"Any chance we'll get more information from this source?" Trevor was two-and-a-half thousand years old and looked little more than two-and-a-half decades in age. With nearly black hair and dark eyes, Sheriff Trevor claimed no last name and was often the target of female glances. He ignored them unless they'd committed a crime. That always received his immediate attention.
"No idea. I'll certainly try," Kooper said.
"How's the girl?"
"As well as can be expected," Kooper sighed. "She's unhappy, though. That's easy enough to see."
"They ought to watch her, then. Many of the humanoid females who've made the turn walk into the sun shortly after their turning. It's not an easy adjustment for them, for some reason."
"I'll do what I can." Kooper didn't want Trevor to see how worried he was about that information.
"I don't get up to the palace much, but I might go sometime soon."
"Then go when there isn't a Council meeting," Kooper stood and stretched.
"Yeah. Heard about that, too. Don't know what the hell they think they're doing."
"I get the idea they're not doing it the right way. At least for the girl."
"How old is she?"
"In her late fifties."
"Practically a baby."
"Yeah. I'm three times her age," Kooper dumped his cold coffee in Trevor's waste recycler.
"You don't want to know how much older I am," Trevor muttered.
"You look so young," Kooper grinned.
"I feel it, brother," Trevor sighed.
* * *
Breanne's Journal
The Queen has a balcony. I sat on a chaise on that balcony, looking over the city of Lissia and drinking a bottle of blood substitute the kitchen staff had begrudgingly handed to me. Yes, the city is named after the Queen. I'm sorry to say I was becoming resentful of her and I hadn't even met her, yet.
Lights twinkled everywhere below, and I knew vampires lived in all those houses lit up in the city. That's how I got my first glimpse of Roff—the Queen's Winged Vampire mate. He flew right past the balcony, so close I might have reached out to touch him. He spared no glance for me and moved past too swiftly to get a reading from him. Had I ever thought a Winged Vampire might be beautiful? He was. I knew why the Queen loved him as he banked in flight and landed on the courtyard below.
"He's the only Winged Vampire on Le-Ath Veronis." I should have heard his approach, I just hadn't. I'd been too busy watching Roff's landing. I didn't know the vampire who stood beside me—hadn't met him before. I knew he was vampire by the scent.
"Trevor, Sheriff of Casino City," he held out his hand. I took it.
"Thank you," I said, feeling flustered. I was losing my ability, it seemed. This was the second one who'd approached me that I couldn't read. I stared at his face in surprise as a result.
"What are you thanking me for?"
"I heard, through comesuli gossip, that you're the one who sorted out my innocence." He sat on a chair next to mine as I turned my head away.
"That fool Hawer should have done it already," Sheriff Trevor observed dryly.
"He's a violent fool," I agreed, still not meeting his gaze. "And he'll be violent again. I hear he still has a job, too."
"I fail to understand the mind of Norian Keef at times."
"I've never met him. Norian Keef, that is. He's the Director of the ASD, isn't he?"
"Yes. I wonder about that, too. Lissa probably keeps him in that position, as he's one of her mates."
"She holds that much power?" For just a moment, I'd forgotten I was wearing her face. I jerked my head toward him, too, and stared in surprise.
"She does wield some power, yes," Trevor agreed. "I hear they've got you standing in for her."
"Not that the face isn't a giveaway or anything," I nodded. "I'd prefer to have my own, actually."
"How do you like being vampire?"
"I don't."
"You can't let your present circumstances upset you." I stared into dark eyes as he spoke; the light from the Queen's bedroom glittered in their depths. Sheriff Trevor was a handsome man—there was no doubt.
"What should I do about my present circumstances, then?" I turned my head away once more. His eyes were begging for something from me, and I couldn't tell what that something was. Normally, I would have known right away—my curse would make sure of it. Since I couldn't read him, I had no idea what he wanted.
"Just go the distance. It can't last forever, can it? Lissa will come back and you'll be free."
"Not for another five years," I pointed out. Gavin had me under his thumb for that length of time, and who knew what he'd demand of me, once the Queen returned. I'd probably be stuffed inside my windowless office, dealing with comesuli difficulties until the end of time.
"How is your sire treating you?"
"He's absent, most of the time. Shows up when he wants something. That's how he is. He wants to be my sire as little as I want to be vampire."
"I'm asking you now to contact me if things become unbearable." Trevor handed a small card to me. Hardly anyone used any kind of paper on Le-Ath Veronis. It was unusual that he had a card. It bore his name, title and a comp-vid code.
"I'll keep this," I nodded to him. "Thank you."
"If you didn't look as you do, I'd take you to Casino City and show you around."
"That would be nice—if I didn't look this way," I said. "I haven't been outside the palace since I arrived."
"That in itself is criminal," Trevor said. "And Skel Hawer deserves to be eaten by lions."
"Yeah," I shrugged. Trevor rose from his seat.
"I have to get back to work. Call if you need anything." He walked through the open French doors leading into the Queen's suite and disappeared. I watched until I couldn't see him anymore.
* * *
My next off-day was a repeat of the previous one, except for one thing—another photograph had been sent by a machinery repair crew from the agricultural city of New Veshtul. One face out of forty caught my attention, and I knew I had to act quickly before the unthinkable happened.
* * *
"Breanne, why are you calling me on off-day?" I hadn't been able to reach Grant, but Heathe answered the call.
"Because I want to visit Roff's winery," I said. "How do I arrange for transportation? There isn't any information on my comp-vid."
"Just call Radomir. His code is in your comp-vid directory. If he can't take you, he'll find someone who can."
