shoulders at the mention of Laura's name. Lovely Laura Barrenheart was the reason my father left my mother and became a necromancer. She's the vampire who mentored him. Laura was not high on my list of favorite people.
"And that's all you've heard?" Lex prompted.
"There's some paranoid speculation that the vamps have figured out how to dilute pure faerie blood enough so they can feed on it and not kill themselves. It'd give 'em a big boost, might tip the balance of power. I don't put any stock in that though." Pete shook his head. "Right now the big money's riding on Morrow to win, since the vampires put a price on Catherine's head. No offense, Miss."
"None taken." Sipping my latte, I resisted the urge to sigh--I was sighing entirely too much lately. Any more angst and I'd be adding black bodices to my wardrobe and shopping for matching lipstick.
"The vamps have been tight-lipped on this one." Pete rose to his feet and took hold of his mop. "You know what you need to do, Duquesne, if you want real answers to your questions."
There was a grim expression on Lex's face at those words, and a sinking feeling settled into my stomach. Whatever the other option was, it couldn't be pleasant. The guardian nodded and took a long drink of his coffee.
"I was hopin' to avoid that particular option."
I opened my mouth to ask what they were talking about, but all I managed was a strangled gasp as the worst migraine in the history of mankind suddenly threatened to implode my skull. I covered my eyes and blocked out the painful light, whimpering like an injured kitten. Before anything important popped inside my brain I felt Lex's hand grip my forearm. Waves of soothing energy flowed out from where his skin touched mine, driving the invading magical migraine away until I was able to open my eyes again.
"You're all right, sugar," he murmured to me.
I blinked at him as I regained my focus, and I noticed that he stared at something behind me. His hand still gripped my arm as I turned around to see what held Lex's attention, and I spotted my father standing across the room.
Because he was out in public he'd left the cheesy wizard robes at home and wore a simple black suit instead. Three men stood with him, dressed in similar dark suits and looking as though the Secret Service had started recruiting from the Addams family. I knew the strangers weren't the ones who'd attacked me, considering my father was smiling. I tensed to leap to my feet and charge across the room to claw that smile off his face, and Lex tightened his grip on my arm and tugged toward him.
"Cat. Don't."
"What is he doing here?"
"If you promise to stay put, I'll go ask him."
"No way. I have a few choice words for that asshole."
"I'm sure you do. How 'bout we let me do the talkin' then?" Lex countered, his voice soothing.
"Fine, fine," I grumbled. It was a good idea--just because we'd breezed through security to get in here didn't mean they wouldn't arrest me if I cussed out Dorian and lit him on fire. Not that I could, seeing as I had no fire to work a spell with, but it was a pleasant thought.
"Nice talkin' to you, Pete," Lex said as he rose to his feet. The old man nodded, looking uncomfortable, and hurried to get far away from the scene that was about to unfold. I stayed close behind Lex as we crossed the room, staring poisonous daggers at my father the entire time. To prevent any further attacks on his part I made sure to put my shields up as we moved.
"That was just low. Couldn't resist takin' a cheap shot, could you, Dorian?" Lex said, drawing to a halt. Now that we were close I could smell the magic rolling off the group, and easily recognized them as necromancers from their unholy stench. It was all I could do not to gag.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked. "I'm willing to bet you and your buddies aren't taking a trip to Disney World. Unless you're planning a hostile takeover of the Haunted Mansion."
Dorian ignored me, concentrating his disdain
"And that's all you've heard?" Lex prompted.
"There's some paranoid speculation that the vamps have figured out how to dilute pure faerie blood enough so they can feed on it and not kill themselves. It'd give 'em a big boost, might tip the balance of power. I don't put any stock in that though." Pete shook his head. "Right now the big money's riding on Morrow to win, since the vampires put a price on Catherine's head. No offense, Miss."
"None taken." Sipping my latte, I resisted the urge to sigh--I was sighing entirely too much lately. Any more angst and I'd be adding black bodices to my wardrobe and shopping for matching lipstick.
"The vamps have been tight-lipped on this one." Pete rose to his feet and took hold of his mop. "You know what you need to do, Duquesne, if you want real answers to your questions."
There was a grim expression on Lex's face at those words, and a sinking feeling settled into my stomach. Whatever the other option was, it couldn't be pleasant. The guardian nodded and took a long drink of his coffee.
"I was hopin' to avoid that particular option."
I opened my mouth to ask what they were talking about, but all I managed was a strangled gasp as the worst migraine in the history of mankind suddenly threatened to implode my skull. I covered my eyes and blocked out the painful light, whimpering like an injured kitten. Before anything important popped inside my brain I felt Lex's hand grip my forearm. Waves of soothing energy flowed out from where his skin touched mine, driving the invading magical migraine away until I was able to open my eyes again.
"You're all right, sugar," he murmured to me.
I blinked at him as I regained my focus, and I noticed that he stared at something behind me. His hand still gripped my arm as I turned around to see what held Lex's attention, and I spotted my father standing across the room.
Because he was out in public he'd left the cheesy wizard robes at home and wore a simple black suit instead. Three men stood with him, dressed in similar dark suits and looking as though the Secret Service had started recruiting from the Addams family. I knew the strangers weren't the ones who'd attacked me, considering my father was smiling. I tensed to leap to my feet and charge across the room to claw that smile off his face, and Lex tightened his grip on my arm and tugged toward him.
"Cat. Don't."
"What is he doing here?"
"If you promise to stay put, I'll go ask him."
"No way. I have a few choice words for that asshole."
"I'm sure you do. How 'bout we let me do the talkin' then?" Lex countered, his voice soothing.
"Fine, fine," I grumbled. It was a good idea--just because we'd breezed through security to get in here didn't mean they wouldn't arrest me if I cussed out Dorian and lit him on fire. Not that I could, seeing as I had no fire to work a spell with, but it was a pleasant thought.
"Nice talkin' to you, Pete," Lex said as he rose to his feet. The old man nodded, looking uncomfortable, and hurried to get far away from the scene that was about to unfold. I stayed close behind Lex as we crossed the room, staring poisonous daggers at my father the entire time. To prevent any further attacks on his part I made sure to put my shields up as we moved.
"That was just low. Couldn't resist takin' a cheap shot, could you, Dorian?" Lex said, drawing to a halt. Now that we were close I could smell the magic rolling off the group, and easily recognized them as necromancers from their unholy stench. It was all I could do not to gag.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked. "I'm willing to bet you and your buddies aren't taking a trip to Disney World. Unless you're planning a hostile takeover of the Haunted Mansion."
Dorian ignored me, concentrating his disdain
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