With Shards of Broken Glass

[ladydeathfaerie]

Title: With Shards of Broken Glass
Chapter Five: Glittering
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: mature. this one is set in the darkness that is the Beyond Death universe. language, murder, gore, non-con, violence and sex apply as warnings. possibly others. we'll see when we get there
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar. though i do not view this as an actual MSV story, the original characters established in Beyond Death still belong to their creators and i am merely borrowing them for the purpose of this fic

Author's Notes: so... hey. here's a fic that i probably should have just let go. but a dive down the Wikipedia hole a couple months back brought this to life. this fic starts roughly two to three months after the ending of Beyond Death

With Shards of Broken Glass - The Index

"You don't look very excited, Rhiannon," Mya, her midwife, observed as they waited for the obstetrician to join them. Rhia was seated on the exam table, clad in a paper exam gown that crinkled and annoyed her every time she moved. Nathaniel was at her side, holding one of her hands in his own. "I would think being able to discover the gender of your child would be an occasion that warranted a smile and some excitement. You almost look like a death row inmate being taken to the execution chamber."

"Rhia doesn't see the need to know the gender," Nathaniel supplied. Rhia could still hear lingering traces of the disappointment in his voice brought on by their argument before the appointment. He was all for knowing the gender. She wasn't. And she'd told him so. In the entire time they'd been together, it was possibly the first time they'd had anything close to an argument. "She thinks its unnecessary and it only puts undue pressure on the baby before its born."

"Why do we need to know? Why put a label on a child before they know who they are?" Rhia asked. Again. It was her biggest reason for not wanting to know the gender yet. She was growing a human inside of her. Not some kind of doll that people could dress up according to how they viewed the doll. "Its a baby, Nathaniel. We don't need to start restricting who or what they may be before they're even born."

She'd thought he, of all people, might understand. She wasn't intentionally being difficult. She was simply allowing another human being the space and respect needed to let them figure out who they wanted to be. It was something her mother had done for her, She felt she could do no less for her own child. And she'd really felt Nathaniel would have shared the same line of thinking. He was one of the most easy going and liberal people she knew. She didn't understand why he was so determined to know the gender of their child.

She was well aware of how very much he wanted to be a father. She knew enough about his childhood to know that he hadn't had the best experiences growing up and he wanted to shower his own child with those things that he never got. So she knew that this was something that drove his desire to know. But she honestly felt he was being silly and it simply wasn't important. She was going to love her child. Boy. Girl. Both. Neither. It didn't matter to her. She would love them no matter who they chose to be. She'd honestly thought Nathaniel would be the same.

"Because you can choose clothing and toys and furniture for the baby ahead of time?" Mya suggested.

"Pink clothing doesn't make a child a girl anymore than blue clothing makes a child a boy. Before the Forties, boys more often wore pink than girls. Hitler and the Nazi party changed that. And all children, regardless of biological gender, wore dresses until they were four or five years old even up until the eighteen hundreds. Gender is a social construct and has no bearing on clothes or furniture or toys or how much I plan to love my baby after they're born." Rhia turned a look on Nathaniel. "You told me once that you didn't care if your little boy wanted to wear dresses and play with dolls and do things traditionally considered girl things. Nor did you care if your little girl wanted to do things traditionally reserved for boys. Why does the baby's gender matter so much now?"

Her words saw Nathaniel staring a moment, almost as if he'd forgotten making that statement. It was quite possible he had. So much had happened between now and when he'd made that statement. Jean-Claude had almost been killed. Aedan had almost been killed. Again. Rhia had almost been sexually assaulted. She could forgive Nathaniel for forgetting. But she still wanted to know why he was so determined to know if he was going to have a son or a daughter when he'd already told her that gender wouldn't make a damn bit of difference to him.

She never got his answer, because there was a quick knock on the door to let them know that her obstetrician, Doctor Andie Spizer, was on her way into the room.

"Good afternoon, Rhiannon. Nathaniel. Mya," the woman said as she swept into the room. It was like a storm rolling in. Doctor Spizer was all energy. To Rhia, that energy seemed to roil and boil even when she was still. She was more than certain that Doctor Spizer wasn't strictly human. Nathaniel had assured her that the woman was not some kind of shifter, but he couldn't tell her for certain what group of the preternatural community the woman belonged to. Rhia was so annoyed that she couldn't figure it out that she'd almost asked Aedan or Minette to come along with her more than once. Just to see if the other women could figure it out for her.

"Good afternoon," Mya responded. Mya, the midwife. Who was the exact opposite of Doctor Spizer. Where the obstetrician felt like the roaring waves on a storm tossed ocean, Mya was the calm and serene surface of a deep, glacial lake. Mya was always relaxed, always placid, and always calm. The two women were direct opposites of one another, but there was a good deal of mutual respect between them. Rhia knew that Mya was a witch, her abilities as natural born as Rhia's own. Mya's element was water, which was where the images of a still lake came from. And she never failed to make Rhia smile.

"Ready for the big reveal?" Doctor Spizer asked. She was in a very jolly mood, offering them all a genuine smile that almost made the boiling energy that surrounded her seem calm.

"Yes," Nathaniel said.

"No," Rhia told her.

Doctor Spizer stopped and stared at them and Rhia swore she could feel the confusion on the woman. "Rhiannon? You aren't ready for the sonogram?"

"Oh, I'm ready for the sonogram. I'm just not ready to know what gender the baby will be," she informed her doctor.

"Ah," Doctor Spizer nodded her head. "You don't care one bit. Nathaniel, on the other hand, is practically vibrating with the need to know. This is going to make for a fun appointment." Doctor Spizer moved to the small grouping of cabinets and drawers on one wall and began pulling the things she'd need out. "Let's go ahead and do the exam before we have a tech bring in the machine. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan," Rhia responded.

"Good. You know the drill, Rhiannon," Doctor Spizer told her, already pulling the stirrups out of the exam bed's base. She rolled her stool over, along with the tray onto which she'd laid her supplies. Nothing Rhia wasn't used to seeing. The good doctor positioned herself as Rhia put her feet into the stirrups.

Several moments were dedicated to feeling and measuring and listening, each task completed with the appropriate commentary. The baby was growing well and Rhia's body was handling the pregnancy with grace. Upon completing the exam, the doctor put her things aside, returned the stirrups to their normal position, and hit a button the wall. "Send Fiona in now," she told whoever was on the other end of the intercom the button to which the button was connected.

Less than five minutes later, there was another knock, then the door swung open and a tall woman with neat corn rows and skin like the night sky pushed a machine into the room. Fiona had a gentle smile and the deepest brown eyes Rhia had ever seen. There was absolutely nothing magical about her, yet Rhia felt drawn to her in a way she usually associated with other magic users. It immediately put Rhia at ease.

