I squeezed his hand. “Thanks, Pierce.”
He gave Butch—who was standing intimately close—a brief, assessing look. “Who is this?”
“Butch, a member of the Grand High Pair’s personal squad. The male vampires behind me, Max and Salem, are also part of the squad. Paige and Ava are part of mine.”
“Ah.” Pierce nodded at them. “In that case, it is a pleasure to meet you all. Now, allow me to personally escort you to the Grand Hall. Lazarus is waiting inside.” Pierce’s smile faltered slightly. “I feel I should warn you, Imani…Marco is here.”
“Should we expect trouble?” Sam’s tone said there had better be no trouble.
Frowning deeply, Pierce shook his head. “Marco would never harm her.”
“He harmed her when he Turned her without her consent,” Butch growled.
Pierce flushed. “Aside from that, I mean.” He cleared his throat. “Please come this way.”
As we followed Pierce through the castle, I noticed that it hadn’t changed at all since I was last here. The walls were still adorned with beautiful paintings, portraits of past battles, and intricate tapestries. Artefacts, statues, and armoury still lined the hallways.
Entering the Grand Hall, I sucked in a breath. It was heaving with people. I wondered if the news of my visit had travelled through the nest and everyone was eager to see how Marco reacted to my presence. It was probably the most action they’d had in a while.
At a subtle signal from Jared, the four vampires behind me paired up and began to circulate the room. Of course, I knew what Paige, Max, Ava, and Salem were doing: scoping out the large space and searching for potential threats.
Butch and I remained with Sam and Jared as they moved through the crowd. It was only a matter of moments before there was a gasp and a whispered, ‘There’s Marco’s Imani.’ My back teeth locked. I hated being called that, but it was what many viewed me as—Marco’s possession. I delved into my bag of tricks and pulled out my nonchalant air. That was what I’d need to get through tonight.
Butch said quietly, “Remember, stick close to me.”
I did, ignoring the stares and whispers. Soon enough, people came to greet me and pepper me with questions. I was polite but vague, doing my best to hide my discomfort. I was glad to see one particular female Keja, though. Eleanor was Turned roughly the same time as me, so we’d experienced a lot of the early struggles together.
With a warm smile, Eleanor kissed my cheek and gave me a one-armed hug. “My God, I can’t believe it’s you! Annalise did say you were coming, but I never imagined you would return to this place.”
“It’s good to see you. I love this dress.” The sleek, silver garment suited the brunette perfectly.
She tilted her head as she studied me. “You look the same, yet different. I can’t explain it. And who are these vampires with you?” Her face went slack as she took in Sam and Jared. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry I didn’t greet you immediately. I was just so distracted by the sight of Imani.”
Jared held up a hand. “No offence was taken.” She looked so relieved, I was surprised she didn’t collapse.
“This is Butch, he’s a member of the legion,” I told her.
Eleanor did a slight curtsey. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”
Feeling eyes on me, I glanced to my right. “Eleanor, who’s that blonde glaring at me like I’ve pissed in her shoes?”
Leaning close, Eleanor snickered. “That’s Tait. Marco’s second-born.”
“Ah, so because I left him, she gets the first-born treatment.”
“Yes. She’s been sulking since she heard you were coming. Have you seen him yet?”
“Not yet.”
She patted my arm. “Don’t worry about him. The reunion might be a little tense, but that’s only to be expected.”
Catching a ‘let’s go’ look from Sam, I smiled at Eleanor and said, “It was great seeing you. Take care.”
Butch and I once again followed Sam and Jared through the large space. Several times we were stopped by awe-struck people who wanted to meet the pair. It was as we neared the rear of the hall that I caught a glimpse of Marco, surrounded by several vampires, his gun-metal grey eyes cold and predatory. As always, he looked both relaxed and coiled to strike at the same time.
“He’s leaning against the wall up ahead,” I whispered to Butch. “Tall. Blond hair. Dark suit.”
Butch barely glanced his way, but I knew that—in that small moment—he would have absorbed every single detail. “He’ll know you’re here. He’s probably been waiting for you to get close.”
I nodded. Hell, Marco probably knew exactly where I was at that very moment. He never missed anything. And no doubt several people had ran to him with news of my arrival. I sent a telepathic warning to Jared, who would no doubt telepathically share the news with Sam and the others. It was best for everyone to be on their guard.
Pointedly ignoring Marco’s presence, I kept my gaze firmly ahead as we passed his little group. None of them paid me any attention, though they briefly nodded at Sam and Jared. Hmm. Maybe Marco didn’t actually care that—
“Well, well, well, the prodigal first-born returns.” It surprised me that there wasn’t a bitter edge to Marco’s words.
Slowly turning, I forced a smile for my Sire, ex-boyfriend, and bad memory. His own smile was oddly warm and, if I wasn’t mistaken, a little amused. Something was funny? “Marco,” I greeted simply, conscious that a heavy silence had fallen and we were the focus of my entire nest’s attention.
His eyes raked over me, though not in a sleazy way. “Looking good, sweetheart.”
I didn’t like his tone…because it was affectionate, and that made no sense. But then, Marco was a very good actor. As a human, I hadn’t sensed the coldness behind that seriously good-looking exterior. And I’d paid for that mistake.
He flicked a look at the vampires with me and asked, “Aren’t you going to introduce me, Imani?”
“I don’t think I need to introduce Sam and Jared. This is Butch. Guys, this is Marco.” As he raised an expectant brow, I reluctantly added, “My Sire.”
Marco inclined his head their way, not breaking eye contact with me. “Part of the legion now, hmm, Imani? Good for you.”