"All right. Thank you." I ended the communication and looked up Radomir's number.
"I'll have a driver at the side door in ten minutes." Radomir seemed to be a decent person. He'd certainly been polite when I asked for a car or whatever they had.
I walked through the side door less than ten minutes later, where a solar-powered vehicle waited outside. What I wasn't expecting to find was Cheedas, sitting in the back seat.
"I need three cases of oxberry wine for a reception next week, so I'm coming along," he said. He hadn't even bothered to ask if he could come—he'd just shown up instead. I didn't answer him; I climbed into the back seat and huddled as close to the door as I could so he wouldn't come in contact with me. He hated that I wore the Queen's face. He hated that she was away from the planet. In other words, he may as well have hated me. I could see it in his face.
* * *
I was treated as the Queen I resembled as I was led to Roff's office. Once the door closed and we were alone, however, I knew how he felt about me, too. "It wasn't my choice. Any of it," I said, refusing to apologized for something I had no hand in. "And I hope you won't take your anger and prejudice out on this one," I pulled the comp-vid from my jacket pocket and showed Roff the photograph I'd received.
"What do you expect me to do?" His voice and honey-brown eyes held a bit of frost.
"I see two futures for this one," I tapped the face in question. "One, she comes to work for you in the tasting room. The other, she dies and her child suffers."
"You must be joking? You expect me to believe this?" Roff's gaze raked my face, betraying his incredulity.
"I was hoping you'd take the chance that I'd be right. I see now how foolish that was. Thank you for your time." I pulled my comp-vid away and slipped it into my pocket.
"What is the name?" he sighed, turning away and staring at the wall. A strong hand combed through black hair as he waited for my answer.
"Croft. Her name is Croft. She works for the machinery repair crew in New Veshtul. If you hire her, it has to happen in the next two weeks. After that, it will be too late."
"For curiosity's sake, why is she in danger?" Roff asked, turning his eyes on me again. At least he was considering my request. Gavin would have sent me away and likely have cursed while he did it.
"They're bullying her, because she isn't as strong as the others. Thank you for seeing me." I nodded to Roff and walked out his door.
* * *
After loading silently into the vehicle for the return trip to the palace, Cheedas decided to speak. "How do you like being a vampire?" he asked.
"I don't."
"Gavin can be somewhat abrupt."
I wanted to snort at his comment. I'd settle for abrupt. Hell, I'd settle for his presence now and then, if only to answer the questions he promised he'd answer. Well, he'd lied. No surprise.
"My sire is Oluwa, and he is the best father anyone could ask for. Many years have passed since my turning, and I can still ask for his time and advice."
"That sounds nice," I said. It did sound nice, and it only aggravated the chasm that existed between Gavin and me. "I believe Gavin doesn't like me," I said. "And he didn't want a vampire child."
"Oluwa assured me from the beginning that I was the child he'd waited for. He has only turned two, you know. My elder vampire sibling died in the race war on Earth."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"I never met him. Oluwa still misses him. He was his first child."
"It must be difficult to lose a child."
"He loves me. My sire, that is."
"I'm happy for you."
Cheedas couldn't have planned his attack better if he'd had months to plot. I'd never had parents of any kind. Now I didn't have a sire, either. I had Gavin Montegue, who never wanted a vampire child.
"Do you need help with you cases of wine?" The vehicle pulled to a stop outside the palace, and offering to help was the polite thing to do as I opened my door.
"No, I'll have some of the comesuli carry it in," Cheedas waved away my offer. I got myself out of the car and walked inside the palace.
Later, I flipped the card Trevor had given me in my fingers before laying it on the bedside table. Striding into the Queen's closet, I sorted through more clothing than anyone ought to own in a lifetime before settling on jeans and what looked to be an older shirt. I found a pair of shoes that didn't look new and stuffed my feet into them after dressing in the outfit I'd selected. Squaring my shoulders, I walked out to the Queen's balcony and lowered myself over the side.
* * *
The Line
is forty miles north of Lissia. They call it The Line for a reason—it is the farthest any vampire can go without burning in the constant sunlight on that side of the planet. Carefully, I watched to make sure nobody saw me as I slipped over the palace wall.
I'd seen Rathik move faster than the wind. I was vampire, too, and forty miles was nothing to a vampire's speed. This was an easy fix—I didn't want to be vampire; Gavin didn't want a vampire child. None of the palace residents wanted me there—I was a convenience and a very poor one at that. I just hoped it would be over quickly, once I arrived at The Line.
* * *
"What lessons have you covered?" Merrill and Adam had come to Casino City to check on the Chessman, Adam's casino. Things seemed to be running smoothly, so they'd come to Gavin's office. Drake and Drew had expressed their concerns to Dragon, who then approached Adam and Merrill. Dragon's twins worried about Breanne.
"I haven't had time for lessons. I gave them to her on comp-vid." Gavin growled his answer.
"You could ask someone else to teach her," Adam said. "You know it is oral tradition, and is retained better if the sire passes the information to his child."
"That's not an option. She wears Lissa's face."
"Surely there is someone trustworthy enough," Merrill said.
"Lissa didn't get all her lessons," Gavin pointed out maliciously.
"Lissa received the important ones. At least tell me Breanne has been instructed on the bite and the initial laws." Merrill offered Gavin a hard stare.
"I've already said I don't have time. She's here to stand in for Lissa. That's it. When Lissa returns, find her any sire you want. I'll be happy to get rid of her."
"You should never have made the turn, vampire." Connegar and Reemagar appeared inside Gavin's office. Connegar held Breanne's burned body in his arms.