{{ I doubt it, }} Eliza said. {{ We have the local constable and her men patrolling the street. They may not like me, but they HATE the Swords of Cleansing and they’re still a bit afraid of my father. Besides, these guys are smarter than the Purity was. They’re not going to make as many mistakes. }}
Veronica was feeling wiped out. {{ Listen, can I go back to the room? I’m feeling a little woozy. }}
Eliza helped her lover to her feet. She made sure everyone knew when they were to be on watch, then she escorted Veronica out of the room. The last thing Veronica remembered was hearing her sister Vicky’s thoughts.
{{ She graduates from college first. She forms her own species first. Now she’s the first one in the family to have magical powers. This SO isn’t fair . . . }}
—————- —————–
The next evening . . .
—————- —————–
Veronica was sitting in a dimly lit room with a cool cloth on her forehead, waiting for the pain to go away. While the buzzing in her brain was a thing of the past, it had been replaced with a throbbing ache, much like you feel the day after you exercise a muscle that you haven’t used in a while. She noticed Wyrm poking his head around the corner.
“C’mon in,” she said weakly. “Just don’t say anything loud.”
Wyrm grinned and flopped down on a strange, round chair that was across from her. “Did I ever mention you’re the coolest chick ever?”
Veronica raised her eyebrow. “Hunh?”
“I mean, you just keep getting tougher and tougher. Pretty soon, they’ll need kryptonite to stop you!”
“Hardly. Right now, all they’d need is a really loud noise.” She glanced at Wyrm’s high-tech prosthetic arm. “How are you holding up?”
“Good. I brought a couple portable power sources and some solar panel hook-ups, and I’ve got ’em running a pretty sweet video surveillance set up. These Swords of Cleansing guys may have some tricks up their sleeves, but so do I.”
Veronica leaned back. “That’s not what I meant,” she said.
Wyrm shook his head and rolled his eyes. “You know, I wish that at least ONE of you girls wasn’t gay. Besides Allyson I mean. I could have at least gotten a sympathy lay with all the worrying you do.”
Veronica chuckled, then stopped when her head began aching even worse. “Where’s Eliza?” she asked. ‘Isn’t it a girlfriend’s job to dote on the sick?’ she thought.
“She’s out front. Apparently she got word that there is an official envoy on its way.”
“Her father?”
“I’m not sure. Eliza didn’t think so because the Prime Minister wouldn’t let him go to an unprotected area. Hasn’t the rest of the universe realized that Eliza’s indestructible and the safest place to be is right behind her? I’m sure I sent a memo about that.”
Veronica stifled another chuckle. Wyrm had a way of making people feel better. “She’s kind of amazing all right.”
“And so are you,” Wyrm said. He looked up and saw Vicky in the doorway.
“Hey guys,” Vicky said. “Looks like the envoy is pulling up. There are A LOT of coaches in this procession, so this is something important. Eliza was wondering if you might be up for a meet and greet?”
Veronica smiled. Eliza had removed her from the telepathic link she had with the rest of her team to give her brain a chance to rest, and it had helped a little. “I’ve endured worse,” she said, standing up and walking towards the front, flanked by her sister and Wyrm.
They found Eliza pacing by the front door. “I’ve only been here for twenty-four hours, and the Prime Minister is sending people to see me. I didn’t do anything wrong,” she muttered. Then she saw Veronica and approached the blonde woman, stroking some hair from her eyes and holding her palm against Veronica’s cheek. “Any better?” she whispered.
“A bit,” came the reply.
“You know, if you kissed where it hurt, it might make her feel better,” Wyrm suggested. “Actually, if wanted to go ahead and make out . . .”
“Can it, you friggin’ pervert,” Eliza said, grinning in spite of herself.
They heard trumpets sounding at the front door. Eliza rolled her eyes, Veronica winced and the rest of the team stood at attention behind their boss. The doors open and a herald walked in.
“You might want to cover your ears,” Eliza told Veronica. “These clowns LOVE the sound of their own voices.”
The herald heard muttering and shot a poisonous glance at the speaker. Then he turned back to his scroll. [[ With the blessings of the Prime Minister of the Seven Provinces of Devlia, I announce the arrival of Chancellor Valar of Narebican.]]
