Anna knew if she were a better person she would warn Sybil that Conde Cezar was something other than a wealthy, gorgeous aristocrat. That he was powerful and dangerous and something that wasn’t even human.
Thankfully, even after two centuries, she was still capable of being as petty as the next woman. A smile touched her lips as she watched Sybil sashay across the room.
Cezar had felt her presence long before he’d entered the reception room. He’d known the moment she had landed at O’Hare. The awareness of her tingled and shimmered within every inch of him.
It would have been annoying as hell if it didn’t feel so damn good.
Growling low in his throat at the sensations that were directly connected to Miss Anna Randal, Cezar turned his head to glare at the approaching brunette. Not surprisingly the woman turned on her heel and headed in the opposite direction.
Tonight his attention was focused entirely on the woman standing in the corner. The way the light played over the satin honey of her hair, the flecks of gold in her hazel eyes, the silver gown that displayed way too much of the slender body.
Besides, he didn’t like fairies.
There was a faint movement from behind him and Cezar turned to find a tall, raven-haired vampire appearing from the shadows. A neat trick considering he was a six-foot-five Aztec warrior who was draped in a cloak and leather boots. Being the Anasso (the leader of all vampires) did have its benefits.
“Styx.” Cezar gave a dip of his head, not at all surprised to find that the vampire had followed him to the hotel.
Since Cezar had arrived in Chicago along with the Commission, Styx had been hovering about him like a mother hen. It was obvious the ancient leader didn’t like one of his vampires being in the control of the Oracles. He liked it even less that Cezar had refused to confess the sins that had landed him near two centuries of penance at the hands of the Commission.
“Tell me again why I am not at home in the arms of my beautiful mate?” Styx groused, completely disregarding the fact that Cezar hadn’t invited him along.
“It was your decision to call for the Oracles to travel to Chicago,” he reminded the older demon.
“Yes, to make a ruling upon Salvatore’s intrusion into Viper’s territory, not to mention kidnapping my bride. A ruling that has been postponed indefinitely. I did not realize that they intended to take command of my lair and go into hibernation once they arrived.” The fierce features hardened. Styx was still brooding on the Oracles’ insistence that he leave his dark and damp caves so they could use them for their own secretive purposes. His mate, Darcy, however, seemed resigned to the large, sweeping mansion they had moved into on the edge of Chicago. “And I most certainly did not realize they would be treating one of my brothers as their minion.”
“You do realize that while you may be lord and master of all vampires, the Oracles answer to no one?”
Styx muttered something beneath his breath. Something about Oracles and the pits of hell.
“You have never told me precisely how you ended up in their clutches.”
“It’s not a story I share with anyone.”
“Not even the vampire who once rescued you from a nest of harpies?”
Cezar gave a short laugh. “I never requested to be rescued, my lord. Indeed, I was quite happy to remain in their evil clutches. At least as long as mating season lasted.”
Styx rolled his eyes. “We are straying from the point.”
“And what is the point?”
“Tell me why we are here.” Styx glanced around the glittering throng with a hint of distaste. “As far as I can determine the guests are no more than simple humans with a few lesser demons and fey among the rabble.”
“Yes.” Cesar considered the guests with a narrowed gaze. “A surprising number of fey, wouldn’t you say?”
“They always tend to gather when there’s the scent of money in the air.”
“Perhaps.”
Without warning, Cezar felt a hand land on his shoulder, bringing his attention back to the increasingly frustrated vampire at his side. Obviously Styx was coming to the end of his patience with Cezar’s evasions.
“Cezar, I have dared the wrath of the Oracles before. I will have you strung from the rafters unless you tell me why you are here wading through this miserable collection of lust and greed.”
Cezar grimaced. For the moment Styx was merely irritated. The moment he became truly mad all sorts of bad things would happen.
The last thing he needed was a rampaging vampire scaring off his prey.
“I am charged with keeping an eye upon a potential Commission member,” he grudgingly confessed.
“Potential…” Styx stiffened. “By the gods, a new Oracle has been discovered?”
The elder vampire’s shock was understandable. Less than a dozen Oracles had been discovered in the past ten millenniums. They were the rarest, most priceless creatures to walk the earth.
“She was revealed in the prophecies nearly two hundred years ago, but the information has been kept secret among the Commission.”
“Why?”
“She is very young and has yet to come into her powers. It was decided by the Commission that they would wait to approach her until she had matured and accepted her abilities.”
“Ah, that I understand. A young lady coming into her powers is a painful business at times.” Styx rubbed his side as if he was recalling a recent wound. “A wise man learns to be on guard at all times.”
Cezar gave a lift of his brows. “I thought Darcy had been bred not to shift?”
“Shifting is only a small measure of a werewolf’s powers.”
“Only the Anasso would choose a werewolf as his mate.”
The fierce features softened. “Actually it was not so much a choice as fate. As you will eventually discover.”
“Not so long as I am in the rule of the Commission,” Cezar retorted, his cold tone warning that he wouldn’t be pressed.
Styx eyed him a long moment before giving a small nod. “So if this potential Commission member is not yet prepared to become an Oracle, why are you here?”
Instinctively Cezar glanced back at Anna. Unnecessary, of course. He was aware of her every movement, her every breath, her every heartbeat.
“Over the past few years there have been a number of spells that we believe were aimed in her direction.”
“What sort of spells?”
“The magic was fey, but the Oracles were unable to determine more than that.”
“Strange. Fey creatures rarely concern themselves with demon politics. What is their interest?”
“Who can say? For now the Commission is only concerned with keeping the woman from harm.” Cezar gave a faint shrug. “When you requested their presence in Chicago they charged me with the task of luring her here so I can offer protection.”
Styx scowled, making one human waiter faint and another bolt toward the nearest exit. “Fine, the girl is special. Why should you be the one forced to protect her?”
A shudder swept through Cezar. One he was careful to hide from the heightened senses of his companion.
“You doubt my abilities, my lord?”
“Don’t be an ass, Cezar. There is no one who has seen you in a fight that would doubt your abilities.” With the ease of two friends who had known each other for centuries, Styx glanced at the perfect line of Cezar’s tux jacket. They both knew that beneath the elegance were half a dozen daggers. “I have seen you slice your way through a pack of Ipar demons without losing a step. But there are those on the Commission who possess powers that none would dare to oppose.”
“Mine is not to question why, mine is but to do and die…”
“You will not be dying.” Styx sliced through Cezar’s mocking words.
Cezar shrugged. “Not even the Anasso can make such a claim.”
“Actually I just did.”
“You always were too noble for your own good, Styx.”
“True.”
Awareness feathered over Cezar’s skin. Anna was headed toward a side door of the reception room.
“Go home, amigo. Be with your beautiful werewolf.”
“A tempting offer, but I will not leave you here alone.”
“I appreciate your concern, Styx.” Cezar sent his master a warning glance. “But my duty now is to the Commission and they have given me orders I cannot ignore.”
A cold anger burned in Styx’s dark eyes before he gave a grudging nod.
“You will contact me if you have need?”
“Of course.”
Anna didn’t have to look at Conde Cezar to know that he was aware of her every movement. He might be speaking to the gorgeous man who looked remarkably like an Aztec chief, but her entire body shivered with the sense of his unwavering attention.
It was time to put her plan into motion.
Her hastily thrown together, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants, stupidest-plan-ever plan.
Anna swallowed a hysterical laugh.
So, it wasn’t the best plan. It was more a click-your-heels-twice-and-pray-things-didn’t-go-to-hell sort of deal, but it was all that she had for the moment. And the alternative was allowing Conde Cezar to disappear for another two centuries, leaving her plagued with questions.