"Good afternoon, Rhiannon. I'm Fiona, the technician who is going to perform your sonogram today. We're going to do two different sonograms today. First up is the old way, were we rub the wand across your belly. The second will be an internal sonogram, which is slightly intrusive and I'll apologize for that right now. All you need to do is relax and let me work my magic," the woman told her with a much broader version of her gentle smile.

"Okay," Rhia agreed. Something about the woman's tone, smooth as the finest silk, put her at ease and her hold on Nathaniel's hand changed. She hadn't realized she'd been gripping his hand so tightly until her fingers relaxed into a much more natural grip. Nathaniel glanced down at her, offering her a smile that let her know he wasn't at all upset with her stubborn need to not know.

It took a few moments to get the machine set up. It needed to be positioned near the bed, then plugged in and switched on. While it warmed up, Fiona found a soft blanket and laid it over Rhia's legs. She shifted the gown up so that the swell of Rhia's belly was exposed. Everything else was left covered for privacy's sake. Rhia almost laughed at the idea of the idea of privacy after having been poked and prodded by her doctor and her midwife more times than she could even remember. There was no such thing as modesty when a person got pregnant.

"The gel's going to be cold. I apologize for that," Fiona informed her. A moment later, she squeezed a bottle over Rhia's belly and a goodly amount of cold gel landed on her skin. Even with the warning, and having been on the receiving end of the gel before, Rhia still started at the temperature. Fiona picked up the wand, which looked an awful lot like a razor with a large head, and put it right into the gel. The wand spread the gel around as Fiona watched the image on the screen for signs of her baby. The grainy image moved in odd ways as the wand slid around her belly until finally, a slightly different grainy image filled the center of the grainy image. "Ah ha. There we are. Your baby," she announced happily.

The grainy blur that was her baby shifted and Fiona's wand shifted with it. Everyone watched as the image shifted and moved. And then it stopped and Rhia thought the image they were staring at looked a little odd. "Well. Imagine that." Doctor Spizer's voice sounded thoughtful and slightly amused.

"What?" Nathaniel asked, curiosity and worry plain to hear in that one word.

"Not baby," Fiona said, one hand reaching up to trace an image in the foreground. Then it shifted and traced an image in the background. "Babies. I see two babies here."

"Twins?" Nathaniel asked. There might have been a slight squeak in his voice that only Rhia would have recognized. The ever calm, ever unflappable Nathaniel had just been flapped.

"Twins," Fiona confirmed. She glanced at Rhia. "Congratulations, Rhiannon."

Rhia squeezed Nathaniel's hand gently, bringing his lavender gaze her way. He was stunned beyond words. He'd made it clear time and again just how much he wanted to have children. How much he wanted to be a father. He was happy, she could see that. But he was also stunned because twins were obviously very much unexpected.

"Would you like to know the gender or genders of your babies?" Fiona asked gently.

"No," Nathaniel shook his head. "I think I might want to wait and be surprised."

Those words, spoken with such honesty and delight, brought tears to Rhia's eyes.

"How did we not know until now that there are two babies in there?" Nathaniel asked, clearly recalling the appointment when they'd heard a heartbeat.

"It isn't uncommon for one baby to hide behind the other," Doctor Spizer informed him. Rhia only half-listened, her attention still caught on the grainy image of the babies growing in her belly. "When we listen to the fetal heartbeat, its usually so early in the pregnancy that it would be hard to pick up a second one. This is one of the many reasons we do sonograms. You realize, of course, that this will alter the course of your remaining pregnancy?" The question was directed at Rhia.

"Of course," she replied.

"I'll have a packet of information waiting for you when you leave here today. I want you to read up on it. A normal pregnancy is already dangerous for the person carrying the child. A pregnancy involving multiple babies gets more dangerous with each additional child. Expect your fatigue to increase. Symptoms like morning sickness, dizziness, and nausea may increase as well. You're going to learn where your limit is. Any outside stress will only make things worse for you and the little ones your carry. This also means you're going to have to come see me more often. Jasmine will set up an appointment for you before you go out the door. Congratulations, Rhiannon and Nathaniel."

~*~

The rest of the appointment went by in a kind of a blur. Fiona did the internal sonogram, which involved a wand that bore a disturbing resemblance to a sex toy. It didn't help that she put a condom over it before applying some lube to make insertion easier. Rhia shot Nathaniel a dark look that promised him a world of hurt if he made any comments. The look earned her a smile that she knew did little to disguise his amusement.

When they left, it was with a manila envelope in hand that had pictures of the sonogram, as well as the information Doctor Spizer had promised. The next appointment would happen two weeks in the future, and Mya had said that she would like to see Rhia in between to ensure that everything was going well.

Nathaniel was on cloud nine when they were finally in the car and on the way back to the Circus. "Twins. I can't believe we're having twins," he said, voice soft and low as if he was afraid to say it any louder and jinx it. She watched him as he stared out the window, hands relaxed yet not where they rested on the steering wheel. It was kind of amusing to see him to excited.

The car came to a halt for a red light, and he turned to face her. There was more than excitement there. There was a sense of... belonging. It was an odd way to describe what she saw there. But it was the best word she could come up with. And then she realized that was exactly the word she should use. Because it was belonging. He was creating his own family. The family he'd long wanted and had tried to create with various other people, in various other ways, before he'd met her.

She was also slapped upside the head with the sudden realization that that sense of belonging was the reason he'd wanted to know the gender of his child. No, the genders of his children. He wanted to know his family. Really know it. And she felt as if she'd stolen that moment from him. She reached out a hand and put it on his thigh, attracting his attention for a moment before the light turned green and he was forced to turn face forward so he could navigate the streets.

He flashed her a smile that told her he understood, that he'd read her apology and understanding in her eyes in the split second he'd glanced at her. And he wasn't going to hold her stubbornness against her. She'd make it up to him. She'd find a way.

"You already knew, didn't you?" Nathaniel's question cut across the ideas fluttering through her head. Rhia blinked and turned to find him glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. When he saw he had her attention, his gaze shifted back to the road. She already knew what? She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she'd missed anything he'd said before his question. She was on the verge of asking him what he meant when he spoke again. "That there were twins. You knew."

She heard the certainty in his words, letting her know he wasn't really asking. Rhia shook her head. "Not in the way you think."

"But you knew," he said again.

"I knew we were having children. More than one. I didn't know we were having more than one child at the same time." Rhia stopped and thought a moment, a faint recollection teasing at the back of her brain. "I might have had a hint that there were two. But it wasn't concrete. I had a sensation of a vision when I was out shopping with Constance. We were at a baby store and I put a hand on a crib that called to me. And I just... had this flash of double. I thought it might mean twins, but it wasn't solid, so it could have just as easily meant we would have two children."

