Clara’s dead heart actually thudded a couple of times. Shamira was jealous? Of her other lovers? “Me too,” she said. She looked over at the bed where Renata had already zoned out. “She’d wanted to play with you, but she couldn’t stay awake.” Clara stood up kissed Shamira softly. “Maybe Sunday night, we can make up for some lost time?”
Shamira’s brain was misfiring and her knees were watery. It was something that Clara’s lips did to her. “Sounds good to me.” She was quickly stripped down to nothing, and the two of them climbed into bed next to the sleeping werejaguar, pressing their bodies together in warm, comfortable closeness that Shamira hadn’t even realized that she needed.
————— ———–
That night . . .
————— ———–
Shamira was nervous. She was waiting for the fairies to arrive to perform a ceremony using Shamira’s “sexual energy” to contact all all the other faerie colonies in Georgia. They were trying to find out if any faeries had gone missing, as there was a good chance that such creatures had been captured and had their blood used to make the magical drug morning star.
That wasn’t the part that made her nervous. Shane decided to send Yosyp along with her and Renata, and Shamira wasn’t sure how to handle that. Yosyp was pretty much the poster boy for the vampires of horror films. He even had an accent, though it was more Ukrainian than Transylvanian. He didn’t speak much, but he also never did anything threatening. All Shamira knew was that he was somewhat handsome, highly dangerous, and had once been an enforcer for the Tribunal. How and why he was here was a question for someone above her pay grade.
“And so you agreed to the sexual ritual instead of the blood ritual. Why?” Yosyp asked.
Shamira looked out the window. “It sounded less dangerous at the time. It has already been pointed out that I behaved rashly,” she said, trying not to sound bitter. That little argument had caused a temporary rift between Shamira and Renata, which had been unpleasant.
“I did not mean to criticize, but merely question.”
Shamira glanced over her shoulder while Renata drove. “I’m new to all this, so when someone makes the choice between sex and blood, I chose sex.”
A devilishly handsome smile crept up. “Being part of Mr. Stapleton’s house, that doesn’t surprise me.”
Shamira found herself smiling back. Yosyp really could be charming. “I don’t know if this is an acceptable topic or not, but what brings you here to Shane’s house? You’re old enough to have your own land, correct?”
“Yes,” he replied. “I have been on this earth for two-hundred and fifty years. When a vampire is orphaned by the destruction of his or her house, he becomes a servant of the Tribunal until a new home can be found. Much like a were who has lost his pack or other social group. Rogues in our world are rarely tolerated. I was never able to agree with the Tribunal on a new home until this position came open.”
“Didn’t they offer you your own place? Start your own house?”
Yosyp shrugged. “While we do not have ‘alphas’ in the vampire world as the weres have, but there are some more suited to lead. I prefer to be the dangerous right hand of someone I respect. Shane is such a man, and he has put together, or is in the processing of putting together, a most formidable house.”
“You think so?” Renata asked. She secretly brimmed with pride at Yosyp’s words.
“Definitely. Few vampire lords of the land who are vampires that would hire on so many weres, nor would were lords take on vampires. I have read your dossiers,” he said, directing back to Renata, “and Shane has chosen competent people who can work together. And the vampires he has chosen to bring over are equally well-suited.”
Shamira fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. She was the only one in the house who hadn’t been chosen in advance after a great deal of careful consideration. She had been an accident. And just like that, her manic mood cycle swung back to self-doubt. This time, she was determined not to mention anything. But Yosyp wasn’t done.
“You, Miss Shamira, are a most fortunate stroke of luck. Shane considers himself blessed by fate to have found you.”
“Because of the Shadow Aspects,” she muttered.
“Because of your passion.”
Shamira’s eyes scrunched up. “Passion?”
Yosyp looked out the window. “The Shadow Aspects do not seek out the weak of heart, it is true. But Shane feels in his heart that you would continue to fight the good fight with or without those Aspects.”
“Dead or alive, you ARE a pain in the Ass of Evil,” Renata said matter-of-factly.
