took in a deep breath, let it out slow, and changed topics while I tried to think of how to find the new big bad vampire. ‘So there’s nothing anyone can do for Micah’s dad?’
‘Nothing that vampires can do for him, I am afraid, but we did save one of your law enforcement officers, Travers.’
I started to turn and look at him, but he kept my face turned so he could keep doing my hair. ‘You sucked the … corruption out of Travers?’ I asked.
‘No, Truth did.’
‘You brought Wicked and Truth with you?’ I said.
‘They are my main guards.’
‘It was more of a risk for Truth to do it. He’s not as powerful as you are,’ I said.
‘I am the king. That makes me powerful enough to have cured the officer, but it also means that I would have been tempted to drain power from local vampires if it went badly. I would not have allowed myself to rot to death for a stranger if I had the energy available to me to live. If I drain the life from wee vampires the first time I visit another master’s territory without asking his permission first, my reputation will be set like the old European council’s. I will be a monster and I do not want that.’
‘Is it that dangerous to feed on this corruption, even for you?’ I asked.
‘You witnessed Damian rotting from helping Asher drain corruption from Nathaniel. If you had not been there as his master to offer him clean and powerful blood, Damian would have died beyond all hope of healing, or recovery.’
‘But Asher had no problem doing it, and he wasn’t as powerful then as he is now, and certainly not as powerful as you are.’
‘Honestly, ma petite, I would not risk all that I am and all that I have for a stranger.’
I tried to turn again, and this time he moved so I could. ‘You wouldn’t risk it for Micah’s dad?’
‘I might have, but he is beyond such cures. No vampire can cleanse his blood now. It is too widespread in his body.’ He moved to the other side and started to patiently fuss with my hair.
I wanted to tell him to stop, but then I had another thought. ‘Edward mentioned that the media were calling it a zombie apocalypse, and I made international news footage.’
‘Oui,’ he said, winding a curl around his finger and not really looking at me.
‘Are we going to have to go through reporters to make the hotel? Is that why you’re fussing with my hair?’ I asked.
‘The police are keeping them well back on behalf of Micah’s family.’ He placed the curl among all the rest and began to work on that one problem area in the back of my hair that almost every person with long curly hair seemed to have.
‘I thought we might have to talk to the press.’
‘There is some talk of a conference tomorrow, but not tonight.’
‘Then why are you fussing this much with my hair?’
He hesitated and then continued to do each individual curl on the back of my head so it would curl and lie just so. ‘It gives me something to do with my hands while I think.’
‘So you are nervous?’
‘Oui,’ he said, softly.
I frowned, couldn’t help it. ‘Are you having second thoughts about the proposal?’
He looked at me then, face showing astonishment. ‘Mon Dieu, no, no!’ He hugged me, then moved back with his hands on my shoulders so we could see each other’s faces. ‘Ma petite, you have made me a very happy man by saying yes. Never doubt that I am ecstatic with our engagement and look forward to making a more formal presentation of it.’
I frowned harder. ‘Formal? Why formal?’
‘Because I am the vampire king of America, and kings do not become engaged quietly.’
‘What does that even mean?’
‘It means that once you, Micah, and whoever else we deem involved have worked out the organization of who is marrying whom, then we will announce what we all wish to announce, whatever that is.’
‘Okay, that sounds very reasonable, so why are you nervous?’
‘It seems silly,’ he said. He drew back from me, running his hands down the lace on either side of the pearl buttons of his shirt. The lace was actually inlaid on either side of the button line trailing up to the collar, which was unbuttoned and lying loose over the black velvet jacket, which hit him just past the waist. The last time I’d seen the shirt,