The car fell silent after Rhia's words faded, the radio off so the only sounds to hear were the hum of the tires on the pavement and the rush of traffic outside the windows. She watched the scenery fly by a moment or two, then took a deep breath and turned to look at his profile. He almost looked closed off, meaning he was either thinking about something or he was still hurt by her stubbornness. Three guesses as to which one it was, and the first two didn't count. "I'm sorry, Nathaniel. I'm sorry that I didn't understand why you wanted to know the genders. And I'm sorry that you felt pressured by my idiotic determination."

"Rhia. Honey," he said softly, one hand leaving the steering wheel to settle on the hand she'd settled on his thigh. "I didn't feel pressured. Knowing the gender of our children was important. But it was also important to respect your own wishes. There's still time for me to find out if we're having boys or girls. Or even children who are somewhere in between. I'm sorry I made you feel like I thought your desire to not know wasn't as important as my desire to know."

She laughed. She couldn't really help herself. Here they both were, apologizing for making the other person feel bad. "We're a pair, aren't we?" she asked, mostly to herself.

"We are," Nathaniel confirmed. "We're a pair of loving adults who will do their absolute best to be the best, most amazing parents in the world." His hand tightened around hers, fingers giving hers a gentle squeeze. "We're also a pair of loving adults who should maybe make it official and get married."

"I... What?" Rhia blinked, incapable of saying anything else. Surely she hadn't heard that right.

"This isn't how or where I wanted to do this, Rhia. I wanted to take you some place fancy and amazing and do it right. Get down on one knee and offer you a huge diamond ring. Its what you deserve. That and so much more. But those are just trappings and, ultimately, they're unimportant. What is important is that I love you. Madly and deeply and forever. And I know you feel the same way about me. So marry me, Rhiannon Fitzpatrick. Marry me and be my wife."

Her brain turned to mush in her skull and her heart beat out a rhythm that would make a heavy metal drummer envious. She had to remind herself to breathe, because her chest felt tight and her head was spinning. His face became a blur because tears welled up and slid down her cheeks unchecked.

"Oh, Nathaniel," she finally got out. "Of course I'll marry you."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I don't understand why you aren't going with them," Janika said, her gaze staring after the couple who were even now on their way to the door. Asher's eyes slipped away from their backs to Janika's face. She looked worried. He didn't blame her. He, too, was worried. Because he understood exactly what the two of them faced. He understood exactly what the Anubis Foundation was capable of.

"I cannot go with them," he said, moving to stand behind her so that he could slip his arms around her. He pulled her close to his body and held her tightly in his embrace. Kept her safe. Since he couldn't do so with either Aedan or Jean-Claude. "The Anubis Foundation would no doubt extract payment for my disloyalty."

"Surely they can't know that you betrayed them to the council all those years ago," she said, her voice a whisper of sound in the painfully silent chamber. "And even if they did, its been so long that they must have forgotten."

"A vampire has nothing but time to remember every wrong done to him. There is nothing but time to nurse the wounds so that hatred festers and revenge becomes a living, breathing thing." He knew that one so well. He'd lived it for years after Julianna's death. Had nearly destroyed the one person he loved most in the world because of it.

"They're walking into some kind of trap," Janika said, certainty in her voice.

"It is likely they are. And they both know it. They are not helpless. Aedan has a good deal of power on her own. As does Jean-Claude. Together, they are more powerful than many of the vampires I know. We have to trust that they can take care of themselves."

"I won't be able to sleep until they come back," she said.

"I know, my sweet." His arms tightened around her just a bit more. Not too tightly. He didn't want to injure her. But he wanted her to know he was there for her. "I will wait with you until they return."

"Assuming nothing bad happens to them," Janika whispered.

Asher turned her to face him, giving her a steady and reassuring look. "They will come home unscathed. I spent a good deal of time arming Aedan with every last bit of knowledge I possess about the Anubis Foundation. She knows just what kind of depravity she faces. And I believe she found a way to take a weapon or two with her."

Janika turned in his arms so she could look up at him. There was uncertainty and disbelief in her eyes. "Are you telling me she took a gun with her?"

"A gun? No. She is armed with other weapons that are not so easily detected." He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I know you worry for her. Because she is your friend. Because you love her. You worry for both of them for those reasons. I worry for them, too. Jean-Claude does not know half of what the Anubis Foundation has done in its long and violent history. And while Aedan has taken my knowledge with her, she is young and she does not fully understand the den of vipers she willingly enters. If she allows her temper to get the better of her..."

Janika frowned up at him. "Why did you tell me that? Now I'm going to worry even more. You know how terrible Aedan's temper is."

"I am aware. But I believe you worry for nothing. First, I have my doubts that anything untoward will happen tonight. Jean-Claude is with her and it is his city to which the Anubis Foundation has come. They are here for a specific purpose and are unlikely to make an enemy of him just yet. They were the ones who invited him, after all. Also, they are here on his hospitality and good nature. It would not be wise to make an enemy of him so soon," Asher reminded her. It did little to help Janika calm. "Secondly, the Wicked Truth is with them. No one wishes to anger the Wicked Truth."

Janika sighed softly. "Because Wicked and Truth are the vampire equivalent of the Boogey Man. You're right, of course. I just can't help but worry. This is Aedan we're talking about. You know the shit she's capable of. And you know just how terrible her temper has been lately. If someone does the wrong thing or says the wrong thing, she'll absolutely go off. And you know it won't be pretty."

"I know this, mon ange. I know well how terrible Aedan's temper is. I also know that she is as armed with information as I could make her. She understands what risks she takes by entering that den of vipers. And I believe that she will act accordingly. I have hope that your worries are for nothing."

Janika shook her head. "I wish I had your confidence. I love Aedan. I really do. But I know exactly what kind of temper she has. And I know it doesn't take much to get her to lose it."

Asher sighed, knowing that trying to convince Janika she worried for naught was pointless. They were both well aware just how volatile Aedan's temper could be. And they were both well aware how easy it was to set the woman off. Especially lately. Too much trauma. No proper outlet. Everyone saw it. Everyone worried about her.and he knew that several of them had tried to convince her to seek the help of a professional. Thus far, she had yet to do any such thing.

"Then I will have faith enough for the both of us. Aedan will remain calm and she and Jean-Claude both will come home to us unscathed," he told her gently.

Janika stared at him a moment, then shook her head. "Its so sad that you have more faith in her than I do. And she's my friend."

