disappointment in his face and his voice.
"I have to give permission before you take my blood. Are you ready?" I looked up into his face and those beautiful brown eyes.
"I am," he nodded.
"My blood is a gift to you, Gavin," I said, placing my hands on his face. "You will take no harm from it. There are no bindings or conditions—it is freely given."
"I can bite you now?" he was smiling.
"You can bite me now. I was hoping we'd be in bed when you did it, though."
"Then I will show you my bed." He lifted me up and carried me halfway through the house just as fast as he could.
Did I expect Gavin to pass out the minute he got my blood? No. He did, though. And he was snoring softly, instead of going into the rejuvenating sleep. Well, I didn't know that would happen. Eventually, I curled up beside him and went to sleep, too.
* * *
"Lissa?" Someone was shaking my shoulder, trying to wake me.
"Huh?" I mumbled, keeping my eyes tightly shut.
"Lissa, will you explain to me, please, why I am awake in daylight?" Uh-oh. Fuck. Fuck cubed. That was Gavin's voice. What had I done?
"What time is it?" I opened my eyes to find Gavin's worried face leaning over mine.
"It is after eight, the sun has been up for more than two hours and I am awake. Explain this, please."
"Uh, Gavin, I didn't know this would happen. Honest. Ever since I came back to myself after the big bang, so to speak, I knew I had to give permission if anybody wanted to take my blood. I just thought it would keep you alive. I didn't know this would happen."
"I still have my fangs and claws, and can still drink blood—I have done so already," Gavin said, sounding miffed and mystified all at once.
"Well, now you know how I felt after Griffin gave me his blood. At least you know what happened—I didn't—not for a while, anyway."
"I can still operate as a vampire, as you did?" Gavin asked.
"Yes. The only thing that's changed is your ability to walk in daylight. You get to choose when you want to sleep, now."
"The Honored One will ask for my resignation," Gavin flopped onto his back beside me.
"The Honored One might surprise you," I said tartly. "Come on, we'll go see him right now."
"He will be sleeping," Gavin muttered.
"Let's find out." I sent mindspeech—Flavio was still awake. I'll be there in a minute, I sent. Flavio sounded sleepy but said he'd be waiting. Gavin and I had to dress first and he grumbled the entire time. It was worth it, though, to see his and Flavio's faces when we folded in.
"Lissa Beth, does this mean what I think it means?" Flavio was wide-awake now, I noticed.
"I guess. I didn't know it was going to happen—honest."
"Honored One, why are you awake long past sunrise?" Gavin asked, folding his arms over his chest.
"The same reason you're awake," Flavio snapped. "And if you want further proof, go see Charles, Rhett and Dalroy right now. All will be awake or able to rise for exactly the same reasons."
"Your blood did this?" Gavin stared at me.
"Those guys bit somebody else with the talent, not me," I said, smacking him lightly on the arm. "But on the brighter side, you can have pancakes for breakfast with me."
"Pancakes?" Flavio was interested, I could tell.