Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse #11)(20)
Author: Charlaine Harris

There was another human in the corral, a young woman seated by herself. She was wearing a white dress with a full skirt, and her brown eyes fixed on Pam with desperation. The woman was clearly horrified at the company she was keeping. A minute before I would have bet that Pam couldn’t get any more angry or miserable than she’d been, but I would have been wrong.

"Miriam," Pam whispered.

Oh, Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea. This was the woman Pam wanted to turn, the woman she wanted to become her child. Miriam had to be the sickest woman I’d ever seen who wasn’t in a hospital. But her light brown hair was puffed out in a party style, and she’d been made up, though the cosmetics stood out on a face so pale even her lips looked white.

Eric’s face didn’t show anything, but I could feel him scrambling, struggling to keep his face still and his thoughts clear.

Several points to Victor for an amazing ambush.

Luis and Antonio, having delivered us, positioned themselves at the opening to the VIP corral. I didn’t know if they were there to keep us in or to keep other people out. We were further protected by stand-up cardboard figures of Elvis, at least life-size. I wasn’t impressed. I’d met the real thing.

Victor greeted us with a wonderful smile, white and toothy, as brilliant as a game show host’s. "Eric, how good to see you in my new enterprise! Do you like the decor?" He made his hand flow to indicate the whole crowded club. Though Victor was not a tall man, he was clearly the king of the castle, and he was devouring every minute of it. He leaned forward to pick up his drink from the low table.

Even the glass was dramatic–dark, smoky, fluted. It fit in with the "decor" that made Victor so proud. I would have called it (if I ever got a chance to describe it to someone else, which at this point seemed pretty unlikely) early bordello: lots of dark wood, flocked wallpaper, leather, and red velvet. It looked heavy and florid to me; possibly I was prejudiced. The people gyrating on the dance floor seemed to be enjoying Vampire’s Kiss no matter how it was decorated. The band was a vampire band, so they were great. They’d play a current song, then they’d do a more bluesy rock number. Since the band members could have played with Robert Johnson and Memphis Minnie, they’d had several decades to practice.

"I’m amazed," Eric said in a completely uninflected voice.

"Pardon my bad manners! Please have a seat," Victor said. "My companions are . . . Your name, sweetness?" he asked the girl.

"I’m Mindy Simpson," she said with a coquettish smile. "This is my husband, Mark Simpson."

Eric acknowledged them with a flick of the eye. Pam and I hadn’t even entered into the conversational game yet, so we didn’t have to respond.

Victor didn’t introduce the pale young woman. He was clearly saving the best for last.

"I see you have your dear wife with you," Victor said as we newcomers moved to sit on the long banquette to Victor’s right. It wasn’t as comfortable as I’d hoped it would be, and the depth of the seat didn’t agree with the length of my legs. The life-size cutout of Elvis to my right was wearing the famous white jumpsuit. Classy.

"Yeah, I’m here," I said dismally.

"And your famous second, Pam Ravenscroft," Victor continued, as if he were identifying us for a hidden microphone.

I squeezed Eric’s hand. He couldn’t read my mind, which (just at this moment) I felt was a pity. There was a lot going on here we didn’t know about. In vampire eyes, as Eric’s human wife I pretty much ranked as his number one designated concubine. The "wife" title gave me status and protection, theoretically rendering me untouchable by other vampires and their servants. I wasn’t exactly proud of being a second-class citizen, but once I’d understood why Eric had tricked me into the relationship, I’d gradually reconciled myself to the title. Now it was time to offer Eric a little support in return.

"How long has Vampire’s Kiss been open?" I beamed at the loathsome Victor. I’d had years of experience in looking happy when I wasn’t, and I was the queen of chitchat.

"You didn’t see all my advance publicity? Only three weeks, but so far it’s been quite the success," Victor said, his eyes barely brushing me. He was not interested in me as a person, not at all. He wasn’t even interested in me sexually. Believe me, I know the signs. He was far more interested in me as a creature whose death would wound Eric. In other words, my absence would be more effective than my presence.

Since he was deigning to talk to me, I thought I’d take advantage of it.

"Do you spend a lot of time here? I’m surprised they don’t need you in New Orleans more often." Snap! I waited for his answer, smiling steadily.

"Sophie-Anne saw fit to remain permanently based in New Orleans, but I see my rule as more of a floating government," Victor said genially. "I like to keep a firm hand on all that goes on in Louisiana, especially since I find I am simply a regent, holding the state for Felipe, my dear king." His grin became positively ferocious.

"My felicitations on becoming regent," Eric said, as though nothing could be more desirable.

There was a lot of pretending going on in this building. So many undercurrents, you could drown in them, and we just might.

"You’re very welcome," Victor said savagely. "Yes, Felipe has decreed I should style myself `regent.’ It’s so unusual for a king to have amassed as many territories as Felipe has, and he’s taken his time deciding what to do. He has decided to keep all the titles for himself."

"And will you be regent of Arkansas, too?" Pam asked. At the sound of Pam’s voice, Miriam Earnest began to cry. She was managing to be as quiet about it as a woman can be, but no weeping is silent. Pam did not look in Miriam’s direction.

"No," Victor said, biting out the word. "Red Rita has been given that honor."

I didn’t have any idea who Red Rita might be, but both Eric and Pam seemed impressed. "She’s a great fighter," Eric told me. "A strong vampire. She’s a good choice to rebuild Arkansas."

Great, maybe we could go live there.

Though I couldn’t read vampire minds, I didn’t have to. All you had to do was watch Victor’s face to understand that Victor had wanted–yearned for–the title of king, that he had hoped to rule both of Felipe’s new territories. His disappointment had made him angry, and he was focusing that anger on Eric, the biggest target within his reach. Provoking Eric and intruding on his territory would not be enough for Victor.

And that was why Miriam was sitting in the club tonight. I tried to get inside her head. When I carefully felt around the edges, I met with a sort of white fog. She was drugged, though I didn’t know what sort of drug she’d taken or whether she’d been willing or coerced.