"She is our friend. And our lover. You are allowed to worry about her. I worry about her. But I also have faith in her," he told her quietly. Then he turned her and urged her into motion. They strolled almost leisurely from the room, into the hallway that would take them to the sleeping chambers that made up much of the underground lair. "Come, mon ange. I believe I have the perfect thing to distract you from your worry."

"Oh?" Janika asked, sounding only mildly curious. "And what would that be?"

"Allow me to make love to you all night long, until you are so exhausted you can no longer think. Until you drift off to sleep in my arms, fully sated and blissfully uncaring about the world around you." His voice was low and sensual, bringing to life in her a shiver that raced up and down the length of her spine. He could practically feel the anticipation that just suddenly surrounded her.

"You drive a hard bargain, mister," she said, voice breathy with need. She paused, giving the appearance of considering his words. As if she hadn't already made her decision. Then she smiled up at him, heat filling her eyes. "Alright. You've got yourself a deal."

Asher smiled down at her for a moment before leaning down to take her lips in a kiss that was filled with promise. Then he swept her along the corridor until they were safely hidden behind the door to her chamber. They didn't bother with the lights...

~*~*~*~*~

The limo came to a halt before a very stylish stone building of indeterminate age that looked very much out of place beside the sleeker, more modern buildings of steel and glass surrounding it. Aedan bristled as a massive wave of power washed over her, all old and dead and cold as the grave. There were a lot of vampires inside that building. Too many for her comfort, if the power she felt was anything to go by. Not for the first time, she wondered if she'd been too hasty in insisting Jean-Claude RSVP to the invitation. There was no help for it now. They were there and everyone likely knew they were there. Worse, all those lingering vampires were waiting for them to show up.

There was no backing out of it now.

"Is anything amiss, ma mie?" Jean-Claude asked. A touch of concern clung to the edges of his voice, telling her that he had felt her hesitance. She turned away from the window so she could look at him. The smile she offered was grim.

"There are too goddamn many vampires here for my liking," she replied honestly. Jean-Claude opened his mouth to speak, but Aedan pushed on before he could get a single word out. "I know this was my idea. And I still want to find out what kind of game these people are playing. I just..." she trailed off, not sure she could explain it.

"Vittorio?" he asked gently, one hand reaching out to cup her chin. He tipped her head up just a bit, so she was looking him directly in the eyes. Aedan stared, wondering how it was he could so terribly easily land upon what bothered her when she didn't even know what it was that bothered her.

"I should be over it. Its been a few months. Its all over and done with," she said softly. A few months of nightmares where she hadn't gotten there in time. Where she hadn't been able to end Vittorio's crusade. Where she'd been forced to watch Jean-Claude die.

Jean-Claude let go a sound that was somewhere close to a sigh, but not quite. "You are still so young, ma mie." The sentence wasn't an indictment or a complaint. It was merely a simple state of fact. She tried not to let it bother her, because she knew that he hadn't said it to upset her. It didn't matter that she felt so goddamned old. Physically, she was young. "Some things do not fade quickly. Some things linger and cling. Some things, my sweet, never fully go away. No matter how much we wish they would."

She knew he was speaking about her childhood and what her sperm donor had done to her. She knew he was suggesting therapy without actually saying it aloud. It seemed to be the buzzword with everyone she knew lately. Just because Rhia had gone to therapy, they all seemed to think Aedan needed to go. Not that they were wrong. She knew she was seriously messed up. She knew that therapy might help with a lot of her issues. Like the anger that always simmered just under the surface. Or the trust she had a hard time placing in anyone other than herself. Or the fact that she was sure she was some kind of monster, because she was more like her father than she wanted to be. Seeing people killed in violent ways horrified her. But killing people... It felt like doing so barely touched her.

Aedan stared at him, took note of the sorrow that darkened his eyes and pulled the corners of his beautiful mouth down. He was beautiful. And powerful. And older than she could really fathom. And he was still less of a monster than she was. Because she had brought him here, very much against his wishes. She hadn't been able to let her curiosity die and she'd brought him to this den of evil. She didn't deserve him.

"I'm sorry, Jean-Claude. I never should have insisted on this," she whispered, letting her gaze wander back to the building looming up before them like some horror movie villain. Asher had schooled her on what she'd be facing. And she knew that Jean-Claude didn't really know what the Anubis Foundation was like. He didn't belong amongst all the snakes that slithered and hissed and coiled inside the walls of that stately stone building. And she didn't have enough fire power to exterminate them.

"Do you think that you were able to prod me into coming here all by yourself, ma mie?" he asked, amusement coloring his words. When she looked at him again, it was to find that he was smiling indulgently at her. Aedan wanted to get snarky, but she pushed the urge aside. She knew it was her unease rising to the front and taking it out on him was pointless. It wasn't his fault she was a basket case. One long hand reached up so that his fingers gently brushed the curve of her cheek. She sighed and leaned into his touch, lost in the sense of belonging and warmth that faint brush of his skin against hers brought to life. "You were correct in your assessment, ma mie. There is something amiss here. And I would be remiss in my duties as Master of the City if I allowed this event to go on unchecked."

"I don't have enough fire power if things get out of hand," she said. All of Asher's warnings rang loudly in her head. "I know you've got power, but you're only one vampire. Even if I magnified it or whatever, it wouldn't be enough to deal with what lurks inside those four walls."

"You are not to worry about that tonight, ma mie. We will attend this gala event, heads held high. And should anything untoward happen, we shall deal with it together. Now come. We cannot sit here in the car all night." There was heat in his words that suggested they could, and would, if that was what she wanted. Aedan recalled the last time they'd loitered in the back of his limo. A blush stained her pale cheeks and brought forth a smile. Jean-Claude said something in French that sounded like a suggestion. A very dirty suggestion. Aedan's cheeks flamed brighter, then she reached out a hand and shoved at him.

"Enough. I can't go in there looking like a virgin on her wedding night. And I certainly can't go in there smelling of lust," she snapped at him, though there was no heat in her voice. No, that was all in her cheeks. And in her --

"It would not be as horrible as you think," Jean-Claude told her, heat and desire threaded into his words. It only flamed the embers of need deep within, pulling her thoughts back to the night that they formally announced her position as his human servant to the entire world. "The others would know you are mine. In heart, body, mind, and soul. Few vampires have such relationships with their human servants."

For a moment, Aedan considered letting the evening run the course he was trying to set it on. She knew he was using sex and desire to set her nerves at ease. That was his go-to solution more often than not. Any vampire inside the building would sense her nervousness, would smell it on her, the moment she walked through the door. Desire would be a more welcome scent. But Asher's words, driven into her head through painful repetition, doused the low flames of desire before they could burn higher. "The Anubis Foundation is nothing to play around with, Aedan. They are ruthless and dangerous. They do not like humans and will only barely tolerate a vampire's human servant. You would make a target of yourself the moment you stepped through the door."

