‘No harm.’ Devereux bent down and met my eyes. ‘I swear.’
I gazed into his blue-green depths and believed him. So the Head Shark just said he won’t eat me. Should I laugh or scream?
The door opened again. Several women, none of whom I’d ever seen before, entered the room and lined up a few feet away from the bed.
Devereux indicated them with a sweep of his arm. ‘My companions have come to assist you with dressing. They will prepare you for the ceremony.’ Then he kissed me lightly on the lips and turned to walk away.
My throat tightened and my voice came out like a squeak. ‘Wait! What do you mean, they’ll prepare me for the ceremony?’
Why does this remind me of the cartoon where the cannibals have a huge pot boiling on the fire, waiting for the hapless hunter to arrive?
I didn’t see any ropes, chains, or anything else that could be used to restrain me. No cooking utensils or objects with an edge that could cause bleeding. But my imagination was working overtime, creating scary and unspeakable possibilities.
‘Ah, my apologies. I forget that you have not yet given yourself permission to read my thoughts – although it is true that reading vampire thoughts takes practise, even for someone with natural talent. It is as if we are on a different frequency from humans. We will be able to share the ability in the future, but for now, there is no hurry. In the meantime, my associates are here to help you select one of the beautiful dresses and to make sure you have everything you need.’
He pointed to a tall, slender woman with long brown hair and golden eyes. Her rangy body was encased in a unitard, those one-piece body suits that were only worn for exercising until the disco era, when shiny skintight numbers showed up on the dance floor, along with six-inch platform shoes and big hair. Hers made her look like she’d been dipped in a glittering rainbow, since every colour imaginable was present. The form-fitting garment left no doubt about her voluptuous shape.
‘This is Nola. She will see to your hair and makeup.’
I ran a hand through my tangled hair. The disco queen will see to my hair and makeup? ‘My hair and makeup? I don’t think so.’ I rolled off the bed and walked a wide circle around the women standing between me and the door.
Devereux repeated his disturbing habit of suddenly appearing in front of me, gave me serious eyes and laid a hand on my arm. ‘Why do you object to being adorned? You usually wear makeup.’ He said the last with impatience in his voice. I guess my resistance had unpleasantly surprised him. Maybe he wasn’t used to anyone saying ‘no’ to him. I wasn’t the only one who had a lot to learn. I summoned my best no-bullshit facial expression. ‘You need to fill me in on what’s happening here. I’m not going anywhere or letting anyone do anything until I’m clued in.’
He heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. ‘As I have said before, you are the most stubborn woman I have ever known. Are you never willing to be spontaneous? Must you be in control at all times? Are you unable even to sense the truth of my words?’
Well, that stopped me. He’d managed to trespass into my psyche and find the hottest buttons to push. I’d often been accused of lacking spontaneity, and my controlling nature was legendary. How else is a woman supposed to rise to the top of her field if she doesn’t take control of her reality? He had pulled the scab off a painful wound. I did wish that I was able to relax and trust more, that I could follow my intuitive guidance. That I wasn’t so . . . anal.
It was the expression on his face that really turned the tide. In one breathtaking gaze he’d managed to communicate that he thought this ceremony was for my benefit. That he’d arranged it to keep me safe. That he was worried about me.
Shit. Now he’s gone and done it. He’s got me feeling guilty about letting him down. How did that happen? My shoulders sagged. I met his concerned eyes. ‘All right. I trust you.’
Maybe. Where can I find some shark repellent?
He flashed a brilliant smile. ‘Thank you.’ He bowed from the waist and glided towards the door. ‘I will return for you shortly. It will be an extraordinary evening.’
As soon as he left, the women surrounded me. Nola floated over to the chair where the dresses were draped. ‘Which one do you prefer?’ She smiled, showing even white teeth.
I expected her to have fangs and was surprised she appeared so normal. Except for the golden eyes.
She flashed another smile and her canines descended.
Can everybody read my mind?
She smiled. ‘Probably.’
I’m in a parallel universe where everyone is telepathic except me.
‘No. You will be able to do it in the future too. The Master told us. He said you are a special human.’
‘Why do you call him Master? Is he holding you here against your will? Are you brainwashed?’
She cocked her head to the side as confusion flowed across her features. ‘He takes care of us. He is more powerful than any who came before. We aren’t prisoners here. We are privileged to attend him, to be in his presence.’ Her face shone with rapture.
Eeewww. Devereux has a harem of bloodsucking handmaidens, worshipping devotees – disempowered females. If he thinks I’m going to join the cult, he’s sadly mistaken. This is the twenty-first century, mister, and I’m a liberated woman. I wonder what other services they perform for him? What if this ceremony deal is some kind of bizarre sexual ritual?
‘Can you tell me about the ceremony we’re going to? What should I expect?’
She grinned, which confused me until I figured out that she’d obviously read my mind and knew about all my judgements and speculations.
She met my eyes briefly then shifted her gaze away. ‘That information is not mine to share. Have you decided on a gown?’ She pointed to the dresses on the chair.
I’d felt a mild tingle wash through my body as she’d turned her eyes to me. I didn’t know if all vampires could entrance with their eyes, but I had to admit I’d felt something.
I walked over to the chair. Remembering the beautiful shimmering blue dress I’d seen, I lifted the others out of the way until I found it. It was floor-length, with a plunging neckline, made of a soft, lustrous material that might have been woven moonlight.
‘This one will be fine. You know, I’m perfectly able to dress myself, so you and your friends can go and do whatever you need to do now.’
‘We are here to attend to you. It is the Master’s wish. We shall remain.’
Okay. Maybe we could have an informal consciousness-raising group here. These women must have slept through the ’60s.
Nola draped the blue dress over her arm and floated across to the wardrobe containing the shoes and lingerie. The other women, all dressed in flowing gowns, were posed like goddess statues in a semicircle, where they’d been since they entered.
My newly acquired assistant opened the drawers, pulled out the shoe boxes and rifled through them. She seemed to be searching for something in particular.
‘Yes.’ Her voice raised in pitch, sounding excited, ‘these are lovely.’ In one hand she held up a pair of open-toed high heels the same shade of blue as the dress, and in the other, a strapless satin corset with garters for stockings.
I stood next to her, watching. ‘Just out of curiosity, how do you know what’s in there? Did you buy this stuff?’
‘Yes. The Master asked several of us to observe you and to discern your clothing sizes. Then he told us what he had in mind and gave us free rein to purchase all manner of clothing from the Internet. It was very entertaining.’
‘What do you mean, “observe me”?’
‘Physically and astrally, of course. We watched you in your home and joined you in your dreams. The usual ways.’
The usual ways?