friend, and tell you to enjoy the festivities. He will be along shortly and apologizes for the delay.” The man bowed with a flourish. “I am the Vicomte Arthur Price. It is a deep pleasure to meet you.” When he rose, he extended his hand to take hers.
She hated being touched, even through her gloves. Especially by a man such as him. But she swallowed down her dismay and placed her hand in his. He felt like a snake in the grass to her, and she tried not to grimace. “A pleasure, as well. How have you come to meet our mutual acquaintance, I wonder?”
He bowed again to kiss the back of her knuckles. “Straight to business. A pragmatic woman. I like it.” His gray eyes flickered with something fiendish. There was danger in him; she could feel it. She pulled her hand away from his when he held it for a moment too long. “He needed introductions to the good society here in our troubled city and sought me out to provide such a thing. Once I realized he could save us from all the dangers that stalk the night, I didn’t hesitate to grant him everything he wished.”
“Rumor has it he is the cause of the danger, not the salvation from it.”
“Sometimes one must suffer the disease to become immune to it.” He smiled sweetly. “But come, come, no more talk of this…unpleasantness.” He waved over a servant and plucked two glasses of red wine from the tray and handed one to her and the other to Bella. “Have a drink. Then have several more. This night is about celebration, not death.”
“We shall see. I do not think the two are mutually exclusive to our friend.”
Arthur laughed. “A sharp tack you are, hm? I see why our honored visitor likes you so.” He looked to Bella. “And who are you, my ravishing dear?”
“Bella Corallo. Charmed.” It was clear that Bella thought of Arthur as anything but charming. Maxine didn’t fight the smile. The girl was bright-eyed, but clearly not a fool.
Arthur took her hand and kissed the back of it, as well. “Your dance card will be full tonight, I’m sure of it. Save a spot for me, if you would.” He took a step back. “But! I must go. So many guests to attend to, as you can imagine. Please, make yourselves at home. Enjoy yourselves, my darling ladies. You are both set to have quite the night.” Arthur winked at Maxine as he walked away.
Something about the man felt…off. Very off. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but he sent a crawling and creeping kind of dread through her. She wondered if the man weren’t entirely human. “Stay away from him,” she warned Bella.
“Not a problem.” She sipped her wine and stared into it. “Do you think it’s poisoned?”
“No. That would be too easy.” She sipped her own. “But he is dangerous. I’m not sure how or why as of yet. But there is something unnatural about him.”
“Ah. And here I thought he was simply a pervert.” Bella smiled. “Good to know he is also a monster. I didn’t need two excuses to feed him his own fist, but now I have them. It is quite useful to have an empath around.”
Useful. She’d never been called that. It made her smile again. “If we survive this, I think I would like to be your friend, Bella.”
“And I yours.” She was beaming again. Smiling as though she were the very sun itself. “We are in need of a negotiator. Alfonzo and Eddie are quite terrible at it, as you can imagine, and I have no talent for such things.”
The thought of taking up with the vampire hunters and traveling the world defeating darkness made her chuckle. It was so outlandish that it was humorous, although she found she didn’t dislike the idea at all. “They seem like fine men. Well, one man and one boy, perhaps.”
“Alfonzo is a noble, determined soul. Don’t let his stern exterior fool you. Time has just left him a little grizzled.” They began to walk through Price’s home as they talked, sipping their wine. Eddie had asked that they remain by the windows in the front of the building so he could provide support via his rifle should something happen. There was a window in the ballroom that would be perfect, and they made their way there, accepting the food that was offered to them on trays by passing waiters. Bella