Asher had assured her that, while Jean-Claude knew some about the nature of the Anubis Foundation, he did not know all of it. She drew a breath and put distance between the two of them. Jean-Claude sent her a quizzical look. Aedan searched for the best possible way to ease any sting that move might have delivered without telling him everything Asher had told her. The only thing he'd begged her not to do, made her promise not to do, was tell Jean-Claude of his involvement with such a group. Aedan didn't like keeping the information from Asher, but she understood his need to leave it as a buried secret. He didn't want Jean-Claude to think any less of him.

"While that sounds like an absolutely lovely way to spend our evening, I can't let you distract me. We're here to find out what this secret vampire gang is up to. I need all my wits about me. And we cannot give them any fuel in case they think they can use one of us against the other."

Vittorio had done that and look where it had gotten them.

Jean-Claude narrowed his eyes as he studied her, obviously certain there were other reasons for her reaction. But he said nothing to let her know for sure. "You think appearing to be in love, which we most certainly are, would be a bad thing?" he asked her. There was a touch of skepticism in his voice.

Aedan shifted a little closer on the bench seat of the limo and put her hand on his knee. "In this case, yes. It would be. Because we don't know what these people intend. We don't know if they mean us harm. I would rather not give them a reason to try and hurt one of us to get to the other. Not that it isn't a possibility anyway. But if we show off our feelings to one and all, that will only make it worse."

He stared at her, eyes blue flames that licked at her soul. Good gods, Aedan wanted to fall into his eyes and never climb out. She could get lost in them, in the emotion that shone in them. But they were expected at this... whatever it was. She knew it wasn't a charitable event. Even without Asher's warnings, she knew. They needed to get out of the car and step inside that building and see what the hell was going on in their town. Aedan offered him a smile, reaching out one hand to press her palm against his cheek. "Let's go put in our appearance. You can show off your newest plaything," she said with a smile. "Then we can go home and I'll put such a smile on your face before you sleep that it'll still be on your face when you wake up tomorrow night."

"We must work on your bedroom talk, ma mie," he responded with a soft huff of laughter. He turned his head, pressing his lips against her palm, before reaching up to draw her face toward his. He turned back in order to press his lips to her own. It was a soft kiss, a chaste kiss, a kiss of promise. Aedan let it warm her. Then she pulled back and slid toward the door.

"Let's get this over with. Shall we?"

"Of course. I look forward to this smile you plan on putting on my face," he rejoined with a faint grin. Then the door was opening, Wicked holding it in order for the two of them to pile out of the back of the limo. Aedan offered him a smile as he took her hand in his and helped her from the back. She was grateful for the assistance. Between her nerves and the skirting of her dress, she felt like she'd topple right off her expensive stilettos.

Jean-Claude was close on her heels. As soon as he stood beside her, his hand came to rest on her elbow. She knew he'd done it to offer her his support, both physically and mentally. To the outside world, though, it would likely present as a mark of possession. She could live with that. What she knew of the type of vampire that joined the Anubis Foundation suggested that they viewed their human servants as more servants than human. It wouldn't hurt to give them a false sense of what she and Jean-Claude were to one another.

The door thumped shut softly behind them as they started forward, toward the liveried doorman that stood waiting to allow them entry to the building. She was aware of the calm energy of the Wicked Truth as they followed along behind her and Jean-Claude. It was nice to know they had the brothers at their backs. Aedan suspected it was as much for protection as to make a statement. She was well aware that vampires around the world were afraid of Wicked and Truth. Breaking away from the head of your own line, as well as being strong enough to not only survive breaking away but destroying the head of your own line, tended to do that to the undead. Vampires were all about power. They both respected and feared that kind of power.

"I look forward to seeing this mysterious gown you have purchased for the evening, ma mie," Jean-Claude murmured in her ear as they moved ever closer to the entry.

"Soon," she promised. There was a short flight of steps up to the door, prompting Aedan to lift the heavy skirts of her gown so that she didn't trod on the hem and trip herself up. Jean-Claude's hand remained on her elbow, a guide and a silent promise. That he would hold her up. That he would protect her. That he would ensure she was safe.

The doorman offered them a smile, not a lick of energy surrounding him. Just a regular human doing his job. Hopefully he didn't have to be anywhere near the guests for the evening. He had the door opened before they'd even put a foot on the top step, and the hand not holding the door open for them tipped his hat at them as they passed. Aedan flashed a brief smile before stepping through the door and into the brightly lit interior.

They were greeted by an attendant who was, again, human. "This way, please," he said, one arm motioning toward a hallway. They moved up the corridor, stopping at the coat check. While Jean-Claude, Wicked, and Truth hadn't bothered with outer wear, Aedan had wrapped herself up in a lush fur coat, something Asher had produced for her. She didn't question where he'd gotten it or how much he'd spent on it. She'd accepted it for the gift it was and had thankfully put it on over her chosen armor for the evening.

Now, with the attendant waiting, Aedan slipped her arms from the coat's sleeves and very carefully handed it over to the smiling young woman. She felt three sets of eyes fall on her, felt their appreciation and lust. She was well aware of what they saw.

The gown she'd picked was far from the normal type of dress someone should wear to an event labeled a charity ball. This was neither for charity, nor a ball, based on what Asher had told her. So Aedan had decided to go for something that spoke to power. Her power. The power she got from her gifts. And the power she got from being Jean-Claude's human servant. She'd chosen based on that power, had made sure Asher thought it would send the message she wanted people to get. He'd told her in no uncertain terms that she was going to challenge everyone present with the gown.

She'd chosen a black velvet gown that clung to her curves as closely as ivy clung to the side of a building. The bodice was fitted tightly enough that her breasts were pushed up and put on prominent display, even without the plunge at her cleavage. The skirt hung straight, long enough to pool on the floor around her feet like spilt ink. There was a slit up the left side to allow for ease of movement. Her heels, which were only visible when she walked, were black velvet, high enough to make her almost as tall as Jean-Claude. Said heels were capped with shining silver, because she could. But it wasn't the length of her skirting or the height of her heels that drew the eye of anyone in her vicinity. It was the intricate metal work that topped the dress.

