Chapter Six #8
Astra was a tall woman, fond of tight-fitting worn leather and heavy boots.
Her raven hair was now plaited in a fishtail braid that fell down her back, and her yellow eyes studied and memorised every face in attendance.
The demon’s eyes stopped at Raffaelle and she frowned, her dark brows came together in a scowl.
Scarlett was not sure when exactly Astra had arrived, only that her timing coincided with Ingenuar’s death and that, more than anything, unnerved her.
It reflected poorly on Mihaela in the eyes of the Coven.
The thought made Scarlett oddly grateful for the upcoming distraction.
All eyes will be on Silvio, and away from you, my daughter.
“Find me afterwards.” Scarlett took Mihaela’s hand and smiled.
The young woman nodded and retreated to the back of the room, followed by her hellish companion.
Mihaela had been in the midst of preparations for her pending departure; her visit with the Sultana already delayed by her father’s unforeseen passing.
If Betül or her other crafty little spies failed to spread the word tonight, the Sultana was going to find out about the All Father’s demise soon enough, from the mouth of Ingenuar’s very fledgling.
The doors of the drawing room had been left open, to allow easy access of vampires and servants alike, so Silvio’s appearance was unannounced when he walked in.
Scarlett saw a servant stumble in behind them, gasping for breath, as if the mortal had been running after the former Regent and his consort, desperate to outpace them to the room.
A footman pulled his colleague aside, and together the two footmen closed the doors.
“My kin—” Nhalme raised his voice, stepping forward.
“In the wake of our Maker, our Coven stands barren. The All Father did not appoint a successor, as many immortals are prone to do in their hubris. But as all fathers, he has children fit to inherit… to fill in the void. Among those children, these Regents, your elders have elected Silvio Bracci to ascend and become our new Coven Master.”
The vampires’ voices rose in a buzz, a cacophony of confusion and awe.
“Our new Master…” Nhalme went on, looking at Silvio for his permission to proceed. “Our new Master has appointed Lady Scarlett as his counsellor, and Emerick, the new Marquis of Béziers, as his consort. A triumvirate, perhaps?”
“No,” Silvio’s voice slashed through the air. “Not a triumvirate—a diarchy.”
He moved past Nhalme and stood at the centre of the room or at least whatever centrе the scattered chairs, tables, and chaises could offer.
Some vampires were sitting down, reclined in their seats, watching him as though he were an actor on a stage, here to perform a private spectacle or recitation.
Emerick followed a step behind him, but remained within the circle of his brethren.
Silvio lifted his hand slightly, palm turned upwards, and his eyes fell on Scarlett in silent invitation.
They had not rehearsed this, but she had seen Ingenuar summon and anoint Regents before.
She expected Silvio meant to do something similar.
She gathered her skirts and went to him, making a gamble of accepting the offered hand.
Her gloved hand fit neatly in his own, and he squeezed her fingers lightly; a smile adorning his young and beautiful face.
Kneel.
The command crashed into her and her knees buckled and folded beneath the tulle and velvet of her dress.
Still holding his hand, Scarlett went low, tremor after tremor running down her body.
The beating of her own heart sounded loud in her ears, as she dared to raise her head to the man before her.
Silvio was not looking at her. He was watching the damned bowing one after another, until the only ones standing upright were him and Emerick.
The face of the man before her was that of a stranger.
Later, when Silvio had let her go and Scarlett had retreated to a safe distance, she found herself staring at her hand.
He had not hurt her, but the encounter left her sickened.
She tried to join in scattered conversations, but failed, her thoughts slipping away again and again.
Before she knew it, Emerick had found his way to her.
He saw her nervously wringing her hands, twisting and squeezing her fingers, crushing the silk of her gloves.
“You know everyone in court, don’t you?” He offered her a smile. “Who is that man next to Mihaela?”
He nodded towards Mihaela and Astra. Earlier Nhalme had gone to talk to the fledgling and had soon left the room entirely.
Scarlett saw no one else there besides her daughter and the demon.
Before tonight she had not thought to question if others might perceive Astra differently; she had never entertained the possibility that the figure accompanying Mihaela could alter its appearance.
Scarlett had always seen her as a woman.
Before she could answer, she saw Silvio head towards them.
His hand slid around Emerick’s waist and pulled him close.
His eyes trailed down his lover’s face and body, lingering.
“There he is, my Marquis. You promised me your company before you departed for France.”
Emerick’s expression turned sour. They had only just arrived, and the thought of travelling back and forth between France and Germany seemed to displease him.
Seeing him make such a grimace, the Coven Master laughed.
He leaned in, their faces so close their mouths almost touched.
Scarlett felt like she was intruding, but did not dare move.
“My Marquis.” Silvio repeated, his voice a low and eager growl. “I know how you loathe these titles. You can choose a new one. You wanted something Roman last time.”
Emerick pressed a hand against Silvio’s chest to stop him from moving any closer. Silvio tsked with his tongue in disapproval.
“What about you? Will you choose a new title for yourself?”
He meant it as a tease—Scarlett could tell.
“Dryhten,” Silvio answered without hesitation. “And you will be my einvala, my chosen one.”
“I will go with Marquis…for now. What am I to tell the staff back home? When can they expect their master—you?” Emerick clarified, arching an eyebrow.
“Let my secretary handle things for a while. Keep the vineyard running as usual. You can explain my absence with some business overseas. Though perhaps there is no point in lying, he is used to us being away for stretches of time. But once everything is taken care of, come back to me.”
“What about the vampires?”
“What about them?”
“If both of us are here, we are leaving a tower full of mortals and a few dozen vampires, all alone. Unattended. I will have to appoint someone to look after them in my stead. A Comte.”
A muscle twitched in Silvio’s jaw. Scarlett remembered how blatantly he had answered Nhalme’s questions earlier.
The new Marquis could appoint a Comte if he so chose.
Asking Emerick to leave Béziers so he could reside with his master in Berlin, made the appointment of a Comte a pressing necessity—sooner than anyone had expected.
That, or Silvio would have to abstain from his lover’s company, Scarlett thought.
“Oh,” Emerick suddenly remembered, his eyes twinkled with mischief. “Perhaps I can turn Klaus and have him as my Comte.”
At the words Silvio let go of him and forced some distance between them. He looked from Emerick to Scarlett, and then his eyes swept across the others in the room.
“Your criteria for what constitutes good companionship continues to be rather predictable… and of poor taste,” Silvio said in a low voice, and there was a hint of a warning in the remark.
Scarlett recognised it as the same tone Silvio had used when Penelope questioned him about sailing across the Mediterranean.
“I do not think your riding instructor would make a good vampire.”
“He certainly makes me work for my lessons. He could easily run a household. Either way,” the new Marquis ran a hand through his hair and bowed at Scarlett and Silvio, the familiar leer rang in his voice, his smile daring. “Try to behave while I am gone. I would hate to return to another pyre.”