Part 17 (2/2)

She wheeled the horse through the gateway and quickly dismounted. A servant rushed forward to take the beast, which stumbled badly in its exhaustion. Ryan hesitated a moment, wanting to care for the horse, but she had no choice.

”Take care of him,” she ordered the stablehand, then headed up the walk, taking the stairs two at a time. She brushed by the servant in the foyer and then burst into the dining hall. Victor was at the other end, aware of her arrival and obviously waiting for her. She moved towards him, hurried yet graceful as ever.

She bowed slightly, out of breath. ”I'm, I'm sorry my lord. I'm late.” Ryan became suddenly acutely aware that there were many other people in the room as well. She glanced down at her disheveled appearance. ”And I am not properly dressed.”

Victor himself was dressed in formal wear, but when he looked down at his young companion who was quite fetchingly dressed as a stableboy, any anger he felt evaporated. ”I don't think anyone is concerned with what you're wearing.”

There was a languid quality to his voice and Ryan tried to decipher his words. She glanced around her, realizing the room had become completely silent and all eyes were on her. She turned back to Victor and he stared intently in her eyes.

Stay close, came the voice inside her head, and guard your thoughts.

Ryan was suddenly aware of an immense number of competing sensations and was stunned to realize that everyone in the room was like her and Victor. She could feel them.

And they could feel her.

Victor reached down and brushed a lock of hair from Ryan's forehead. No one in the room missed the significance of the sensual gesture, or the possession behind it.

Abigail observed the gesture from behind her fan. As one of the oldest and most powerful of their Kind, she was well respected. Her appearance was that of an elder matriarch because she had been Changed when physically older. This lent her a certain dignity even among a people where physical appearance was misleading.

Abigail leaned towards the beautiful, dark-haired woman to her left. ”It appears Victor has made himself a child.”

A mixture of emotions flitted across Marilyn's face as she watched the young woman. She struggled to control them, outwardly preserving her icy demeanor. ”Ce n'est pas possible.”

Abigail watched the child and mentally reached out to touch her. She was startled at the power she felt. She smiled behind the fan. ”Yes, impossible. But it appears he has done it.”

Marilyn was younger than Abigail in appearance, but they were nearly the same age. Marilyn's power easily rivaled that of Abigail's, perhaps even surpa.s.sing it. She stared at the silent interaction between the two.

Abigail could not resist baiting Marilyn further. ”It almost appears as if he speaks to her with thought.”

Marilyn's jaw again tightened. ”That is impossible. Even if she is his offspring, she is too young to have such abilities.”

Abigail smiled. ”Yes, of course my dear.”

Marilyn bridled at Abigail's condescending tone but the elder woman had already risen to her feet and was gliding across the floor toward Victor.

Victor turned toward the matriarch and bowed slightly. Abigail bowed to him as he took her hand. ”Victor. Let me be the first to congratulate you,” she said with a significant glance at Ryan. She then turned to the younger woman. ”And the first to meet this exquisite creature.”

Ryan was overwhelmed by the older woman's presence and felt herself immediately physically drawn to her. Victor watched the reaction, entertained but cautious with his charge.

Abigail was also aware of the reaction and was immeasurably pleased by it. It normally meant nothing to her to attract a Young One, but this one was so simultaneously powerful and vulnerable, the feeling was intoxicating. She held Ryan's hands while looking deep into her eyes, gauging her. Yes, this one bore Victor's mark as surely as she was standing before her.

Abigail pulled back but did not release Ryan's hand, instead sweeping her away from Victor. ”I will introduce her to everyone, my lord.”

Victor was not completely pleased at this turn of events, but neither was he concerned. No one would touch Ryan. Still, as others came and went, paying their respects to him, he kept Ryan in his sight.

Ryan was swept around the room in a whirlwind, surrounded by faces with names she would never remember. There seemed to be some unspoken hierarchy, some hidden social order. They were greeted with enthusiasm and people pressed closer to meet and pay their respects to both of them.

Ryan sensed, however, that not all were pleased to see her. She felt the weight of a pair of eyes and turned to a dark-haired woman across the room. Although surrounded by admirers, she had eyes only for Ryan and what was in them was not pleasant.