The sweetheart bust was connected to a delicate spider's web designed from tiny silver links which, in turn, was connected to a hammered silver collar. A series of dark, deep blue sapphires were set into the piece in a design that was meant to follow the phases of the moon. The collar covered much of her throat, telling one and all without saying a word that no one save Jean-Claude was allowed to touch it. The metal webbing had little give to it, remaining nearly completely immobile with each of her movements. Chips of sapphire and diamond and onyx decorated the places where the chains met and crossed, so that it flashed and sparkled each time she shifted and the chips caught the light. The same webbing ran from the center of her back down to just above her ass, where the edge of velvet stopped. It was connected to the sides of the bodice, holding the gown in place while leaving her back exposed to view. Smaller versions of the webs rested against her upper arms, hanging from the collar and held in place with a single chain that wound around her arm.

Aedan turned to face Jean-Claude. The heat in his gaze made her toes curl in her expensive shoes. He let his eyes sweep her from head to foot, from the length of her hair that hung unbound around her shoulders to the hem of the gown where it dragged the ground. When he looked at her face once more, the heat had gotten hotter and his smile was more than enough to start her pulse pounding through her veins. "Does it make the right statement?"

"It makes several. Which do you mean? Do you mean the one that practically screams 'I want you to throw me down on the nearest flat surface and have your way with me.'? Or do you mean the one that says 'I am an absolute bitch and I will cut your eyes out if you look at me wrong.'? Or do you mean the one that cries eagerly 'I belong to Jean-Claude, Master of the City of St. Louis.'?" he asked her quietly.

"I was going for the last one. So I'm glad that I achieved it," she responded, throat dry with the look he was sending her. "The other two are bonuses."

Jean-Claude stepped closer, until his chest almost touched hers. Despite her heels, Aedan still had to tip her head back to look him in the eye. What she saw there made her consider dragging him to the car. His lips brushed hers briefly, so feather-light that she almost thought she imagined the touch. "You are absolutely stunning, ma mie. I shall be the envy of every person at this event."

"Sweet talker," she whispered.

"We shall pick this up later. When we leave." She noticed he didn't say 'When we get home.' As if he planned on ravishing her in the back of the limo. Wow. Did it just get hot in the big, lofty entry? Or was that just him?

"This way, please," the attendant said politely, breaking through the sexual tension that was building between them. Aedan pulled back reluctantly and once more allowed Jean-Claude, who was so terribly in control of himself after all that, to take hold of her elbow and escort her forward. Wicked and Truth followed behind them, silent as ever. But the way their power seemed to caress her spoke every single word she knew they never would. Damn, it was going to be a long night.

They were shown to a set of double doors of frosted glass that were closed against prying eyes. Aedan took a steadying breath while the attendant reached for the handles. The doors opened out, forcing the attendant to step back and out of their way. "Enjoy your evening, sirs. Madam."

Jean-Claude escorted Aedan into the room. She nearly faltered under the cresting wave of power that slammed down over her head and found herself grateful for the hand on her elbow. It helped keep her on her feet. Helped keep her grounded and focused. Kept her from being swept away by all of that cold, undead power. Every face in the room turned to the doors, staring expectantly at them as they entered.

She knew what they would see. Jean-Claude, standing tall and elegant in a finely tailored suit of rich, luxurious black that she knew was bespoke. His lapels were silk, as was his shirt, which was the same shade of bluish-grey as her eyes. His hair was as glossy as a raven's wing under the full moon, tumbling around his face like a dark halo, and his shoes had been shined to match. He was the absolute picture of grace and beauty, and Aedan felt it was a direct contrast to her less refined look. Behind them, the Wicked Truth were clad in suits of black linen, their silk shirts a shade of blue not quite as dark as Jean-Claude's sapphire stare. It was a very obvious statement as to where their loyalties had been put.

There were so many vampires present. Every one of them was staring at them. At her. As if she was some tasty morsel upon which they could feast. It should have been frightening. In fact, she was sure it would be frightening to a mere mortal. But she was made of sterner stuff, had fought nightmares with little more than her wits. Aedan felt steel slide down her spine, felt her shoulders straighten. Almost without thinking about it, she adopted her pleasantly empty expression and followed Jean-Claude further into the room. The whispers started almost immediately. Aedan paid them no mind. Instead, she let her power slide over the undead, let it test them and taste them and feed her information. It was how she knew there were quite a few younger vampires present, most of them almost entirely without power.

Not that there weren't a good amount of older vampires present. She could feel them like a dull knife digging into her bones, their power grinding against her mind harshly. While it usually wasn't an issue, there were far too many powerful vampires present. After only a few moments, she could feel a knot of pain forming right behind her eyes. She was going to have a headache soon if she didn't push all that power aside.

They were left to their own devices for all of ten seconds before the mass of vampires parted to allow someone walk through their midst. Aedan saw a tall, thin vampire with dark brown hair heading their way. He was older than most of the vampires there, and the most powerful one there. She felt Jean-Claude's entire demeanor shift, telling her that this was someone important. And likely someone he knew. The chatter died as the vamp passed, all eyes watching his progress. All of them waiting to find out what would happen when the two men met.

The man came to a halt a few steps from them. His eyes, such a pale blue that they appeared white, swept up and down Jean-Claude's frame with barely a hint of anything in them. Aedan thought perhaps, if he let them see what he felt, it might have been grudging respect. Then he turned those odd eyes on her and gave her the same once over. She had to fight not to bristle under his invasive stare. She saw a look that suggested he was satisfied with what he saw. Then he turned back to Jean-Claude and offered a smile that held neither warmth nor friendship. "Jean-Claude. Thank you for accepting our humble invitation." There was a touch of an accent in his words and it took Aedan a moment to work out that it sounded vaguely Slavic.

"Thank you for the invitation." Aedan could find not an ounce of sincerity in Jean-Claude's voice. Which told her that he knew the vampire. And disliked him. Passionately.

"Who is this lovely creature at your side?" the vamp asked. The way he said creature made Aedan think he saw her as some kind of specimen to study. And possibly eat. Jean-Claude turned to her.

"May I present my human servant, Aedan Kinkade?" he said, his voice the one she'd heard him use with idiots more than once. "Aedan, this is Gustav."

"Good evening," Aedan responded. Gustav reached out and took hold of her hand. It took everything in her to resist the burning urge to snatch it back and slap him with it. She wanted to tell him he was a bad dog, but she didn't think it would go over well. Especially if this was his party. So she suffered through his act of being gallant and bending over her hand to press a dry kiss to the back of it. Revulsion slithered up her spine, made her want to wipe that kiss away on his way too expensive suit coat. Made her want to see if she could suck him dry of the power she felt swirling around him. When he let go of her hand, she offered a bland smile.

