A butler greeted me at the door wearing a dark red tailcoat and a crisp white shirt underneath. Another vampire. Most employees of the royal residences were vampires because they didn’t trust outsiders nor did they trust another species to do a job as well.
The butler bowed. “Good afternoon, miss.”
“London Hayes. Knights of Boudica.”
He bowed again. “May I unburden you?”
He was asking to relieve me of my weapons. Nope. Not a chance.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“In that case, if you’ll please follow me.”
“Gladly.”
Although I’d seen old photographs of the palace interior, they looked nothing like the rooms before me now. Once House Lewis took control of the palace, they did more than change the name. Queen Britannia modified the entire interior space so that it would be unrecognizable to visitors and impenetrable by her enemies. My mother told me that Buckingham Palace had been open to the public when it was occupied by human residents. Britannia didn’t want her enemies to be able to use the widely available information in order to identify weaknesses or entry points. She was a paranoid queen, and for good reason. Ever since the vampires emerged from the shadows, the Houses were under constant threat, not only from other species but from each other. No vampire House seemed content to be second best. They lost a battle or a war, and then they licked their wounds and bided their time until they felt revitalized enough to try, try again.
The butler guided me to a cavernous room with gleaming marble floors and the highest ceilings I’d ever seen. Crystal seemed to sparkle everywhere I looked. Chandeliers. Glassware. There was even a crystal elephant on display atop a marble column. Crystal seemed an odd choice for a species endangered by sunlight. A statue of Britannia took pride of place under a curved archway at the far end of the room and I walked closer to inspect it. Her form was perfect, although I could’ve done without the splashes of red around her mouth and dripping between her breasts.
My skin began to crawl. I had company.
I blinked and the Horror of the Highlands stood beside me. He wore a dark cloak over his clothes. His dark blond hair was slightly damp and curled at the ends as though he’d emerged from the bathtub mere moments ago. I tried not to picture him emerging from a bathtub or a shower or anything else that invoked his naked body.
“Impressive, isn’t she?” Words poured from his sensuous mouth, smooth like whisky. “Welcome to House Lewis, Miss Hayes.”
I quickly regained my composure. Show no weakness or he’d show no mercy. “I’m surprised you’d pay her the compliment.”
It was Queen Britannia who’d successfully defended the city against an attack by House Duncan. She died during the infamous Battle of Britannia, but not before claiming victory for House Lewis and exhausting the Highland forces. It was also thanks to her that a young prince was delivered to the palace doorstep as a hostage to be raised by House Lewis. According to scholars, it had been a sticking point in the negotiations and King Casek had insisted the provision be upheld in honor of his late wife.
The prince turned his gaze to the statue. “I have come to admire her achievements without bitterness.”
I decided to shift gears, not wanting to stir unpleasant memories any further. “Do you always walk around your house invisible?”
“Only when I’m not in the mood to be seen.” He paused and looked at me expectantly. “Most women in my presence attempt a curtsy at the very least.” His lips curved into a smile. “More than a few like to flash a bit of cleavage while they’re down there as well.”
I offered an exaggerated bow instead. Alas, there’d be no cleavage on display even if I were so inclined—which I most definitely wasn’t. The design of my uniform was similar to a scuba suit. It was fairly asexual as far as uniforms went, which suited me just fine.
“Good enough.” He motioned to a highbacked chair swathed in crushed red velvet. Red was the accent color of choice throughout the palace. The drapery. The upholstery. Even the statue of the former queen. Every vampire House claimed red as their signature color, but I was willing to bet only House Lewis managed to do it with such panache.
I perched on the edge of the chair, prompting a smile from His Royal Rapscallion.
“You might be more comfortable if you remove the sheath.”
“I’m fine, thank you.” I made a show of settling against the chair, treating the bulk of weapons on my back like a soft pillow.
Another vampire entered the room to offer us refreshments.
“No thank you,” I said.
“It isn’t the underworld,” the prince said. “You may eat from our stock and still be free to leave afterward.”
“Thank you. The answer is still no.” My body remained on high alert and the sooner I could escape the palace, the better.
The prince turned to address the staff member. “In that case, nothing for me for now. Thank you.”
How gallant.
He removed his cloak and set it across the back of the adjacent chair, revealing form-fitting trousers that left little to the imagination.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Big enough for you?”
My mouth turned to cotton. “I beg your pardon?”
The prince smiled. “The palace.”
Heat warmed my cheeks. “It’s quite impressive.”
His smile broadened as he sat on the chair adjacent to mine. Only a small round table separated us.
“It’s been almost exactly like this since I moved here. The king doesn’t share the same interest in interior design as his former queen.”
“And what about Queen Imogen?”
King Casek remarried within two years of Britannia’s death, sparking an outcry from those vampires fiercely loyal to the queen. The king wisely chose Imogen, a daughter of House Osmond. An alliance with vampires from across the English Channel made sense from a strategic point. Britannia had been the more intimidating one in their partnership. Without her, House Lewis risked having to defend their territory yet again once another House grew strong enough to attempt an overthrow.
The prince’s gaze traveled around the room. “I see a few acquisitions, but Mother’s too practical to splash out on knickknacks she doesn’t need.”
“In other words, we won’t find statues in Her Highness’s likeness strewn across the city.”
His eyebrows inched up at the slight but he said nothing. I needed to show better sense. I wasn’t among friends. The opposite, really. Dead or not, a barbed comment about Queen Britannia in her own palace was foolish even for me.
“How can I help you, Your Highness?” I struggled not to choke on the reverential title. Did I have a problem with authority? Why, yes. Yes, I did. Was that problem exacerbated when the authority figure was a vampire? Yes, it was.
“It’s a delicate matter, one that requires discretion.”
“Which is one of the reasons we’re hiring from outside our usual pool of knights,” a voice interjected.
My magic flared in response and I suppressed the urge to protect myself. I glanced over to see another vampire stride into the room with an air of importance. He and Prince Callan were night and day personified. Where Callan was fair and blond, this vampire was dark-haired with olive skin and deep brown eyes. Like Callan, however, he radiated danger.