The dark-haired woman turned away and Ryan turned her gaze to Victor, who had watched the entire scene. There was an iciness about him right now that Ryan had never seen, and it was not directed at her but at the dark-haired woman. Abigail had also watched the drama play itself out, finding it extremely diverting. She placed her hand on Ryan's elbow, gently guiding her back towards Victor.

”Come my dear, we mustn't push our luck.”

Ryan had little idea what that meant. In fact, there was an undercurrent throughout the room of which Ryan had little if any understanding. She was actually quite relieved when she returned to Victor's side, taking comfort in his nearness.

”Oh my,” Abigail whispered behind her fan as she fell in beside Victor. Her eyes were on Marilyn who had started towards the trio. Marilyn swept across the floor and her admirers fell to the wayside as she neared Victor.

Ryan felt herself drawn to the woman as she approached, much like with Abigail. But Victor apparently found this reaction less than entertaining as he put his hand on Ryan's shoulder.

Marilyn sensed the reaction and her eyes narrowed slightly in surprise. She, too, felt what Abigail had felt and mentally revised her opinion of the whelp. She grasped the free hand Victor extended and leaned to kiss him chastely on the lips.

”h.e.l.lo my dear, I've missed you.”

Victor bowed slightly. ”h.e.l.lo Marilyn,” he said politely, ”it has been too long.”

”Yes, of course.” She turned immediately to Ryan. ”And who, pray tell, is this?”

Victor's response was guarded. ”This is Rhian.” He glanced at Ryan as he spoke, ”Marilyn is a very old friend of mine.”

Marilyn was quite openly examining Ryan from head to foot.

”Yes,” she agreed, ”very old friends.” To Ryan's surprise, Marilyn reached out and grasped her hands, pulling her towards her and out of Victor's grasp. Marilyn pulled her close so that they were face to face, and then the dark-haired woman leaned down to kiss her.

Many had kissed her in greeting during the course of the evening, but none like Marilyn kissed her. The kiss was prolonged and anything but chaste, and Ryan felt herself nearly swoon in the beautiful woman's embrace.

Marilyn released her and stepped back, causing Ryan to stumble backwards into Victor. Victor caught her by her shoulders and did not release her. There were several t.i.tters about the room at Marilyn's action and the Young One's reaction. Abigail smiled once more behind her fan. Marilyn gazed at Victor, half in triumph, half in fury. Victor returned her gaze, not pleased with Marilyn's action but not as displeased as she would have wished. Marilyn's desire for his dark child was a victory in itself.

Ryan was extremely confused. There were too many competing sensations right now, too many things she did not understand. She pressed backwards into Victor, wis.h.i.+ng she could saddle another horse and leave.

A stabbing pain suddenly raced through Ryan's head, followed by a mind-shattering silent scream. She stood upright, stunned by the mental onslaught, and more stunned by the lack of reaction around her.

Few people seemed to even hear the silent scream, and fewer seemed to care. It was the Old Ones who tilted their heads slightly at the sensation, and their responses ranged from mild regret to amus.e.m.e.nt. The younger Ones appeared oblivious to the sound, neither hearing the cry nor feeling the pain that Ryan did.

She turned to Victor who knew what she was feeling and what she had heard, but he could not comfort her right now. He simply lifted two fingers and pressed them to her lips to silence any questions that might be forthcoming.

Ryan kept her tongue and turned back around, only to find Marilyn watching her closely. She had not missed Ryan's reaction, nor had Abigail. Abigail fluttered her fan in front of her face, but her eyes were locked with those of Victor, full of the knowledge of the implications of Ryan's reaction.

Victor was unperturbed. He, too, knew the implications of Ryan's abilities. He kept Abigail's gaze, however, for he did not care.

Ryan sensed a restlessness in the room, especially amongst the Old Ones. Some unseen chain of events had just been set into motion. People began to draw near to one another, and there seemed to be some sort of hidden order to the pairing. She sensed Victor's restlessness and turned to him in question. She heard the voice in her mind.

We must leave.

<script>