"I see your taste in beautiful women has not changed at all over the centuries, Jean-Claude," Gustav remarked, giving his attention to the man at her side and essentially stuffing Aedan into a box labeled 'Unimportant' because she was merely human. Oh, if the slimy little shit only knew. Since he didn't think she was worthy of more than a trite greeting, she put on a vapid smile that was supposed to tell him she liked that he thought she was beautiful and pretended to be interested in all the pretty dresses, all the flashy jewelry. All the inane trappings of vanity that surrounded her. But she listened. And she measured.

"Aedan is a very beautiful woman," Jean-Claude replied. Though his tone was polite, there was a coldness to it that told her he'd caught the snub and he didn't like it. She also heard the sincerity and honesty in his statement. He meant what he'd said. That filled her with a touch of heat, which she kept hidden by thinking about all the pretentious assholes strolling around the room. "I am very fortunate to have her as my human servant."

She made sure he knew she was pleased with his words, then tuned the men out almost completely as their conversation turned toward more mundane things. Instead of pretending to follow their exchange, she kept a mental ear tuned to it and let her mind drift over the gathered throng. She trusted that Jean-Claude would let her know if they said something she needed to pay attention to. It was obvious Gustav only thought she was a pair of tits on legs, anyway. Best to keep him from learning that she had a brain and she most decidedly knew how to use it.

As her eyes slid over the crowd, so did her power. Her necromancy moved with all the quiet stealth of a stalking predator, gliding over the vampires in attendance to gauge their power and how much of a threat they might be. She was surprised to find that very few of them were even anywhere near powerful enough to be a threat. At least, on their own. As a group, if they could work together without egos and tempers getting in the way, they would prove formidable. Possibly even unstoppable. That was not a comforting thought.

Only a small handful of the vampires present registered with any strong amount of power. Gustav, as she'd already discovered, was one of them. Of course, it was possible that some of the undead were hiding their powers. But she didn't think so. It seemed like the Anubis Foundation was riddled with weak vampires who were trying hard to make themselves feel strong and powerful. Great, some kind of Nazi-esque vampire group with self-esteem problems and over-inflated egos. Perfect combination.

"I am surprised you did not bring your temoin with tonight." Gustav's words brought Aedan's attention fully back to the conversation taking place between the two men beside her. She cast a quizzical glance toward Gustav as if the word was unfamiliar, which he saw as she suspected he would. There was a high probability that the man was trying to figure her out. Playing dumb was a good way to keep him off balance, if it came to it. "A temoin is the Master of the City's second in command," he explained with an air of condescending patience. Then he turned back to Jean-Claude. "Asher, I believe?"

Someone was fishing. His tone was meant to suggest he wasn't sure about the name. But Aedan could tell it was little more than a front. It seemed like the Anubis Foundation might want a little payback for the information Asher had taken to the vampire council a few hundred years ago. She'd have to remind him to be extra cautious while the group was in town.

"Asher had business to attend to. He would have liked to come, but he simply could not get away," Jean-Claude replied smoothly. If he had any suspicions about Gustav's sudden comment, he kept them to himself. No doubt he was well aware that the question was out of the blue and there was deeper meaning behind it

"Ah, I see," Gustav said. He couldn't quite hide the disappointment he felt. Aedan wanted to put her fist through his face in order to convince him to get the hell out of St. Louis and leave everyone in the kiss alone. "Such a shame. Perhaps next time. I was looking forward to seeing the two of you together. Rumors are you were once Belle Morte's most beautiful possessions."

Ugh. What a dirtbag. Aedan tuned the conversation out before she forgot that he wasn't supposed to know she was more than capable of wiping the floor with his scrawny ass and once more took assessment of the crowd. Which is why she had to suppress a flash of surprise when saw a very familiar face heading their way. And then she had to suppress a second wave of surprise when she saw a second familiar face that moved in time with the first.

Well, shit. This was going to be fun.

~*~*~*~*~

Jean-Claude felt tension snap to life inside of Aedan though a quick glance her way showed him that she looked calm and relaxed to anyone who didn't know her well. "Ma mie? he asked softly.

She said nothing, simply stared off into the crowd. He let his eyes search the gathered people standing in the general area she'd turned her gaze and realized why she'd gotten so tense. A familiar face was heading toward them, accompanied by someone he couldn't recall ever having seen before. But the surprise clinging to Aedan suggested that perhaps she knew who it was. Curious.

Gustav saw the direction they were both looking and gave a soft exclamation. "Ah." Gustav turned to face the couple that was nearly upon them. "Jean-Claude, Aedan. I would like for you to meet my esteemed guests, Amelia Turner and Ted Forrester. Amelia. Ted. This is Jean-Claude, Master of the City of St. Louis, and his human servant, Aedan Kinkade." One pale, limp hand gestured back and forth between the four of them. Jean-Claude wasn't terribly surprised to see Edward there. He seemed to turn up at such events quite frequently. He didn't think Aedan was surprised to see the man, either. No, he was sure her reaction was because of the woman Edward was presently arm in arm with. There was a rush of something old and familiar and unpleasant inside of Aedan, something that he felt came from seeing the woman named Amelia Turner. Gustav made a show of glancing around the crowded ballroom, then feigned a sigh of regret. "I see other guests I must greet. I will leave the four of you to get acquainted. Jean-Claude, we will speak again in greater depth at a later time. Until then."

Gustav drifted away much faster than he'd arrived, giving Jean-Claude a moment of pause. He could smell a set up just as well as the next person, and this was definitely a set up. Though he wasn't sure what kind of set up. And he couldn't figure out why Aedan was still so tense.

And then there was no time to wonder because Amelia Turner, Gustav's 'esteemed guest', was directly in front of him, one of her hands held out toward him. Not for a hand shake, but for a kiss to the back of it. As if she was some kind of royalty. Well, perhaps she was. But she likely wouldn't be pleased to know she'd been dubbed a royal pain in his ass. "Jean-Claude. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. Gustav has told me so much about you."

He could well imagine. He took her hand, Instead of kissing it, as she was expecting, he bent low over it. When he righted himself, he gave her his best empty smile. "I am quite sure he has," Jean-Claude replied before his gaze slid to where Aedan stood. She was openly staring at Amelia Turner, eyes burning with deep hostility. Edward, he felt, wore a look that was equal parts amusement and curiosity. A strange combination to see in Death's eyes, to be sure.

"I was hoping you'd be here," she went on, not noticing the atmosphere around her. "I've been looking forward to meeting you. You're the closest thing to a celebrity we've got in St. Louis. I can't wait to tell all my girlfriends. OH! Would it be possible to take a picture with you?" She was already digging into her tiny clutch. Her hand came out with a sleek cell phone, which she immediately shoved into Edward's hold. "Teddy, would you be a dear?"

Aedan's anger spiked at that, reminding him that there was something more going on here than simple jealousy. "I'm sure they'll all be so thrilled," she commented, her tone somehow sarcastic, patronizing, and hateful at the same time.

