"Are you forgetting why you're here?" I looked her over. No leather pants, but a cute electric blue sequined minidress and Dior platforms. "You look more ready to party than kick butt."
"Can't I do both?" Flo frowned as another clap of thunder rattled the glass doors. "I don't forget for un momento why Ricardo and I are here. No one will send my roomie to hell. But I can look good while I kick butt. Sl?" I gave up. No sense in spreading my case of nerves and impending doom around. I flinched when something cold hit my palm.
"What's this?"
"New shade of lipstick. What you're wearing? All wrong for you. Put this on. It's called Vampilicious or something like that. It will make Jeremiah drag you into a closet and kiss you until your eyes cross, girlfriend. I think Casanova will like too." Flo nodded toward Lily. "There's another one who will stir Berto's blood." She glanced toward the French doors, which rattled with another wind gust.
"But every woman here, even Brittany, is in danger if Maurice takes a liking to them. Damian told all three of themBerto, Maurice and his friendto fly in over the lake. I hope your Siren snatches them before they ever get here." For a moment her eyes glittered with what I swear were tears.
"You and me both, Flo." I put the lipstick on by feel then handed it back to her. "Better?"
"Much. Now I go back to my Ricardo. Not to worry. We have your back." She sniffled, then gave me a quick hug and hurried back to Richard's side.
I headed toward Ray and the piano, determined to play my part as dutiful fiancee. He threw his arm around me when I got there. He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "Listen to these characters."
"I'm telling you, Sienna. Elton wrote that song about us. We were really hot in the late sixties, early seventies." Drac leaned down and tapped Benny on the shoulder. "Play one of our songs, Ben."
"Quit teasing me, Drac. You guys are way too young to have been around back then." Sienna sat on the piano bench next to Benny. She was sipping a martini and had on one of the vintage cocktail dresses she'd bought in my shop last night. It was a short lime green and yellow sequined sheath that hit her midthigh. She looked great and knew it. So did the men. If Casanova made it here, he was going to take direct aim at her. Not that he'd have a chance to hit the target. Which reminded me. Where the hell was Damian's famous council?
"We're older than we look. We were living in England then. Had a little singing group called the Jets. Benny used to stammer when he got excited. He got over it. Elton dug our music. He and Bernie wrote the song about us." Drac grinned and Benny played. The three of them broke into song, not Elton's classic, but a sixties rock tune that did sound familiar to those of us who'd been around back then. The three youngsters in the crowdRay, Nate and Siennalooked confused but were soon tapping their feet to the beat. Flo and Damian laughed and danced around the room.
Danced. I was glad Flo could pretend to enjoy herself. I felt like I was about to scream or fall apart. Ray squeezed my shoulders, kissed my cheek and sent me a mental message.
"Don't worry. Simon promised he'd try to make it."
"Try?" I probably looked horrified because Luke looked at me curiously. I took a breath and plastered a smile on my face. Jerry was across the room, not smiling. Especially when Ray nuzzled my neck. The song finally ended and everyone clapped.
"Okay, I don't know how you did that, but I still say no way." Sienna waved her glass at me. "That song's about the same age as my dress. Right, Glory?"
I nodded. "If it came out in the early seventies it is."
"There you go. Plus in Elton's song Benny is a 'she.'" Sienna polished off her martini and set the glass on the floor. She played and sang part of the tune to make her point.
Drac laughed. "Benjamin here used to swing both ways. Even did some cross-dressing. You should have seen him in those electric boots. Too cute. This decade he's way into women. Right, Ben?"
"Shut up, Drac. No one here's interested in a history lesson." Benny jumped up from the piano. "I want to hear Sienna and Ray sing. The new duet. What do you say, Ray?"
"Be glad to, but later. We're expecting more guests. Maybe when everybody gets here." Ray glanced down at my ringless hand and frowned. "Glory, baby, don't you think Sienna and Nate should" Unspoken was the "get the hell out of here."
"What?" Nathan was all for anything that put him with Sienna. He looked around and was sharp enough to realize there were some seriously creepy characters behind all the big smiles and good music.
"Sienna and I need to go over some lyrics. In the study. And, Glory, maybe Nate could help you bring out some refreshments." Ray nodded toward the kitchen and bar area. "You know what our guests like to drink and Nate can fix Sienna another martini."
"This is a party. Right?" Damian pulled Sienna up and Luke took her place on the piano bench. "Surely you won't take this beautiful lady away now. Study can wait."
