"And just so you know, Mr. Whoever You Are, I'm not going to let you send Alec to the Akasha or anywhere else evil like that," I said, swaggering toward him, my words dripping with implied threat that I prayed I could actually back up. "I know you guys are conducting some sort of a vendetta against him, but that ends now, do you hear?"
"Very well," the spokesman said, inclining his head, his expression now somewhat blank, although I could have sworn I saw his lips twitch once or twice like he was trying to hold back laughter.
Just the thought that he could laugh at something so heinous as Alec's life freedom being threatened made my blood boil. I would sic the liches on him, first, I swore to myself.
Cora, you're not listening to me.
"Who are you?" I asked, ignoring Alec as he tried to stop me from marching forward to the vampire. "Are you the head guy?"
"I am Christian Dante," the man said, giving me a little bow. I had to admit, as bows went, it was a pretty nice one, almost as smooth as Alec's. "And yes, I do lead the Moravian Council. Now, you will please remove your liches from the building before I have them removed for you."
Corazon! Alec all but yelled in my brain. Will you stop?
Alec, I know you're peeved at me for being here, but you're just going to have to deal with the fact that we're a couple now. I take that very seriously, and it does not mean that I'm going to expect you to solve all our problems by yourself.
To my utter surprise, he started laughing.
"Oh, they're not Cora's servants," Jane said, rushing forward to stand next to me before Christian. She bobbed a little awkward curtsy, gesturing toward her chest. "We're a union, you see. Technically the liches are under my control - "
Alec, are you insane?
"Oh, for the love of Pete," Eleanor said, pushing her way through the mob of slowly retreating liches. She gave Alec a sour look before running her gaze over the remainder of the vampires present.
No, just amused.
" - most of them are under my control, technically, as I said, but we are a cooperative, and under most circumstances function along the lines of a self-policing commune rather than a dictatorship. I'm Jane, by the way."
Amused because I expect you to give me the respect due to your partner in life? I asked, outraged and ready to punch him in the arm.
No, I'm grateful beyond human understanding for that, mi querida.
Christian made a bow at Jane before turning to give Eleanor his attention. "And you are?"
"She is my Beloved," Alec said, finally giving in to my glares enough that he stopped laughing, and, taking my hand in his, kissed my fingers.
Christian raised one eyebrow. The other vampires looked vaguely scandalized. "You have two, as well?"
"I do. Eleanor was my first Beloved, the one who was killed by Kristoff's first wife some five hundred years ago. Corazon is her reincarnation, and thus it is she who is now my true Beloved."
"You know," Eleanor said to the vampire nearest her, the one everyone called the messenger, "I'm really getting tired of being referred to as the disposable Beloved."
The vampire just stared at her.
"I don't suppose you'd like me for your own?" she asked him.
"Er . . ."
"That's it," Eleanor said, shoving the vamp aside. "I've had more rejection than is right for any one woman to have. Send me back to the Underworld. Right now. You can all go to hell for all I care - I just want to go back to my adorable little house, and garden, and friend with benefits who never, ever rejects me."
"Er . . ." I leaned into Alec. Do you know how to send someone to the Underworld?
Yes. You kill them.
My eyes widened as I looked at Eleanor standing angrily in front of us. "Uh . . ." Is there no other way?
Yes.
"Well?" Eleanor asked.