"What is your problem?" the woman asked, a bit of the carefully curated culture slipping out of her voice, finally acknowledging that there was someone else there. She turned to shoot a glare at the woman standing beside him. Jean-Claude watched Amelia blink, watched as confusion filled her eyes. And then disbelief. He turned to look at his companion and found that Aedan's shoulders were tight and her spine perfectly straight. Though none of her anger showed on her face, he could see it in her the very way she held herself. "Katherine Solomon?" Amelia Turner asked, disbelief dripping off every single letter.

The question dropped between them like a lead weight.

Aedan didn't blink, didn't even move a muscle. But he knew said muscles had gotten even tighter than before at the use of that much hated name. Curious. It would seem Amelia Turner was someone from Aedan's past. "Miss Turner, this is my human servant. Aedan Kinkade." Jean-Claude said, reaching out to take hold of the hand closest to him. Aedan allowed it, allowed him to bring that hand up to his lips so that he could press a kiss to it. He made sure that Amelia Turner saw him press the kiss to Aedan's palm.

Amelia Turner's expression clouded a moment, then she frowned. "Aedan Kinkade? Is that what you're calling yourself these days?" There was confusion in her voice. She followed it up with accusation. "What are you doing with the Master of the City?"

"I believe he just told you that I'm his human servant. Perhaps you need to clean the wax out of your ears. It seems to be affecting your ability to hear," Aedan remarked. Though her tone was even and almost pleasant, he could hear the snark lurking just under the surface. He shot a glance Edward's way, but the man wore such an expression of confusion that he might have believed it to be genuine. If he hadn't been sure Edward knew just what was going on.

Amelia Turner stared a moment, as if shocked that anyone would say such a thing to her. Then she shot a frown Aedan's way. "It looks like you're still a freak after all these years. I guess that's what happens when you run away from school. You never learn how to be normal. Or stop lying." As insults went, they weren't very good or imaginative. Aedan must have agreed because she only smiled.

"There isn't anything you can say or do that will hurt me, Miss Turner," Aedan responded quietly. She took a step closer to the other woman, her gaze sliding up and down the woman's length dispassionately before she spoke again. "You've made it your life's work to belittle other people, all while trying so desperately to change yourself. Your nose isn't yours. Your boobs aren't yours. Those lips. Not one inch of you is real. Maybe I changed my name once upon a time. But every last bit of me is who I was when I was a scared teenager."

Amelia Turner gasped, face flaming. "You spiteful little bitch!" she snarled. Her voice was sharp and high, and it drew the attention of everyone in the room. Aedan only smiled at that.

"Yes. I am a bitch. But I'm my own bitch. Not someone else's lap dog. In case you missed it the first time, I am Aedan Kinkade, human servant to the Master of the City of St. Louis. Whose hospitality you and everyone here are being generously granted. Beyond that, I have my own career. I have my own power. And if you ever, ever try to make me feel small again, I'll give you first hand knowledge as to just what kind of power I have. I can promise, you will not like it. If you thought Katherine Solomon was a freak... You haven't seen anything yet."

"Aedan," Jean-Claude said softly. She didn't look away from the other woman, but something in her gave way at the mention of her name. "How is it you know this woman?"

"Katherine Solomon went to school with her," she responded.

"Katherine Solomon went to school with me? What kind of idiotic sentence is that? You went to school with me. Though I suppose I can see why it would be so hard to remember that, seeing as you dropped out of school and ran away," Amelia Turner responded, sounding as if she felt she'd scored something.

"Katherine Solomon went to school with you. And you terrorized her relentlessly for being other. You and your group of nattering harpies. That was your favorite way to brighten up the boredom of private school. Scaring those students you felt didn't belong." Though Aedan's expression didn't change, her posture did. And Amelia Turner noticed it, because she had to force herself not to shrink back. "Fortunately for Katherine Solomon, she found someone who was willing to help her. Someone who got her out of that hell of a school. And then that someone helped her kill herself off. Helped her find her own path in this world."

Jean-Claude let his gaze slide casually to where Edward stood. It was amazing the man had remained silent this long. And he stood beside Amelia Turner, looking very much the picture of deep confusion.

"You're talking nonsense, Solomon. I wouldn't expect anything less from someone like you, though," Amelia said, tone sharp and cutting.

"After Katherine Solomon left that horrible school and horrible people like you behind, she was given the opportunity to become the person she was always meant to be," Aedan said lowly, her gaze locked on the other woman. He could see that Aedan's stare was starting to make Amelia Turner uncomfortable. "Aedan Kinkade went on to graduate high school at the top of her class. She went to college and got two degrees."

Aedan paused and took two steps closer to the other woman. Amelia Turner couldn't step back quick enough, giving in to Aedan's simple intimidation tactic. Her voice, when it came, was low and filled with dark pleasure. "That day on the green... We never did finish our little fight, Amelia. Be glad. Because if we had, you wouldn't be here today on your boy toy's arm."

How she said it with a straight face, Jean-Claude didn't know.

"Had we not been interrupted by staff, had the good Reverend Mother and Sister Anne not come to your rescue..." Aedan stopped directly in front of the other woman, so close that there was barely any space between them, and smiled. It was a cruel smile, a smile that promised pain and torment. "Well. Do you recall what I said to you that day? The threat... No, the promise I made to you."

"You said you'd bury me alive." Amelia's voice was so low, it was almost impossible to hear over the chatter of the crowd surrounding them. Her face had gone pale under her expertly applied make up.

"Yes. That's what I said. And you should be grateful for the interruption. Because if they hadn't come when they did, I would have buried you. And by the time they'd gotten to you..." Aedan shrugged a shoulder, letting the other woman know that it wouldn't have mattered one bit to her. She moved back to her spot next to Jean-Claude and no so subtly put a possessive hand on his arm. "It was so fun seeing you again, Amelia. Let's get together and talk over old times!" She made sure to inject as much saccharine sweetness into her voice as she was able. Then her gaze shifted to where Edward stood and she offered him a flat look.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Forrester. But might I suggest you find yourself different arm candy? I believe you'll find this one to be sour and old."

A glance at Aedan showed she was calm and serene. Edward was goggling at them, acting as if he was at a loss for words over the exchange. And Amelia Turner looked as if no one had ever spoken to her in such a manner before.

Jean-Claude couldn't hold back the grin that came. He turned to Aedan and offered her a smile. once more kissing her hand in a show of affection. "Come, ma mie. Let us go find some refreshment. Good evening, Miss Turner. Mr. Forrester."

He led Aedan away without another word. Something told him this was not the last he would see of Amelia Turner.