Blood Royal

"Lissa, you’re one of the few people who understands what that’s like," Franklin ran a finger down the glass, wiping away a bit of condensation. "I know your husband was in a coma and on life support for a long time."

"Yeah. I know what that’s like," I said, smoothing out Franklin’s blanket. "I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. Or for Greg."

"Lissa, don’t apologize, I know exactly why you weren’t there. You would have been, if you’d known."

"Yeah."

"Try not to be too angry with Merrill, okay? He loves me."

"I know he does. That’s why I destroyed the kitchen instead of him."

"Is my kitchen still destroyed?"

"No. I think Griffin put it back together."

"You won’t call him father, will you?"

"So far he hasn’t done much in the father department."

"Come here, Lissa, and lie down with me." Franklin set his glass down on the nightstand and scooted over. I lay down beside him and snuggled against his side. "This is good," he sighed over the top of my head and closed his eyes.

* * *

"This one," Charles said. Charles and Flavio had come to Paris with me. Franklin wasn’t up to it. Frank wasn’t up to much of anything, nowadays. I cooked for him as often as not, or he might not have eaten anything. Depression is an ugly word and one I understood all too well. I looked at the gown shown to us.

"It’s white," I pointed out. There’s nothing like being a fluorescent light bulb around a bunch of old, moth-eaten vampires.

"You look good in white." Charles bumped my shoulder with his. Flavio was standing nearby, allowing Charles and me to decide on my ball gown. If Griffin hadn’t told me I ought to go, I would have given Wlodek and Merrill a rude gesture and refused outright.

I asked them to hold the white dress so I could try it on and went on to the rest that they had. I said no to the gold one, the yellow one and the red one. Not good colors for me. A dress made of aqua silk was brought out, which I loved, and another in black was set aside to try.

Charles liked the white, but fell in love with the aqua dress when I slipped it on. It was strapless and hugged every curve I had, falling to a full skirt that swirled around my feet. I thought about wearing the same shoes I’d worn last time, but Charles just shook his head. "Good memories, remember?" He tapped his head. Well, there was that. The black dress looked good too, so Flavio tossed down his credit card and we walked out with all three, along with six pairs of shoes. We’d only come for the evening, so we loaded right back into Merrill’s jet, which Brock had piloted for us.

Flavio drove us straight back to Merrill’s after we landed in London, and I found Franklin moping around the kitchen. The Annual Meeting was in three days, and Franklin’s depression hadn’t improved. Of course, my anger hadn’t improved, either, and I didn’t see any way out of that, barring a lengthy passage of time. I went to the roof to spend what was left of the night—barely an hour, actually, after convincing Franklin to go to bed. He wasn’t getting much sleep. The roof was where Gavin found me after going through lessons with Tony.

"Cara, are you going to be angry with me forever?" he asked as he settled beside me.

"Gavin, you knew and you didn’t tell me." That hurt. Really.

"Cara, I know I told you it was dangerous to keep email information on your cell. And it is. Cell phones are easily lost. And I also know I told you that you could borrow my laptop so you wouldn’t have to take yours along. I had no idea that things would go in the direction they did, I promise. We have protected ourselves over the years by doing as Wlodek and the Council instructed. I know this has hurt you. You have faced two losses whereas I have only faced one. Anthony has been damaged greatly by this as well."

"Gavin, would they have waited to tell you that René died if it happened while you were on assignment? Would they?" I looked up at him. His face was shuttered, just as Wlodek’s usually was.

"Cara, I have been a vampire for a very long time. I have learned to control this."

"Is that what the problem is? I can’t control my emotions? That you can’t control my emotions? Gavin, listen to yourself."

"Cara, we were worried that the assignment would not be completed."

"Have I failed you or your precious Council, Gavin? Have I? Tell me when I didn’t come through—for them or for you. Did I fall apart in that bar in Tampa when I saw you get burned to a crisp? Did I fall in the floor weeping, instead of taking care of Nyles Abernathy? Did I collapse in a heap when Glen was killed in New Mexico? Did I? If Tony hadn’t called me back after I killed the vampire holding the First Lady in Washington, I’d have gone after Xenides and taken his ass out, right then and there." I was pissed. Really, really pissed. And shaking, too, I was so angry.

"Cara, I have seen you depressed and moping about the house. Tell me that was not the case when you learned six men were dying after receiving your blood." Gavin was giving me tit for tat, now.

"And I got sent off-world, right in the middle of all that. And I did what I was supposed to do there, too. Were we on some sort of time limit in Kansas City? Would it have been a big deal if we put it off for a day or two?" I watched his face and drew in a breath. There had been a designated time and place. More than likely, it had been set up by Xenides himself, after he’d killed Don’s brother, David. And since Gavin and the others had the time and place, somebody knew that Tony would be there. He’d been the target in Kansas City, I was sure of it. Who might know he would come? Who?

Gavin looked away from me as soon as he knew I knew. They’d kept that away from me. That’s why he’d asked me to go as mist—so Xenides or his minions wouldn’t see me. That was just f**king wonderful. "Cara, you are young. So young, as a vampire. Yes, I know we have had this argument before and yes, I remember where that got us." Gavin held up a hand.

"Gavin, I can’t help that. And I guarantee that no matter how old I get, I’ll still be pissed."

"Lissa, I came up to make things right between us, not fight with you." He pinched the space between his eyebrows as if he had a headache or something.

"You sure as hell go about things strangely," I muttered. I missed Roff at times like this. If he were here, I’d have misted away and settled in bed beside him, I think. Gavin and I hadn’t slept in the same bed since we’d come in from Kansas City.

"Lissa, what I’m trying to say is that I love you. Overlook my age and rigidity, I beg you." Gavin was attempting to pull me against him, his deep brown eyes begging me to allow his touch.