Eliza couldn’t help but feel surprised as she began relaying the herald’s words over her mental link for the benefit of the squad members that didn’t speak any of the vampire dialects. ‘What the hell is Valar doing here, and since when did he become a Chancellor?’ A Chancellor was, for all intents and purposes, a mayor for any city of more than a million residents, and Narebican was Valar’s hometown in the province of Muipantaikoff.
Valar strode in, looking as dignified and regal as Eliza had ever seen him. He was escorted by two bodyguards that fell away once inside the building.
[[ With the blessings of the Prime Minister of the Seven Provinces of Devlia, I announce the arrival of Kalinicia Vonahme of Gralta. ]] A young vampire woman walked in and a number of people’s hearts caught in their chests. Some women were attractive while others were considered beautiful. Kalinicia went one step further and could best be described as STUNNINGLY beautiful. Her eyes locked on Eliza the moment she crossed the threshold, her face unreadable.
Eliza found herself staring at the floor, eyes wide.
{{ What’s the matter? }} Veronica thought, in spite of the discomfort of using telepathy.
{{ That’s . . . that’s Kelik’s granddaughter. }}
Veronica looked again at the beautiful young vampire maiden. Her high cheekbones, yellow eyes and full red lips were enough to capture most peoples’ attention, and the long and shiny, raven-black hair that was braided and reached all the way to her firm behind could capture the rest. She was wearing a form-fitting but elegant black gown that was delightfully adorned and hugged her perfect set of curves. {{ What is she doing here? }} she sent, but Eliza didn’t respond.
{{ Can I have one? }} Wyrm thought absently, not privy to Eliza and Veronica’s private conversation and completely unaware at who the girl was.
{{ Wyrm, that’s Kelik’s granddaughter, }} Veronica sent, rejoining the group link.
Wyrm blanched. He and Valar had been there when Kelik was gunned down by Purity forces. No one else in the group knew it, but that image still haunted him in the moments before sleep came for him. And he carried the feeling of helplessness that he had felt at that moment every day since. He looked over the girl, and didn’t remember seeing her at the funeral. Then he remembered that some family members went early so they could return to the home of the deceased so he or she could greet guests and well-wishers.
[[ With the blessings of the Prime Minister of the Seven Provinces of Devlia, I announce the arrival of Lord Evlidone Msabdteelfinclor, Devlian Security Director and his wife, Lady Alyidana. ]]
If Eliza had been surprised before, she was shocked now. Why would her father be there? Who the hell in the government allowed the Security Director for the Seven Provinces of the Devlian Continent to leave the security of the palace during a time of (effectively) war to go to a place that had recently been attacked? ‘Who the hell is running this government?’ she wondered. She looked out the door and saw that several platoons of the elite Palace Guard had accompanied this entourage. That made her feel a little better. The Palace Guards were amongst the elite of vampires in both combat training and magic, though none of them could compare in magical ability to an actual sorcerer such as Valar, Evlidone or even Eliza herself.
The door slammed shut and Eliza heard the Palace Guards taking up position around the property and the building. Then her father stepped forward.
Evlidone looked . . . tired. But he also looked like he had a purpose. [[ Eliza, I am . . . surprised to see you again so soon, ]] he said.
Eliza already felt her blood beginning to boil. [[ I heard that you had been attacked. I wanted to see if we could help. ]]
[[ You could have communicated via your orb first. I assure you that we have things well in hand. Your presence gives our enemy another target and spreads our defenses . . . ]]
[[ My team and I can take care of ourselves, ]] Eliza growled. [[ I’m sorry if my desire to help is ‘inconvenient’ . . . ]]
Evlidone clenched his fists. [[ Would you PLEASE try and remain calm just this once?!? I’m at least trying to be civil here. ]]
It didn’t take a sorcerer to feel the power that was beginning to build. Alyidana went to her husband to try and calm him down while Valar slowly moved towards the center to he could intercede if the proverbial shit hit the fan.
Veronica’s head was suddenly buzzing again. She had begun to get frightened and angry at the same time . . . frightened that there might be a fight and angry at the father and daughter who refused to even TRY and get along . . . then the buzzing in her head had returned with a vengeance, stronger than before. She gasped, grabbing her head and sinking to her knees.
“Oh God sweetie, I’m sorry,” Eliza said, her father forgotten for the moment as she knelt in front of her lover, kissing her on the forehead and wishing to the powers that be that she could be a little more sensitive.