Page 57 of Curse of Immortality
Damon inhaled sharply and spoke on his exhalation. “Because she isn’t cunning or experienced like you are. She would be easy to charm and most likely be much more pliable than you.”
The way Maeve’s nostrils flared revealed that she wasn’t pleased, but she pretended not to care. Raising her chin she said, “Is that your way of saying that you’re lazy and don’t like a challenge?”
Damon refrained from telling Maeve that he had felt her interest before and didn’t see much of a challenge in seducing her. He was smart enough not to get involved with anyone who slept with Charles – even if they were as beautiful as Maeve. Standing tall with his hands folded in front of him, he calmly observed Maeve as she walked to one of the windows and looked out while talking to him.
“Did my sister have any friends or interesting plans?”
“Not that I know of. She seems to live a very isolated life.”
“What do you mean? She travels all the time and works with humans, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, but she never stays long enough to make any friends or fall in love.”
With another scoff, Maeve placed her hands on the windowsill and studied the people walking on the street outside. “Falling in love is for fools. Althea is smarter than that. She saw what happened to me when I fell in love. If it wasn’t for her and Rose finding me in time, I would have been killed by the only man I ever loved.”
Damon had a hard time imagining Maeve as an innocent young girl in love and changed the subject. “Do you need anything else?”
She turned toward him and crossed her arms. “Have you heard from Mr. Thomas?”
“I saw him a few weeks ago in Spain. Why?”
“He’s overseeing my profits on the slave trade. Philip II of Spain has granted a near-monopoly in the slave trade to Pedro Gomes Reinal, and as you very well know, he works for me.”
“I’m aware. Just as King Philip works for Charles,” Damon added.
“Yes. Of course. All Faders do. Anyway, I suspect that Mr. Thomas is frolicking around instead of pressuring Pedro as I asked him to. I heard rumors that he rented a house outside Seville and has been hosting wild parties.”
“Sounds like something he would do. Thomas is a true hedonist.”
Maeve sighed. “Will he never get enough of that sort of thing?”
Damon smiled and lifted his shoulders in a quick shrug. “What do you expect? The man was a Viking. He’s come a long way from the uncivilized heathen he used to be.”
“He’s still a heathen if you ask me,” Maeve muttered.
Damon couldn’t help provoking her a little and pointed out, “I got the impression that you liked that side of him. Didn’t you two spend some time together in Portugal?”
Maeve gave him a cold look that only her cynical eyes could give. “That was more than twenty years ago. My personal relationship with him is irrelevant, but I might need you to visit with him and make sure he’s doing the work I ordered him to do.”
This time it was Damon who crossed his arms. “Are you meaning to tell me that he now takes orders from you?” They both knew he didn’t and neither did Damon. Maeve was like a spider pulling threads and controlling people with her connections and powers. But despite her influence with Queen Elizabeth and other heads of state, Maeve held no power over Faders as old as Damon and Thomas.
“I meant what I’mpayinghim to do,” she corrected herself. “The French have now made slavery illegal in France. Did you hear that?”
“Yes,” he answered and looked toward the door, wanting to leave.
Maeve narrowed her eyes, “Are you still determined not to get involved in slave trading?”
Rocking back on his heels, he cleared his throat. “Unlike you, I hold no hatred towards humans. I’m fully capable of making money without enslaving others.”
Maeve smacked her tongue. “Humans have held slaves for as long as anyone can remember. The Roman empire was built on slaves. Why shouldn’t we take advantage of such lucrative business opportunities? I’m just upset about France. Other countries had better not follow with a ban as well. It’s bad for my business.”
“Then it’s a good thing that you have such a wide range of investments,” Damon said and took a step back to signal that he wanted to end their conversation.
Maeve understood and went back to her chair making it sound like she was the one dismissing him, “I have work I must finish so I can get ready for tonight. I assume you were invited to court as well?”
“I was. I’m told not to miss Shakespeare’s newest play. Apparently, it’s quite witty.”
Maeve didn’t look up but made herself look busy. “You may leave me, Damon.”
