“Oy,” Magda said under her breath.
I thought for a moment of turning and running back to the plane to demand that I be taken back to safety, but I had a feeling that Julian, the messenger, would grab me before I took more than a few steps. “You’re the one who begged to come with me,” I reminded Magda in an equally soft voice.
“I didn’t beg. I just had you suggest to your watchdog that if he ponied up tickets for Ray and me, you would be less inclined to smite him with that blinding light you can summon up. And you have to admit he didn’t really protest much once you told him you changed your mind.”
I glanced behind us. Ray walked alongside the messenger, the former chattering happily and looking about with bright, interested eyes, while the latter stared at me in stony silence.
“I just wish we didn’t have to involve an innocent bystander in all this. You’re sure Ray is OK with the whole vampire thing?” I asked Magda.
“He is, rather surprisingly. He said he always suspected there was more going on around him than people were willing to admit, and who am I to poohpooh general paranoia? To be honest, he’s dying to see them, since he’s a big Joss Whedon fan. He was a bit disappointed when I told him they don’t change their appearance at all, but he’ll survive.”
My gaze moved to our reception committee. “The question is, will I?”
“They do look awfully grim, don’t they?” Magda agreed.
“Hello, gentlemen. I expect you remember my friend Magda,” I said as the three men stepped forward to greet us. I gestured to Ray, who stopped on Magda’s other side. “This is Ray Victor. He’s a friend of Magda’s who has kindly consented to accompany us.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Ray said, sticking out his hand. After a moment’s slight hesitation, Andreas shook it. “Can’t tell you how grateful I am you let Mags and me come along. I’ve been a big fan of Angel ever since the show came out, and it’s a real thrill to meet a vampire in person.”
The three men introduced themselves briefly to him before turning back to me. I was a bit puzzled by the cold reception we were getting-although I hadn’t parted on the very best of terms with the Dark Ones, we weren’t enemies, either. In fact, Christian had gone to great trouble to ensure that I was not blamed for the murder of an innocent woman, handing over to the police the person to blame. I knew how much that had cost him, and was duly appreciative, a fact about which Christian was aware. So why was I now getting the icy treatment?
“Hello, Andreas. How’s your brother?”
Andreas had blue eyes, as did Kristoff, but where the latter had eyes of the purest teal, Andreas’s were darker, a midnight blue that considered me now without the slightest bit of warmth. “You will find out soon enough,” was all he said before he turned around and started walking out.
The two remaining vampires fell into place behind us as we were escorted out of the airport to a waiting limousine.
“Your vampire friends sure know how to travel,” Ray said in a hushed voice as we filed in to occupy the backseat of the limo. Andreas and Rowan sat facing us, while Julian and Sebastian took up positions in the front of the car. “This is very nice. Are we going to the hotel first? I’d like to get my camera out of my bag so I can get some pictures for my travel album.”
“I assume so,” I said, puzzling over Andreas’s comment. I leaned forward a smidgen. “Is Kristoff here? In Vienna?”
Andreas ignored me, turning to look out of the tinted windows.
I switched my attention to Rowan. “I realize there’s no love lost between us, but I would appreciate it if you could overcome your natural aversion to me and answer my question.”
Rowan had reddish brown hair and grey-green eyes. His face was not as angular as his cousin’s, and had hints of laugh lines around the mouth and eyes. There was no evidence of any form of amusement on his face now, however. He simply looked at me as if I were a bug before answering, “He is here.”
I sat back, my heart beating wildly all of a sudden. Kristoff was here, in Vienna. I was going to see him.
Magda touched my hand and mouthed, I told you so.
I shook my head at that-if Kristoff had suddenly been possessed by a change of heart regarding me, he would have told me, not had the council summon me with grim faces and a pronounced air of suffering. Still, he was in Vienna. That meant something. Didn’t it?
To my surprise, we weren’t taken to a hotel. Instead, we stopped at a large pale pink stone house that sat at the end of a row of connected tall, narrow cream-and-yellow houses in the fringes of Josefstadt, a section of downtown Vienna.
“This house belongs to the Moravian Council,” Julian said, showing us into a room on the top floor. “The administrative offices are below us. The top three floors are set aside for residents and guests.”
“Nice,” I panted as I dropped my bag and tried very hard not to collapse on the floor. “Sixth . . . floor . . . Nice . . . view.”
“Sweet Mother Mary.” Magda gasped as she, too, staggered into the room. Ray propped her up on one side, his own breathing a bit frantic as he leaned against the wall. “Couldn’t you people put in an elevator? Or at least install a bench halfway up?”
“Your room is across the hall,” Julian said, a somewhat martyred look on his face as he opened the door in question.
Magda shot him a narrow-eyed look, but followed him out to the other room. I looked around while I caught my breath, admiring the clean blue-and-white decor of the room. It was rather sparsely furnished, but the bed, bureau, and small writing desk and chair were all antiques.
“Do you wish to change your clothes?” Julian asked as he returned to my room, eyeing me in a manner that had me tugging self-consciously at the collar of my blouse.
“That would be nice.” It hadn’t occurred to me that I would want to change as soon as I got here, but seeing the coolly elegant vampires made me feel sticky, sweaty, and decidedly unattractive. I might not be able to do much about the last item on that list, but at least I could greet the council looking a little less unkempt.
Julian gave a short nod. “I will tell the council you will be ready to meet with them in a quarter of an hour.”
“Can you make it half an hour?” Magda called from the room given over to her and Ray. “I’d really like to take a quick shower. I had no idea Vienna got this hot in the summer.”
Julian paused on his way downstairs, frowning slightly. “Your presence will not be required.”
“Now, wait a minute,” Magda said. I stopped digging through my suitcase for something that wouldn’t leave me looking like a rumpled tourist, and went to my own door. “You guys agreed that we could come with Pia. I was there when she talked to you, remember? You said that it would be fine if we accompanied her.”
“To Vienna,” Julian said, glancing over at me. “The council agreed to the Zorya’s terms because they had no other option, but only she will be permitted in their presence.”
Magda looked at me. “What do you think? We can leave if you’re not comfortable with the idea of bearding the lions by yourself.”
“The Zorya already agreed-” Julian started to protest.
I raised a hand to stop him. “I’ll be OK by myself.”
“You sure you don’t want someone with you when you tell them you want . . . you know.” She cast a glance toward Julian.
He raised his eyebrows at her.
“I don’t think you can help me there, but thank you,” I answered.
“All right, but I’m willing to make a fuss if you need me.” Magda’s face, normally filled with sunny good humor, was clouded with worry.
I gave her a little smile. “I’m still technically a Zorya. I think Christian knows the sort of power I can wield if anyone gets out of line.”
Julian took an involuntary step backward.