“The Atlanta Aquarium is nice,” she started. “I’ll point out the area when we go past. The whale sharks are cool, but I still prefer the aquarium up in Chattanooga better. It’s just more peaceful. Underground Atlanta is kind of a waste of time . . . same with the Coke museum. The Fox is great though.”
“The Fox?”
“It’s a theater. Plays and such, though they have other events there too. It’s one of those old fashioned places, you know? The kind you see in old movies. One of the only places you can have wine and popcorn and not be a freak.” Shamira just started to spill everything she knew about every attraction in Atlanta, and she knew enough that she kept up the conversation until her voice gave out just past the Chastain exit.
“Are you planning on taking in the sights?” Shamira said, her voice wheezing a bit. How could something that didn’t require air anymore wheeze?
“I would like to, but not this trip. I have a slightly selfish reason for my inquisitiveness.”
“Which is?”
That beautiful mouth smiled. “I get motion sickness easily. Conversation keeps me distracted.”
Shamira stared . . . then started to snicker.
“My malady amuses you?”
“It’s just (snicker) that you’re probably the most powerful creature that I’ve ever met, and you get motion sickness?”
The woman lifted her face, and Shamira saw that she was indeed beautiful. Her eyes were lavender . . . Shamira didn’t even know eyes came in that color. And those eyes were large, drawing Shamira in ways that not even her voice could. Dark hair brushed gently over the smooth, porcelain skin of her brow, and even her nose had a delicate elegance. For everyone who had ever fallen in love with the notion of vampires, here was the reason why. “Powerful people often have strange fears. Spiders, for instance.”
“How did you –”
“Lord Stapleton has told me everything about you . . . who you were, who you are, and who he feels you can become. In all his afterlife, I have never known anyone or anything to confound him as much as you. I am quite curious as to why.”
And just like that, Shamira’s mood crashed again. “Don’t be. It’s not your concern.” Shamira could see Valeska and Reaper both flinched. Apparently, talking back to a member of the Tribunal was not appropriate.
“Oh, but it is,” the woman said, leaning in and whispering into Shamira’s ear. “Lord Stapleton is dear to me, so his business IS my business. I know of your shadow aspects, Miss Shamira. I have met two incarnations of Shadow Wing, last of the great Moon Dragons. And Shane has spoken of your will. You bend, but do not break. You submit to the sexual wills of those you trust, but guard your trust carefully and nurse wounds to it, striking out at the cause of those wounds. I do not know all that has happened between you and your sire,” she continued, her voice now low and soothing.
“I do not seek to judge or condemn either of you. I only want to understand and help heal the divide if I can.” The woman’s lips were almost on Shamira’s ear. “When word of what I am here to talk is spread, Shane and myself and all those who seek a more enlightened, progressive state for magical beings will need all the help that we can get. We stand upon the door of what will be one of the planet’s defining moments. If half of what Shane has told me about you is true, then I want for you to stand with us.”
“You’re not going to explain what the hell you’re talking about are you?”
The woman smiled. “Not yet. Come Monday evening, you will understand.”
“Listen –” Shamira stopped, then asked, “What should we call you? ‘Hey you’ doesn’t seem quite right.”
Her companion smiled. “The traditional greeting is Representative.” Then, the woman uttered a whisper that Shamira knew no one but her would be able to hear, “But in private, you may call me Alessandra.”
Shamira’s blood began flowing through her veins and something inside her mind began to sing. Shane had told her that no one knew the names of the Tribunal, so why did this woman . . . why did Alessandra tell her? “Yes . . . ma’am . . . I mean Representative.” She was really confused.
“Now, tell me what has come between you and Lord Stapleton,” the Representative said. “And I’ll give you a hint . . . telling me that it is none of my business is neither a wise nor acceptable answer.” These words were spoken so closely in tone and inflection to the rest of her conversation that only another vampire could have heard the deep seriousness her voice now carried.
“Why do you care?” Shamira whispered back. She met the Representative’s cold eyes. “Hey, I didn’t say that it was none of your business.”
