"He has proven himself a master of deception," Julian said simply, dumbfounding me as he flung open the twin doors. He indicated the room beyond. "That much has been demonstrated during the last month. The council awaits you."
It took me a moment to gather my scattered wits, so shaken was I by Julian's statement. Kristoff, a master of deception? What on earth was he talking about?
I entered the room, my gaze quickly searching it for any signs of the man who haunted my nightly dreams. There were four people standing together, three men and a woman, the latter speaking as I came in.
". . . might have at least warned me she was coming so I could make her comfortable. Honest to God, Christian, you may be nine hundred years old, but sometimes you act like a caveman! That poor woman is probably as confused as all get-out, and you're not helping-Oh, hello."
The woman who was, to my utter amazement, chewing out the very frightening Christian Dante turned and limped over to me with a friendly smile and outstretched hands. "I'm so sorry about this. You're Pia, aren't you? I'm Allie, Christian's wife. You'll have to forgive him for simply dumping you in the attic like you were a bundle of old laundry. I didn't have a chance to check your room first to make sure you're comfortable up there, but I'll do so just as soon as we're done here."
"There's no need; my room is lovely," I reassured her, momentarily nonplussed by the fact that her eyes were mismatched-one was very pale grey, almost white, while the other was an odd sort of mottled brown.
Her smile took a wry twist as she gestured toward her eyes. "They're a bit freaky, aren't they?"
"They are not freaky in the least," Christian corrected, frowning at his wife as he moved over to stand next to her. Behind him, the other two men-Sebastian and Rowan-stood silent and watchful. "They are charming and unique."
She made a face at him before turning back to me. "I tried contacts, but I'm allergic to them or something, so I just have to live with what I have. Josef! No! We do not bite guests!"
I spun around, looking in surprise at the toddler who had crept up behind me. He, too, had eyes that didn't match, one being green, the other brown, but the difference was not nearly so pronounced as in the woman I assumed was his mother.
Allie scooped up the boy and told him to say hello.
"Hello, Josef," I said, smiling.
He bared his teeth at me. I was stunned to see that he had fangs.
"No!" the boy said, pointing at me. "Bad!"
"Not bad, pumpkin. She's a Beloved, like Mommy," Allie corrected. "I'm so sorry, Pia. He just got his fangs, and we're in the process of weaning him off mortal food and onto a blood diet. It makes him a bit fractious sometimes, and he tends to want to bite people."
"Allegra," Christian said, a warning in his voice as he moved to stand protectively between us, as if I posed some threat.
"Oh, stop it! I don't for one moment believe anything you lot have been wringing your hands about," she answered back in a tone that I wouldn't even dream of taking with the head vampire.
His frown grew darker. "We are Dark Ones! We do not wring our hands!"
"You know what I mean! You guys have your panties in a bunch over nothing."
Christian made a quick, angry gesture. "Allegra, your irreverence is out of place here."
Behind him, the two vampires nodded.
"Bah!" She snorted, glaring back at her husband. "I'm not going to let you railroad someone just because it assuages your conscience."
Christian took a deep breath. I backed up, not wanting to be near him if he exploded. "Your arguments have already been heard, and your presence is therefore not required at this hearing. You may take Josef to the park if the sun has set."
"Oh, don't even think of trying to get rid of me, Fang Boy," she snapped back, handing over the boy to a middle-aged woman who bustled into the room. "Edith, I think he's hungry. Can you find something for him?"
"Fang Boy!" Christian said, outraged. Rowan snickered. Sebastian gave Christian a sympathetic look. Christian glared at his wife, his hands on his hips. "I have told you before that you are not to refer to me by such names. It is an especially appalling breach when conducted in front of outsiders!"
"Hungry," Josef said, burying his face against the woman's chest in the manner of a child suddenly turned shy.
"She's not an outsider," Allie said, waving toward me. "She's a Beloved!"
"She's also a Zorya!"
"I'll go see if we have any fresh meat," the woman named Edith murmured, taking the little boy away. He looked like he was about two or three, grinning and waving at me over his nanny's shoulder.
"Now look what you've done," Christian said, gesturing toward the door as it closed behind the pair. "He's waving at her! I will not have my son endangered-"