Woman King

CHAPTER 34

William heard the front door open and listened as Josef climbed the stairs to the second floor. It was early evening and they were both expected at the post-election dinner at The Moss Room in one hour. Gabriel had arranged for a celebration, a private meal for the Council and associates. He’d extended an invitation to Josef as a courtesy for his work with Olivia. But William would have recognized his brother’s presence on the stairs regardless of the time, or a pending social obligation. Thanks to their father, whose blood coursed through their veins, he could feel Josef’s proximity deep in his bones.

“You built her a bed?” Josef asked, as he strolled into the room. “By God, you are besotted. Are you sure it’s worth it? She is human, after all.”

William stayed seated in his chair, a guitar in his hands, his fingers slowly picking a tune as he regarded his brother.

“Don’t be so provocative. You had a human lover for years, Josef,” he remarked. “Why so dismissive now? Unless of course, you would like Olivia for yourself?”

Josef laughed, picking up another guitar from a stand nearby. “I prefer fairies, it turns out,” he said. “They’re delicious. By the way, your work is flawless. This guitar is magnificent.”

“Thank you,” William said. “Can we get back to Olivia?”

“You know, for a vampire, you worry too much,” Josef said, pulling the soundtrack to the movie Cabaret, off the shelf. “Mind if I put this on?” Josef asked. “I’m in the mood.”

William nodded as Josef set the vinyl album on the turntable.

“I’ll admit she has a certain allure,” Josef continued, “but I have not laid a finger on her, except to train. For a woman, she has incredible endurance, far more than I would expect from a human. I will admit there is something about that, that is alluring.”

William set his guitar down against the chair and stood up to face his brother. “You don’t have to tell me,” he said. “I remember the first moment I sensed her. She is captivating in a way that escapes her notice. But I brought her to you because I wanted someone to teach her to fight for her life, if it comes down to it. Can I trust you?”

Josef bared his teeth and hissed. “You must truly be in love if you would question my loyalty after all that we have been through.”

“I intend to make her my wife, Josef. I’m counting on you to help me protect her.”

Josef carefully positioned the tone arm of the turntable onto the record and “Mein Herr” began to play. “Why are you so certain she is in danger? I mean no disrespect, but she’s a human female, after all, why would an ancient vampire like Nikola care about her?”

William walked over to a small side table where a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and two tumblers rested on a tray. He grabbed the bottle, poured two fingers’ worth in the glasses and handed one to his brother.

“Several reasons,” he said. “One, she is an agent of the Council aligned with Gabriel Laurent. That alone makes her vulnerable, since Nikola has little love for the Westerners and their zeal to help humans. He could harm her just to strike at Gabriel. Laurent’s term is ending. Nikola is deputy to Zoran Mikić, a Croatian central banker who is too much of a bureaucrat to really sense what is going on around him. Aidan told me the two of them are to be installed as directors next year.

“Reason No. 2, and more importantly, I don’t think she is human, or at least I don’t think she is one hundred percent human.”

Josef raised his eyebrows as he took a sip of the whisky.

“Come on, I know you sense it too,” William said. “She’s mildly telepathic, a skill few humans possess. And she can read vampires, something a normal empath woman shouldn’t be able to do.”

Josef downed what was left in his glass and poured another.

“She told me,” he said. “She told me she could read my thoughts.”

“I see,” William said grimly. “And what did you say in reply?”

“I told her to never let another vampire know she could do such a thing.”

“You must see what I mean. She possesses skills that don’t belong to a human and that is bound to attract the wrong sort of attention,” William said. “Olivia is curious, outspoken and above all, determined. It’s inevitable that she will run into trouble.”

Josef snorted into his glass. “I can understand why you had to have her,” he said. “Must be a delightful change of pace from your monkish existence these last few years. Still, I am surprised you would choose to step back into the Council’s affairs. You were determined to leave humans to their own devices.”

“Yes, I was. And like all men, I was drawn back in because of a woman.”

“Understood,” Josef said, refilling their glasses. “But there is one thing I don’t understand. Just what do you suspect she is, if she isn’t altogether human? Witch? Fairy?”

“Possibly,” William said thoughtfully. “I expect we’ll learn the truth very soon.”