“Interestingly put,” Yosyp replied.
“Yeah, I’m a regular Billy Shakespeare.”
Yosyp shuddered. “Billy . . . never mind.”
“We’re here,” the werejaguar said, pulling off the main road towards their parking spot. “Hope you brought your hiking boots.”
“I’m not worried about muddying my boots,” Yosyp said calmly.
They all clambered out the car. “We’ll see,” Renata said, looking towards the swampy area. She turned around and saw Yosyp floating about a foot off the ground. “Not fair!”
“Levitation Aspect,” he replied a bit smugly.
“Rat bastard.”
“Renata,” Shamira started, “can you find the same spot without changing?”
The werejaguar sniffed the air. “Yeah. We were just here a week ago and it hasn’t rained. I’m good.”
They worked their way through the muck, following Renata’s nose until they got to a familiar clearing. The moon shone down through the trees onto a circle of soft grass. The fairies were arriving at about the same time, most of them forming a circle around the little clearing.
“All hail His Great and Royal Majesty the Most Illustrious Leader Frolthac of the Colony of Nature’s Glory and Her Delectable and Most Beautiful Majesty Queen Lillia of Nature’s Glory. All bow and tremble at their brilliance,” announced Thorias, Captain of the Guard.
Shamira bowed. Yosyp bowed. Renata bowed while snickering slightly and trying not to smirk. She thought faeries were just too damn funny.
“He said it all in one breath again,” Renata whispered.
“I noticed.”
“Have you decided on a ceremony as of yet?” King Frolthac asked, wringing his hands eagerly.
Renata glanced over at Shamira and nodded. “Sexual energy, your Majesty,” Shamira said.
The faeries started clapping and cheering and hooting until a disapproving glare from the Queen shut them all up. Lillia floated over to Shamira and said, “Forgive the rabble. There’s a reason why they’re peasants.” She heard one of her subjects boo, and she turned around and blasted him with a small beam of light. The offending party went flying back into a tree, stuck to it for a moment, then slid to the ground with a high-pitched groan.
“Sorry about that,” the Queen added, flipping her hair and glancing up and down Shamira’s body hungrily. “You are a whole lotta woman,” Lillia added in a voice far too sultry for that small of a body. “You know, we have spells that could temporarily shrink you to our size, so I could take you back to the royal residence and –”
“Lillia,” the King interrupted, “I realize that you’re probably in heat as always, but can we please move on to the ceremony?”
Lillia rolled her eyes at her husband then looked back at Shamira. “He’s such a spoilsport,” she said. “That and he won our bet that lets him run the ceremony.” She was almost pouting at this point. “I tell you, never trust a man with a large penis when you’re playing naked Twister.” The little Queen bit her bottom lip. “About that shrinking spell –”
“Lillia!” the King shouted.
“Maybe next time, your Majesty,” Shamira said, giving the Queen a little wink. She remembered one of the things she’d read about faerie culture and extend her tongue a bit out of her mouth. The Queen promptly flew up and kissed her on the tip of the tongue, and the little woman tingled all over. It was a greeting of sexual appreciation, and fairies loved such gestures.
“I’ll look into the spell,” Lillia said, then mouthed the words “I’ll call you” before flying off to hover beside her husband.
“Would the power source please take her place in the circle,” the King bellowed, planning to make as big a spectacle of the ceremony as possible. Meanwhile, Thorias flew over and sat on Renata’s shoulder.
“Hey honey,” the Captain of the Guard said, sounding like a 70’s lounge lizard in the process. “How about you shrinking down so I can pet the kitty?”
“You do realize that I’ve heard that line a million times,” Renata said, though impressed by the little man’s audacity.
“We’re kind of isolated out here,” Thorias said, totally nonplussed. “Takes a while for our pick-up lines to develop.” He stopped talked as Shamira entered the circles and was told to strip down. “Damn!” he said as that finely-tuned body came into view. “Where did she come from and how do I get there?”