Eyeing the guardian dhampirs, however, I knew any Strigoi would have a difficult task breaking into this event. Guardians trained hard their entire lives, honing skills to fight Strigoi. Seeing as the Moroi queen was attending this event, I suspected the security I'd seen so far didn't even begin to scratch the surface.
A number of those gathered here stopped talking when they saw us. Not all Moroi knew about Alchemists or how we worked with their people. So, the attendance of three non-feeder humans was a bit of an oddity. Even those who knew about Alchemists were probably surprised to see us, given the formality of our relationship. Stanton was too experienced to let her unease show, but Ian openly made the Alchemist sign against evil as Moroi and dhampir eyes studied us. I did a pretty good job of keeping my cool but wished there was at least one familiar face in this crowd.
"Miss Stanton?"
A round-cheeked Moroi hurried forward. "I'm Colleen, the wedding coordinator. We spoke on the phone?" She extended a hand, and even tough Stanton hesitated before shaking it.
"Yes, of course," said Stanton, voice cool and proper. "Thank you for inviting us." She introduced Ian and me.
Colleen waved us toward the atrium's entry. "Come, come. We have your seats reserved. I'll take you there myself."
She swept us past the curious onlookers. As we entered the atrium, I stopped and momentarily forgot the vampires around us. The main greenhouse was magnificent. The ceiling was high and vaulted, made of that same steamed glass. A central area had been cleared and set with seats draped in flowers, very much like what you'd see at a human wedding. A dais at the front of the seating area was covered in more flowers and was obviously where the couple would take their vows.
But it was the rest of the room that took my breath away. It was like we'd stepped into some tropical jungle. Trees and other plants heavy with brightly colored flowers lined the sides, filling the humid air with a perfume that was almost dizzying. Since there was no sunlight to light up the greenhouse, torches and candles had been cleverly placed throughout the greenery, casting a mysterious - yet still romantic - light on everything. I felt as though I'd stepped into some secret Amazonian ritual space. And of course, nearly hidden among the trees and bushes, black-clad guardians paced and kept watch on everything.
Colleen led us to three seats on the right side of the seating area, marked with a RESERVED sign. They were about halfway back - not as esteemed a spot as family would get, of course, but enough to show that the Moroi thought highly of us and really were trying to undo the strained relationship caused by our detainment.
"Can I get you anything?" Colleen asked. I realized now her exuberant energy was partially nervousness. We made her almost - but certainly not quite - as uneasy as she and the others made us. "Anything at all?"
"We're fine," said Stanton, speaking for all of us. "Thank you."
Colleen nodded eagerly. "Well, if you need anything - no matter how small - don't hesitate to ask. Simply grab one of the ushers, and they'll find me immediately." She stood there a moment longer, wringing her hands. "I'd best check on the others. Remember - call if you need anything."
"What I need is to get out of here," muttered Ian once she was gone. I said nothing, not trusting any response. If I reassured him we were safe, I'd be regarded with suspicion. Yet if I acted like our lives were in danger, I'd be lying. My views were somewhere in the middle of those extremes.
Someone handed me a program, and Ian leaned a bit more closely than I would've liked in order to read over my shoulder. The program detailed a list of songs and readings as well as the members of the wedding party. I could tell from Ian's face that he was expecting to see "Unholy Bloodletting" right after the Corinthians reading. His next words affirmed as much.
"They do a good job making it seem so normal, huh?" he asked, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice. I was a bit surprised at how vicious his attitude was. I didn't remember him being quite this extreme last summer. "Like it's a real wedding or something."
He also wasn't regulating his volume, and I glanced around anxiously, making sure no one overheard. "So you're saying it's not a real wedding?" I whispered back.
Ian shrugged but at least took the hint and lowered his voice. "With them? It doesn't matter. They don't have real families or real love. They're monsters."