Page 19 of Bitten By Chaos

He let go of my hand to tug his suit jacket down and smooth his hands over the front. I glanced down at my own outfit and took a moment to fix my sleeves. I’d chosen an emerald satin blouse and crisp black trousers with matching heels that happened to be so tall even I would’ve had difficulty balancing as a human. But now? Piece of cake.

The dining hall had massive double doors made of rich oak that mimicked the wainscotting in the rest of the house. The brass handles made me nervous to touch them lest I leave a fingerprint. But Julian grasped them confidently and threw open the doors, head held high. He stepped to the side and offered me his elbow, which I slipped an arm through before following him in, doing my best to exude the kind of confidence he was so practiced at.

To call the room massive would’ve been an understatement. An entire ball could have easily been held in this enormous room with vaulted ceilings and long windows at least ten feet tall rimming the perimeter. I’d learned not to shy away from the sunlight streaming through anywhere on the estate as all of the glass was coated in a potion that filtered out the harmful rays to protect new vamps like myself.

On a stage to the left, a nine-foot table was set with a burgundy tablecloth that matched the thick carpet flecked with gold running beneath, down the steps, and across to the entrance. Six places were set with gleaming crystal and golden cutlery, already poured red wine, and trays of more than enough food to feed an army. Elsa reclined in the center, facing us with Merl to her left, an empty seat beside him and at the end of the table. On Elsa’s other side sat my father dressed in a corduroy jacket with a patch on the elbow. But as annoyed as I was at his inclusion, it was the guest seated beside him that made me stop in my tracks, forcing Julian to pause before tugging me firmly forward.

The queen of the Seelie court sat, glamoured to look like a beautiful human woman with long silver hair and a gossamer gown the color of a clear sky, holding a glass of wine in one long fingered hand. She smiled knowingly at me.

If I’d been a human, my heartrate would’ve given me away. As it was, one slow thump jerked against my ribs like a drumbeat. No one knew that she hadn’t released me from my bargain to serve her in exchange for Julian’s life. Especially not him. He’d be so angry he might do something stupid.

Please don’t say anything, I prayed silently as I climbed the steps. Merl stood and pulled out the chair beside him for me. I felt Julian jerk slightly, but otherwise he simply smiled and waited as I took the chair before sitting at the empty one next to me on the opposite end from the queen. At least I wasn’t next to her. That had to count for something.

“Help yourselves,” Elsa said politely, indicating the food and drink we literally had no need for. As far as I knew, neither did the queen. But she sipped casually on her wine, eyes pinned on me.

I lifted my own glass and took a fortifying gulp of alcohol as I waited for her to continue.

“I understand you know her highness?” Elsa said by way of introduction.

I nodded, setting down my goblet hard enough to make the liquid inside slosh against the sides.

“I’ve invited her since fairies are the natural enemies of the self-proclaimed demons,” Elsa explained. “She may be able to help us with our little problem.”

“This is far from a little problem,” my father said, throwing his napkin down on his plate. “My daughter is in serious danger from all-powerful beings.”

The queen snorted then passed it off as a sniffle before setting her own glass down politely and standing. “They are far from all-powerful.”

“Would you be so kind as to share with us what you know of their powers and weaknesses?” Elsa asked, tilting her head slightly. She was clearly comfortable behaving appropriately in front of royalty. Even insane self-aggrandizing royalty like the fairy queen.

“For a price,” the queen answered and stabbed a piece of something on her plate that looked like raw meat.

“I could do the same.” Merl’s voice boomed across the empty expanse of the room. “Why pay you in a bargain that will likely be more expensive than it’s worth?” He grinned, saluted with his merlot and took a loud sip.

The queen sneered, tiny, pointed teeth slipping through her glamour as her cheeks flushed pink. “I bargain fairly.”

Merl guffawed, slapping the table and making me jump. “Sure you do, your highness.”

“You should fear me, human,” the queen whispered, a stark contrast to Merl’s spectacle. But it carried just as well.

He grinned, his eyes suddenly glowing like tiny suns. “You know what they say, Shaleighaoife, eventually every bully finds a bigger bully.”

“How dare you use my name?” the queen hissed, rising into the air and landing on the table where she smashed her way toward us and directly through the platters of food in the way.

“Because,” Merl said calmly, standing and folding his hands in front of himself. “That gives me power over you. Now sit back down and stop making a spectacle of yourself.” He flicked two fingers and the queen sailed through the air and back into her seat with a crash.

Everyone at the table stared, dumbfounded, except for Elsa and Julian who remained nonchalant. I wondered if it was an act they had both perfected, or reality. But I was too busy gawking at what Merl had done to try to assess either one further. There seemed to be no doubt now as to Merl being THE Merlin. No one knew the queen’s name. Or so I’d thought.

“Please,” Elsa said after a moment. “We are not here as enemies. We are here because we have a common enemy. Let’s focus our energy on working together instead of squabbling.”

“I suppose it’s a matter of deciding which enemy is worse then,” the queen said, standing and stepping away from the table with a pointed look at Merl, who stuffed a tiny quiche in his mouth.

I grimaced, rubbing my temples. At least she was distracted enough to draw her attention elsewhere. Julian slid a hand over my knee beneath the table as he took a sip of wine, appearing mildly interested in the dramatics.

Staying out of this dispute is best, he cautioned in my mind.

“I will take the fact that you haven’t yet left, despite the rudeness of a certain member of the table, as a sign you are open to hearing more,” Elsa said, inclining her head toward the queen, who folded her arms across her slender chest.

“How does aligning myself with you benefit me?” the queen demanded. “As far as I can tell, I am the one you need to help you out.”

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