Chapter 26

“I do not understand that what is the need of holding a state dinner in order to meet with the member if the Vampire Council,” I said as Felicity was given the job of fixing my hair again. I had told her that I wanted it up top on my head and I wanted a sword at my back underneath my gown, to say the least.
“The Queen has been assassinated, Sin. I think this is the least that the Guard Council can do at the moment in order to assuage the fears that would probably be beginning to seep in the minds of those vampires,” said Drima. The politician forever her words made perfect sense.
“Yes, I get that but they don’t even eat, dude,” said Deke as he scrunched his nose and Serafina and I both smiled at him.
The war between vampires and werewolves had gone long enough for more than centuries and now the truce that had been drawn in between the two kingdoms was thin at best. Until the time that the killer of the Queen was caught it was going to be a tough task to keep them assured that we the werewolves were no threat at all to them.
“That does not matter. What matters tonight is we need to know from them that if they were behind the attack of the Queen that happened. Our wolves were killed because there were assassins positioned at the points where the vortexes are. We lost a lot for good men and women as soldiers that day and we are not going to keep sitting and be simply waiting for them to kill us again and again while we do nothing. If the vampires are anyway behind this attack then trust me, I am going to make them burn badly and give them excruciating pain,” I said, as my eyes changed colour. My wolf was very close to the surface and I could shift at any point of time.
“You don’t need to worry about that, babe. I mean, I will be there beside you and you will be cloaked in spells so that no harm will come on you. And moreover they would not be able to use compulsion on you as well,” said Serafina as I and Drima both sharply turned towards her.
“Now how on earth is that possible?” Drima asked. I did not ask but I had the same question in my mind and clearly written on my face.
“It seems like there were a lot of things that the Red Queen had been keeping close to herself. Take the book that we received in gift for example that night. It is a book written by one of my ancestors, which one I have no idea since I have no clue of my ancestry but it is supposed to be one of the books which was supposed to have been lost to history and ravages of time. It was written at a time when all the people lived together in harmony and the sorceress who wrote it down that the vampires could compel anyone they wanted to but not the sorceresses because they had made a potion and a charm which work together as a cloak to their compelling powers. And to be honest it is not very difficult,” said Serafina shrugging her shoulders.
“But these are the kinds of things which should be always shared with the ones who are in power. I mean, like us, who are the leaders of the pack so we would not be vulnerable to the vampires under any circumstances. Why keep it a secret?” I asked. The question was to myself rather than the audience who were listening to me.
“She did this because she did not know which one of you is worthy,” said Luke to me through the mental link and I looked at him. He continued saying,” These are powers and secrets which cannot be made public knowledge because some things need to be kept close to the monarch like the knowledge of magic.”
“Luke is saying that she kept it a secret because she did not know who would be worthy of this knowledge,” I told them. Hey knew that I conversed with Luke through my mental connection. It was natural for the heiresses to do that but I really doubted that Rubina did the same with Salazar as well. It disgusted me to think that I would be in the mind of a huge dirty python…I did not have anything against snakes as creatures but that slippery slithery feel that might make me cold, oh dear lord.
“You don’t need to think about Salazar, Sin. I know that look on your face. However I think that what Luke is telling is correct. Rather I think that it was decided by the Queen herself that the candidate who would be able to pass the first two contests of the Summit should be given these things as gift. Moreover, that gold….holy heavens….Drima, what have you done with all that gold?” asked Serafina and I smiled.
“Sent it for safekeeping to a place which is safer than the banks. And I don’t trust anyone in this palace except just the few of us. We will take it back when we will be in dire need of that,” said Drima and I nodded. It was not like the Red Hearts Pack needed money or something and our businesses were doing very well. Moreover we had a lot of land which was the reason that we never fell short on grain or any other necessities in my kingdom.
The dress that they had selected for me today was also red. I knew that it was repetitive and I wanted to wear different colours but since this was State dinner I had to wear the colour of my pack. Thankfully today’s gown was absolutely slinky and body hugging and there was a huge slit till my thigh which would make it easier for me to bring out my daggers which would be in my boot if I needed them.
“If all of you are dressed then we would think that it is necessary that we leave now. We will be the first ones to reach there and on any circumstances I would hate to miss out on anything at all, be that the arrival of the bloodsuckers as well,” I said as I stood up in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection. I looked every bit of the Princess that I was and I was glad that I could make an impression.
“You look breathtaking as always,” said Luke and I could not help but smile. Sometimes I wish that I could take him as my mate. He understood me so much and so well that it would really a nuisance if I did not feel him close to me.
The dining-room was exquisite. The walls were covered with a shimmering gold paper and in the middle of the ceiling above the carved oak table was a candelabra. Down the center of the table was a runner with Celtic design woven in gold and green into the fabric itself. At the end of the table were floor to ceiling french doors, left slightly ajar to let in the scented summer air. The polished silver cutlery was heavy to the hand and shone brightly in the early evening light. At each place stood a tall empty wine glass and there were beautifully folded napkins to match the runner. All that was missing was the food and the guests. But all that was going to change soon enough.
It was a grand space, to say the least. The huge mahogany table took up most of the vast space the dark, romantic room offered, left without a tablecloth and daring guests to ruin the perfectly varnished shine with their unworthy fingerprints. Two tall, silver candelabras commanded attention from the center of the table, holding smooth white candles whose wax never dripped.
But the real star is the food. Tables laden with delicacies line the walls. Everything you can think of, and things you have never dreamed of, lie in wait. Whole roasted cows and pigs and goats still turning on spits. Huge platters of fowl stuffed with savoury fruit and nuts. Ocean creatures drizzled in sauces or begging to be dipped in spicy concoctions. Countless cheeses, breads, vegetables, sweets, waterfalls of wine, and streams of spirits that flicker with flames. I had come to state dinner before but then I was only a guest, because I had been the Alpha of the Pack of Red Hearts and the Red Queen had been still alive.
But this time things were thoroughly different. I was a candidate who was going to be on the throne or not which was matter to be decided in the next two days.
Mushroom soup, bitter greens with tomatoes the size of peas, rare roast beef slices as thin as paper, noodles in a green sauce, cheese that melts on your tongue served with sweet blue grapes. The servers, all young people dressed in white tunics move wordlessly to and from the table, keeping the platters and glasses full.
We went to the dining where the dinner was supposed to be held and there was buffet before the arrival of the guests. So since the wolves were always hungry they all went towards the food they liked and started tasting them.
Serafina brought the fresh, warm bread to her nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. Picking up a knife, she applied copious amounts of thick, creamy yellow butter. She spooned out a dollop of sweet, tangy blackberry jelly. Serafina slathered the sweet mixture onto the spongy white bread. She ripped off a chunk, stuffing the piece into her mouth. It was soft and warm. The pleasant smoothness of the butter blended perfectly with the bitter-sweet taste of black berries.
My mouth watered the moment I spotted the strawberries. Fresh crimson berries covered with a mountain of tangy sweet whipped cream. Rich grainy brown sugar covering the sweet airy perfection.
But before I could take one and pop them in my mouth the doors opened and the Guard announced the arrival of High Lord Credence Percival Lawrence, the Vampire Council member along with his trusted aides who were five in number and came after him. At first I could not see his face because of all the people but then he looked straight.
And the vampire who entered the dining…..
It felt like someone had slapped me hard. It was the one whom had kissed me and I shamelessly kissed him back in his manor. Holy shit! I wanted the earth open wide so that I could be sucked inside but he had seen me and the smile that played on his lips was nothing less that predatory.