Those decadent lips curved upward at the edges ever so slightly. “Please,” Alessandra said, “tell me about the situation between you and Lord Stapleton. I believe that I like you, and I would hate to have to kill you.”
Shamira couldn’t tell if the woman was kidding or not and since she figured Shane had already given HIS side of the story that she should give hers. So she did. She made a valiant attempt to appear unbiased, though she definitely put the horns and pitchfork on Shane’s side of the equation.
“I see,” Alessandra said at the end. “Your story and Lord Stapleton’s run parallel more often than they diverge. Interesting. I shall dwell on the issue.”
‘Dwell?’ Shamira pondered. ‘She thinks that she’s going to tell me whether or not I get to leave? Screw her!’
Alessandra looked forward and, as if reading her thoughts, said, “I can be quite persuasive.” And that was all.
When they pulled onto the house grounds, the troops were out in force. Shamira had never seen anyone besides the enforcers and assassins in body armor, but now everyone was. They were going to get the Tribunal member inside. Shamira got out first, waited for the bodyguards to clamber out, then offered her hand to Alessandra to help her. Through those soft gloves, Shamira felt a grip of iron. ‘She could probably break my arm without blinking.’ But instead of breaking her arm, the Representative took it as they were going on a date. Shane had gotten out and waited by the front door with Renata at his side.
“Representative, the members of my house and I are honored by your presence. Cross the threshold and be welcome.”
“Lord Stapleton, it is now and always has been an honor to find myself on your door. I thank you for your gracious offer of home and hearth.” Alessandra released Shamira’s arm and took Shane’s, and the two vampires entered Shane’s house. They still had that look about them when their eyes met, of a whimsical joke known so well between two lovers that it no longer needs to be spoken. It was comforting for Shamira to know that such feelings still existed. Even if Shane was a prick.
“It has been too long since I have visited this area. Young miss Shamira has been getting me caught up on all the changes in Atlanta since my last visit. I would like to visit the Georgia Aquarium while I am here, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all,” Shane said, his voice calm while his eyes shot daggers at Shamira.
She shrugged. She hadn’t planted this idea in the Representatives head, and she’d actually just been doing what she was asked. ‘It’s up to you to make it happen, bucko. Arranging a visit to the Aquarium for an ancient vampire and her retinue of heavily armed guards in this Post 9/11 world?’ Then Shamira realized what had happened. This was a test of Shane’s power and influence. It seemed so . . . petty. But she wasn’t going to sympathize with Shane. No way, no how.
Alessandra swept through the crowd, charming the living hell out of everyone. Of course, most every magical being was acting like they were a Catholic meeting the Pope. Maybe to them they were. Shamira wanted nothing to do with this woman who had made it clear that she was going to interfere in Shamira’s business.
Sebastian caught up with her while Alessandra was off talking to Shane and Banshee. Banshee was Shane’s oldest creation, and it appears that she’d met the Representative before.
“So, can your donor help us?” he asked.
Shamira stopped for a second. That conversation seemed like forever ago. “Yeah, she can. I haven’t given her anyone’s name yet, and I won’t if I think it’ll put her in danger. But she thinks it can be done in a way that will look routine. I’ll talk to her on Tuesday.”
“Excellent. So, what’s she like?”
“She’s a nice girl. She and her husband are –”
“I meant the Representative.” Sebastian chuckled a moment. “Really, two conversations too complicated for you to handle?”
Shamira elbowed him hard in the ribs. Strange that the guy she was most comfortable with at the moment was someone who terrified her when they first met. “She’s . . . a hell of a lot more powerful than I would’ve thought possible. And she didn’t even do anything to me. She’s beautiful, obviously, and she’s up to something.”
“Welcome to the world of really fucking old vampires,” the werespider said, then straightened up as the aforementioned vampire approached. She greeted Sebastian and started to make small talk, so Shamira started to excuse herself. Then the Representative grabbed her shoulder and held her in place. Firmly.