Luke started playing a current hit, a love song that made Flo grab Richard and dance him around the piano. I knew what my BFF was doing, trying to forget what might be coming. Damian wanted to keep the bait, I mean Sienna, in the room. She smiled and let Damian dance her around in what looked a lot like foreplay. Someone found the dimmer switch on the lights. What was this, a freakin' night club? Even Lily and Drac started dancing.
"Come on, Nate, help me with the drinks." I dragged him with me to the bar where I found the key in its hiding place and unlocked the special fridge in the pantry. Then I poured goblets of synthetics and set them on a tray while Nate made Sienna what he called a dirty martini. He was hitting the Jack Daniel's pretty hard, even set the bottle on the tray with the martini. Valdez stood guard at the door.
Jerry and Ray had stayed in the living room to keep watch over Sienna and over each other, no doubt. Should I be worried?
Since I didn't hear glass breaking or cracking heads, I put their feud out of my mind. I also didn't hear any more guests arriving and it was close to ten. Not good. Where were Damian's guests? Since the storm was going strong, I figured Aggie still hadn't snared any vampires trying to fly in over the lake.
I was about to shove Dracula outside as a token when I realized that not only would it ruin Jerry's relationship with Lily, but it also wasn't likely to work with Benny and Luke around.
One thing I could do was try to save the mortals we'd dragged into this. I got in Nathan's face.
"All right, Nate. Listen to me. I guess you've figured out by now that this is a party for vampires only. You and Sienna are in grave danger. Do you hear me? Grave danger."
"You mean they could kill us? Not just drink from us?" Nate's voice shook and he swallowed some Jack.
"Exactly. So I need for you to take Sienna upstairs and lock yourselves in one of the bedrooms. I can whammy both of you, but I hate to do that." To hell with bait. I figured this late Aggie would probably get the bad guys before they ever reached the house. I could hope anyway. If not, I didn't want Nate or Sienna anywhere near the infamous Maurice.
"I hate for you to do that too. Don't know what good a bedroom door will do, though. I've seen you guys in action. You make kung fu fighters look like pansies." Nate sat on a bar stool.
"Well, any vamp who wants you is going to have to go through me, Ray, Jerry and Valdez first. You can count on us."
"I know that, Glory. Thanks." Nate stood, picked up the tray and straightened his shoulders. "I know I can't tell Sienna what's going down, but if I can't lure her away from a bunch of creeps like that, then I'm a loser with a capital L."
"Stop right there, Nate." I put my hand on his arm. "Don't think like that. These guys have an unfair advantage. They have an aura and mind control to work with. Besides, danger is seductive for a lot of women. Crazy, I know, but women have always been attracted to bad boys, and there's a room full of them out there. Look at Lily. Beautiful, intelligent, and now we know she's Jerry's daughter. She could have any man she wants and yet she's hung out with the likes of Dracula for over a hundred years. Go figure."
"That is crazy." Nate paced around the small room holding the tray like a waiter looking for his customers. "I'll never understand women."
"Of course not. Just don't be surprised if Sienna doesn't want to leave the room with you. Because, despite being handsome and intelligent, you're clearly one of the good guys."
"Never thought I'd be sorry to hear that." Nate glanced at an array of bottles. "Maybe I should fix Sienna a double martini. Try to get her drunk."
"Nope. Doubt it would be you who'd get to take advantage of that situation." I hated the worry I'd put in Nate's eyes. "Listen, friend. One of us, your vamp buddies, may have to coerce her out of the room. Just keep your eyes and ears open and be ready to make a run for it at our signal, okay?"
"Thanks for scaring the shit out of me, Glory." Nate looked grim, but determined.
"You're welcome." I picked up a second tray and walked with Nate to the living room just in time to see the front door blow open again. Didn't anyone knock anymore? But when I saw who it was I didn't care. Simon Destiny, Greg Kaplan and another Energy Vampire were shedding black waterproof capes in the entry.
"Ray, baby, Simon's here." I set my tray on a table and hurried forward. Valdez started growling and I gave him a look that should have silenced him. Instead, he merely got louder.
"Am I going to have to do something to your canine before I even meet your guests?" Simon smiled slightly.
"Of course not." I turned and looked into the living room. "Blade, would you come control this mutt of yours?" I clutched Ray's arm when he joined me in front of Simon. "We're all trying to get along, for the sake of the vampire community, but"I glanced at Valdez who'd finally shut up"it's a work in progress."
